<![CDATA[Adventure Game Hotspot Community - Adventure Games]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/ Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:57:01 +0000 MyBB <![CDATA["Plot and Puzzles"? "Story Driven"?]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=716 Tue, 07 Jul 2026 03:55:51 -0700 Valanice]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=716
"Story Driven" is Being use to all games with good story, even RPGs. Besides, It also include "walking simulators" that have next to none puzzles (don't get me wrong, I love many walking Sims!) . If I've not mistake, the first Alone in the Dark had the "Adventure game" tag, but today it would be a survival horror.

I've hear "plot and puzzles" that could be a good fit. Helps to make a difference from the "walking simulador" and shows a little bit of the main mechanic in the game.

Many people say that Visual Novels are not "adventures", well if this is true so neither are multi-choice text-adventures from the old. 

What do you guys think?]]>
"Story Driven" is Being use to all games with good story, even RPGs. Besides, It also include "walking simulators" that have next to none puzzles (don't get me wrong, I love many walking Sims!) . If I've not mistake, the first Alone in the Dark had the "Adventure game" tag, but today it would be a survival horror.

I've hear "plot and puzzles" that could be a good fit. Helps to make a difference from the "walking simulador" and shows a little bit of the main mechanic in the game.

Many people say that Visual Novels are not "adventures", well if this is true so neither are multi-choice text-adventures from the old. 

What do you guys think?]]> <![CDATA[Hello AGH!]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=710 Mon, 06 Jul 2026 06:26:24 -0700 GlitchGames]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=710
Finally gotten around to actually registering on the forums, so we're Glitch Games, a 2 person 'studio' in the UK that have been around since 2012, released 18 games, and basically no one has heard of us :-)

We're aware we make games in a fairly niche sub genre of an already fairly niche genre, so not expecting many people to know of us but we figure, after 14 years, it's probably about time we try to actually get the word out a little better.

So yea, we make first person adventure puzzle escape games, all are on mobile, some are on Steam and some are on Switch ( hope to refresh and get them all on Steam and Switch soon but it's hard going supporting so many games across so many stores ).

For reference, these are our games if you're interested.

[Image: games.png]]]>
Finally gotten around to actually registering on the forums, so we're Glitch Games, a 2 person 'studio' in the UK that have been around since 2012, released 18 games, and basically no one has heard of us :-)

We're aware we make games in a fairly niche sub genre of an already fairly niche genre, so not expecting many people to know of us but we figure, after 14 years, it's probably about time we try to actually get the word out a little better.

So yea, we make first person adventure puzzle escape games, all are on mobile, some are on Steam and some are on Switch ( hope to refresh and get them all on Steam and Switch soon but it's hard going supporting so many games across so many stores ).

For reference, these are our games if you're interested.

[Image: games.png]]]> <![CDATA[I can't help but notice...]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=709 Sun, 05 Jul 2026 02:58:38 -0700 Disembodied]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=709
There are SO MANY great adventure games being released right now and AGH is doing a fantastic job promoting them with near daily reviews and previews. I'd love to come here and see those games being played and discussed and not just see everyone reflecting on the glory days. 

This thread is intended less as a criticism than a reflection on whether today's AGs really are so much worse than the "old days", as well as a (less than subtle) encouragement to the AG community get out there and explore those new titles so we can discuss them. I love the reminiscences and but part of being a community is encouraging and giving honest opinions on new and emerging developers and content. Otherwise there won't be a community around for much longer.

What do you think? Are the old days so much better than what we're being served today? Or could the AG community (including myself) step up our game a little?]]>
There are SO MANY great adventure games being released right now and AGH is doing a fantastic job promoting them with near daily reviews and previews. I'd love to come here and see those games being played and discussed and not just see everyone reflecting on the glory days. 

This thread is intended less as a criticism than a reflection on whether today's AGs really are so much worse than the "old days", as well as a (less than subtle) encouragement to the AG community get out there and explore those new titles so we can discuss them. I love the reminiscences and but part of being a community is encouraging and giving honest opinions on new and emerging developers and content. Otherwise there won't be a community around for much longer.

What do you think? Are the old days so much better than what we're being served today? Or could the AG community (including myself) step up our game a little?]]> <![CDATA[CRYO Interactive: Adventure Games with a "Je ne sais quoi"]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=707 Tue, 30 Jun 2026 20:05:53 -0700 Valanice]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=707
While Microids made some more "commercial" Adventure titles, CRYO made lots of experimentations with games that, even if not too good, still amusing. Some of them are really unique in the genre. And after CRYO went under, Microids got the rights for their titles.

Here is the list of their adventure games. How many did you guys played? 

1991 - Extase
1992 - KGB: Conspiracy
1992 - Dune (more strategic than Adventure, but still...)
1994 - Commander Blood
1994 - Dragon Lore: The legend begins
1995 - Aliens: a comics book Adventure 
1995 - Lost Eden ( an exclusive for CD-i)
1996 - Dragon Lore II 
1997 - Egypt: 1156 BC
1997 - Atlantis: The lost Tales ( one of the first games to have Brazilian Portuguese dub!) 
1997 - Versailles: 1685
1998 - China: the forbiden city
1998 - Gadget: past from future
1998 - Hopkins: FBI 
1998 - Zero Zone
1999 - Atlantis II: Beyond
1999 - Aztec: the curse
1999 - Black Moon Chronicles (from a very cool french comics)
1999 - Drácula: ressurection
1999 - Faust: the seven games of soul (my baby!)  Heart
1999 - Ring: the legend of nibelungen ( Moebius' art is amazing!)
2000 - Dracula: teh last sanctuary
2000 - Arthur's Knights: tales
2000 - Egypt II: heliopolis 
2000 - Pompei: the legend of vesuvio
2000 - the New adventures for Time Machine 
2000 - odyssey: the search for ulisses
2001 - Arthur's Knights II: secret of merlin
2001 - Jekyll and Hyde ( what happed here...?)
2001 - Necronomicon: dawing of Darkness (gosh, I love this Buggy mess!)
2001 - the shadow of zorro
2002 - Atlantis III: New world
2002 - Jerusalém: road to Holy land
2002 - The Secret of the Nautilus 
2002 - Versailles 2
2003 - salammbo]]>
While Microids made some more "commercial" Adventure titles, CRYO made lots of experimentations with games that, even if not too good, still amusing. Some of them are really unique in the genre. And after CRYO went under, Microids got the rights for their titles.

Here is the list of their adventure games. How many did you guys played? 

1991 - Extase
1992 - KGB: Conspiracy
1992 - Dune (more strategic than Adventure, but still...)
1994 - Commander Blood
1994 - Dragon Lore: The legend begins
1995 - Aliens: a comics book Adventure 
1995 - Lost Eden ( an exclusive for CD-i)
1996 - Dragon Lore II 
1997 - Egypt: 1156 BC
1997 - Atlantis: The lost Tales ( one of the first games to have Brazilian Portuguese dub!) 
1997 - Versailles: 1685
1998 - China: the forbiden city
1998 - Gadget: past from future
1998 - Hopkins: FBI 
1998 - Zero Zone
1999 - Atlantis II: Beyond
1999 - Aztec: the curse
1999 - Black Moon Chronicles (from a very cool french comics)
1999 - Drácula: ressurection
1999 - Faust: the seven games of soul (my baby!)  Heart
1999 - Ring: the legend of nibelungen ( Moebius' art is amazing!)
2000 - Dracula: teh last sanctuary
2000 - Arthur's Knights: tales
2000 - Egypt II: heliopolis 
2000 - Pompei: the legend of vesuvio
2000 - the New adventures for Time Machine 
2000 - odyssey: the search for ulisses
2001 - Arthur's Knights II: secret of merlin
2001 - Jekyll and Hyde ( what happed here...?)
2001 - Necronomicon: dawing of Darkness (gosh, I love this Buggy mess!)
2001 - the shadow of zorro
2002 - Atlantis III: New world
2002 - Jerusalém: road to Holy land
2002 - The Secret of the Nautilus 
2002 - Versailles 2
2003 - salammbo]]> <![CDATA[11 YEARS waiting for this NIGHTMARE ? JULY 2026 releases]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=706 Sun, 28 Jun 2026 12:09:19 -0700 PIEDRA_Adventure_Gaming]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=706 If June was the month of big names, July is pure, unfiltered mystery. Detectives, forensic work, a space escape room, witchcraft, an impossible submarine, and even dinosaurs.

And the headliner: a cult sequel we'd been waiting 11 years for — surreal horror, nightmares turned into art, the kind that stay with you.
Sifted through all twelve of the month's releases, including a few from studios this community really loves.

Subtitles available in several languages.

Which one's going straight onto your wishlist?

]]> If June was the month of big names, July is pure, unfiltered mystery. Detectives, forensic work, a space escape room, witchcraft, an impossible submarine, and even dinosaurs.

And the headliner: a cult sequel we'd been waiting 11 years for — surreal horror, nightmares turned into art, the kind that stay with you.
Sifted through all twelve of the month's releases, including a few from studios this community really loves.

Subtitles available in several languages.

Which one's going straight onto your wishlist?

]]> <![CDATA[WILL YOU OBEY the LEADER? ? PHONOPOLIS]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=702 Sun, 14 Jun 2026 12:43:24 -0700 PIEDRA_Adventure_Gaming]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=702 Phonopolis just came out a few weeks ago — the new one from Amanita Design (the Machinarium and Samorost folks), and it's their first 3D adventure: a dystopian city built entirely out of hand-painted cardboard.

The premise is pure Orwell with a Czech accent: a city ruled by a Leader who controls its citizens through loudspeakers, and a humble garbage collector who, almost by accident, becomes the only one who realizes what's coming.

Put a video together on it. The art direction alone makes it worth a look.

Subtitles available in several languages.

Got it on your radar?

]]> Phonopolis just came out a few weeks ago — the new one from Amanita Design (the Machinarium and Samorost folks), and it's their first 3D adventure: a dystopian city built entirely out of hand-painted cardboard.

The premise is pure Orwell with a Czech accent: a city ruled by a Leader who controls its citizens through loudspeakers, and a humble garbage collector who, almost by accident, becomes the only one who realizes what's coming.

Put a video together on it. The art direction alone makes it worth a look.

Subtitles available in several languages.

Got it on your radar?

]]> <![CDATA[Tex Murphy: Killing Moon Rising kickstarter]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=701 Sat, 13 Jun 2026 15:59:23 -0700 Dryade]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=701 <![CDATA[stuck in "go home annie"]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=700 Sat, 13 Jun 2026 10:08:14 -0700 lipsum]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=700
spoiler alert: I'm stuck at about midway through the game.  The details may be spoilers for some players.







I got the video tape from the radio tower (in the middle of the ocean), and played it. When I stayed too long in the director's room, I got locked in and had to rotate the wall lights according to some pattern. In another attempt, I rushed out of the room and into the offices, but everything is piled up, with bits of blood-red-supernatural... something blocking my way. There are some blurred areas, where I activated the camera, but to no avail. What am I missing? Is the way out is right there in front of my eyes, only I cannot see it?]]>
spoiler alert: I'm stuck at about midway through the game.  The details may be spoilers for some players.







I got the video tape from the radio tower (in the middle of the ocean), and played it. When I stayed too long in the director's room, I got locked in and had to rotate the wall lights according to some pattern. In another attempt, I rushed out of the room and into the offices, but everything is piled up, with bits of blood-red-supernatural... something blocking my way. There are some blurred areas, where I activated the camera, but to no avail. What am I missing? Is the way out is right there in front of my eyes, only I cannot see it?]]> <![CDATA[A flood of ADVENTURE GAMES ? Last Summer Game Fest events | NO E3 2026]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=698 Tue, 09 Jun 2026 12:40:18 -0700 PIEDRA_Adventure_Gaming]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=698 The final video in the Summer Game Fest series, wrapping up the events I still had left: Wholesome Direct, Frosty Games Fest, Ñ3, PC Gaming Show and a few more.

As always, I sat through hours of trailers to leave you only our kind of thing: point & click, visual novels, narrative games and the odd charming oddity.
In total, 64 games and one DLC pulled from hundreds upon hundreds of announcements.
Which was your favorite from the whole special?

Subtitles available in several languages.

]]> The final video in the Summer Game Fest series, wrapping up the events I still had left: Wholesome Direct, Frosty Games Fest, Ñ3, PC Gaming Show and a few more.

As always, I sat through hours of trailers to leave you only our kind of thing: point & click, visual novels, narrative games and the odd charming oddity.
In total, 64 games and one DLC pulled from hundreds upon hundreds of announcements.
Which was your favorite from the whole special?

Subtitles available in several languages.

]]> <![CDATA[Joe's little corner for his little reviews]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=696 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 03:37:33 -0700 Joe]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=696
Sorry for the spam.
The Secrets of Jesus: 3/10. Difficulty: 8/10

Wasn't very good, moon logic and constant misdirections. At least it doesn't have pixel hunting. 
https://store.steampowered.com/app/11422..._of_Jesus/


The Sundew 6/10. Difficulty: 5/10

Solid game, not too hard; you can finish it in 5 hours or even less. Nice pixel graphics. The story is a bit confusing, and I think some things got lost in translation (the devs are French).

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1468380/The_Sundew/
The Cabinets of Doctor Arcana 7/10. Difficulty: 7/10

It turns out that this is not a P'n'C game, but a puzzle game.

The difficulty of each puzzle varies, but none of them is overly complex or difficult. Even if you get stuck, the game is very generous with its help. There are hints on where to look, instructions on what to do for each puzzle, and a walkthrough in the main menu. If you're still stuck, there's even an option to skip the puzzle altogether.

Overall, a good game if you like those kind of things.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/83107...or_Arcana/
The Silent Sky Part I: 6.5/10. Difficulty: 5/10

Graphics: Somehow it reminds me of Kentucky Route Zero. It's simple, but clear, and you know what's what. This changes when you enter the forest, and now it's hard to see. So, all in all nice, but please, less dark areas next time.

Gameplay: I understand that it's chapter 1, but it's really short. It took me about 2-3 hours to finish.
Bold move with "hiding" the setting in the main menu.
I wish there was an option to double click to fast-forward to the next screen.
Sometimes using items or interacting with objects felt unresponsive.
Hotspots don't have names. This was really weird. I think the last time I saw something like this was in Gobliins 1 in 1991. It wasn't a big deal until you got to the forest part, when it was hard to see.

Puzzles: Pretty logical and not too hard.
There were moments where I was doing things without knowing why I was doing them. But that's pretty common in p'n'c games.
I didn't like timed and precision puzzles (hide from dad, climb the tree). I bring nothing but frustration to the game.
And I think I bypassed the last puzzle with a screwdriver.


tl;dr: too short and needs some QoL, but otherwise a solid game,

Still waiting on part 2 Wink

https://store.steampowered.com/app/16325...ky_Part_I/
Warp Frontier 6.5/10 Difficulty: 5/10

~6h game about a space cop and the case of 10,000 missing people.

Hard cyberpunk story in space.

The plot is definitely a strong point of the game, but it can be a bit overwhelming at the beginning (when you get a bunch of names, terminology and history thrown at you).

Unfortunately, due to the short length of the game, the story felt a little rushed. I think if it had been made back in the days when p'n'c games got proper budgets, it could have been a classic.

The puzzles are ok, no moon logic here. But the execution can sometimes be a little unintuitive.

It's worth mentioning that there are several endings (and puzzle solutions) depending on your choices during the game.

There are also plenty of QoL features: hotspots, a hint system, and when you hover an item over a hotspot you can see if it's a valid action without having to click on it (the same goes for combining items in your inventory).

https://store.steampowered.com/app/22628..._Frontier/
Mindlock - The Apartment 7.5/10. Difficulty: 4/10

~5h game about a guy getting ready to go to a job he hates. Things get complicated when his front door disappears.

I had a blast playing this. It's a surreal story about self-esteem and well-being. What I found refreshing is that MC is as confused as the player, constantly questioning the reality around him and trying to come up with an explanation. There is no silent protagonist who takes strange things at face value.

The puzzles are wacky and surreal, but stay in the realm of logic. Some are timed, but nothing too frustrating. The MC almost always has interesting things to say about items and hotspots. No generic "I can't do that" or "I can't combine these items".
There's even a ruler item, and you can use it to measure every item and hotspot. Bonus points for the metric system ?

Graphics and sound are well done. The VO is great.
QoL: there is option to show hotspot, but no double click fast travel or hint button.

But I have few complaints.

The MC walks like a snail. Fortunately, the screens are quite small, so it doesn't matter too much most of the time.

The puzzles are pretty simple, which is good for newcomers to the genre, but won't be a challenge for veterans.

The biggest gripe for me is that at around the 7/10 point of the game, it becomes more of a visual novel than a point-and-click game. You just walk and talk, with little interaction except for few trivial puzzles.

Still, I recommend it to everyone and it looks like the developers want to make a "Mindlock" series out of it. So if you're looking for a new game to play, give it a try you won't regret it.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/26691...Apartment/
Odysseus Kosmos and his Robot Quest 4.5/10. Difficulty: 8/10

~20h episodic game about this one guy from the movie Interstellar who was stuck on the spaceship for years.

I liked the graphics, I liked the plot, and the music was ok too.

But the puzzles. Boy, oh boy, where do I even begin?

Puzzles come in many different types, but they all have one thing in common. They are hard. The game walks a fine line between hard and frustrating, and it crosses that line multiple times. There are various reasons why they are hard. Some have moon logic (not that many, to be fair), some are timed, some are cryptic, some have a very strict order to solve them. At least 2 of them have pixel hunting (despite the option to show hotspots), and there are plenty of items that don't disappear after you use them, cluttering up your inventory.

Most importantly, you get almost no feedback from the MC. Most answers are generic and unhelpful. You get no information on whether you are on the right track in solving a multi-step puzzle, where to go next, or what exactly is missing from the solution. You are left without any little hints to guide you.

Another thing they have in common is that they are not fun to solve. You do generic things like fix the computer or find the keycard, and each problem is broken down into many small, tedious tasks. In the end, instead of feeling satisfied, I just felt tired after solving the puzzles.

It seems that using the hint system was intended way of playing this game. And I must admit that I had to use a hint once in every episode (except Ep2, where I managed on my own).
The next problem is with the characters. I had a really hard time liking them. One is constantly nagging and the other is constantly lazy and nagging. There was supposed to be some kind of brotherhood between them, but I didn't see it.

Disclaimer: If you enjoy getting stuck for hours on end, or are a genius who can solve every single puzzle with ease, or don't mind using the hint system every 2 minutes, then the overall rating goes up to 6, maybe even 7.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/64582...te_Season/
Guard Duty 5.5/10. Difficulty: 4.5/10

~3h british game about a bloody block that works with the fuzz but has to save the lass, pretty mental if you ask me, so get on with it, guv'nah.

Not much to say. I liked the graphics and the cutscenes, the music is nice but repetitive. The puzzles are on the easier side and get easier as you go. The endgame is borderline visual novel.

There is a lot of talking and no option to show hotspots. I guess in an attempt to make this short game a little longer.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/872750/Guard_Duty/
Monolith 6/10. Difficulty: 6/10

~10h game about a space explorer who has crashed on an alien planet and suffered a serious case of amnesia.

Backgrounds and music are nice. But the 3D models are crude.  We are talking about the PS2 level of 3D graphics. The same goes for the VO, which could be better.

Puzzles are ok. Challenging, but not too hard. There is an option to read a walkthrough and an option to show hotspots. There is a problem with puzzles that many sf p'n'c games have: puzzles are "technical". You have to find the right tool to manipulate other tools or machines to solve the problem. So you end up with a whole toolbox full of items and other gizmos.

There is a twist at the end, but I thought it was not telegraphed very well, and it came out of nowhere. Game also take way too long to explain it(the epilogue is about an hour long).

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1542390/Monolith/
Dropsy 6.5/10. Difficulty: 5.5/10.

~5h game about a creepy nightmare clown who just wants to make everyone happy.

This one is just built differently:

They manage the impossible (for modern P'n'C games) - not even a single reference to Monkey Island, Day of the Tentacle, Sam & Max or any other old P'n'C game. Truly groundbreaking.

There is no dialogue. Everyone speaks in pictures. Someone wants you to help them with their work? There will be pictures of "work", "clown" and "give". This adds another layer of puzzle to the game. But it can also be confusing. "Item" "=" "money", does that mean they give you money for the item, or you can buy the item with money?

About half of the game is optional. You can help people and make their day better, but you don't have to, and just stick to the main plot. I'm not an achievement hunter, but I'm sure it'll appeal to people who are. It can also double your playtime from 5 to 10 hours.


The graphics are nice and bright. Animations are fluid. Sound effects are okay. The music, on the other hand, is atrocious and I muted it pretty quickly. You can find other soundtracks in the game (in the form of cassettes) and change the music. But they are also scratchy and unpleasant to listen to.

Unfortunately, there is no option to display a hotspots, so pixel hunting will be a thing. There is a lot of walking around, but you soon unlock the option for fast travel.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/274350/Dropsy/
Sumatra: Fate of Yandi 7/10. Difficulty: 4.5/10.

~3h game about a logger lost in the Indonesian rainforest.

From the devs who made "The Excavation of Hob's Barrow". Short and sweet. Despite its short playtime, it manages to tell an interesting story. The puzzles are logical and on the easy side (but not trivial). Simple but clear and charming pixel art. SFX are ok, there is almost no music and no VO. No option to show hotspots.

There is an environmental message in the game. Not very subtle, but it does not beat you over the head with it either.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/61090..._of_Yandi/
Haven Moon 4/10. Difficulty: 7/10

~3h Myst-like game about a kidnapped nameless person trying to get out of some oceanic moon.

It's one of those games where it sucks to be stuck. And the reason is: travel time. There are 4 tiny islands to explore, and you have to move between them all the time. To do this, you use an airship and a teleport. In both cases there will be unskippable cutscenes (teleport 20s, airship 40s).

So take the "~3h" with a grain of salt. If you get stuck, you'll see these cutscenes a lot, and the game time will skyrocket.
There is one particularly nasty puzzle (the only time I needed a hint) where you have to adjust 2 levers, both of which can be in one of three positions. You don't get an audio/visual hint if you've chosen the right position. It takes 6 teleportations and 2 airship cutscenes to check a combination. And even if you have chosen the right combination, there is another, hidden layer to this puzzle, so you may not know that you are on the right track. There are also other little things that like to waste your time, like riding in a lift or rotating a telescope.

Pixel hunting is also a thing (not much, but still). Which I find unacceptable. For me, Myst-like games are about cold, brutal, uncaring, but fair logic to figure out how these strange, often non-intuitive machines work and how to operate them. Not looking at every nook and cranny in the hope of finding some hidden switch or button.

Finally, there is the odd, choppy movement, as if the game is running at 20fps or less. This will be nothing to most people, but for someone like me, who suffers from crippling motion sickness, it makes the game physically painful to play.

If you want to play some Myst-like game, skip it, and just play Quern.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/493720/Haven_Moon/
Vlad Circus: Descend Into Madness 5/10. Difficulty: 4/10.

~5h game about a clown who has gone to a reunion with other survivors of a freak show circus fire.

Before playing this game, you should ask yourself two questions:
Do I like walking?
Do I prefer story to gameplay?

If you answer yes to both questions, you can easily raise the rating from 5/10 to 8/10.

80% of the game is walking, 15% is reading, the rest is puzzle solving and fighting.

The story is nothing new, but interesting. Characters are well written. The pixel art is nice, as is the music and sounds. Puzzles are simple and logical, so it is unlikely to get stuck for a long time. But the whole game is just walking and backtracking. You can't fast travel, you can run, but only for a brief moment. There is also a fighting that adds absolutely nothing to the game and I wonder why it is there at all.

Overall, this game is a mixture of survival horror games like Sillent Hill (arcade controls, combat, limited inventory) and visual novel/interactive movies like Heavy Rain/Detroid: Become Human (QTE, easy puzzles, story over gameplay).

https://store.steampowered.com/app/17024...o_Madness/
The Wardrobe 6/10. Difficulty: 7/10.

~10h pop culture exposition about an undead jerk trying to get to the person who killed him.

Yo dawg, I heard you like references, so we put references in your references so you can reference while you reference.

You know, P'n'C games like to make one or two or three references to other games, like Secret of Monkey Island or Grim Fandango. But not this one, oh no. At first I had the idea to list all the references in the game here, but after 1h of playing I realised that it would be longer than this whole post. So I'll just give you the number of references I recognised. It's 74, and I didn't count recurring references like Pokemon, Harry Potter or Back to the Future.

It's like this ADHD developer just can't control himself to tell you all about his favourite games and movies. So he put every single media franchise he knew into his game.
OK, but why am I still talking about this? Because it's omnipresent in the game. There are references in the art, in the dialogue, in the items, even in the sound. They. Are. Everywhere.
Every single screen is cluttered with a nonsensical collage of pop culture artefacts. And while it's funny at first, it gets really tiresome really fast.

The puzzles are a mixture of straightforward, clever and a lot of moonlogic. It's a tough game.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/49773...r_Edition/
The Phantom Fellows 5.5/10. Difficulty: 5/10.

~8h Non-Darkside Detctive spin-off, non-Blackwell rip-off, about a mentally stunned guy and his ghostly "friend".

Ok, first of all, your whole enjoyment of this title is based on your sense of humour. If you like dad jokes, sitcom level humour and most importantly "lol, so random" jokes, then you will love it. Otherwise, you are in for a rough ride.
There are so many jokes that the game sabotages itself with them. In Chapter 5, there's this mystery that you spend your time trying to piece together, and at the end you get the classic "Gather round, now I'll tell you who the culprit is" scene. During this scene, the explanation is interrupted and restarted about 3 times so that the MC can insert his random jokes about puppets(?). At some point I just felt like I was looking after a not-so-bright, hyperactive 5-year-old while trying to have a conversation with another adult.

There is a lot of text, not bad in itself, but you have to be prepared for 3 to 10 text windows every time you interact with something. And you can interact with everything (items, objects, NPCs, walls, floors, etc).  It reminds me of those old children's Putt-Putt games where you can interact with different hotspots, but instead of funny animations you get walls of text.

I liked the puzzles. They were not too hard, but not trivial either. Be prepared for pixel-hunting as there is no option to show hotspots and everything is a hotspot. It's worth mentioning that some puzzles can be solved using different items from different locations, which reduces frustration and adds replay value. There is also a hint system, but I don't know how helpful it is.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/15814...m_Fellows/
Return of the Phantom 3/10. Difficulty 6/10.

~3h old school game about the slowest detective that ever lived, trying to catch the titular Phantom of the Opera.

This game is similar to Vlad Circus, but with less puzzles, less story and even more walking. Which is unfortunate, as the MC walks as if stuck in a swamp and the screens are vast and empty. Thank goodness for dosbox and the ability to speed up the game.

There are 3 "acts" in the game. Prologue, where you talk to people and solve no puzzles. The Investigation, where you again talk to (different) people in the same scenery, but this time you have to collect exactly 7 items (still no puzzle involved). You better get them now or you will be forced to backtrack (you really don't want that) or get stuck in the 3rd act .

The last act is the chase after the Phantom. To do this you have to go through the maze.
So the maze.
It's bad.
You don't have a map, there's no logic or clever solution, the screens are very similar or exactly the same, you just have to force your way through. I thought I could wing it, but no. I ended up spending about an hour drawing an IRL map of the maze to be able to navigate. After the maze you get to solve some puzzles, like 5 of them. Some of them require information you get at the very beginning of the game (I hope you remember it) and some require items you get before you enter the maze. After that, you get the Ron Gilbert-tier non-ending. Congratulations, you have beaten the game.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/12997...e_Phantom/
PRIM 8/10. Difficulty: 5.5/10.

~6h black and white game about the daughter of Death who wants to bring her friend back to life.

I had high expectations and wasn't disappointed.

Very nice cartoony graphics, pleasant and fitting soundtrack, great variety of animations, different types of puzzles that keep the game fresh (all time classic "do 3 tasks", inventory management, mini games, logical puzzles, deduction), variety of QoL (show hotspots, fast travel map, hints, faster walking), humour that is not forced, story is interesting and characters are likeable.

But there are some problems.

Nitpicks:
Black and white graphics are stylish and nice, but have some drawbacks. Sometimes the cursor is hard to see and white text on a white background can be difficult to read.

Annoyances:
I understand that this is a Kickstarter game and you have to give the backers something to get the money. I don't mind. But this in-game card game is just there to please backers (backers get a physical copy of the game, and some backers are on the cards (sucks to be you Kevin, you are on the worst card)). It adds nothing to the game and is mendatory to play. The rules are brain dead, winning or losing depends on luck. Also, you need to collect at least 8 of these cards to play, and they don't show up on "show hotspots", so happy pixel-hunting.

The Bad:
English voice-over for MC.
Listening to her make me think, I was watching some low-effort sitcom about middle-aged Karen from HR narrating her own unhinged Twitter posts in her snarky, nasal, annoying voice. I ended up switching to German VO, I didn't understand a word, but at least it was bearable to listen to.
Also, the game is way too short. 6 hours? Make it 20 hours, you cowards!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1510470/PRIM/
Tourist trap 5.5/10. Difficulty: 3.5/10

~2h TED talk about how big foreign corporations take over small town.

Well, not just about evil corporations, but about many different things. Tourism, capitalism, geek culture, influencers, corruption, consumerism, colonialism. In short, western culture.

It looks like dev has very strong (negative) opinions about these things and decided that he didnt want to write angry rants on reddit or twitter. Instead, he decided to make a game as a vehicle for his thoughts.

A decision I fully support. But the problem is that there is almost no game in this game. Gampley is similar to visual novels "p'n'c" like Walking Dead, you hardly solve any puzzles and spend most of your time watching cutscenes and reading dialogues.

Graphics are nice (very smooth animations), sound is good, there is no normal VO, every character literally just says "blablabla", which is annoying. No pixel hunting, as there is an option to show hotspots.

By the way, +0.5 point for the rather unexpected ending.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/22066...rist_Trap/
A Twisted Tale 5/10. Difficulty: 6.5/10.

~5h game about a unwilling dimension traveller trying to get back home.

First of all, it's an episodic game (currently there's only 1 episode out of a planned 7), which makes it difficult to talk about plot, other than the fact that there is none at the moment. All we know is the MC's name and the fact that she ended up in another dimension/planet.

While the graphics and sounds are ok, the game is pretty janky. Saving doesn't work properly, characters speak at different volumes, clicking is unresponsive and sometimes takes several tries, action descriptions don't work on one screen, etc.

Puzzles are quite challenging, but for the wrong reasons. There's no show hotspot, items don't disappear after use so you're stuck with them for the whole game, logic can be pretty thin in a few places, and MC isn't very helpful with item/action descriptions.

The second chapter is supposed to be bigger and betterer, but we will see.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/17516...sted_Tale/]]>
Sorry for the spam.
The Secrets of Jesus: 3/10. Difficulty: 8/10

Wasn't very good, moon logic and constant misdirections. At least it doesn't have pixel hunting. 
https://store.steampowered.com/app/11422..._of_Jesus/


The Sundew 6/10. Difficulty: 5/10

Solid game, not too hard; you can finish it in 5 hours or even less. Nice pixel graphics. The story is a bit confusing, and I think some things got lost in translation (the devs are French).

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1468380/The_Sundew/
The Cabinets of Doctor Arcana 7/10. Difficulty: 7/10

It turns out that this is not a P'n'C game, but a puzzle game.

The difficulty of each puzzle varies, but none of them is overly complex or difficult. Even if you get stuck, the game is very generous with its help. There are hints on where to look, instructions on what to do for each puzzle, and a walkthrough in the main menu. If you're still stuck, there's even an option to skip the puzzle altogether.

Overall, a good game if you like those kind of things.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/83107...or_Arcana/
The Silent Sky Part I: 6.5/10. Difficulty: 5/10

Graphics: Somehow it reminds me of Kentucky Route Zero. It's simple, but clear, and you know what's what. This changes when you enter the forest, and now it's hard to see. So, all in all nice, but please, less dark areas next time.

Gameplay: I understand that it's chapter 1, but it's really short. It took me about 2-3 hours to finish.
Bold move with "hiding" the setting in the main menu.
I wish there was an option to double click to fast-forward to the next screen.
Sometimes using items or interacting with objects felt unresponsive.
Hotspots don't have names. This was really weird. I think the last time I saw something like this was in Gobliins 1 in 1991. It wasn't a big deal until you got to the forest part, when it was hard to see.

Puzzles: Pretty logical and not too hard.
There were moments where I was doing things without knowing why I was doing them. But that's pretty common in p'n'c games.
I didn't like timed and precision puzzles (hide from dad, climb the tree). I bring nothing but frustration to the game.
And I think I bypassed the last puzzle with a screwdriver.


tl;dr: too short and needs some QoL, but otherwise a solid game,

Still waiting on part 2 Wink

https://store.steampowered.com/app/16325...ky_Part_I/
Warp Frontier 6.5/10 Difficulty: 5/10

~6h game about a space cop and the case of 10,000 missing people.

Hard cyberpunk story in space.

The plot is definitely a strong point of the game, but it can be a bit overwhelming at the beginning (when you get a bunch of names, terminology and history thrown at you).

Unfortunately, due to the short length of the game, the story felt a little rushed. I think if it had been made back in the days when p'n'c games got proper budgets, it could have been a classic.

The puzzles are ok, no moon logic here. But the execution can sometimes be a little unintuitive.

It's worth mentioning that there are several endings (and puzzle solutions) depending on your choices during the game.

There are also plenty of QoL features: hotspots, a hint system, and when you hover an item over a hotspot you can see if it's a valid action without having to click on it (the same goes for combining items in your inventory).

https://store.steampowered.com/app/22628..._Frontier/
Mindlock - The Apartment 7.5/10. Difficulty: 4/10

~5h game about a guy getting ready to go to a job he hates. Things get complicated when his front door disappears.

I had a blast playing this. It's a surreal story about self-esteem and well-being. What I found refreshing is that MC is as confused as the player, constantly questioning the reality around him and trying to come up with an explanation. There is no silent protagonist who takes strange things at face value.

The puzzles are wacky and surreal, but stay in the realm of logic. Some are timed, but nothing too frustrating. The MC almost always has interesting things to say about items and hotspots. No generic "I can't do that" or "I can't combine these items".
There's even a ruler item, and you can use it to measure every item and hotspot. Bonus points for the metric system ?

Graphics and sound are well done. The VO is great.
QoL: there is option to show hotspot, but no double click fast travel or hint button.

But I have few complaints.

The MC walks like a snail. Fortunately, the screens are quite small, so it doesn't matter too much most of the time.

The puzzles are pretty simple, which is good for newcomers to the genre, but won't be a challenge for veterans.

The biggest gripe for me is that at around the 7/10 point of the game, it becomes more of a visual novel than a point-and-click game. You just walk and talk, with little interaction except for few trivial puzzles.

Still, I recommend it to everyone and it looks like the developers want to make a "Mindlock" series out of it. So if you're looking for a new game to play, give it a try you won't regret it.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/26691...Apartment/
Odysseus Kosmos and his Robot Quest 4.5/10. Difficulty: 8/10

~20h episodic game about this one guy from the movie Interstellar who was stuck on the spaceship for years.

I liked the graphics, I liked the plot, and the music was ok too.

But the puzzles. Boy, oh boy, where do I even begin?

Puzzles come in many different types, but they all have one thing in common. They are hard. The game walks a fine line between hard and frustrating, and it crosses that line multiple times. There are various reasons why they are hard. Some have moon logic (not that many, to be fair), some are timed, some are cryptic, some have a very strict order to solve them. At least 2 of them have pixel hunting (despite the option to show hotspots), and there are plenty of items that don't disappear after you use them, cluttering up your inventory.

Most importantly, you get almost no feedback from the MC. Most answers are generic and unhelpful. You get no information on whether you are on the right track in solving a multi-step puzzle, where to go next, or what exactly is missing from the solution. You are left without any little hints to guide you.

Another thing they have in common is that they are not fun to solve. You do generic things like fix the computer or find the keycard, and each problem is broken down into many small, tedious tasks. In the end, instead of feeling satisfied, I just felt tired after solving the puzzles.

It seems that using the hint system was intended way of playing this game. And I must admit that I had to use a hint once in every episode (except Ep2, where I managed on my own).
The next problem is with the characters. I had a really hard time liking them. One is constantly nagging and the other is constantly lazy and nagging. There was supposed to be some kind of brotherhood between them, but I didn't see it.

Disclaimer: If you enjoy getting stuck for hours on end, or are a genius who can solve every single puzzle with ease, or don't mind using the hint system every 2 minutes, then the overall rating goes up to 6, maybe even 7.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/64582...te_Season/
Guard Duty 5.5/10. Difficulty: 4.5/10

~3h british game about a bloody block that works with the fuzz but has to save the lass, pretty mental if you ask me, so get on with it, guv'nah.

Not much to say. I liked the graphics and the cutscenes, the music is nice but repetitive. The puzzles are on the easier side and get easier as you go. The endgame is borderline visual novel.

There is a lot of talking and no option to show hotspots. I guess in an attempt to make this short game a little longer.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/872750/Guard_Duty/
Monolith 6/10. Difficulty: 6/10

~10h game about a space explorer who has crashed on an alien planet and suffered a serious case of amnesia.

Backgrounds and music are nice. But the 3D models are crude.  We are talking about the PS2 level of 3D graphics. The same goes for the VO, which could be better.

Puzzles are ok. Challenging, but not too hard. There is an option to read a walkthrough and an option to show hotspots. There is a problem with puzzles that many sf p'n'c games have: puzzles are "technical". You have to find the right tool to manipulate other tools or machines to solve the problem. So you end up with a whole toolbox full of items and other gizmos.

There is a twist at the end, but I thought it was not telegraphed very well, and it came out of nowhere. Game also take way too long to explain it(the epilogue is about an hour long).

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1542390/Monolith/
Dropsy 6.5/10. Difficulty: 5.5/10.

~5h game about a creepy nightmare clown who just wants to make everyone happy.

This one is just built differently:

They manage the impossible (for modern P'n'C games) - not even a single reference to Monkey Island, Day of the Tentacle, Sam & Max or any other old P'n'C game. Truly groundbreaking.

There is no dialogue. Everyone speaks in pictures. Someone wants you to help them with their work? There will be pictures of "work", "clown" and "give". This adds another layer of puzzle to the game. But it can also be confusing. "Item" "=" "money", does that mean they give you money for the item, or you can buy the item with money?

About half of the game is optional. You can help people and make their day better, but you don't have to, and just stick to the main plot. I'm not an achievement hunter, but I'm sure it'll appeal to people who are. It can also double your playtime from 5 to 10 hours.


The graphics are nice and bright. Animations are fluid. Sound effects are okay. The music, on the other hand, is atrocious and I muted it pretty quickly. You can find other soundtracks in the game (in the form of cassettes) and change the music. But they are also scratchy and unpleasant to listen to.

Unfortunately, there is no option to display a hotspots, so pixel hunting will be a thing. There is a lot of walking around, but you soon unlock the option for fast travel.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/274350/Dropsy/
Sumatra: Fate of Yandi 7/10. Difficulty: 4.5/10.

~3h game about a logger lost in the Indonesian rainforest.

From the devs who made "The Excavation of Hob's Barrow". Short and sweet. Despite its short playtime, it manages to tell an interesting story. The puzzles are logical and on the easy side (but not trivial). Simple but clear and charming pixel art. SFX are ok, there is almost no music and no VO. No option to show hotspots.

There is an environmental message in the game. Not very subtle, but it does not beat you over the head with it either.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/61090..._of_Yandi/
Haven Moon 4/10. Difficulty: 7/10

~3h Myst-like game about a kidnapped nameless person trying to get out of some oceanic moon.

It's one of those games where it sucks to be stuck. And the reason is: travel time. There are 4 tiny islands to explore, and you have to move between them all the time. To do this, you use an airship and a teleport. In both cases there will be unskippable cutscenes (teleport 20s, airship 40s).

So take the "~3h" with a grain of salt. If you get stuck, you'll see these cutscenes a lot, and the game time will skyrocket.
There is one particularly nasty puzzle (the only time I needed a hint) where you have to adjust 2 levers, both of which can be in one of three positions. You don't get an audio/visual hint if you've chosen the right position. It takes 6 teleportations and 2 airship cutscenes to check a combination. And even if you have chosen the right combination, there is another, hidden layer to this puzzle, so you may not know that you are on the right track. There are also other little things that like to waste your time, like riding in a lift or rotating a telescope.

Pixel hunting is also a thing (not much, but still). Which I find unacceptable. For me, Myst-like games are about cold, brutal, uncaring, but fair logic to figure out how these strange, often non-intuitive machines work and how to operate them. Not looking at every nook and cranny in the hope of finding some hidden switch or button.

Finally, there is the odd, choppy movement, as if the game is running at 20fps or less. This will be nothing to most people, but for someone like me, who suffers from crippling motion sickness, it makes the game physically painful to play.

If you want to play some Myst-like game, skip it, and just play Quern.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/493720/Haven_Moon/
Vlad Circus: Descend Into Madness 5/10. Difficulty: 4/10.

~5h game about a clown who has gone to a reunion with other survivors of a freak show circus fire.

Before playing this game, you should ask yourself two questions:
Do I like walking?
Do I prefer story to gameplay?

If you answer yes to both questions, you can easily raise the rating from 5/10 to 8/10.

80% of the game is walking, 15% is reading, the rest is puzzle solving and fighting.

The story is nothing new, but interesting. Characters are well written. The pixel art is nice, as is the music and sounds. Puzzles are simple and logical, so it is unlikely to get stuck for a long time. But the whole game is just walking and backtracking. You can't fast travel, you can run, but only for a brief moment. There is also a fighting that adds absolutely nothing to the game and I wonder why it is there at all.

Overall, this game is a mixture of survival horror games like Sillent Hill (arcade controls, combat, limited inventory) and visual novel/interactive movies like Heavy Rain/Detroid: Become Human (QTE, easy puzzles, story over gameplay).

https://store.steampowered.com/app/17024...o_Madness/
The Wardrobe 6/10. Difficulty: 7/10.

~10h pop culture exposition about an undead jerk trying to get to the person who killed him.

Yo dawg, I heard you like references, so we put references in your references so you can reference while you reference.

You know, P'n'C games like to make one or two or three references to other games, like Secret of Monkey Island or Grim Fandango. But not this one, oh no. At first I had the idea to list all the references in the game here, but after 1h of playing I realised that it would be longer than this whole post. So I'll just give you the number of references I recognised. It's 74, and I didn't count recurring references like Pokemon, Harry Potter or Back to the Future.

It's like this ADHD developer just can't control himself to tell you all about his favourite games and movies. So he put every single media franchise he knew into his game.
OK, but why am I still talking about this? Because it's omnipresent in the game. There are references in the art, in the dialogue, in the items, even in the sound. They. Are. Everywhere.
Every single screen is cluttered with a nonsensical collage of pop culture artefacts. And while it's funny at first, it gets really tiresome really fast.

The puzzles are a mixture of straightforward, clever and a lot of moonlogic. It's a tough game.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/49773...r_Edition/
The Phantom Fellows 5.5/10. Difficulty: 5/10.

~8h Non-Darkside Detctive spin-off, non-Blackwell rip-off, about a mentally stunned guy and his ghostly "friend".

Ok, first of all, your whole enjoyment of this title is based on your sense of humour. If you like dad jokes, sitcom level humour and most importantly "lol, so random" jokes, then you will love it. Otherwise, you are in for a rough ride.
There are so many jokes that the game sabotages itself with them. In Chapter 5, there's this mystery that you spend your time trying to piece together, and at the end you get the classic "Gather round, now I'll tell you who the culprit is" scene. During this scene, the explanation is interrupted and restarted about 3 times so that the MC can insert his random jokes about puppets(?). At some point I just felt like I was looking after a not-so-bright, hyperactive 5-year-old while trying to have a conversation with another adult.

There is a lot of text, not bad in itself, but you have to be prepared for 3 to 10 text windows every time you interact with something. And you can interact with everything (items, objects, NPCs, walls, floors, etc).  It reminds me of those old children's Putt-Putt games where you can interact with different hotspots, but instead of funny animations you get walls of text.

I liked the puzzles. They were not too hard, but not trivial either. Be prepared for pixel-hunting as there is no option to show hotspots and everything is a hotspot. It's worth mentioning that some puzzles can be solved using different items from different locations, which reduces frustration and adds replay value. There is also a hint system, but I don't know how helpful it is.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/15814...m_Fellows/
Return of the Phantom 3/10. Difficulty 6/10.

~3h old school game about the slowest detective that ever lived, trying to catch the titular Phantom of the Opera.

This game is similar to Vlad Circus, but with less puzzles, less story and even more walking. Which is unfortunate, as the MC walks as if stuck in a swamp and the screens are vast and empty. Thank goodness for dosbox and the ability to speed up the game.

There are 3 "acts" in the game. Prologue, where you talk to people and solve no puzzles. The Investigation, where you again talk to (different) people in the same scenery, but this time you have to collect exactly 7 items (still no puzzle involved). You better get them now or you will be forced to backtrack (you really don't want that) or get stuck in the 3rd act .

The last act is the chase after the Phantom. To do this you have to go through the maze.
So the maze.
It's bad.
You don't have a map, there's no logic or clever solution, the screens are very similar or exactly the same, you just have to force your way through. I thought I could wing it, but no. I ended up spending about an hour drawing an IRL map of the maze to be able to navigate. After the maze you get to solve some puzzles, like 5 of them. Some of them require information you get at the very beginning of the game (I hope you remember it) and some require items you get before you enter the maze. After that, you get the Ron Gilbert-tier non-ending. Congratulations, you have beaten the game.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/12997...e_Phantom/
PRIM 8/10. Difficulty: 5.5/10.

~6h black and white game about the daughter of Death who wants to bring her friend back to life.

I had high expectations and wasn't disappointed.

Very nice cartoony graphics, pleasant and fitting soundtrack, great variety of animations, different types of puzzles that keep the game fresh (all time classic "do 3 tasks", inventory management, mini games, logical puzzles, deduction), variety of QoL (show hotspots, fast travel map, hints, faster walking), humour that is not forced, story is interesting and characters are likeable.

But there are some problems.

Nitpicks:
Black and white graphics are stylish and nice, but have some drawbacks. Sometimes the cursor is hard to see and white text on a white background can be difficult to read.

Annoyances:
I understand that this is a Kickstarter game and you have to give the backers something to get the money. I don't mind. But this in-game card game is just there to please backers (backers get a physical copy of the game, and some backers are on the cards (sucks to be you Kevin, you are on the worst card)). It adds nothing to the game and is mendatory to play. The rules are brain dead, winning or losing depends on luck. Also, you need to collect at least 8 of these cards to play, and they don't show up on "show hotspots", so happy pixel-hunting.

The Bad:
English voice-over for MC.
Listening to her make me think, I was watching some low-effort sitcom about middle-aged Karen from HR narrating her own unhinged Twitter posts in her snarky, nasal, annoying voice. I ended up switching to German VO, I didn't understand a word, but at least it was bearable to listen to.
Also, the game is way too short. 6 hours? Make it 20 hours, you cowards!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1510470/PRIM/
Tourist trap 5.5/10. Difficulty: 3.5/10

~2h TED talk about how big foreign corporations take over small town.

Well, not just about evil corporations, but about many different things. Tourism, capitalism, geek culture, influencers, corruption, consumerism, colonialism. In short, western culture.

It looks like dev has very strong (negative) opinions about these things and decided that he didnt want to write angry rants on reddit or twitter. Instead, he decided to make a game as a vehicle for his thoughts.

A decision I fully support. But the problem is that there is almost no game in this game. Gampley is similar to visual novels "p'n'c" like Walking Dead, you hardly solve any puzzles and spend most of your time watching cutscenes and reading dialogues.

Graphics are nice (very smooth animations), sound is good, there is no normal VO, every character literally just says "blablabla", which is annoying. No pixel hunting, as there is an option to show hotspots.

By the way, +0.5 point for the rather unexpected ending.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/22066...rist_Trap/
A Twisted Tale 5/10. Difficulty: 6.5/10.

~5h game about a unwilling dimension traveller trying to get back home.

First of all, it's an episodic game (currently there's only 1 episode out of a planned 7), which makes it difficult to talk about plot, other than the fact that there is none at the moment. All we know is the MC's name and the fact that she ended up in another dimension/planet.

While the graphics and sounds are ok, the game is pretty janky. Saving doesn't work properly, characters speak at different volumes, clicking is unresponsive and sometimes takes several tries, action descriptions don't work on one screen, etc.

Puzzles are quite challenging, but for the wrong reasons. There's no show hotspot, items don't disappear after use so you're stuck with them for the whole game, logic can be pretty thin in a few places, and MC isn't very helpful with item/action descriptions.

The second chapter is supposed to be bigger and betterer, but we will see.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/17516...sted_Tale/]]> <![CDATA[(You're Not) Welcome to Rennville - Platforming story adventure game]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=695 Thu, 04 Jun 2026 03:47:49 -0700 Distant Dimensions]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=695
.png
ThinHeader.png (Size: 29.22 KB Downloads: 33)


Hi everyone! My brother and I have been making a cozy story adventure game platformer called "(You're Not) Welcome to Rennville", and we just released the free demo on Steam!

.png
Screenshot3.png (Size: 94.71 KB Downloads: 34)


It's not your typical adventure game (there is platforming obviously), but we feel that it's more centred around the dialogue driven story, exploring, and helping the grumpy townsfolk with inventory items to progress, in a similar play style to classic adventure games like Monkey Island. The platforming is more a mode of transport instead of point-and-clicking, however there are one or two sections that you might find tricky if you haven't played platformers before.

.png
Screenshot2.png (Size: 69.41 KB Downloads: 33)


My brother has made all the nostalgic pixel art from scratch, and has also composed all the music, while I've been doing the level design, sound design, and programming. We've both collaborated on the story, and the quirky dialogue is most likely a result of one too many late nights! 

.png
Screenshot4.png (Size: 29.96 KB Downloads: 33)


If you're interested you can try the demo here on the Steam page today, I'd love to hear your feedback and thoughts!
(You're Not) Welcome to Rennville on Steam

And here's the gameplay trailer on YouTube:


Hope you enjoy!]]>
.png
ThinHeader.png (Size: 29.22 KB Downloads: 33)


Hi everyone! My brother and I have been making a cozy story adventure game platformer called "(You're Not) Welcome to Rennville", and we just released the free demo on Steam!

.png
Screenshot3.png (Size: 94.71 KB Downloads: 34)


It's not your typical adventure game (there is platforming obviously), but we feel that it's more centred around the dialogue driven story, exploring, and helping the grumpy townsfolk with inventory items to progress, in a similar play style to classic adventure games like Monkey Island. The platforming is more a mode of transport instead of point-and-clicking, however there are one or two sections that you might find tricky if you haven't played platformers before.

.png
Screenshot2.png (Size: 69.41 KB Downloads: 33)


My brother has made all the nostalgic pixel art from scratch, and has also composed all the music, while I've been doing the level design, sound design, and programming. We've both collaborated on the story, and the quirky dialogue is most likely a result of one too many late nights! 

.png
Screenshot4.png (Size: 29.96 KB Downloads: 33)


If you're interested you can try the demo here on the Steam page today, I'd love to hear your feedback and thoughts!
(You're Not) Welcome to Rennville on Steam

And here's the gameplay trailer on YouTube:


Hope you enjoy!]]> <![CDATA[Neofeud 2 - a sci-fi cyberpunk adventure]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=694 Tue, 02 Jun 2026 09:35:05 -0700 silverspook]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=694 [Image: FinalTitleNF2.png]

Synopsis:  A cyberpunk sci-fi adventure of epic scope. A galactic empire enriches CEO-Kings, yet leaves Les Misérables hungry. An ex-robo-marine turned dancer, goth alien hacktivist, and billion-year-old mentor struggle to free e-minds, organize resistance, & overturn the cosmic Neofeudal chessboard for good.

Features: 
  • 20+ hours of gameplay. 
  • An original dystopic sci-fi world and story that will (hopefully) be compelling and stimulate thought about our present society and future. 
  • Over 140,000 words of voice acted dialog.
  • Engaging but fair point-n-click detective work, interspersed with tense action sequences.
  • Hand-painted art, lovingly crafted story, personally composed music and hand-coded programming over 9 years by the solo-dev of Neofeud 1, hoping to surpass the original.

Neofeud 2 is coming soon to Steam, wishlist it now!

(It was suggested that I make a thread just for Neofeud 2, apologies if this isn't the correct place or way to make the it.)]]> [Image: FinalTitleNF2.png]

Synopsis:  A cyberpunk sci-fi adventure of epic scope. A galactic empire enriches CEO-Kings, yet leaves Les Misérables hungry. An ex-robo-marine turned dancer, goth alien hacktivist, and billion-year-old mentor struggle to free e-minds, organize resistance, & overturn the cosmic Neofeudal chessboard for good.

Features: 
  • 20+ hours of gameplay. 
  • An original dystopic sci-fi world and story that will (hopefully) be compelling and stimulate thought about our present society and future. 
  • Over 140,000 words of voice acted dialog.
  • Engaging but fair point-n-click detective work, interspersed with tense action sequences.
  • Hand-painted art, lovingly crafted story, personally composed music and hand-coded programming over 9 years by the solo-dev of Neofeud 1, hoping to surpass the original.

Neofeud 2 is coming soon to Steam, wishlist it now!

(It was suggested that I make a thread just for Neofeud 2, apologies if this isn't the correct place or way to make the it.)]]> <![CDATA[A CLASSIC rises from the dead ? JUNE 2026 releases]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=692 Sun, 31 May 2026 12:44:30 -0700 PIEDRA_Adventure_Gaming]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=692 After the busiest May of the year, June switches gears: fewer releases, but heavy names. One of the genre's all-time classics comes back from the dead, rebuilt from scratch.

Went through ten new releases dropping this month: psychological horror, FMV with cinematic production values, a point & click with a really fresh gameplay twist, and a couple of small gems hiding in there.

I also share some important channel news at the end of the video.
Subtitles available in several languages.

What's already on your wishlist?

]]> After the busiest May of the year, June switches gears: fewer releases, but heavy names. One of the genre's all-time classics comes back from the dead, rebuilt from scratch.

Went through ten new releases dropping this month: psychological horror, FMV with cinematic production values, a point & click with a really fresh gameplay twist, and a couple of small gems hiding in there.

I also share some important channel news at the end of the video.
Subtitles available in several languages.

What's already on your wishlist?

]]> <![CDATA[TOP 5 ADVENTURE GAME COVER ARTS ? ILLUSTRATION LEGENDS who painted VIDEOGAMES]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=690 Tue, 26 May 2026 12:05:02 -0700 PIEDRA_Adventure_Gaming]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=690 One cover painted in oil. Another by an Oscar winner. Another that looks signed by the man behind the Star Wars posters. And two more I'm not going to spoil.

Put together a personal top 5 with five adventure game covers signed by illustrators who are absolute legends of their craft — not just inside the videogame medium. Worth noting: cover quality and game quality don't always go hand in hand.

There are masterpieces with bland covers, and forgettable games with museum-grade artwork.

Subtitles available in several languages.

What's yours? The one that made you walk into a store and walk out with the game tucked under your arm without thinking twice.

]]> One cover painted in oil. Another by an Oscar winner. Another that looks signed by the man behind the Star Wars posters. And two more I'm not going to spoil.

Put together a personal top 5 with five adventure game covers signed by illustrators who are absolute legends of their craft — not just inside the videogame medium. Worth noting: cover quality and game quality don't always go hand in hand.

There are masterpieces with bland covers, and forgettable games with museum-grade artwork.

Subtitles available in several languages.

What's yours? The one that made you walk into a store and walk out with the game tucked under your arm without thinking twice.

]]> <![CDATA[Broken Sword’ Movie in the Works From Live-Action ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Screenwriter]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=689 Tue, 19 May 2026 11:50:16 -0700 Joshua AGH]]> https://community.adventuregamehotspot.com/showthread.php?tid=689 https://variety.com/2026/digital/news/br...236753695/]]> https://variety.com/2026/digital/news/br...236753695/]]>