The GWJ Adventure Game Club - Main Thread

Cross-posting this from the 'games I finished' thread:

Just finished A Case of Distrust, a film-noir themed point and click adventure game. Your 'inventory' consists of information you gathered as a private detective from clicking the environment or talking to the characters. You then use that info to confront the characters to eke more information out of them.

It's a great little game (about 3 hours), and while it doesn't completely avoid the genre's pitfalls (a piece of info that should work but doesn't, or being stuck and cycling through all possible 'inventory' pieces), the moments where you feel like a smarty-pants for connecting the dots far outweigh these minor nuisances.

Plus, it's a neat little story that doesn't shy away from tackling issues of sexism (you play an ex-cop female P.I. in 1924 San Fransisco) or racism.

As it's a 2018 game, it might be up for nomination

Highly recommended!

Sounds cool. I’d second A Case of Distrust.

I'll third A Case of Distrust (is this becoming a habit!?).

It's in the current Humble Choice bundle (4 days left and this month you get all 12 games) so I picked it up. It's been in my wishlist for a while too.

I actually considered nominating it myself a few weeks ago, so I guess I'll fourth it.

Alright, then!!! It's going on the list then.

A Case of Distrust, of course. Not Mass Effect.

Mass Effect is still waiting for a third.

Eleima wrote:

Alright, then!!! It's going on the list then.

A Case of Distrust, of course. Not Mass Effect. ;)

Woohoow! You won't regret it (when it ties for first place with two other nominees)!

dejanzie wrote:
Eleima wrote:

Alright, then!!! It's going on the list then.

A Case of Distrust, of course. Not Mass Effect. ;)

Woohoow! You won't regret it (when it ties for first place with two other nominees)!

I trust Eleima to make the right choice in that case

Neutrino wrote:

I trust Eleima to make the right choice in that case ;)

She knows how to make the hard choices.

IMAGE(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ca/bf/e0/cabfe0bda50296720c3413bbb132325b.jpg)

I've played A Case of Distrust and it's pretty good! The only problem I had was that you get a cutscene riding a cab when you go from one place to another, and if you are stuck in the game and have to backtrack and visit all the places to find the right clue, that gets extra annoying. Otherwise, it is very interesting, the art style is great, and it's cool to compare different endings.

ClockworkHouse wrote:
Neutrino wrote:

I trust Eleima to make the right choice in that case ;)

She knows how to make the hard choices

That’s the easiest choice of all and you know it.
Morton in ME3, now there’s a tough choice!

I should probably update the list of nominations, then!

Nominated (still needs two confirmations):
Fred Pohl's Gateway (1992) - Tanglebones
The Inner World (2013) - brokenclavicle
Riven (1997) - Minarchist
The Neverhood (1996) - Minarchist
Detention - Neutrino
Morningstar: Descent to Deadrock - Neutrino
Family (2020) - steinkrug (this one skirts the selection rules, since it's a recent release, but I feel it's fairly cheap and thus still attainable by a lot of folks should it get nominated)

Seconded (still needs one confirmation):
Goetia (2016) - karmajay, Eleima
Myst 3: Exile (2001) - Eleima, Higgledy
Little Briar Rose (2016) - brokenclavicle, Pink Stripes
Anna's Quest - Neutrino, Pink Stripes
Lamplight City (2018) - Taharka, Eleima

Thirded (going on the list):
None at this time.

Reminder that the pool of candidates and past threads and picks are available here.

I'll add one for goetia!

There is an adventure game of Gateway?? Thats one of my favourite Science Fiction books may I second that please?

Also, regarding The Neverhood, it's a fascinating game, really out there... but the creator is rampantly anti-LGBTQ+ and anti gay marriage.
I'm not sure where anyone would buy a copy of The Neverhood these days, nor if any money from that purchase would go towards the creator anymore, but just be aware.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

Mass Effect is still waiting for a third.

bbk1980 wrote:

There is an adventure game of Gateway?? Thats one of my favourite Science Fiction books may I second that please?

Two of them, actually!

New list!

Nominated (still needs two confirmations):
Fred Pohl's Gateway (1992) - Tanglebones
The Inner World (2013) - brokenclavicle
Riven (1997) - Minarchist
Detention - Neutrino
Morningstar: Descent to Deadrock - Neutrino
Family (2020) - steinkrug (this one skirts the selection rules, since it's a recent release, but I feel it's fairly cheap and thus still attainable by a lot of folks should it get nominated)

Seconded (still needs one confirmation):
Myst 3: Exile (2001) - Eleima, Higgledy
Little Briar Rose (2016) - brokenclavicle, Pink Stripes
Anna's Quest - Neutrino, Pink Stripes
Lamplight City (2018) - Taharka, Eleima

Thirded (going on the list):
Goetia (2016) - karmajay, Eleima, Taharka

Pool of candidates and past threads and picks are available here.

Taharka wrote:

Also, regarding The Neverhood, it's a fascinating game, really out there... but the creator is rampantly anti-LGBTQ+ and anti gay marriage.
I'm not sure where anyone would buy a copy of The Neverhood these days, nor if any money from that purchase would go towards the creator anymore, but just be aware.

Thank you for the heads up, Taharka. I hadn't heard that. =/

For those interested in Family, the creator is releasing a follow-up called Rivals in four days. He considers it a "real step up" from Family and it looks like it. Whereas Family took place in the '80s Britpop scene, this appears to be '90s-'00s Alt-Country.

Didn't Family (in nominated) and A Case of Distrust (missing) both get thirded already? Or were we all jumping the gun before they were officially added to the nominations list?

Neutrino wrote:

Didn't Family (in nominated) and A Case of Distrust (missing) both get thirded already? Or were we all jumping the gun before they were officially added to the nominations list? ;)

Well, A Case of Distrust has already gone up in the pool of potentials but you’re right about Family, both you and Pink Stripes gave it a nod so it should be in the spreadsheet too!
I’ll fix that tonight, sorry about that!

Thanks Eleima!

Do you still plan on putting The Secret of Monkey Island as your pick for next month?

Absolutely! I’ve already started my write up for the post with the picks for next month.
Patience, young pandawan, today’s the 16th.

Yes, I saw the typo, but I love it, so I ain’t fixing it.

bbk1980 wrote:

There is an adventure game of Gateway?? Thats one of my favourite Science Fiction books may I second that please?

Hey Eleima - I think this was a second for Fred Pohl's Gateway

Nominated (still needs two confirmations):
The Inner World (2013) - brokenclavicle
Riven (1997) - Minarchist
Detention - Neutrino
Morningstar: Descent to Deadrock - Neutrino

Seconded (still needs one confirmation):
Myst 3: Exile (2001) - Eleima, Higgledy
Little Briar Rose (2016) - brokenclavicle, Pink Stripes
Anna's Quest - Neutrino, Pink Stripes
Lamplight City (2018) - Taharka, Eleima
Fred Pohl's Gateway (1992) - Tanglebones, bbk1980

Thirded (going on the list):
Family (2020) - steinkrug, Neutrino, Pink Stripes

Pool of candidates and past threads and picks are available here.

There. I think I got it all. Make sure y'all double check my work, because my brain is short circuiting these days.

Eleima wrote:

Make sure y'all double check my work, because my brain is short circuiting these days.

YOU MISSED MY NOMINEE.

ClockworkHouse wrote:
Eleima wrote:

Make sure y'all double check my work, because my brain is short circuiting these days.

YOU MISSED MY NOMINEE. ;)

I'm waiting for the remastered version.

Here it is, the poll for the 24th GWJ adventure game of our little club. It's right this way, and will close at midnight on September 27th. As always, you'll find quick descriptions for this month's candidates with playtime estimates from HLTB (How Long To Beat).

  • Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure (2014, HLTB 12) - The sixth game in the Tex Murphy series, it follows detective Tex Murphy as he awakens seven years after the ending of the previous game. With no memory of what happened, his love interest missing and presumed dead, Tex must find out what happened. Expect FMV sequences!!
  • 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. I decided to give Syberia the spotlight because it's a lovely little adventure game, a beautiful journey, both within and without.
  • Gone Home (2013, HLTB 3) - The first game created by the developers of Tacoma. You play a college student return home during break, but your parents moved since you left for college. The house is unfamiliar and no one's home. It's up to you to piece it all together.
  • Solstice (2016, HLTB 6) - Set in a gorgeous, vibrant city in the middle of a frozen wasteland, you play as two characters investigating a major catastrophe that has befallen the city. It's a beautiful game, in every single way.
  • The Darkside Detective (2017, HLTB 4) - Detective Francis McQueen and his trusty, um well maybe not, ahem, his sidekick Officer Dooley must investigate the strange reports plaguing Twin Lakes City. A pixel art adventure game exploring the silliest sides of horror. Expect puns. Many puns. And some fourth wall breaking.
  • The Sexy Brutale (2017, HLTB 8) - An adventure puzzle game, The Sexy Brutale tasks you with explorinfg a mansion, while stuck in a time loop, as the inhabitants are killed off one by one.
  • Machinarium (2009, HLTB 6) - A puzzle point and click by Amanita Design. While it may be a bit complex, it makes up for in charm. The soundtrack is drop dead gorgeous, the hand-drawn art is absolutely amazing.
  • Contradiction - Spot the Liar! (2015, HLTB 7) - This is one of the few FMV games on our list, and it follows the investigation of Detective Inspector Frederick Jenks into the apparent suicide of Kate Vine in the small village of Edenton.
  • The Longest Journey (1999, HLTB 20) - In this classic point and click game, you play as April Ryan, a young woman who is chasing her dream of attending a prestigious art school. Her world is turned topsy turvy when she learns that there's actually two worlds: Stark, the world of science, the one she's known all her life, and Arcadia, a world of magic. And she must restore the balance between them.
  • Eleima's Pick : The Secret of Monkey Island (1990, HLTB 7) - With the 30th anniversary of the game's release coming up, it would be a crime not to nominate this game. The brainchild of Ron Gilbert, Tim Schafer and Dave Grossman has gone down in history as one of the greatest adventure games of all time, spawning a series of wildly different sequels and the source of many, many puns and varying insult fighting.

Survey is over here. Remember to vote, folks!

My vote has been cast.

My cast has been vote.