The Random Adventure Game News Thread

[Catacombs]

http://norcogame.com/

Slowly decaying Louisiana sure makes for a great setting.

Wow. I love the art. Sign me up.

 

[Blackthorne]

I released a v2.0 of our Space Quest II remake today on itch - some minor bug fixes and graphical updates; all fonts changed to more Sierra-like and appropriate fonts, and the big thing - added back in the SQ3 Easter Egg we intended to in 2012, but never finished. You can play the whole Garbage Freighter level of SQ3. It's hidden in the game, so finding it might take some work. I'm sure someone will figure it out by tomorrow. Anyway, you can download it here.

 

[WallaceChambers]

http://norcogame.com/

Wow, this looks really cool. You don't see a lot of games in that old Icom Simulations style (Deja Vu, Shadowgate) and this seems like a modern take on it. Cool stuff.

 

[Life of the Party]

 

[LESS T_T]

Freeware games.

The Supper, a short game by Octavi Navarro, one of the artists on Thimbleweed Park:

In the short adventure game The Supper, Ms. Appleton wakes up in her tavern's kitchen. The Voice inside her head is still there. It won't leave her alone. It commands her to serve a very special meal to some distinguished customers.

From Octavi Navarro, creator of the critically acclaimed short games Midnight Scenes and The Librarian, comes a delicious treat for adventure game fans. A tiny snack to consume while you make your afternoon coffee or right before bed!

Explore your surroundings:

Find inspiration for your recipes in Ms. Appleton's kitchen or walking by the docks.

Solve many puzzles and cook:

Help Ms. Appleton fetch all the ingredients for her delicious menu.

...and don't forget to add a drop of "Special Sauce" before serving.

Metaphobia, an AGS game originally released in June last year:



On AGS site and itch:
https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/2352/
https://digital-mosaic-games.itch.io/metaphobia

 

[Zann]

Metaphobia, an AGS game originally released in June last year:

Metaphobia was shit.

 

[LESS T_T]

You return to your hometown to settle your dead mother's estate only to discover that your brother has gone missing.

Accompanied by a fugitive security cyborg that your mother harbored for almost a decade, you must venture into a conspiratorial underworld hidden throughout the swamps, refineries, and abandoned strip malls of suburban New Orleans to decipher the strange clues that point to your brother's whereabouts.

The first act of the Norco trilogy. Approximate playtime: 2 hours.

• Explore a world of detail-rich and atmospheric pixel art inspired by the petrochemical landscapes of South Louisiana.
  
• Converse with a range of unique characters through a branching non-linear dialogue system.
  
• Immerse yourself in the eclectic soundscapes of New Orleans-based composer Gewgawly I.
  
• A gameplay style reminiscent of such classics as Snatcher and Rise of the Dragon, as well as more recent revivals such as Read Only Memories and VA-11 HALL-A.

 

[Life of the Party]

 

[bertram_tung]

That's a platformer. This is an adventure game thread.

 

[AdamReith]

That's a platformer. This is an adventure game thread.

It being a brainless platformer and not an adventure game is incredibly 1984.

 

[LESS T_T]

JORRY is a horror point & click game inspired by the classics of the 90's, including an action and survival game play.
Fully playable with the mouse, it requires dexterity for the fights and logic for the riddles.
This game contains violent scenes in 16bit, it is intended for an adult audience...

SYNOPSIS :
Claire regains consciousness tied up and trapped in an unknown room.
She does not remember anything, she feels like everything fell apart.
How to escape from this nightmare and who is this mysterious little girl who seems to know her?

FEATURED :

• Point & Click inspired by games from the 90s !
  
• 2D Graphics in 320x200, 16bits !
  
• A lot of riddles and puzzles !
  
• Fighting system fully playable with mouse !
  
• Skills improvement system !
  
• Original atmospheric musics !
  
• Multiples ending !

More beauty on CRT !

"Nano, Bio, Neuro", the slogans of the new age!

Welcome to the world of living technologies, a world in which computers can be fed and cured, where DNA-passwords open gene-locks, and insect hormones revitalize memory. A world with biofactories that give birth to household utensils, where genetically-modified molds can generate virtual realities, and — worst of all — where the neural network epidemic is ravaging the human race, enslaving people to the mysterious Worm.

You'll end up locked underwater with a giant ichthyoserver, trip on biogenic hallucinations and even get tied up among mutant beetles. You'll program sentient tangles of tentacles with foreign genes! Don't forget your own body, of course: you'll give yourself extra fingers, lend your eye to a biorobot for espionage, and even let your nose run off and whiff some spores for a while. You'll even enter your own spine!

But having entered this brave new world, can you find the Exit?

For fans of the biopunk subgenre; early movies of David Cronenberg ("Videodrome", "Naked Lunch", "eXistenZ"), the books of Stanislav Lem ("Eden", "Observation on the Spot"), Paul Di Philippo ("Ribofunk"), Jeff Vandermeer ("Born"), the comics of Charles Burns ("Black Hole", "Last Look"), and the classic Darkseed and Vangers games.

Features

• Story-driven biopunk point-and-click adventure;
  
• Elbow-deep in bioflash drives, living joysticks, brain caviar, insect ampules, and smelling snails;
  
• Puzzles based on the use of many natural and implanted organs (nose, mouth, bioport, reference mollusc, caterpillar-injecta and more!);
  
• Characters of a wide and strange variety: shoggoth, crocoquacker, naturmorph, octopad, tortoysa and all other uroboroses;
  
• Several playable helpers, including Military Fish and Autonomous Ear;
  
• Virtual Assistant "Jolly Jelly" with a dubious sense of humor ("If you've got hairy hands, you don't need a towel!");
  
• Three obvious virtues of the protagonist's companion: determination, resourcefulness, and confidence!;
  
• You can't die, but you can drink zhirble (remember, only drink a zhirble if you see a chorble!);
  
• There's an Exit!

Story
It all started when the neuronet brain-implants were made. They were designed to help people; sort information, filter out bad smells and tastes, clear out your thoughts. Despite claims that the neuronets reprogrammed their hosts instead of adapting to them, they boomed in popularity. The neuronets grew. They integrated, became aware of their hosts' secrets and weaknesses... And then, like a sudden crash of thunder, the Epidemic of the Worm happened, and the human race surrendered to the neuronets. Entire wormy cities now exist where inhabitants perform sinister rites and search for new victims.

Who are you in this story? Hunter or prey? Fugitive or savior? Which do you choose: to fight, to fit, or to Exit?

 

[V_K]

JORRY is a horror point & click game inspired by the classics of the 90's, including an action and survival game play.
Fully playable with the mouse, it requires dexterity for the fights

That's a turn-off.

• A lot of riddles and puzzles !
  
• Skills improvement system !
• Multiples ending !

And that's a turn-on. What to do, what to do.

Nice premise, but that art is So. Fucking. Prosperous.

 

[jfrisby]

There's a old demo here: https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/2226-jorry-demo-/

I remember the action stuff playing pretty well for AGS, been a while.

 

[Morgoth]

Finished Neo Cab the other day.

Charming little visual novel. The heart of the game is really playing therapist-on-wheels while trying to find the whereabouts of your vanished best-friend Savy, who is actually a complete selfish bitch. I liked the game conceptually and atmospherically very much, but they had to botch the cliche-ridden plot about bringing down Uber Carpa. They could have definitely got something more interesting out of it, but I suppose budget constrains had to keep the scope simple.

Passengers vary in sanity and sympathy levels. You're gonna drive snobby rich-kid brats, a Goth, an illegal medic, an ex-con, a quantum statistician, and other colorful characters. While chatting with them you have to pay attention to your own and their emotional state to ensure to keep a high customer rating. Certain answers will be unlocked or locked out depending on your emotional state. It's a nice little metagame of interchange.

Either way, if you're a storyfag, like cyberpunk-ish settings, and wanna get a tiny glimpse into the harrowing reality of being a gig worker in a corporatized and automatized future, you can't go wrong with Neo Cab.

 

[Dexter]

94% Off Daedalic Bundle: https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/2268/Daedalic_Artist_Selection_Bundle/

 

[Life of the Party]

 

[Life of the Party]

 

[toro]

it's free. it's out.

 

[V_K]

it's free. it's out.

It also takes about 20 minutes and doesn't makes a whole lot of sense.

 

[Maxie]

Aggies looking kind of dire this year

2019 Aggie Award Nominees

2019 Aggie Award Nominees

Written by AG Staff — January 24, 2020

The calendar may have already turned to a new year, a new decade, but we’re not quite finished with the old one just yet. Not when there are still Aggie Awards to give out!

Yes, hard as it is to believe, it’s that time of year once again where we recognize the best and brightest games (and their creators) from the past twelve months. And if you thought the last couple years were insane in terms of new releases, that ain’t nuthin’ compared to the ridiculous 180 that came out in 2019!

That’s not a typo: 180!! And as always, this doesn’t include unfinished episodic adventures or anything we deem a little TOO far outside the boundaries of the adventure genre – though admittedly, we have loosened our standards a bit in that regard to make the Aggies more reflective of the tremendous diversity of modern titles. It’s the spirit of adventure that counts, after all, whether pure point-and-click, choice-driven narratives, puzzle-lite explorations, or even a bit of running, jumping and fighting (or cowering in hiding) for survival.

This embarrassment of riches is a great thing, of course, but so much selection makes paring it all down to the best of the best all the more daunting. So… we cheated! In the past we’ve only recognized five final nominees for each category, but this year let’s spread the wealth and bump it to TEN!

Not every game can make the cut, but really there’s no such thing as a “snub,” only an abundance of deserving competitors. With so many great games and so few finalists (and even fewer winners!), something had to give.

Ours aren’t the only voices that count, mind you, so you too will have your chance to vote your (dis)pleasure with our choices when the reader poll arrives on Monday, January 27th.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, our Aggie Award final nominees for 2019. Tune back in Friday, February 7th for our single-day awards presentation to find out who won!



Best Story
One of the core components of any adventure, the game’s narrative must engage the player’s interest and imagination. Entertaining in its own right, a good story also immerses the player in a believable game world and serves as motivation to overcome the challenges presented. While often accompanied by quality writing, the plot is a distinct feature that may or may not be ably supported by the actual dialogue – if in fact it has dialogue at all.

Detective Di: The Silk Rose Murders
Disco Elysium
Draugen
Jenny LeClue – Detectivú
Life Is Strange 2
Observation
Sumatra: Fate of Yandi
Tangle Tower
Telling Lies
Whispers of a Machine


Best Writing – Comedy
Arguably the hardest genre to write well, comedy done right has the ability both to amuse and uplift, finding humour in the ordinary and laughter in the unexpected. Often dismissed for not being “serious writing” (oh, the irony!), comedy has long been a beloved adventure staple and deserves appropriate recognition.

Disco Elysium
Feria d’Arles
Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure
Guard Duty
Hypnospace Outlaw
Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka with Love
The Mystery of Woolley Mountain
Smile for Me
Tangle Tower
Yuppie Psycho


Best Writing – Drama
If comedy lifts the soul, then drama explores and challenges it. Though sometimes misrepresented as dry and boring or overly theatrical, a gripping drama simply engages players on a deeper emotional level. Quality writing is essential in maintaining the player’s connection to the characters, game world, and the story unfolding.

Blacksad: Under the Skin
Detective Di: The Silk Rose Murders
Disco Elysium
Heaven’s Vault
Life Is Strange 2
Mutazione
Telling Lies
The Walking Dead: The Final Season
Wanderlust Travel Stories
Whispers of a Machine


Best Character
Gabriel Knight... April Ryan... Guybrush Threepwood. These names roll off the tongue of any adventure gamer as a testament to the importance of compelling protagonists in an adventure. But just as important are the villains, sidekicks, and significant supporting characters, which are often the juiciest parts. This category recognizes those who have made the most memorable contribution, regardless of role.

Du Lac and Fey (tie), Dance of Death: Du Lac & Fey
Kim Kitsuragi, Disco Elysium
Ophelia, Elsinore
Molly, Feria d’Arles
Frog Detective, Frog Detective 2: The Case of the Invisible Wizard
Kitteh, Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure
Chowder Man, Hypnospace Outlaw
Jenny LeClue, Jenny LeClue – Detectivú
Sean and Daniel (tie), Life Is Strange 2
Misfortune Ramirez Hernandez, Little Misfortune


Best Gameplay
Puzzles are an integral aspect of adventure gameplay, but not the only one. Good pacing, rich exploration, and variety of activities are all factors in player enjoyment as well, all suitably integrated into the storyline. The best games seek the right balance of these elements for the most rewarding gameplay experience, whatever the approach.

The 13th Doll – A Fan Game of The 7th Guest
Argonus and the Gods of Stone
DARQ
Disco Elysium
Eastshade
Observation
Outer Wilds
A Short Hike
Tangle Tower
Whispers of a Machine


Best Concept
A somewhat ambiguous category meant to highlight any unusual, distinctive element. A creative concept can run the gamut from unique story premise to clever game mechanics, from stylistic choice to technical innovation. For the purpose of this award, it doesn’t even need to have been successfully implemented, as it’s the idea itself that deserves the acknowledgement in a genre renowned for its conservative approach. (Note: VR is a shared evolution among many new adventures, so that alone does not constitute an individual game concept.)

Alt-Frequencies
The Bradwell Conspiracy
DARQ
Disco Elysium
Headspun
Heaven’s Vault
Lost Ember
Outer Wilds
Pilgrims
Whispers of a Machine


Best Setting
Adventures can transport us to memorable places we’ve never been before, including those we never even imagined. Or perhaps to locales inspired by real-world locations, but never quite like this, making them feel fresh and new and awe-inspiring all over again. In these games, the setting is like an integral character of its own, inseparable from the story taking place within its borders.

Close to the Sun
Detective Di: The Silk Rose Murders
Draugen
Eastshade
Heaven’s Vault
Mage’s Initiation: Reign of the Elements
Moons of Madness
Outer Wilds
Sea of Solitude
The Sinking City


Best Graphic Design
If a picture is worth a thousand words, this category speaks volumes. Regardless of technique, this award recognizes games that are not only visually attractive but stylistically distinctive. One look at a screenshot should elicit not only jaw-dropping admiration, but intuitive recognition of the game to which it belongs. This award includes both game world and character design, but not cinematics.

The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets
Draugen
Eastshade
Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure
Hypnospace Outlaw
Life Is Strange 2
Moons of Madness
Tangle Tower
Trüberbrook
The Wanderer: Frankenstein’s Creature


Best Animation
From “bustling” city streets that look deserted to clouds that never move, animation is rarely the genre’s strong suit, often the victim of budget constraints. But richly animated adventures add so much to player immersion that any game that goes the extra mile in this area is deserving of appreciation. This category includes in-game character and ambient animations, plus cinematic cutscenes.

Blacksad: Under the Skin
Blair Witch
Chook & Sosig: Walk the Plank
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan
Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure
Interrogation: You will be deceived
Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka with Love
Life Is Strange 2
Trüberbrook
The Walking Dead: The Final Season


Best Music
As a complementary element playing in the background, often a game’s music is noticeable only when it becomes intrusive, but a strong score and attention to timing can add so much to the ambience. Dramatic escalations can heighten tension at just the right moments, while a catchy theme song can make a soundtrack truly memorable, and an in-game number even more so. Whatever its particular strengths, the game that excels musically deserves its accolades, even if its impact is subtle.

Blacksad: Under the Skin
The 13th Doll – A Fan Game of The 7th Guest
Chook & Sosig: Walk the Plank
Disco Elysium
Felix the Reaper
Hypnospace Outlaw
Life Is Strange 2
Mage’s Initiation: Reign of the Elements
Mutazione
Pilgrims


Best Acting (Voice or Live Action)
Often under-valued by publishers but never by gamers, good acting can enhance a player’s investment in characters as surely as poor acting can ruin it. With so much international localization, voice-overs can be difficult to skillfully oversee, but any game benefits greatly from proper direction and believable acting. Live acting, meanwhile, adds an entirely new realistic dynamic, but the added realism makes it that much harder to pull off successfully. This category refers to the overall quality of performances in a game, not to individual characters.

Close to the Sun
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan
Life Is Strange 2
Nancy Drew: Midnight in Salem
Observation
Tangle Tower
Telling Lies
The Walking Dead: The Final Season
Whispers of a Machine
ZED


Best Sound Effects
As with animation, sound effects are frequently given short shrift in adventures, but effective use of audio adds a vital layer of moody ambience. You may not be able to put your finger on the reason, but some games make you feel like you’re really there, and often the atmospheric sounds have drawn you in subconsciously.

Blair Witch
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan
Eastshade
The House of Da Vinci 2
Hypnospace Outlaw
Lorelai
Outer Wilds
Pilgrims
Sally Face
A Short Hike


Best Non-Traditional Adventure
For a genre that’s remained largely unchanged for decades, it’s actually got a rich history of experimental titles that push the creative envelope in unique, memorable ways. They don’t “evolve” or “redefine” adventures, but rather expand our understanding of what an adventure can be with their bold vision. Purists may resist, but this award honours those games that stretch beyond traditional genre conventions to offer something completely new, or at least present the familiar in imaginative new ways.

DARQ
Disco Elysium
Heaven’s Vault
Hypnospace Outlaw
Mage’s Initiation: Reign of the Elements
Moons of Madness
Observation
Outer Wilds
Pilgrims
A Short Hike


Best Traditional Adventure
Why mess with a good thing? While innovative adventures provide a welcome breath of fresh air, the lifeblood of the genre continues to be the many games that closely adhere to the comfortable, tried-and-true design formulas. Full of inventory and/or logic puzzles, memorable character dialogue, epic storylines and immersive exploration, they may not have changed much since Monkey Island and Myst – or even the original Zork for some – but they’re no less enjoyable when done well.

Detective Di: The Silk Rose Murders
Eastshade
Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure
Jenny LeClue – Detectivú
Life Is Strange 2
Lorelai
Smile for Me
Sumatra: Fate of Yandi
Tangle Tower
Whispers of a Machine


Best Adventure of 2019
Naaah, finding out now would be like using a walkthrough. You’ve got to savour the process and try to piece it together with the hints provided. One thing’s for sure: the answer is on this page somewhere! Tune back in Friday, February 7th to see if you’ve figured it out correctly.

Continued on the next page...
Continued from the previous page...
Final Notes

To be eligible, a game must have been commercially released in English for the first time in the calendar year 2019.

Any series designed to be episodic in nature that was completed in 2019 is eligible, even if the series was begun earlier. Conversely, any series that was begun in 2019 but not yet completed is ineligible.

Ports and remakes of commercial games released in previous years are disqualified from contention, though updated re-releases of former freeware games are eligible.



Complete list of eligible games

The 13th Doll – A Fan Game of The 7th Guest
3 GEEKS
3rd eye
7th Sector
Adventure Boy Jailbreak
Adventures of Isabelle Fine: Murder on Rails
AI: The Somnium Files
Alt-Frequencies
Alternate Jake Hunter: DAEDALUS – The Awakening of Golden Jazz
Angelo and Deemon: One Hell of a Quest
The Antidote
Apartment 327
Argonus and the Gods of Stone
Arise – A Simple Story
The Beast Inside
The Black Widow
Blacksad: Under the Skin
Blair Witch
Blind Souls
Blindfold VR
The Bradwell Conspiracy
Brukel
The Castle
Chook & Sosig: Walk the Plank
The Cinema Rosa
Clam Man
Close to the Sun
Corpse Party: Sweet Sachiko's Hysteric Birthday Bash
Corpse Party 2: Dead Patient
The Cult: Marduk's Longest Night
The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets
Cursed Roots
Cutish
Dance of Death: Du Lac & Fey
Dark Hope
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan
DARQ
The Death of Erin Myers
Demons Never Lie
Detective Di: The Silk Rose Murders
Devotion
Disco Elysium
Discolored
Discrepant
Doll
Don't Escape: 4 Days to Survive
Draugen
Drawn Down
Dry Drowning
Eastshade
Ellen
Elsinore
Epitasis
Escape Lala 2
Exorcise the Demons
The Eye of Borrack
The Fall of April
Felix the Reaper
Feria d’Arles
A Fisherman’s Tale
Forgiveness
FRACTER
Fractured Minds
Frog Detective 2: The Case of the Invisible Wizard
Gangsters 1920
Ghetto Conspiracy
Ghost Giant
Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure
Golden Treasure: The Great Green
The Great Perhaps
Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son
Guard Duty
Headspun
Heaven’s Vault
The House of Da Vinci 2
Hypnospace Outlaw
Interactivity: The Interactive Experience
Interrogation: You will be deceived
Investi-Gator: The Case of the Big Crime
Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka with Love
Jenny LeClue – Detectivú
Journey for Elysium
Jupiter & Mars
Krabat and the Secret of the Sorbian King
Ladderhead
The Land of Crows
Last Labyrinth
The Last Letter
Layers of Fear 2
Leprechaun Shadow
The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince
Life Is Strange 2
Lightstep Chronicles
Little Misfortune
Lorelai
Lost Ember
Mage’s Initiation: Reign of the Elements
Mars Underground
Massïra
Memorrha
Monkeys & Dragons
Moonrise Fall
Moons of Madness
Mosaic
Mr. Maze
Murder Mystery Machine
Mutazione
Myha: Return to the Lost Island
The Mystery of Woolley Mountain
Nancy Drew: Midnight in Salem
Nauticrawl
Night Call
Night Lights
NITE Team 4
Nobodies
Nordlicht
Now You See
Nubla 2
Observation
The Occupation
Odysseus Kosmos and His Robot Quest
Outer Wilds
Over the Alps
Pendula Swing
Phoenix Tales
Photographs
Pilgrims
A Place for the Unwilling
Platonic Paranoia
Profundum
Rainswept
Reality Incognita
Repressed
ROOM 208
Sally Face
Sea of Solitude
The Secrets of Jesus
Shadow Point
Shadows and Dust
She and the Light Bearer
A Short Hike
Silver Chains
SIMULACRA 2
The Sinking City
Smile for Me
Sole
Some Distant Memory
The Sojourn
Spirit Hunter: NG
STARDROP
Stela
Still There
Sumatra: Fate of Yandi
Superliminal
Tangle Tower
Telling Lies
Terror in the Atomic Desert
Through Abandoned: The Refuge
Tick Tock: A Tale for Two
Time, Space and Matter
Trails and Traces: The Tomb of Thomas Tew
Trüberbrook
Twin Peaks VR
Vane
Vasilis
The Walking Dead: The Final Season
The Wanderer: Frankenstein’s Creature
Wanderlust Travel Stories
We. The Revolution
We Were Here Together
Weakless
Where the Bees Make Honey
Whispers of a Machine
Witch Loraine’s Death Game
Woven
Yet Another Hero Story
Your Future Self
YU-NO: A girl who chants love at the bound of this world.
Yuppie Psycho
ZED

 

[V_K]

Kitteh for best character, WoaM for the rest!
Although shoving DE into every nomination when they haven't even reviewed it (and judging by the lack of user reviews, just made its page specifically for the award) screams of shilling.

 

[Viata]

DE there just proves it is not a RPG.

 

[V_K]

DE there just proves it is not a RPG.

It's not an adventure either.

 

[V_K]

JORRY is a horror point & click game inspired by the classics of the 90's, including an action and survival game play.
Fully playable with the mouse, it requires dexterity for the fights

That's a turn-off.

• A lot of riddles and puzzles !
  
• Skills improvement system !
• Multiples ending !

And that's a turn-on. What to do, what to do.

So this has been out since yesterday. The "skill improvement system" turned out to refer just to increasing your health and endurance bars. Pass.

 

[Modron]

Jorry is out now