The Random Adventure Game News Thread

[WallaceChambers]

CyberWhale Hey cyberRetard butthurt, explain to us why VN are a subgenre of adventure games.

I'm not sure if they share a genre, but they're both definitely members of the same supergenre of non-games that make money by pretending to be games.
Other things you can find in this category include idlers, cookie clicker clones, most autistic sims, etc.,

Vans aren't games (unless they actually have some kind of gameplay added, but not by virtue of being VNs). Adventure games on the other hand are.

None of this Is supposed to say anything about the quality of either VNs or adventures. It is a simple definition issue. Adventure games challenge the player to solve their puzzles. While visual novels are stories that you read and sometimes have a choice on.

From your post, I am guessing you don't like puzzle solving. Which is a pity, since it is very fun. But arguing it isn't a game is a definition mistake.

Making choices to reach a desired outcome or route is a form of problem solving and is gameplay.

 

[Darkozric]

Making choices to reach a desired outcome or route is a form of problem solving and is gameplay.

Making dialogue choices in not gameplay. This is why Disco Elysium in not an RPG neither an adventure, it's an isometric visual novel.

The only time that dialogue had some kind of intertwine with the gameplay and you could say that it was kinda of "problem solving" was in Monkey Island's sword fights. Because you needed to "solve" the dialogue choices to progress through the game.

And even then, it's an illusion of gameplay. But it was done in such way that it fitted both in the game's context and thematically with the game's setting. But still, it's an illusion.

Puzzles made the game not the dialogue choices.

 

[WallaceChambers]

Making choices can constitute dialogue and physical actions. Either way it's a further simplification of the sentence constructing adventure gameplay of text adventures. Text Adventures = Type the sentence to advance, Point & Click = combine verb and noun/inventory to construct a sentence to advance, Choice Based Adventure/Novel Game = presented with pre-constructed sentences which you chose from to advance.

They're all varying degrees of complexity which express the same kind of narrative driven gameplay.

If you think Monkey Island's insult sword fighting is the only time this applies, you're ignorant, an idiot, or probably Darkozric, and failed to think of all the other times this gameplay has been utilized. In ways that are not only clearly gameplay but deeper and more interesting gameplay systems than many other games.

Machi

Machi is a story-driven adventure game that follows 8 different characters over the course of five days. The presentation of the game is made up of static pictures of characters and locations, though there are occasional animated cutscenes, and the majority of the player's interactions is through text. The player can switch between the different characters at any time to continue the story, and depending on choices made throughout the game the player can bring about a good or bad ending. All of the characters live within the city of Shibuya, and many of them can cross paths with each other depending on how the game is being played. For example, in one scenario playing as Gang Member Masami Ushio, the player decides how to best pull off a jewelry store heist. If the player is successful, Masami remains on the run throughout the rest of the game. This further complicates the story for other characters like Jintaro Umabe, who looks like Masami, and is unknowingly implicated in the jewelry robbery. If the player does not succeed in the Jewel robbery, Masami's story ends, and Jintaro does not get implicated at all. Choices with similar repercussions can occur for each of the eight other principal characters.

-Giant Bomb
Switching between characters with intersecting fates to achieve the best outcome is not only gameplay it's really interesting gameplay that earned Machi the #5 best adventure game of all time spot among Famitsu readers, decades after its initial release.

Prismaticallization

The beginning of the game plays like a typical novel-style adventure game where the player mainly reads text as they watch scenes play out. However, after the protagonist discovers a mysterious crystal, the player is trapped in a time loop. The same day with the same scenes will repeat infinitely unless the player intervenes. Every loop features small differences and if the player notices them they can record the differences in the crystal displayed in the top left corner of the screen. Up to five things can be recorded in the crystal each loop and the events of the next loop will change depending on what was recorded.

-Giant Bomb
A novel game where you track details to break out of a time loop, All choice based interaction and undoubtedly a form of problem solving. Feel free to be wrong af and a dumb nerd if you disagree lol.

Kagetsu Tohya

A fan disc sequel to Tsukihime where numerous events transpire across a single looping day.

If you think working through this branch of decisions to reach the true end doesn't constitute a form of problem solving you are a retard and nothing can be done to save you from your shambling tard-tier thinking.

YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of This World

YU-NO isn't actually a novel game, it's a Japanese P&C style adventure game, but by the retarded logic of the posters in this thread that labeled Ai: The Somnium Files a visual novel, it's a Visual Novel lmao. So I'm gonna cheat and count it since you're all retarded LOL.

YU-NO's ADMS system uses branching choices as a way to depict time travel and makes the entire game into a meta-puzzle of gaining information and items from one branch and using it in another. If you don't think this is a form of narrative based problem solving, enjoy collecting drool on your bottom lip and chin for the rest of your life.

 

[Darkozric]

Din't expect anything more from a retarded storyfag. All this conversation could be avoided, if you just posted your VN abominations in a VN thread. But few storyfags here can't grasp the idea. We're wasting energy for nothing.

 

[WallaceChambers]

Din't expect anything more from a retarded storyfag. All this conversation could be avoided, if you just posted your VN abominations in a VN thread. But few storyfags here can't grasp the idea. We're wasting energy for nothing.

A top tier post in terms of displaying how little you know about the genre/any subject you talk about. I appreciate how you incorrectly spelled "didn't." This let me know that you didn't ever have a hope in hell of forming a coherent thought, or saying anything worthwhile.

:D

 

[Darkozric]

A top tier post in terms of displaying how little you know about the genre/any subject you talk about.

What's the point of diagrams when you found "fun" Norco's gameplay? Most codexers here already know you're a coprolagnist.

 

[Darkozric]

I get it, you're a passionate storyfag, but still a storyfag. :D

 

[Alex]

CyberWhale Hey cyberRetard butthurt, explain to us why VN are a subgenre of adventure games.

I'm not sure if they share a genre, but they're both definitely members of the same supergenre of non-games that make money by pretending to be games.
Other things you can find in this category include idlers, cookie clicker clones, most autistic sims, etc.,

Vans aren't games (unless they actually have some kind of gameplay added, but not by virtue of being VNs). Adventure games on the other hand are.

None of this Is supposed to say anything about the quality of either VNs or adventures. It is a simple definition issue. Adventure games challenge the player to solve their puzzles. While visual novels are stories that you read and sometimes have a choice on.

From your post, I am guessing you don't like puzzle solving. Which is a pity, since it is very fun. But arguing it isn't a game is a definition mistake.

Making choices to reach a desired outcome or route is a form of problem solving and is gameplay.

No, unless there is some kind of skill involved in guessing the right choices; or at least some aspect of exploration to them.

If you take, for instance, the old fighting fantasy books, those did have a gameplay (whatever the reader may think of the gameplay in question). In many of these games, you were given choices that you had no way of knowing what is right, but they aren't exactly a detour in the story, but rather an exploration element. Enter this room and you might find the ring you need further on. Enther that one and you might be poisoned, but still be able to continue the same exploration; only with a handicap. Other times, there are hints for the very choice itself that, if you are careful in reading, will help you understand what you should do. A particular memorable example of that is this image:

That image appears on a paragraph as you wake up at an inn the the "Kharé, Cityport of Traps" book. The innkeeper decided to play a game with you; and put you in this situation so you can figure out how to escape with your neck unscathed. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the image uncropped, but the point remains, the choice here is not just a simple choice, but a kind of challenge.

Now, you might say that some VNs do provide challenge and exploration with their choices. In fact, I think one in particular that actually does this is the "Zero Escape" series of games. Again, whatever one may think about the quality of the gameplay itself; it is true, those games do have a gameplay mechanic associated to the whole choice making aspect of the VN. As you explore the alternate possibilities your choices have, you begin to explore the actual story of the game and understand what is going on. In fact, since the whole exploration aspect of these choices are tied like that to the narrative of the game, it wouldn't be unfair to say these games is actually an adventures! Even if not particularly challenging ones.

But that is besides the point. The point in saying that VNs aren't games per se isn't saying that VNs couldn't be games under any circumstances. The point is that they aren't just by virtue of being VNs. There are plenty of VNs where the point of the choice isn't to challenge the reader in any way, but just provide a different way of reading the story, where you can consider how it might have gone if different choices had been made.

 

[Darkozric]

If you take, for instance, the old fighting fantasy books

LoneWolf was ok for a storyfag RPG, more things to do than Disco Elysium.

 

[WallaceChambers]

CyberWhale Hey cyberRetard butthurt, explain to us why VN are a subgenre of adventure games.

I'm not sure if they share a genre, but they're both definitely members of the same supergenre of non-games that make money by pretending to be games.
Other things you can find in this category include idlers, cookie clicker clones, most autistic sims, etc.,

Vans aren't games (unless they actually have some kind of gameplay added, but not by virtue of being VNs). Adventure games on the other hand are.

None of this Is supposed to say anything about the quality of either VNs or adventures. It is a simple definition issue. Adventure games challenge the player to solve their puzzles. While visual novels are stories that you read and sometimes have a choice on.

From your post, I am guessing you don't like puzzle solving. Which is a pity, since it is very fun. But arguing it isn't a game is a definition mistake.

Making choices to reach a desired outcome or route is a form of problem solving and is gameplay.

No, unless there is some kind of skill involved in guessing the right choices; or at least some aspect of exploration to them.

That criteria obviously applies to VNs. Not just some, it literally applies to VNs at a baseline level. Even your average Bishoujo game's choices are about understanding the character and making the appropriate choices to complete their route using your knowledge from the story.

It's gameplay because it's an expression of the player's agency via interaction, it effects outcomes and determines whether a win condition is fulfilled I.E getting the true end or your preferred route. The only thing this wouldn't apply to are Kinetic Novels, and yeah, those aren't games.

There are plenty of VNs where the point of the choice isn't to challenge the reader in any way, but just provide a different way of reading the story, where you can consider how it might have gone if different choices had been made.

The standard of VNs is to have numerous "Bad Ends" which are game overs for making the wrong choices. Even when there isn't an explicit bad end, making choices to get a desired outcome is still a thinking challenge that required interpreting the scenario. There are some VNs where the challenge is light and some that are much tougher to clear because of the construction of the branching, but all of them besides Kinetic novels have the aspect of either skill or exploration that you mentioned. I don't even get how you could say otherwise, you're either using skill to make the correct choice or exploring the various branching paths.

 

[Dexter]

Anyone know anything about this?

 

[WallaceChambers]

Anyone know anything about this?

I played the demo and it was really bad. To be completely fair it was a demo from like a year ago, now. It's possible they improved things but I doubt it. Characters animated horribly and the story was boring as hell.

 

[Darkozric]

Be careful Alex it's a trap. He's trying to proselytize you with these unholy diagrams and the pseudo-sophisticated dialogue faggotry.
It's like a virus and there are 5 phases.
1 phase - symptoms are light, eventually within a few days you'll change your avatar with any random weeb shit.
2 phase - You start claiming to everyone that Disco Elysium is one the best RPGs ever made.
3 phase - You buy like a madman any jap porn and non porn VN you can find on gog/steam.
4 phase - You spam the random adventure thread with VNs like there is no tomorrow.
5 phase - Congrats, you're a full-fledged storyfag cultist, now get out and bring more idiots to the cult.

 

[Modron]

Posted this in the neofeud thread but worth posting here I suppose:

They've been posting a lot of little tidbits about Neofeud 2 on their twitter as of late:

 

[WallaceChambers]

Ready for a brand new Lost in Space adventure?​

In this all new point & click adventure game you'll play as Will Robinson who will need your help to solve the mystery of his missing Jupiter 2 crewmates. After being trapped in a cave on a late night rock hunting excursion, Will returns to the spaceship, only to find that it's been attacked during the night! You'll team up with Dr. Zachery Smith and B9, the Robot, to unravel the story behind the disappearance of Will's parents, John and Maureen; his sisters, Judy and Penny and Major Don West. Their journey will take them on a perilous adventure across various locations from deep dangerous caves to convict-filled derelict spaceships!

Lost in Space will return you to the imaginative world of the beloved 60's television series. The game is designed to be the "fourth season" that fans have always craved since the conclusion of its three season run. Recreated with loving detail to perfectly capture the personalities of all the members of the Jupiter 2. From the precociously adventurous Will Robinson to the pragmatic yet protective B9 Robot. From the stoic and brave Professor John Robinson to the skittish, antic-filled Dr. Zackary Smith. This original adventure will also mark the return of numerous, famous villains from the original series.

• Lost in Space lovingly recreates the wonderous world of the beloved 60's television series.
• Experience an all-new story that continues the Robinson's adventures and serves as a interactive "fourth season" of the original series.
• Match wits with some of the original series' most nefarious villains including Saticons, Invaders from the Fifth Dimension, the Giant Cyclops and more!
• The game uses dialogue taken directly from the show as well as the original music including the iconic theme songs!
• Work your way through lots and lots of challenging puzzles, knowing a multi-tiered help system is always there. If you need it.

 

[Morpheus Kitami]

Interesting, not necessarily because of the game itself, but because this might mean more indie licensed games. Be kind of interesting to see what weird things people license and come up with.

 

[WallaceChambers]

Five years.
Five years on the run, spent hiding from surveillance cameras, police checks ... and friends.

In an attempt to elude the cult that's been chasing him, former Miami detective Lazarus “Lars” Bundy is in Italy working incognito for a security agency when his client is murdered in cold blood by a sharpshooter. As the blood stain slowly spreads on the victim's clothes, Lars realizes there is only one way to keep his past from catching up with him: solve the case before the police and bring the perpetrator to justice as quickly and silently as possible.

A senseless murder, conflicting clues and an indistinct lead will thrust the former detective on another thrilling journey around the world, from majestic Rome to the Land of the Rising Sun by way of Palestine and India. With help from an old ally he thought he’d left behind for good, Lars finds himself swept up in a case far more complex and dangerous than he ever could have imagined, filled with international mystery and mysticism. And all the while, a much more personal danger lurks close at hand, one that Lars is determined to suppress and keep hidden from the world.

A new point-and-click adventure game inspired by the golden age classics such as Broken Sword and Gabriel Knight

Compelling blend of comedy, supernatural mystery, and conspiracy-steeped intrigue

Alternate control between Lars and his returning cohort Alice

Challenging but logical puzzles seamlessly integrated into the story

Explore more than 50 stylish hand-drawn HD locations across Rome, Palestine, India and Japan

Original atmospheric soundtrack and full English voice-overs (with German and Italian subtitles)

Sequel to the acclaimed "The Hand of Glory" (95% positive reviews on Steam), though no prior familiarity is necessary

 

[Darkozric]

You see? All this wasn't for nothing, at least now you're trying to post adventures. I mean they still look like shit, but it's progress. Baby steps.

 

[WallaceChambers]

You see? All this wasn't for nothing, at least now you're trying to post adventures. I mean they still look like shit, but it's progress. Baby steps.

Always posted whatever upcoming adventure I came across and hadn't seen in this thread yet. You crying about it is all that's new.

 

[Jenkem]

how's the first hand of glory? I almost got it in the steam sale but got tangle tower, snail trek eps 2-4 and papetura instead as far as point and clicks go

 

[Modron]

Looks like they are finally putting the finishing touches on Incantamentum

 

[WallaceChambers]

Aconcagua's fan translation is dropping July 11th. I played through it about a year ago and it's a lot of fun in an over the top action movie kinda way. Pretty neat character switching puzzle mechanics as well.

 

[WallaceChambers]

Garage - This weird machine is said to create a bizarre dark world by working on the subject's subconscious mind.
The player character is thrown into an enclosed world filled with sewage, with decaying wooden buildings and rusted metals.
And he discovers that his body has been changed into something in between a machine and a living creature.
He wanders around this structurally complex maze-like world in search of a way out.

"Garage: Bad Dream Adventure" was originally released as a PC adventure game in 1999. In this game, the player character enters his inner world through a psychotherapeutic machine. He is turned into an odd-looking biological machine and searches for a way to escape from that world. Because of its unique world setting, it is described as one of the top 3 warped games or bizarre games.

It is basically a mystery-solving exploratory adventure game. But it also has many RPG elements such as character development through body modifications and intricate fishing system. And the story questions the ambiguity of escaping from the world and staying in the world.

One of the features of Garage is its detailed world building. Elements like energy circulation, ecosystem and how the world came about are intertwined tightly, and are reflected in the game system, bringing to life the feel of the deep another world. The unique feeling of strangeness and anxiety surrounding the whole game, even though it is not a horror or depressing game, is created by these settings and system.

In this remastered version, almost all images have been retouched, videos have been revised using AI frame interpolation, user-interface and game balance have been improved, and new chapters, subquests and multiple endings have been added.

PC version out today

 

[Modron]

Intruder in Antiquonia was released.

Why was Sarah found unconscious on the road to Antiquonia? Why can't she remember anything from her past? What is her relationship to this town? Get ready to solve her mysterious past!

Explore Antiquonia alongside characters with rich backstories that evolve through your interactions with them. Make meaningful connections as you turn some of them into your allies.

What starts as a straightforward search for your lost memories quickly turns into a conspiracy involving the town of Antiquonia and your own past.

GAME FEATURES:​

• Solve puzzles deeply integrated with the story.
• Enjoy the original soundtrack that creates a perfect atmosphere with the backgrounds.
• Explore the world: more than 30 handcrafted backgrounds.
• Discover the characters and their past.
• Double click on doors for fast travel.
• Hold down the "Tab" key to highlight hotspots in the scene.
• Pause the game with the spacebar whenever you want, even during cutscenes.
• Choose how you want the dialogue to continue: automatically or manually.
• Forget about saving, the game provides continuous automatic saves. And you can also save manually if you want.
• DRM free.
• Resolution: 1280x720 px (16:9).

 

[Keshik]

Intruder in Antiquonia was released.

Why was Sarah found unconscious on the road to Antiquonia? Why can't she remember anything from her past? What is her relationship to this town? Get ready to solve her mysterious past!

Explore Antiquonia alongside characters with rich backstories that evolve through your interactions with them. Make meaningful connections as you turn some of them into your allies.

What starts as a straightforward search for your lost memories quickly turns into a conspiracy involving the town of Antiquonia and your own past.

GAME FEATURES:​

• Solve puzzles deeply integrated with the story.
• Enjoy the original soundtrack that creates a perfect atmosphere with the backgrounds.
• Explore the world: more than 30 handcrafted backgrounds.
• Discover the characters and their past.
• Double click on doors for fast travel.
• Hold down the "Tab" key to highlight hotspots in the scene.
• Pause the game with the spacebar whenever you want, even during cutscenes.
• Choose how you want the dialogue to continue: automatically or manually.
• Forget about saving, the game provides continuous automatic saves. And you can also save manually if you want.
• DRM free.
• Resolution: 1280x720 px (16:9).

That features list is great, is how I try to upsell my progress after a week of slacking