I'm 4 hours into "An English Haunting" and things got creepy...

Let there be light!

Last time, I ended my playing session as I was about to enter the basement of the haunted house my partner was interested in. When I got there, though, the place was so dark I couldn't see a thing. I had to leave again and figure out how to shine a light on this puzzle. Turned out I had to solve a different puzzle at another location first I didn't even realize was a puzzle! I was actually unaware I could do something there...

How revelatory...

After the events in the basement, I finally succeeded in getting in touch with a friend of my partner, who could help me in this investigation. She told me about his workshop I knew nothing about, where we found plans to build a machine. It just needed three more pieces.

These gents appear right peaky...

It took some travelling back and forth, but thankfully once I was done in a particular location, it disappeared off the travel map. I was able to free a man from the local Irish mafia so he could give me one of the pieces. And I was able to collect the second item by reuniting a man and woman, though that didn't exactly end as I had expected...

That ain't Nur-ab-Sal...

With one more item to go, I hope I can now return to a place I already visited but where the man I needed was temporarily unavailable. The game's difficulty level has risen slightly, but it's all still very doable without needing much effort. Everything makes sense, and the story keeps being engaging. I'm especially amazed by all the little details; the extra sound effects when you're out on the streets, all little animations like fog passing by windows when you're inside. All locations are also splendidly decorated. It's actually a bit of a shame I'm moving on at such a fast pace, and I do try to enjoy the setting as well.

New game: "An English Haunting"

New game!

I've started playing An English Haunting by Postmodern Adventures and I'm one hour into it!

I'm professor Patrick Moore, of the London University's Metapsychic Investigations Department. Next to lecturing, I research the possible existence of the Great Beyond; ghosts, in other words. One day, I'm interrupted during a class and given the news my partner, Nelson Ward, ran off with a pretty extensive research grant. Not convinced of his guilt, I take it upon myself to search for the truth. The University's Board, however, is planning to shut down the Metapsychic Investigations Department and has given me a deadline: 72 hours to proof the existence of ghosts.

Some "Last Crusade" vibes here...

During the first hour I played, things kind of rolled off on their own. I picked up a couple of items as the story unfolded, and was already able to use some of them. I gained access to several locations on the travel map, and I've visited them one by one. The one-click user interface is very handy. There isn't any voice acting but I don't really miss that. There's a pop-up inventory at the top of the screen.

Some "Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes" vibes here...

I'm quite enjoying the pace of this pixel art game. So far it's not really difficult, but that doesn't mean it isn't interesting. I found a book explaining several supernatural terms, with real photos and everything. To be honest, personally I haven't discovered anything new in there, having a longtime affinity with all things supernatural for decades myself. Patrick Moore's story is certainly engaging, the dialogues are well-written, that deadline gives it some Around the World in 80 Days urgency.

Some other vibes here...

While the trail to find professor Ward has run cold somewhat, I decided to visit the haunted house I discovered he has a special interest in. A shoeshine boy is about to help me get inside. I'm very curious what secrets I'll uncover...

"Tourist Trap" - my Adventure Game Hotspot review!

Read my full review on Adventure Game Hotspot!

Excerpt: "Tucked between an abundance of fetch quests and peculiar conversations with unusual characters, in essence Tourist Trap is a game about gaming, about escaping everyday life and playing as someone else, pretending to be a character in a story, basically becoming – for a short time – a tourist in a different world. While I do wish there had been more influence from player choice in the game’s finale, maybe even offering alternate endings that way, I was nevertheless left with a satisfied feeling when the credits rolled. It’s a fun game with a good sense of humor and an interesting story, and though it’s short and fairly basic, it does well what it set out to do. Including making me wary of where to go for our next summer vacation…"

I finished "Conquests of the Longbow" in 6 hours!

But what if you're lefthanded?

I finished Conquests of the Longbow in six hours! Well, at least I think I did. I reloaded so often, the timestamps of the save slots weren't really good to keep track of my progress anymore. It could be closer to seven hours in total. Because I restored a lot...

I also feel like a dolt. Last time I was stuck on the riddle part of the game. My wife even offered her assistance with the riddles, but she didn't understand it either. We were convinced some of our answers HAD to be correct, but they still weren't accepted. Finally she looked one of them up, and indeed, it WAS the right answer! So, was this a bug? No, finally we figured it out... After spelling out the correct answer on the hand palm, I clicked in the wrong place on the screen to submit it, making the game think I submitted blank. So after we realized that, we quickly answered three riddles, clicking the sweet spot and submitting them correctly, and finally the game continued! Sigh...

Sensory overload in this place...

Anyways, on with the mission! A lot happened, and it happened fast, so I had to reload a couple of times, both when being overpowered by the sheriff's men, and when I noticed some decisions made my score drop again. But I won the archery tournament, with the famous arrow-splitting scene of course! The fair overwhelmed me a bit, I have to be honest. I think I missed loads of hidden things there, and I got captured twice for talking to the wrong scholar. But it worked out in the end.

Thank you very much, easy arcade settings!

I also rescued Lady Marian after she was accused of being a witch, and bamboozled the sheriff with some fake jewelry, literally stripping him of all his possessions. Then it was finally time for the big robbery. Just as with Lady Marian's rescue mission, I had to choose between all the plans my merry men proposed. With Marian it was obvious what to do, but for the robbery I just guessed at what would be most succesful.

Such gruesome slaughter...

So I collected the ransom money for King Richard, then almost got tricked by a fake knight of the Queen. I had to go back to the monastery to free the real knight, and I finally found a use for one of the rings I acquired. I wish there had been a use for the second ring as well, but perhaps I missed that bit somewhere.

This tower kept me busy for a while...

After all, I finished the game with only  6815 points out of a total 7325, but I did get the good ending - freeing King Richard, him absolving me and my men, and he gave me his blessing to marry Lady Marian. So everything I missed should only be some little extras here and there. What I like about this game is that, whenever you do something wrong, you hear a bad jingle and your points are lowered. So a quick restore and a change of tactics remedies that. I was also surprised the number of outlaws always remained constant, but I think that's just due to being very lucky and choosing the right strategies in the battle sequences. It's a very narrative game and not as punishing as other Sierra titles. I was always surprised how quickly a day ended. Usually there were very clear goals, and most puzzles made sense. Whenever I was stuck, it turned out I had to check the manual for something. I'm glad I've played this game now, but I'm also a bit sad I didn't get around to it earlier. It's a great balance of tension and humor, lots of dangerous places and game-over screens but very manageable and with funny writing.

The Kingdom is saved! Huzzah!

"Slender Threads", my Adventure Game Hotspot review!

Read my full review on Adventure Game Hotspot!

Excerpt: "Slender Threads immediately immersed me in its weird tale of spooky shadow creatures threatening the protagonist’s very existence. Even with its plethora of locations, the town of Villa Venata is easy to get around. Moving from place to beautiful place and character to quirky character is fun, though never all that challenging except for some small gameplay hiccups that could have used some finetuning. The moody orchestral soundtrack is a perfect companion, and the natural-sounding voice cast fits the bill perfectly. It’s a compact game but with great attention to detail, really filling this world with surprises and even some light jump scares. When you dread the need to click on something, out of fear of what might come next, you know you are experiencing a captivating story. And when you can’t help but laugh at a comically lethal plot twist, you could feel a bit guilty, or you could just appreciate this perfect blend of horror and humor."

"The End of the Sun", my Adventure Game Hotspot review!

Read my full review on Adventure Game Hotspot!

Excerpt: "The End of the Sun deserves to be played at a leisurely pace to fully take in the amazing surroundings. The slow walking speed is remedied by the run button, but it’s a shame to hurry through this magnificent world. The scenic valley quickly feels a real place, especially when you experience it through the various seasons and observe its inhabitants in different periods of their lives. The majority of fetch quests and puzzles might be a tad too easy for experienced adventurers, but each puzzle is unique and very much rooted in the legends, folklore and rituals of these Slavic people. The drama of human relationships and the mystery of the firebird Rarog and its regular apparitions are sure to ward off any boredom that might otherwise occur because of all the backtracking between locations. Dramatic events are leavened by humorous episodes in a narrative coated with a layer of love and romance while displaying a deep respect for traditions and one’s ancestral roots. Clearly nothing was done half-heartedly in the development of this game, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. It definitely sparked my own wanderlust, and is sure to kindle the interest of anyone who appreciates exploring other historical cultures."

3 hours into "Conquests of the Longbow" and breaking my head over some riddles...

Aww, soulmates...

I'm 3 hours into Conquests of the Longbow and breaking my head over some riddles...

Lots has happened since my first playing session. First I finally found a disguise to venture inside Nottingham. The local cobbler gave me a silver comb, which I had to show to Marian to pledge my allegiance to the cause of gathering King Richard's ransom. Apparently there's a treasure passing through Watling Street, so I'll have to prepare to take possession of it. But the cobbler is going on a reconnaissance mission first, and will inform me about it later.

Really hope this isn't the river Styx...

Then Marian sent me undercover into an evil monastery to retrieve a stolen scroll. This was actually a pretty fun part, and the map of the building reminded me a lot of the map of Camelot in Conquests of Camelot, only more graphically advanced. This felt as a first real mission in the game. But the Sheriff had also arrested three peasant brothers, and I had to get them out of jail before they were hanged. I had to choose what I would do first, so luckily I still had time the next day to go rescue the brothers.

I really wanted to snoop through all bedrooms for some reason...

I was able to procure myself a monk's habit, so I could enter the castle and see the brothers, but the guards were keeping a close eye on me so I couldn't really do anything. I also met the evil abbot, who sent me on an ale-fetching quest to the local pub. Then he invited me to drink with him, after which I had a game-over screen since they recognized who I was when I had passed out drunk. So after a reload, I refused his invitation, but this angered him and he threw me out. So had to reload several times and finally I found the correct order of doing things, which all had to do with winning a game of Nine Men's Morris first - which took me several attempts before I learned a good strategy.

Quite a fun game once you get the hang of it...

At the moment I'm stuck answering a couple of riddles by the Great Green Oak Man, Guardian of Sherwood Forest. I kinda liked the riddles in Conquests of Camelot, I didn't get all of them but at least there was more chance of getting some right. But here I have absolutely no idea what the answer to any of them might be. I'll have to stew on them for a while...