Adventure Games are a huge part of IndieGala’s vault. We take a great deal of pride in having all sorts of adventure games to offer. But right here and now, we have something else to offer. A whole Mystery/Adventure sale. Now, sales are usually a big deal here at IndieGala. They’re usually thematic (like Crypto sale for instance), and sometimes they revolve around a certain publisher. Kinda like the Capcom sale we have right now. You should check it out. There are dozens of great titles to find there, and we guarantee that they will satisfy even the pickiest pallet out there.
Adventure Games In The Mystery/Adventure Sale
Yup. I’m here about the Mystery/Adventure sale, and while you can expect a different article solely about the mystery part of it… I’ll focus more on the adventure section here. However, I can’t simply go on with this article without mentioning one very important thing.
What’s Up With The Adventure Games In Our Mystery/Adventure Sale?
Well, first and foremost, let me just mention that It’s an awesome sale. And why it’s an awesome sale? For starters, it has over 1000 titles in it. Indeed see it for yourself here. The Mystery/Adventure sale is massive and when I said it’s one of our pride and joys… I meant it. You can find everything you want there, plus lots of freebies, deals and giveaways. But yeah. Everything you can imagine, it’s here. From the Elder Scrolls series (available here) to The Resident Evil game series. Check it out here. Speaking of RE… Resident Evil Village is one of our best-sellers right now and it demands your attention. Get it here. And if that’s not up your alley, then perhaps some games with speed and adrenaline in them? Games like Assetto Corsa Competizione for instance, which is available here. It’s a true classic for ever speed nut. And how about some awesome and fairly new release? Yup. Stellaris Nemesis is also included in our sale, and you can get it here as well. There’s so much more to find and explore in the sale, but you’ll need to hurry up. It’s not going to last that much further. Just click here, take your pick and enjoy. You won’t regret it.
And What’s So Special About The Adventure Games?
Well, the mere fact of having adventure built in them. Who doesn’t love a good adventure? But the beautiful thing about the adventure games is their versatility as well. You know what? I’ll get to everything in a second. I need to start with the basics first. In the most basic aspects, an adventure game is any game in which the player usually assumes the role of the protagonist. And he does that within an interactive story while being driven by exploration or solving puzzles. Most adventure games are indeed a single-player game, but that’s not always the case.
The Inception Is In The Mid-70s
But if we go back to the early days of not just modern-day video games, we’ll have to go back to the mid-’70s. Colossal Cave Adventure is considered to be the first adventure game ever, and since then has been the blueprint for every game in the genre. A pioneering game of the genre if you will. Created by Will Crowther and published in 1976, it’s a text-based adventure game that seems archaic now. Not to mention, the plot of the game is basically in the title. It’s about adventures in a cave, and it’s sooo cool.
Furthermore, the original version was based mostly on Crowther’s experience in exploring Mammoth Cave in the early 1970s. And although the game is based heavily on the real cave, fantasy elements were introduced to add excitement. Additionally, the game has no graphics and is presented in text format only. So, the player moves around a cave system by entering simple, two-word commands and reading text describing the result. The player’s job is to navigate the cave, fight the enemies, and locate the treasure.
Zork I: The Great Underground Empire dates from the early 80’s, and so does Bureaucracy. A game by the one and only Douglas Adams. Yes, the Douglas Adams. But the thing is, adventure games are classified separately from puzzle video games. And although puzzle solving is a huge aspect of almost every adventure game… puzzle video games are a whole different thing.
Style And Substance
They do have both style and substance. However in terms of what an adventure game should contain. This list is quite long, for sure. Puzzle-solving is always a must. A distinct gameplay mode is gathering and using items to advance in the game. Or simply inventory management. But most of the adventure games out there are story-driven, which only exacerbates their appeal. An immersive environment (often a fantasy world) is usually present in adventure games. And since adventure games are driven by storytelling, character development usually follows literary conventions of personal and emotional growth. Which is awesome. Indeed, there are some dialogue-free games, but most of them involve some sort of dialogue.
And while I’m still stuck in the 80’s it’s good to mention A Mind Forever Voyaging. A text-based sci-fi adventure game, in which the player assumes the role of the first sentient artificial intelligence. Mystery House is another gem from the ’80s and so is Wizard and the Princess. King’s Quest, Enchanted Scepters and Maniac Mansion are also some of the 80’s finest adventure games. Well, at least the ones that are worth mentioning. But when it comes to the sub-genres, interactive fiction (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Zork), graphic adventures, point and click, escape the room type of games also come to mind. So do the walking simulators… But hey… The former is a lot more common than the latter.
LucasArts’s Renaissance Of The Genre
I couldn’t really talk about adventure games without mentioning LucasArts. Yup. LucasArts dominated the 90’s and especially the adventure game genre. So it’s only fair that I mention some of their best hits from the era. And if you’re particularly interested in this, I did a whole article about LucasArts a while ago. Check it out here. But LucasArts really did magic back in the ’90s.
From the first game that the studio produced (Labyrinth in 1986) to the Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge in 1991, LucasArts was a rising star in the industry. They even rubbed shoulders with Sierra On-line, but it was in the ’90s that they made some of their greatest works. In the adventure game genre of course. Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Maniac Mansion: Day of the Tentacle, Sam & Max: Hit the Road, Full Throttle and The Dig as some of their best works from this decade.
Not to mention Grim Fandango from 1998, which is just incredible. And because of LucasArts’ input in the industry, some even go as far as to name 90’s the „Golden Age“ of adventure games. But don’t dismiss Sierra in this period just yet. Oh, no. Sierra’s project is widely regarded as one of the best-written games of all time in 1993. I’m talking about Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers, and if you haven’t played it by now… Do it. The game is the brainchild of Jane Jensen and Roberta Williams, and it has a stellar voice cast too. Do the names of Mark Hamill and Tim Curry ring a bell? Not to mention, it’s a compelling game with a deep story about a struggling novelist and a real-life murder mystery. Needless to say… It’s awesome.
Don’t Forget About Myst
Ah, Myst. The epic, surrealistic Myst dates from 1993, but it had purportedly photo-realistic 3D graphics and a minimalist point-and-click interface. A revolutionary feature for that time. Myst also captured the imagination of its players, and immersed them in its lavishly detailed—yet hauntingly empty world. Like no other game like it. But not all games since the Myst were a failure. The new Millennium saw a sprout of new ideas that only slightly borrowed some of the same 90’s stylish concepts. The Longest Journey arrived at the turn of the century and Indigo Prophecy, Sam & Max Save the World, Machinarium followed.
To the Moon is a nice example from the indie market and it’s a game that heavily focuses on the story. Furthermore, Funcom’s 2000 release of The Longest Journey proved the genre’s continuing relevance in video game storytelling. With some of the best writing yet seen in the medium, while Microïds Syberia wowed critics and fans with its detailed graphics. I can attest to that since I did my usual Fimaholic Review of Syberia at the start of this year. You can read all about my experience here.
Adventure Games: Your Thoughts Matter Here
At the end of this article, we’d love to hear your thoughts on everything. Not just our mystery/adventure sale but also on the adventure genre in general. Furthermore, which are some of your favorite adventure games? Let us know in the comment section. We’d love to know all about them.
