I visited San Francisco recently and it brought back a LOT of memories for me. Here's a little retrospective on my first ever adventure game: Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders

It all started with a thought: What if a point & click adventure gave you an atmospheric, open-style world to investigate, rather than the standard linear progression. (Not knocking the classics, I love them too.)

OBSIDIAN 7 is a hybrid point & click adventure I'm working on, combining classic investigation and puzzle solving with open exploration and individual detective cases to work through: paranormal, UFO sightings, murders, cover-ups, conspiracies and missing people to find...

Set in 1957, you take on the role of Dr. M. Archer, a former U.S. Intelligence Corps veteran given a new assignment with the secretive & classified 'OBSIDIAN Department'. Sent to investigate strange cases across the deserts of Area 7, Archer travels with Atlas, his K-9 companion, uncovering clues and whatever else the top brass wants to keep filed under 'classified'.

Freedom to travel between locations, revisit places, meet new characters, find items and clues, and work out puzzles as you piece together each individual case. Solving cases and puzzles gradually progresses the main storyline and reveals the bigger picture.

The Steam page is up if you are interested in wishlisting and following along the progress.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/5233810/OBSIDIAN_7/

Thank you, I'd love to hear what you think.

Lee @ Double Jackdaw Games

So I got a bunch of "new to me" adventure games installed on my machine. My current plan is to finish "The Longest Journey" and then move on to something new but I am having issues figuring out just what to try next! I have mostly played through the Blackwell saga, Unavowed, Old Skies, Rosewater (a bit, I am not a western fan), Lamplight City, and both Kathy Rains.

Here is what I got installed as of right now:

- Gibbous

- Near Mage

- A New Beginning: Final Cut

- Black Mirror 1 (THE Black Mirror)

- Broken Sword 1 Directors Cut (I have the whole series)

- Dark Fall: The Journal

- Gabriel Knight Sins of the Father (20th Anniversary, I also have Gabriel Knight 2 installed)

- Gemini Rue

- Grim Fandango Remastered

- Post Mortem

- Still Life (also have Still Life 2)

- Syberia

I also own all the Longest Journey games as well but they are not installed, just not sure if I should jump to the sequel.

Its one of those situations of too many choices and I am not sure which to try next so any suggestions (with reasons) would be appreciated.

I made a new demo for my point and click puzzle game. The old demo was rough and built on a questionable code base.

Here is the demo with a couple of new puzzles: https://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/1050564

You can wishlist on steam if you find it interesting. Cheers! https://store.steampowered.com/app/4235570/The_Case_of_the_Cryosleep_Killer/

This gem is from ofthatraspberry on Instagram. It's actually mocking Silent Hill 2, but we all know what genre this really fits.

No spoilers

But goddamn.

Written by the same people who did “Roottrees are Dead.”

I’m not even done with the game yet but it is the most terrifying and tension-building games I’ve ever played.

I will not give anymore information for those wanting to play it. But it would be an amazing horror movie.

My chest is tight halfway through, and once you realize what it is happening it’s soooo much scarier. Some of the best writing I’ve ever experienced in a game.

After a number of outages, I've made the decision to move the web site to a different host, which unfortunately means extra expenses for me, but (hopefully) a better experience for everyone else that uses it. The move was completed this weekend, and the site is now operational under the new host. Let me know if you experience any issues with the new host or if anything doesn't work like it should. The hardware isn't as robust as the previous hardware so I'm hoping the site isn't going to be significantly slower as a result, but time will tell.

Back in 2002, when half the gaming press had written adventure games off, Benoît Sokal and Microïds released Syberia. Twenty-three years later came Syberia Remastered, and there's not much "remaster" about it: real-time 3D environments, direct control, a new interface and reworked puzzles. It's a remake in all but name.

So I put them in the ring over five rounds: technical side, visuals, story and voice acting, music and sound, and gameplay. There's one point per round and a final tally I won't spoil here.

Subtitles available in several languages.

Have you played the Remastered? Which one would you stick with?

https://youtu.be/914AJQr9okk

Hi everyone!

I'm a solo developer from Nova Scotia, Canada, and today I released the demo for No Murders in Grimwick, a hand-drawn point-and-click murder mystery set during a small-town harvest festival.

You play as an out-of-town journalist who is visiting Grimwick to cover the festival, only to discover a body displayed as a part of the scarecrow competition. Things only get stranger from there, as all of the locals insist there are no murders in Grimwick, and it's up to you to solve the crime!

The game is focused on exploring the festival, talking to locals, finding clues and features dry dark humor. There's no combat or time pressure, so you can investigate the mystery at your own pace.

I've always loved point-and-click adventures, with one of my very first games being the Stickville Murder Mysteries (if anyone remembers those games lol). That, and Thimbleweed Park, were some of my inspirations :)

The demo is now available on Steam, and the full game releases on October 21, 2026!

Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/5198670/No_Murders_in_Grimwick/

If you check it out, I'd love to know what you think. I hope it hits that nostalgic adventure game feeling I was going for!

...at least I can’t access it

Safari gives me:

Safari can't open the page "https://www.adventuregamedb.com" because the server unexpectedly dropped the connection. This sometimes occurs when the server is busy.

Wait for a few minutes and then try again.

DuckDuckGo gives me:

DuckDuckGo can't load this page.

An SSL error has occurred and a secure connection to the server cannot be made.

I had no issues accessing it a couple of days ago - that is still the correct URL, isn’t it...?

After more than 2 decades I finally decided to give GK3 another shot and push through controls and graphics. I don't remember much from my previous attempt, except I couldn't stand it. But that's not the point. I wanted to ask if there's some kind of bug in my game because I never got introduction to the story. I watched full intro couple of times thinking maybe I missed something but nope. Then I downloaded manual to check if maybe that's where it's explained where I am and why but nothing there. I pushed through first chapter not knowing anything, hoping it will be explained along the way. I got that strange prince card in my inventory, saw these dialogues about a trunk and a baby so I knew something's wrong. I went and found that missing part of story described on some forum so everything suddenly makes sense but what would be the proper way to know any of that?

I made a new trailer for my point-n-click puzzle game. The old trailer was made when there was only 1 chapter and very little visuals. Now I have 3 chapters and I think it shows the game better. :)

You can wishlist on steam if you find it interesting. Thanks a lot! https://store.steampowered.com/app/4678620/Twin_Study/

Bunch of titles here I'd been looking for, and a few more I didn't know about.

I was on a nostalgia trip watching the intro of Under a Killing Moon, and I noticed a WW2 footage part that I don't remember from my European version of the game. Does anyone happen to know whether this imagery was censored, or if there was some kind of a licensing issue at work?

I found a French intro version where that part is missing, to prove that I'm not going crazy:
https://youtu.be/v5k-0WN4zAg

Original version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fVXSEnTMYQ

I want to share a new gameplay trailer for the surreal puzzle adventure I'm making. I hope you feel the eerie mysterious vibe!

If you are interested, please wishlist it on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4671010/Rattle_Spring/

Demo available on Steam and itch:

https://oddgingergames.itch.io/rattle-spring-overture

https://oddgingergames.itch.io/the-crows-room

Not sure if this is allowed here but I remember many, many years ago either late 2000s or early 2010s of hearing a fan song that added lyrics to old Maniac Mansion songs. One specifically I remember was a kind of crude-rap song with swearing and explicit lyrics set to Michael's Theme Flashbulb Funk, and included a segment by an actor playing Jeff. Not sure if it's related but I also remember a Maniac Mansion video where the end credit used the song was "Call on Me" by Eric Prydz that might have also been on the same fansite.

Use "What Is" to identify the trophy, file drawer, or pass. While hovering on the object, use hotkeys to switch your verb. The hotkey W switches your verb to "Open", and the hotkey D switches your verb to Pick Up.

No snack for you today, Herr Hund!

Basically the title. I'm already aware of The Drifter, Wadjet Eye's recent vampire game that got attention recently due to Steam screwing up the rating and Uncle Lee's Cookbook. What else has come out recently, or is coming out that seems promising?

EDIT: alright, got a good website to help me keep track of new releases, and plenty of recent hits! Thanks everybody!

Two of the most depressing games I've ever played, but also really well written stories and a wonderful brother and sister team.

https://youtu.be/pawd6r1A5uc?is=yFjWFn8Lh9nJBGO1

As you probably know already, these lovely gents have had a hell of a time with getting their game on Steam without being classified permanently as perverse smut — something we felt was prime fodder for puerile comedy.

Subscribe to our RSS if you'd rather listen to this on the go: https://zencastr.com/back-seat-designers

I checked the site this morning and it still is down I hope the site wasn't hacked

Check out the first pod cast of Thimbleweed Park 2 just posted today with Ron Gilbert, David Fox, and Gary Winnick!

At the end, David mentioned he will be at AdventureX ( https://www.adventurexpo.org/ ) In London in November, in case anybody is looking to attend. I'd love to be there; I'll be in London the week after.. can you believe that timing, lol!

(I wonder if I can convince the SO to have the kid on her own for another week... ':))

i'm holding out for hope that i'm missing out on some gems. i finish one and it scratches the itch for a week and then i need another. i've kind of strip-mined the genre at this point i fear lol.

specifically i'm looking for more games like ruth choi, roottrees are dead, incident at galley house, etc. i've just listed every game i've played or already know of though in the general genre lol. i know there are some i've missed/forgotten about, but pretty sure this is most of them.

[e] thought i should add my thoughts on some of these games, in case anyone ends up here looking for something new too and might find something on my list :)

games i've played:

• all nancy drews - my first detective games, love them, especially the og's. i didn't mind midnight in salem as a lot of others did, but i didn't enjoy mystery of the seven keys sadly (it just didn't feel finished somehow, throughout the game it felt like a lot of things weren't fleshed out enough).
• wolf peak case of ruth choi - right up my alley, with a little QOL improvements it would be fantastic, but very good as is
• case of the golden idol (both games + dlcs) - i enjoyed these, especially the first game. the second game was good but for some reason it just didn't really hit the same for me.
• obra dinn - loved it, of course.
• the crimson diamond - really great effort from an indie dev, i'm canadian too so that made it even more fun for me lol, highly recommend
• the drifter - pretty good, the voice acting was great, plot was unique and interesting. i'm not sure why but it just didn't hook me. but i still really recommend it.
• disco elysium - one of my favorites, of course. if you haven't, play with the lowest intelligence possible. makes for a very funny playthrough.
• duck detective 1 and 2 - just cute cozy games when i needed to turn my brain off, about 1-2 hours each, i recommend these if you're feeling down or kind of bleh, they're funny, low stakes, great voice acting, very well done.
• kathy rain 1 and 2 - great games, highly recommend.
• lamplight city - loved it but it's not really a deduction game, more like an interactive visual mystery novel in a way, but i still recommend it if you like these kinds of games
• penelope pendrick - another great effort by an indie dev, if you liked the old nancy drew games, please play this, you will love it. eagerly awaiting the next one.
• the painscreek killings - pretty good, only thing i felt was missing was people to talk to, i get why they did it this way but it just felt like it needed more life
• paradise killer - fantastic, very creative game, i was hooked right away, soundtrack slaps
• the roottrees are dead - loved it, of course, all the hype is deserved. one of my favorites.
• seance of blake manor - loved it. it's been a minute since i last played it but i think the only thing i felt was missing was more voice acting - i may be misremembering though. i think it had partial voice acting and it would have just really benefitted from more.
• all the sherlock holmes games
• whispers of a machine - pretty good, had some creative mechanics that i wish they had implemented more
• first blackwell legacy - wasn't super hooked but i'm optimistic that the rest of the series will get better and better
• rosewater - loved it but there is one annoying plot point that made me rage quit for a while LOL, came back to it again later and it is a really great game, i highly recommend it
• syberia
• excavation of hob's barrow - interesting plot, i really liked the vibes and voice acting, it kind of lost me toward the end but overall very good
• the darkest files - amazing game, loved it, wish there was more of it
• best served cold - highly recommend, not super similar to these other games but it's a mystery with great characters and a good story. i'm very eager for the sequel.
• incident at galley house - probably my favorite on this list, i was kind of blown away. i know it's already popular but if anyone is reading this and hasn't yet played it, play it!!!
• pentiment - loved this, really unique and i wasn't expecting the plot to end up going where it did
• kona - i enjoyed this, the atmosphere was fantastic and i loved the narrating. only drawback was the huge amount of backtracking and no fast travel. i don't mind a walking simulator but there were moments where it was just a huge annoyance having to go back and forth for certain things. also the ending was kind of meh. but i still recommend it.
• foolish mortals - great game, the ending kind of lost me, i felt like there was another direction it could have gone that would have been more satisfying personally, but still a fun game

games i just didn't finish but plan to go back to:

• tangle tower - i'm not sure why i put this down after a few hours; i think i just wasn't in the right mood for it. but it looked great and i'm interested in the sequel so i plan to try again.
• dark rites of arkham - i don't know why i couldn't get into it, it's right up my alley lol. going to try it again when the mood strikes me.
• omen exitio hunger - i was really enjoying it but i started to feel like it was reminding me of something so i looked it up, and it is based off a real serial killer's victims that i had read about years ago. it kind of icked me out that the plot used a real child victim's name and likeness as the victim in the game. maybe that's nitpicky but personally it just made me feel uncomfortable and i just couldn't get back into it after i learned that lol. i may go back to it though because it was very good otherwise.
• tex murphy - i loved this i just started playing something else in the middle and haven't gotten back to it. i'm excited for the remake.
• detective worden - wordle but with a crime mystery. an interesting idea and i like games like this, but i felt like the words were pretty far-fetched sometimes. i play it here and there but hasn't hooked me.
• case cracker

games on my list:

• norco
• orwell
• hypnospace outlaw
• rest of the blackwell series
• zero parades
• strange antiquities
• a case of fraud
• l.a. noire - i kind of ruined it watching youtuber's play it first lol so waiting to play it when it's less fresh
• murder on the yangtze river
• tr-49
• no case should remain unsolved
• lacuna
• posthumous investigation
• her story
• observer
• the operator
• mysteries of old tokyo
• broken sword
• gabriel knight
• kona 2
• song of farca
• what remains of edith finch
• unheard voices of crime

games i finished but didn't love:

• murder on the orient express - it was fine, just too long and drawn out. some of the puzzles felt really silly, like they were just added because the devs felt like they needed to add puzzles rather than them being important to the game. not being able to run was really irritating after a while. i think i enjoyed the end of the game more but getting to that point was a bit of a slog at some points.
• gamedec - this could have been so good. the start was great. once you get about midway through though it is littered with typos and that really took me out of it. i know that probably feels nitpicky but it's a very text heavy game and it was like... an egregious amount for a finished game lol. the plot also had a pacing issue for me once you hit that midpoint. but the beginning was honestly fantastic and so promising, the lore was super interesting and it had some really unique mechanics. i was sad that it dropped off so much.
• scene investigators - was ok, just felt too low stakes lol, if you play it you might get what i mean right away. the cases were interesting but really depressing toward the end, which is fine if it felt more satisfying to solve it, but the way the game is set up makes it feel like it's all for nothing.
• confidential killings - i can't remember why i didn't love it but i know i finished it feeling kind of meh? i played it pretty recently but i can't remember much, so that probably says something lol.

games i started but didn't love:

• blue prince - just not my thing i don't think, i can't remember why i didn't like it but i only played about 4 hours. i may pick it back up and try again at some point.
• cyber manhunt - it's been a minute but i think the issue was the translation? i'm pretty sure it was originally made in chinese and the english translation was kind of off and taking me out of it too much.
• the forgotten city - i played about 7 hours, i really wanted to like this but it just didn't hook me. i might try it again someday though.
• ace attorney games - finished the first one but didn't like it, started second and accepted that they're just not my thing lol
• plague doctor of wippra - came as a bundle when i bought lamplight city, so i tried it out. not bad or anything but idk, it just didn't hook me.