Point-and-click adventure games – reviews

Beatrice Smartt’s Adventures in Gaming – point-and-click adventure games

- by Beatrice Smartt/images courtesy Jayisgames.com (except where noted)

My adventures in computer gaming began in the usual way – while bored, and at my place of employment. However, my ability to play the results of a “free games” Google search was somewhat hampered by my series of junker PCs with piss-poor graphics and little or no sound volume. I was thus unable to get the most out of my gaming experience until, ta dah! I got my first Mac laptop! Oh joy! Oh bliss! I could see, I could hear! And then… poof! went that magic cloud over my head, as I began to realize that the amount of games out there for the Mac OSX platform was stellarly lacking. And so I’ve done some Internet digging in search of the perfect Mac (and in all cases, PC)-friendly games in various genres, and come up with some real gems.

I’ll begin this series with my top ten favourite (free online or available in downloadable demo) point-and-click adventure games. This is a genre which has totally grown on me, not only because it offers a challenge to my usual thought processes, but also because of the sense of humour (albeit sometimes dark) and wit displayed, quite often beautifully rendered. I have found aesthetic pleasure on a variety of levels in their game play, as if I’m taking a stroll inside a wonderfully strange cartoon or painting. The trickier amongst these are available with walk-throughs if you get stuck, either by googling the game’s name with the word “walkthrough” (sometimes available in speed form on Youtube) or by visiting jayisgames.com and scrolling through their game list.

Scarygirl – A wonderful platformer with stunning graphics a la Tim Burton. Though Scarygirl nods to previously popular arcade style games, it does so in an innovative manner (even boasting a mini retro console game collection as power-up bonuses). It is highly re-playable, as the first sweep through you’ll be arguing with yourself which to pay more attention to, gameplay or graphics; thus, despite there still being the occasional technical glitch, this one is my current fave.

Alchemia – The combination of surrealistic graphics set in “an underground city full of strange things” where the adorably odd hero must assist his unfortunate friend set the winning stage in this charming new tale from the creator of the Haluz series.

Haluz (series) – If you’re desiring more surreal wonderment from creator Tomas at Springtail Studio, look no further than parts one and two of this series. And if you want still more…

Samorost (series) – This highly original series created by the fantastic team at Amanita Design can lay claim to being the predecessor of Haluz in style and graphics. Despite their similarities, as there are so few in comparison, these are very worth exploring for fans of the genre.

Little Wheel – A lovely little game where one will feel oddly affectionate for a shadowy robotic creature- whodathunkit? – off to rescue its robot mates from a fate worse than death. The soundtrack is old-school jazz, and will have you bebopping along with the tale’s protagonist.

The Visitor – A bit grotesque, sure, but humorous, yes! I’ve enjoyed the work done by Zeebarf Games, and this is more of an introduction to a reappearing alien creature in their other games, including the next selection.

The Several Journeys of Reemus (series prologue) – Again, from the weird minds at Zeebarf Games (others in the series, plus a couple other fun games A Small Favor/Another Small Favor, comes the ultimate anti-hero Reemus, the balding intergalactic pest control dude and his pal Liam, the little blue bear. The soundtrack is full throttle, as it should be to accompany Reemus’ escapades, which can be rather horrifying at times.

And speaking of horror…

Alice Is Dead! – Short and definitely not sweet despite the retro cartoonish soundtrack (“Here Comes The Boogeyman”), this is Alice In Horrorland… Alice is apparently quite dead, but who are you and what calamity befell dear Alice? If you’re intrigued, give this a whirl.

Haunted: The Trapped Soul – This is a shorter horror point-and-click adventure incorporating the escape-the-room genre, taking place within – you guessed it – a haunted house, complete with three possible endings, all equally gory. Awesome.

The Path – Another for the Tim Burton fans out there, this disturbing but lovely game is a twisted take on the classic tale of Little Red Riding Hood, whereby one takes possession of six sisters who all must meet their somewhat demented fate at the hands of their proverbial big bad wolf, while strolling OFF THE PATH through the forests, collecting items and seeking clues to their untimely demises. The spooky soundtrack makes for an exceptionally chilling journey, which left this gamer with an emotional response to the various situations encountered. The designers of the game strive to allow their “audience” to participate at will, to sit for a while, to play, to gather, and to feel; ultimately all leading to a rather touching experience despite the impending doom at the end of the journey. With exceptional graphics throughout, this is a truly innovative horror game.