The GWJ Adventure Game Club - Main Thread

Voted! None of these are on my pile, but Memoria is 80% off on Switch at the mo, so...

Good thing I checked today!

Syberia and Syberia II are free on Steam right now. I'd say these are almost cult classics at this point.

Having played through Syberia II this year, I can't really recommend it, but it could be worth picking up for free.

Also, 2064 Read Only Memories is free on Epic.

Drum roll please, the game for October shall be...

Beneath a Steel Sky!!

With 15 participants casting only 40 votes nevertheless, folks voted for 2.7 games on average, a major uptick compared to last month (2.5).

Beneath a Steel Sky took the gold with 8 votes (53.3%).
In Other Waters and The Darkside Detective shared second place with 5 votes each (33.3%).
In third place, no fewer than FOUR games share the bronze with 4 votes each (26.7%): Zak McKracken, King's Quest 6, Gray Matter and Memoria.

In fourth place, Machinarium (3 votes, 20.0%), then Dreamfall: the Longest Journey (2 votes, 13.3%) and finally Morningstar: Descent Dreadlock (1 vote, 6.7%)
These last two games are thus going on probation, while Machinarium is now "saved".

You'll find the thread for Beneath a Steel Sky over this way.

Beneath a Steel Sky is currently free on GoG and Steam.

The Best Detective Games

Lotta good ideas for future club games in here

Tanglebones wrote:

The Best Detective Games
Lotta good ideas for future club games in here

Oh yeah, definitely some great games there! Gemini Rue used to be in the list of "potentials" but it got disqualified due to lack of votes. The club has actually already played Grim Fandango, The Last Express, Return of the Obra Dinn, Thimbleweed Park, Whispers of a Machine and Her Story. Sam & Max is a classic. I've actually already played Virginia and Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments, The Wolf Among Us which were really good!
I've heard great things about Overboard! The Darkside Detective is awesome and already on the list of potentials. Unavowed and The Paradise Killer are on my "to play" list.
Sadly, I did NOT get along with LA Noire when I tried to play it a few years ago.
In my book, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Disco Elysium go waaaaaay out of adventure game territory (might've already been featured in the RPG club too, I'd have to check).

More than happy to take nominations if there are any. If I'm not mistaken, the current state of nominations is as follows:

Nominated (still needs two confirmations):
Riven (1997) - Minarchist
Detention - Neutrino
The Journey Down - Chapter One - Jolly Bill

Seconded (still needs one confirmation):
Myst 3: Exile (2001) - Eleima, Higgledy
Little Briar Rose (2016) - brokenclavicle, Pink Stripes
Fred Pohl's Gateway (1992) - Tanglebones, bbk1980
The Inner World (2013) - brokenclavicle, Jolly Bill
Over the Alps (2020) - Pink Stripes, Eleima

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

Speaking of detective games, I'll nominate Tangle Tower, which I really enjoyed.

Aristophan wrote:

Speaking of detective games, I'll nominate Tangle Tower, which I really enjoyed.

I've looked into it and Tangle Tower actually seems to be the sequel to Detective Grimoire which is already on our list of candidates. How about I add it to the list of candidates once Detective Grimoire has been picked? Any other opinions?

Eleima wrote:
Aristophan wrote:

Speaking of detective games, I'll nominate Tangle Tower, which I really enjoyed.

I've looked into it and Tangle Tower actually seems to be the sequel to Detective Grimoire which is already on our list of candidates. How about I add it to the list of candidates once Detective Grimoire has been picked? Any other opinions?

That would be fine. I never played Detective Grimoire, nor had I heard of it before I played Tangled Tower, and I did feel like the game stood on its own. I imagine I missed some references though.

Having played both Detective Grimoire and Tangle Tower, I think they're both great and they should both be voted in!

It's that spooky time of the year again, and that means we must soon pick our 37th game. The poll will be up until Octobre 28th, give or take (I'll be away for a bit, expect some disturbances). Vote over here, and descriptions below, as always, using How Long To Beat for playtime guesstimates.

  • Lamplight City (2018, HLTB 13) - In classic "cop turned PI" fashion, players must solve a series of cases in an alternate, steampunk version of 19th century America. The end goal is to uncover what truly happened to your former, now deceased partner.
  • Life Is Strange (2015, HLTB 14) - A young girl learns how to manipulate time and investigates bizarre disappearances.
  • 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."
  • 1979 Revolution: Black Friday (2016, HLTB 4) - Attempt to survive as you play as Reza Shirazi, aspiring photojournalist, returning to Iran in the thick of the Iranian Revolution.
  • Everybody's Gone to the Rapture (2015, HLTB 6) - Considered a spiritual successor to Dear Esther, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture is set in 1984 and lets the player explore a small English town whose citizens have all mysteriously vanished. Little by little, you'll piece together the story of their lives and the wherefore and why of their disappearance.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • King's Quest 5: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder (1990, HLTB 8) - The fifth installment in the famous King's Quest series of adventure games, this was the first game to replace the typing interface with a point and click interface. As King Graham returns from a stroll in the forest, he is shocked to discover his castle, along with his entire family, has vanished! He sets out on a quest to rescue them all from an evil wizard...
  • Blade Runner (1997, HLTB 13) - This isn't a direct adaptation of the 1982 Ridley Scott movie, but a "sidequel" which nonetheless features extracts of the film's soundtrack! Set in 2019 Los Angeles, the game tells the story of Ray McCoy, an elite detective charged with hunting down a group of dangerous replicants (sound familiar?), and is considered a "real-time 3D adventure".
  • Memoria (2103, HLTB 9) - Two stories, two main characters, one epic experience: in Memoria, players travel through different time periods, while following two distinct protagonists: Sadja, a southern princess who wants to be a war hero, and Geron, a bird catcher who wants to lift the curse which plagues his fairy girlfriend.

Survey is right over here, be sure to vote and let your voice be heard!!

Wow, that time already? I'm so behind! Nonetheless, voted.

Same here. My first thought was "didn't we just do this?" I'm way behind too, but at least I played my first few minutes of Va11halla last night.

I'm also a little behind with the adventure club games, my recent sub to game pass may be a bit to blame Still, I've put my vote in for a couple of the games.

It's good to see a short (and free) one in there that I'd be happy to play in one session - Family. Here's a review that I read that got me interested in it.

Wow. Family seems like a game that was made for me. I’ll have to try it.

Here we are, November is right around the corner! Our game for November will be...

Memoria!!

With 14 participants casting 42 votes, folks voted for 3 games on average (versus 2.7 games last month). A reminder that you may vote for as many games as you please!!

Memoria placed first with 7 votes (50.0%).
Life Is Strange and Contradiction - Spot the Liar! shared silver with 5 votes each (35.7%).
In third place, no fewer than FIVE games share bronze with 4 votes each (28.6%): Lamplight City, 1979 Revolution: Black Friday, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, The Darkside Detective and King's Quest 5.

In fourth place, Blade Runner (3 votes, 21.4%), then Family with only 2 votes (14.3%).

Lamplight City and 1979 Revolution: Black Friday are saved from probation, but Family will now be removed from the list of candidates, as it is the second time it failed to garnish more than three votes.

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

Hello friends, it's almost December. Yeah, I know. DECEMBER. So here, it is, the poll for our 38th game. The poll will be up until November 28th. Vote over here, and descriptions below, as always, using How Long To Beat for playtime guesstimates.

  • Gray Matter (2010, HLTB 12) - Brilliant Jane Jensen wrote this game which takes place in Oxford and, to a lesser extent, in London. It follows the story of Samantha Everett, a street performer and magician, and Professor David Styles, an acclaimed and mysterious neurobiologist. Highly recommended by yours truly.
  • Everybody's Gone to the Rapture (2015, HLTB 6) - Considered a spiritual successor to Dear Esther, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture is set in 1984 and lets the player explore a small English town whose citizens have all mysteriously vanished. Little by little, you'll piece together the story of their lives and the wherefore and why of their disappearance.
  • 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.
  • King's Quest 6: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow (1992, HLTB 8) - The sixth installment of the famous King's Quest series, this critically acclaimed game was one of the first Jane Jensen worked on. It was one of the first games in the genre to offer multiple endings. Featuring characters from various fairytales, KQ6 puts an interesting spin on those threads as Prince Alexander seeks to rescue his love, Princess Cassima.
  • 1979 Revolution: Black Friday (2016, HLTB 4) - Attempt to survive as you play as Reza Shirazi, aspiring photojournalist, returning to Iran in the thick of the Iranian Revolution.
  • Eliza (2019, HLTB 6) - In this visual novel, you play as Evelyn who's burned out after years working in high-tech. She serves as a proxy for Eliza, a virtual counselling program, but as the game progresses, you have the opportunity to go off-script...
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Botanicula (2012, HLTB 4) - Charming puzzle game with zany music and characters that will give you the warm fuzzies.

Survey is right over here. I'm also putting this out as an official call for feedback, because I feel as if interest and participation has been flagging, which is understandable, considering everything everyone has going on. But if it's just me playing these games, I don't know, it's not a true club anymore, is it? Let me know if you folks want me to keep this going or not.

Voted! I have had a lot going on, but will try and play if one of my three picks gets the nod.

Everything on that list I own I've already rolled credits on, so had to pick two I'd be willing to purchase first.

I'm still playing games that get picked that I voted for; I'm just behind. Dabbled with Beneath a Steel Sky 2 of the past 3 nights, and hope to get into it more very soon.

AUs_TBirD wrote:

I'm still playing games that get picked that I voted for; I'm just behind.

Ditto. I'm still working on finishing VA-11 Hall-A, but I've got high hopes for a few of this month's candidates.

I also fell behind, but I want to keep going, as I likely wouldn't know about or think of many of these games otherwise.

We're a few hours ahead of the curve, but here goes anyway. The game for December... our last game for 2021 shall be...

Everybody's Gone to the Rapture!!

With only 11 participants casting 37 votes, folks voted for 3.4 games on average (versus 3 games last month). You can always vote for as many games as you please!!

Everybody's Gone to the Rapture placed first with 6 votes (54.55%).
Gray Matter was second with 5 votes (45.45%)
The Darkside Detective, Life Is Strange, Subsurface Circular, shared 3rd place with 4 votes each (36.36%)
In fourth place, King's Quest 6: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow, 1979 Revolution: Black Friday, Eliza, Botanicula. All received 3 votes each (27.27%)
Machinarium is now on probation as it received only 2 votes (18.18%).

You'll find the thread for Everybody's Gone to the Rapture over this way.

Cool. It was a PS+ game a couple years back I think, so it's in the library to download.

Well, here we are. At the end of the year already. And it's time for us to ring in 2022 with a brand new adventure game. Let's do so with the poll for our 39th game. The poll will be up until December 27th. Vote over here, and descriptions below, as always, using How Long To Beat for playtime guesstimates.

  • King's Quest 5: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder (1990, HLTB 8) - The fifth installment in the famous King's Quest series of adventure games, this was the first game to replace the typing interface with a point and click interface. As King Graham returns from a stroll in the forest, he is shocked to discover his castle, along with his entire family, has vanished! He sets out on a quest to rescue them all from an evil wizard...
  • 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.
  • Goetia (2016, HLTB 5) - In this point and click adventure game by French studio Sushee, you embody the ghost of young Abigail Blackwood who manifests in her childhood home 410 years after her demise. As she attempts to figure out what happened to her family, she runs into barriers, demons and puzzles.
  • Morningstar: Descent Deadrock (2015, HLTB 6) - In this chillingly alien and atmospheric sci-fi first person point-and-click adventure from Red Herring Labs and Phoenix Online Publishing, you have crash-landed on a desolate planet. What should've been a routine mission has now turned into a deadly attempt to save the merchant vessel Morningstar and her crew.
  • Blade Runner (1997, HLTB 13) - This isn't a direct adaptation of the 1982 Ridley Scott movie, but a "sidequel" which nonetheless features extracts of the film's soundtrack! Set in 2019 Los Angeles, the game tells the story of Ray McCoy, an elite detective charged with hunting down a group of dangerous replicants (sound familiar?), and is considered a "real-time 3D adventure".
  • Anna's Quest (2015, HLTB 10) - Developed by Krams Design and published by Daedalic, this adventure game follows titular character Anna as she makes her escape from an evil witch and saves her dying, bedridden grandfather. The colorful world is populated with trolls, wizards, sorceresses, ghosts, ghosts and teddy bears!
  • Detective Grimoire (2014, HLTB 3) - A murder mystery point and click. A mysterious creature is the prime suspect in a murder investigation in a swamp. It's up to you to determine who the true culprit is!
  • Life Is Strange (2015, HLTB 14) - A young girl learns how to manipulate time and investigates bizarre disappearances.
  • 1979 Revolution: Black Friday (2016, HLTB 4) - Attempt to survive as you play as Reza Shirazi, aspiring photojournalist, returning to Iran in the thick of the Iranian Revolution.
  • King's Quest 6: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow (1992, HLTB 8) - The sixth installment of the famous King's Quest series, this critically acclaimed game was one of the first Jane Jensen worked on. It was one of the first games in the genre to offer multiple endings. Featuring characters from various fairytales, KQ6 puts an interesting spin on those threads as Prince Alexander seeks to rescue his love, Princess Cassima.

Survey is right over here. So have at it!!

Only six votes so far, folks, don't forget to make yours count!!

Do we have enough on there for a poll that's all King's Quest?

Oh, hmmm, something to keep in mind is that the remastered version of Life is Strange actually comes out on the 1st of February...

Eleima wrote:

More than happy to take nominations if there are any. If I'm not mistaken, the current state of nominations is as follows:

Nominated (still needs two confirmations):
Riven (1997) - Minarchist
[snip others]

Seconded (still needs one confirmation):
Myst 3: Exile (2001) - Eleima, Higgledy
[snip others]

Not to distract from voting, but would it be kosher for me to second/third both of the above, and offer one for nomination: The Outer Wilds.