The GWJ Adventure Game Club - Main Thread

1- How long do nominations remain open?

2- Do we want limits on 2nding and 3rding, or is the onus on me to not just 2nd and 3rd everything?

I’ll third Book of unwritten tales 2.

This is a really cool idea. And ... wow, I haven’t even heard of many of these games. I guess that’s what happens when you haven’t played adventure games since Sierra and LucasArts’ heyday.

Tagging to follow for now, though I don’t think I’ll participate, at least at first. The CRPG and JRPG clubs consume a lot of time, and with this list made up mostly of games I don’t own, I don’t want to add to my (already very large) backlog. But I’m sure the conversation will be great!

It's a shame Until Dawn is PS4* only (this is not a nomination for that reason). It would have made a decent Halloween game to kick off with I reckon and it's on PS+ pile.

Until Dawn was a very good horror game.

Looking back through the pile to see if do have anything else with a horror spin, but more accessible platform wise...

...I have Fran Bow on Android.

I'll add it to my nominations just in case there's interest?

Having watched the trailer it definitely qualifies as horror

Are there any thoughts on text adventures/early DOS games, assuming they're still relatively easily accessible for purchase? There are a ton of IF games that I'd love to have an excuse to get around to trying.

Is there a deadline set for when we'll stop nominations and start voting? I assume our deadline is however long it takes for someone to third Contradiction, at which point our voting list can be complete Anyway I'd love for a game to get selected so I can start playing!

Bubblefuzz wrote:

Looking back through the pile to see if do have anything else with a horror spin, but more accessible platform wise...

...I have Fran Bow on Android.

I'll add it to my nominations just in case there's interest?

It's on my list, but I was thinking of playing it (and/or the Charnel House Trilogy) in the next couple of weeks rather than post-Halloween.

Tanglebones wrote:

Are there any thoughts on text adventures/early DOS games, assuming they're still relatively easily accessible for purchase? There are a ton of IF games that I'd love to have an excuse to get around to trying.

I'd be up for that, too.

pyxistyx wrote:
Tanglebones wrote:

Are there any thoughts on text adventures/early DOS games, assuming they're still relatively easily accessible for purchase? There are a ton of IF games that I'd love to have an excuse to get around to trying.

I'd be up for that, too.

Me three.

You are standing in an open field west of a white house, with a boarded front door. There is a small mailbox here.“

Ok, since it's thirded, I'll count that as a yes
I nominate:
Anchorhead (Lovecraftian IF text adventure)
Fred Pohl's Gateway (abandonware, since Legend's way out of business - should be easily accessible)

oooooooooo...gonna second Anchorhead. That's good stuff.

Godzilla Blitz wrote:
pyxistyx wrote:
Tanglebones wrote:

Are there any thoughts on text adventures/early DOS games, assuming they're still relatively easily accessible for purchase? There are a ton of IF games that I'd love to have an excuse to get around to trying.

I'd be up for that, too.

Me three.

You are standing in an open field west of a white house, with a boarded front door. There is a small mailbox here.“

Open the mailbox.

Open the small mailbox.

Look in the mailbox.

OPEN THE MAILBOX.

OPEN! MAILBOX!!!

...

...

Walk left.

I found an overview of Anchorhead.

Stevintendo wrote:

Open the mailbox.

Open the small mailbox.

Look in the mailbox.

OPEN THE MAILBOX.

OPEN! MAILBOX!!!

...

...

Walk left.

This is definitely my experience with text adventure games.

Also, Wadjet Eye games. You need to talk to the person, not interact with them. You need to listen to the alarm, not touch it. You need to grab the thing, not look at it.

I've apparently been too spoiled by point and click adventure games that let me just click on things without selecting my appropriate verb first.

Every time I played Space Quest 3, I forgot the verb and syntax needed to have Roger fling the cargo hook at Arnoid. "Push chain at Arnoid...Hurl hook at Arnoid...Throw hook at Arnoid..."

I sorta loved it.

Neat.
Just following the thread. I havent been very good at getting into the CRPG club games so far, and probably wont here either.

SpacePPoliceman wrote:

1- How long do nominations remain open?
2- Do we want limits on 2nding and 3rding, or is the onus on me to not just 2nd and 3rd everything?

Very good questions, I'll add them to the OP. Basically nominations are permanently open. But the onus is on you as participants to not nominate something you don't have a genuine in interest on buying (if you don't own it already) and playing. This is what I'd planned for now, but I'll close nominations if things get too crazy.

Bubblefuzz wrote:

Looking back through the pile to see if do have anything else with a horror spin, but more accessible platform wise...
...I have Fran Bow on Android.
I'll add it to my nominations just in case there's interest?

Definitely, I'll second it, it's on my Pile!

Tanglebones wrote:

Are there any thoughts on text adventures/early DOS games, assuming they're still relatively easily accessible for purchase? There are a ton of IF games that I'd love to have an excuse to get around to trying.

Absolutely. I've always told myself I should play the earlier Zork games.

mrlogical wrote:

Is there a deadline set for when we'll stop nominations and start voting? I assume our deadline is however long it takes for someone to third Contradiction, at which point our voting list can be complete Anyway I'd love for a game to get selected so I can start playing!

I thought I'd put it up on the 15th, but since you seem to be impatient (and I kinda am too), I'll randomize the ten nominees and put the poll up today.

Here's our updated list:

Nominated (still needs two confirmations):
A New Beginning (2010) - ClockworkHouse
Gone Home (2013) - Stevintendo
Fred Pohl's Gateway (1992) - Tanglebones

Seconded (still needs one confirmation):
Contradiction - Spot the Liar! (2015) - mrlogical, Pyxistyx
To the Moon (2011) - Bubblefuzz, Higgledy
Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure (2014) - Tanglebones, benign1
Machinarium (2009) - Higgledy, Eleima
Fran Bow (2016) - Bubblefuzz, Eleima
Anchorhead (1998) - Tanglebones, Pyxistyx

Thirded (going on the list):
The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 (2016) - Pyxistyx, benign1, Higgledy

The survey is now live! (The poll will automatically close at midnight on October 26th.)
General descriptions below. I'd steer clear of wiki links, as they sometimes go into descriptions extensively. HLTB stands for How Long To Beat, it's a rough estimate of how long the game would take to complete.

  • Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth (2017, HLTB 15) - Point and click game set in the world of the novel by the same name. (GOG, Steam, HumbleBundle)
  • Memoria (2103, HLTB 9) - Two stories and two main characters, but one game you won't soon forget. (GOG, Steam, HumbleBundle)
  • Gemini Rue (2013, HLTB 8) - All is not what it seems in this dystopia. (GOG, Steam)
  • Day of the Tentacle (1993, HLTB 6) - You're trying to save the world from an evil Purple Tentacle. 'nuff said. (GOG, Steam, HumbleBundle)
  • Oxenfree (2016, HLTB 5) - A supernatural mystery graphic adventure video game: you're on a weekend and weird stuff happens. (GOG, Steam, HumbleBundle)
  • Life Is Strange (2015, HLTB 14) - A young girl learns how to manipulate time and investigates bizarre disappearances. (Steam, HumbleBundle)
  • The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 (2016, HLTB 20) - "The game's four protagonists, Wilbur a novice gnome mage, Nate a narcissistic human, Ivo an elf princess and a furry alien creature known as "Critter", partake in an adventure in the fantasy land of Aventasia. A magic force is turning beasts into puppies and castles into dollhouses." I'm quoting the Wiki, because I'd never even heard of this one! (GOG, Steam, HumbleBundle)
  • Botanicula (2012, HLTB 4) - Charming puzzle game that will give you the warm fuzzies. Also available on iOS for sure, perhaps Android. (GOG, Steam, HumbleBundle)
  • Syberia (2002, HLTB 10) - When the owner of a large toy company dies, lawyer Kate Walker must find her brother in get the affairs in order. He's not all that easy to find though, and her search takes her on quite the journey. (GOG, Steam)
  • Eleima's Pick: Torin's Passage (1995, HLTB unknown) - Few people have heard of Torin's Passage. Created by Al Lowe, it got a bad reputation (Al Lowe also created the Leisure Suit Larry games, for a more mature audience). Torin's Passage, however, was designed for children playing with their parents and boasted "cartoonish" graphics and humor of all kinds. It features a young woman who attempts to find his kidnapped parents. His journey will take him through the different layers of his planet, Strata, traveling through phenocrystals. With his trusty companion Boogle by his side, surely his quest will succeed! (GOG, available for free online inbrowser, but saving is disabled)

To keep things fun, I ask that we stay discreet regarding our own votes. That way, the final choice will be a surprise. Or not. I'm not going to gag folks.

Quick! Close the survey! I think that's enough votes.

Vote locked in. Thanks again for doing this Eleima.

You're very welcome. Also, folks, feel free to pimp out your favorite games, should you wish to.

More about my pick. Torin's Passage has some gorgeous, outlandish places, which are well worth visiting:
IMAGE(https://www.old-games.com/screenshot/8498-5-torin-s-passage.jpg)
Torin himself is quite the popular man.

Woah! I haven't thought about Torin's Passage in ages, but it was a real favorite of mine growing up. I'm happy to see that someone else remembers it fondly.

Okay, I think I submitted my vote correctly. My French isn't so great.

hehe. Torin's Passage.

I've cast my vote! This is lots of fun. I'm pretty confident that I voted correctly. Irish people have generally gotten very good at voting in the last three or four years.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

Okay, I think I submitted my vote correctly. My French isn't so great.

I’m sorry for that. I hate it in French and thought I had put it in English.
And I think I’ll stream Torin’s Passage if it doesn’t win.

Eleima wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:

Okay, I think I submitted my vote correctly. My French isn't so great.

I’m sorry for that. I hate it in French and thought I had put it in English.
And I think I’ll stream Torin’s Passage if it doesn’t win. :)

Will all of this month's 'losers' be back in rotation for the next vote? Or were you thinking your picks would be once offs?