The GWJ Adventure Game Club - Main Thread

Don't know if anyone wants to nominate it, and not even sure if it's club material, but I just finished 1979 Revolution: Black Friday, and was extremely impressed.

My thoughts in the pile thread.

Thanks for bringing 1979 Revolution: Black Friday to my attention. It looks like a game I'd enjoy playing and always good to see games with narratives covering under-represented cultural histories (the dev team for this game is Iranian). Seems the game style is a bit similar to the Telltale games.

I'll happily nominate/second this one to see if it gets any more interest.

While I'm at it, I'd also like to nominate Eliza, the visual novel released by Zachtronics last year.

I'll second or third it. It is very much like a Telltale game, and absolutely fits as club material.

1979 is pretty good, and I particularly enjoyed the setting because it is interesting to see Middle Eastern countries depicted in a setting that does not consist of the US of A coming to save the day.

I played Eliza recently and thoroughly enjoyed it, although I'd make the case it is much closer to a visual novel than an adventure game. It would still make a great game for discussion among this group, though.

Sorry I haven't updated recently, but I got busy with Extra Life.

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
Fred Pohl's Gateway (1992) - Tanglebones, bbk1980

Thirded (going on the list):
1979 Revolution: Black Friday (2016) - AUs_TBirD, Neutrino, SpacePProtean
Eliza (2019) - Neutrino, Pink Stripes, Eleima

Right this way for the spreadsheet.

Eleima wrote:

Thirded (going on the list):
1979 Revolution: Black Friday (2016) - AUs_TBirD, Neutrino, SpacePProtean

Just wanted to clarify that I only recommended the game but didn't mean to nominate it myself since I had just completed it and almost certainly wouldn't replay it if it became a club game in the near future.

Gotcha, I wasn't too clear on that. But that's fine, I can replace your name with mine, because I'm definitely intrigued!

Apologies if this has been discussed, it's been a while since popped my head round the corner of this thread, but have spotted Kentucky Route Zero is on sale for PS4. Is there a reason it's not been nominated? I know that it's taken a fair few years to release all the episodes, is it because the final act is too new? I know very little about it, me being more of a console gamer but definitely intrigues.

Bubblefuzz wrote:

Apologies if this has been discussed, it's been a while since popped my head round the corner of this thread, but have spotted Kentucky Route Zero is on sale for PS4. Is there a reason it's not been nominated? I know that it's taken a fair few years to release all the episodes, is it because the final act is too new? I know very little about it, me being more of a console gamer but definitely intrigues.

Good question. I'd be down for playing that. I've already done an episode and some of the "in-between", interstitial bits.

I assume Kentucky Route 0 was just nominated and seconded? I'll gladly third it, since I'm very interested in playing it now that all episodes are out.
I played through the first episode years ago, so when it wins, I'll almost certainly just start over.

If it was an acceptable pick, aye I'd be nominating. I was just wondering if the last episode releasing within a year excluded it, even though the first episode was half dozen years ago or more.

Apologies, it's been a busy couple of days. Yes, KR0 has been mentioned in the past, and it hadn't been added to the list of candidates, first because it was unfinished, and then because it was too recent. Remember:

Eleima wrote:

What types of games do we play?
1. Adventure Games that are at least a year old.
2. Games that are good, relatively inexpensive, and available through Steam, GMG, Humble Bundle or other legit means.

As it is, the last episode was released in January of this year, and as it has received three nominations, I'm putting it on the list candidates. That does put us at 42 candidates so I'm going to keep it there for now. The new poll will go up soon!

Here we are, the end of 2020 is nigh and so is our 26th GWJ adventure game!! How exciting! The survey is right this way, and will close at midnight on November 27th. Quick descriptions for this month's candidates with playtime estimates from HLTB (How Long To Beat) below.

  • Life Is Strange (2015, HLTB 14) - A young girl learns how to manipulate time and investigates bizarre disappearances.
  • Subsurface Circular (2017, HLTB 3) - Mostly text based, but with a third-person perspective, you play as a robot detective investifating the disappearances of a number of robots. As you travel in the Subsurface Circular (a subway for all intents and purposes), you will meet many different robotos or "Teks." Really enjoyed this one, it went on my GOTY list back in 2017 and I'd replay it gladly.
  • 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!!
  • Family (2020, ?) - A detective game of musical genealogy, Family has been called "a brief submersion into a time gone by, about relaxing in a warm memory."
  • Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders (1988, HLTB 5) - This classic 1988 adventure game is the second game to use Lucasfilms' SCUMM engine. It's 1997 and aliens are invading, using a strange device to reduce intelligence of all people on Earth. Except Zak. And it's up to him to save the world!
  • Zork: Nemesis (1996, HLTB 6) - Travel through five mind-bending worlds to discover the ancient secret of Alchemy that will free the trapped souls from evil’s grip... Do you dare enter the Forbidden Lands? It is and always will be my favorite adventure game of all time. (and check out the amazing soundtrack by Mark Morgan if you can!)
  • 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.
  • 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."
  • Kentucky Route Zero (2020, HLTB 9) - Everyone's heard about KR0 at this point, a point and click adventure game crowdfunded on Kickstarter which depicts the story of truck driver Conway and the strange people he meets along the way.
  • Eleima's Pick : Blackwell Epiphany (2014, HLTB 7) - The final chapter of the Blackwell series. Rosa is still investigating several ghosts' premature demises, as well as the mystery behind the organization which targeted her in Blackwell Deception. The game and the series culminate in an unforgettable and heartwrenching way.

So. I was going to nominate Zork Nemesis. Because December is my birthday month, and I've harped on long enough about the game for you all to know how much I love it. As luck would have it, it got pulled as one of the nine candidates, so I was in a bit of a pickle regarding the Pick. So my runner up? The last Blackwell game. The series is truly something special and I'm looking forward to replaying it.
Survey is over here. Vote away!

Done.
Quite a few picks this time that I'd be willing to play (again). Excited to see which one wins!

I voted, and I hope you all don't disappoint me

Yet.

Again.

I done did voted.

I have my hopes pinned, but there's really not a bad choice among them.

Eleima wrote:

Apologies, it's been a busy couple of days. Yes, KR0 has been mentioned in the past, and it hadn't been added to the list of candidates, first because it was unfinished, and then because it was too recent. Remember:

Eleima wrote:

What types of games do we play?
1. Adventure Games that are at least a year old.
2. Games that are good, relatively inexpensive, and available through Steam, GMG, Humble Bundle or other legit means.

As it is, the last episode was released in January of this year, and as it has received three nominations, I'm putting it on the list candidates. That does put us at 42 candidates so I'm going to keep it there for now. The new poll will go up soon!

Cheers Eleima. Havent been hanging about much recently and wasn't sure.

It has now dropped out of the psn sale and failed to pick it up, but if it wins I guess I'll have to splash the cash what with bending the rules to get it on the list early and all

I know what you mean! I was holding off on getting it, but if it wins the vote, I'll be more than happy to pick it up.

Saying that if anyone hasn't played through Life is Strange they should be voting for it

I have voted although I would play anything on that list!

Aaaaaaand, of course there's a tie.

Ooh best go vote...

Right. I had internet issues out of the blue last night while I was typing this post, but here I am, a day late. Apologies about that. The last game for the club in 2020 is...

Kentucky Route Zero!!

With 16 participants casting a total of 45 votes, folks voted for 2.8 games on average (versus 2.9 last month).
KR0 placed first with 9 votes (56.25%). Zork: Nemesis placed second again with 8 votes (50.00%). Blackwell Epiphany placed third (6 votes, 37.50%). Subsurface Circular and Tesla Effect shared fourth place (5 votes, 31.25%). Life Is Strange placed fifth with 4 votes (25.00%). Family and Zak McKracken shared sixth place with 3 votes each (18.75%). The Longest Journey garnishd only two votes (12.50%) and The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 none at all (0.00%)! The Longest Journey is going on probation, but this isn't the first time for TBoUT2, it is therefore dropped from the candidates.

You'll find the thread for the game over this way.

Sweet! I'm all-in!

Excellent I already own this but looking forward to another play.

Nothing to see here, move along, I misposted.

A little bittersweet to have Nemesis come so close yet again, but I'll definitely take the excuse to finally dig into KR0!

benign1 wrote:

A little bittersweet to have Nemesis come so close yet again, but I'll definitely take the excuse to finally dig into KR0!

I knooooooooooow! *sobs quietly in the corner*

Don't think the KR0 thread is up - I have not done a very thorough search, mind - but having played through Chapter 2, I just wanted to post the following while it was still fresh in my mind:

Third Floor - Bears.

This was/is a thing, one I enjoyed.