"Ramas' Call: Twisted Timing", my Adventure Game Hotspot review!

Read my full review on Adventure Game Hotspot!

Excerpt: "For all my criticisms, Ramas’ Call: Twisted Timing isn't a bad game per se. It's not brilliant, obviously, and it lacks a decent payoff, but it’s presented in a charming art style and takes you through a collection of inventory puzzles and NPC questioning in a story filled to the brim with unique responses. That makes for a solid bit of adventuring, if disappointingly unintuitive at times, with the added clever premise of having multiple personas available. It’s very slow paced as a result, but I do believe there's an audience among those who love to take their time exploring and trying out everything instead of rushing through to the end – which is just as well, as all you’ll get is the setup for a sequel here instead. There are certainly much better games of its kind, but if you find yourself in that mellow mood for a traditional and mildly amusing point-and-click adventure, there are some fun stretches to be found, and you may just pick up some Spanish while you’re at it."

2025 Adventure Game Anticipation!

It's a new year, and there are many adventure game titles scheduled for release. Some already have concrete publication dates, others are more vague on when we will be able to play them. Each one of us probably has their favorites wishlisted for a long time already, but here are a couple of games I'm especially looking forward to.

Whirlight: No Time To Trip is a realistic looking yet still cartoony time-travel adventure by Italian developers imaginarylab, the creators of Willy Morgan and the Curse of Bone Town. That one was a lovely game, waaay too short, but the type of game I like best: no fantasy, no sci-fi, but a modern day setting and environment yet with its own peculiar identity with some history thrown in, clear goals to achieve, no overwhelming amount of possibilities, very structured. So I'm expecting something similar, and hopefully longer, from Whirlight.

Foolish Mortals has been in development for quite a while, but UK-based Inklingwood Studios just confirmed a 2025 release for their debut adventure! It's a traditionally styled mystery point 'n click with a supernatural edge. The game already has the look of an instant classic, so I hope it will also play as one! I for one can't wait to go treasure hunting in 1930's Louisiana!

Old Skies by Wadjet Eye Games shouldn't need an introduction. It's the new game by the creators of the renowned Blackwell series. It doesn't have the developer's signature pixel art style, but it's still a very beautiful game with an amazing soundtrack, excellent voiceovers, and a time-travel story that pulls you in and makes you forget your own timezone! And I know, because I'm a beta tester with 30+ hours on the clock already!

Rosewater by Grundislav Games is a western adventure I've tried to remain spoiler-free of, which is hard because Francisco González is one of the most transparent developers out there, so there are many screenshots and videos to avoid! This game takes place in the same universe as Lamplight City. What interests me most is how you will be playing as part of a team of characters, and the way you play - the choices you make - will affect the relationships and ultimately the story. Many games promise such a thing, however, but I'm confident that if anyone can truly pull that off, it's Francisco Gonzáles!

I really enjoyed the last adaptation of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, so I'm looking very much forward to their obligatory - though perhaps not quite original - next title in this franchise: Death on the Nile. After all, how can I not love another opportunity to play as the most famous Belgian detective! It'll once again be developed by Microids Studio Lyon, so I have high hopes for the title, plus it's great incentive to finally go and read the book.

 

 

And if you can't get enough of globetrotting, classic 2D point 'n click adventures, be on the lookout for The Adventures of Bryan Scott, the first game by German developer Radio Silence Studios. To be honest, I haven't heard all that much from this game for a while, so I do hope it will see the light of day by their projected release month, December '25! And that they'll go easy on the adventure game references and retain their own identity, since such tactics are wearing a bit thin lately...

Of course there are many more games coming out this year. Off the top of my head I'm thinking of Elroy and the Aliens, Legends of Castile, Sleepytime Village and Slender Threads, just to name a few. I sincerely hope to play them all someday and write some cool playthrough posts about them!

My Adventure Game Top Ten of 2024

Here are my top ten adventure games of 2024. This list is based on my personal enjoyment of all 32 games I've played this year - not all point 'n clicks, but one and all great narrative experiences!

10. The Phantom Fellows

If you like pixel art, crazy dialogues, and ghosts, The Phantom Fellows will provide you with some cool puzzles. It might get a bit TOO crazy now and then, but there's a clear love for adventure gaming oozing out of this paranormal detective agency.

9. INDIKA

INDIKA is an eclectic mix of graphic styles and gameplay about a young nineteenth-century Russian nun that will keep you glued to your seat with its challenging but mature reflection on faith and human morality.

8. Between Horizons

It may have a few minor malfunctions, but Between Horizons launches players on an exciting and branching interstellar detective journey, looking for clues, questioning suspects, and maybe saving the remnants of humanity in the process.

7. Closer the Distance

Gameplay is limited to choosing specific tasks to maintain character stats, but Closer the Distance features an intriguing concept of applying indirect influence, and is a beautifully written and very detailed simulation of life in a small community after tragedy has struck.

6. The Night Is Grey

With its beautiful scenery, heartfelt characters, and the weirdest wolves you’ve ever seen, The Night Is Grey is as close to a psychological thriller as an adventure game can get, worthy to be called an interactive cinematic experience.

5. Alone in the Dark

Wait a minute, isn't Alone in the Dark more of an action game? Survival horror, at least? Well, perhaps, but the exploration and puzzling aspects, coupled with a lower difficulty level, make this quite the gripping adventure game as well, as much as the original game ever was.

4. Thalassa: Edge of the Abyss

Like a Sherlock Holmes investigation at the bottom of the sea, there are many compelling secrets to be unveiled in the gorgeous underwater scenery of Thalassa’s titular sunken ship. 

3. Farewell North

Farewell North’s beautiful Scottish setting pulls you in with its canine star and cozy gameplay, then immerses you in a touching story about loss and letting go that’s well worth seeing through to the end.

2. The Crimson Diamond

The Crimson Diamond is a joy to play and very addictive; I had a hard time letting go of it, and I would have preferred to play it in one sitting. It's a great location, an interesting set of characters, a cool Agatha Christie style and gathering clues type of story.

1. PRIM

PRIM delves into the underworld and brings back the soul of classic point-and-click adventure games with an endearing creepy-cute story, loveable characters, fantastic production values and plenty of fun puzzling.

"Copycat", my Adventure Game Hotspot review!

Read my full review on Adventure Game Hotspot!

Excerpt: "It’s not just because I’m more of a dog lover that I didn’t enjoy Copycat as much I did, say, Dog’s Life on my old PS2. The game does have a certain charm, and it’s clearly a labor of love for cats, conveyed through a thoughtful, mature story of abandonment and the meaning of family and home. It gets pretty dramatic in places, and you’ll feel pretty angry at some of the humans you encounter, but it’s effective and not overdone. It didn’t immediately make me pull a box of tissues closer, but it certainly has the potential to tug on many an animal lover’s heartstrings. It’s a shame, then, that the cozy but limited gameplay and even more limited choices aren’t really enough for me to enthusiastically recommend that everyone take home a copy for themselves."

Finished "Willy Beamish" in 5 aggravating hours...

I should have received a real cup, finishing this game...

I finished The Adventures of Willy Beamish in five aggravating hours. Don't get me wrong, I like the little guy. But what a game! If this was made today, it might still contain death scenes but I'm sure you would automatically respawn to try again. The final sequence of the game has some timed sequences where it's a matter of clicking fast and correctly. I do appreciate that sense of urgency and danger, but manually saving and restoring every step of the way isn't of our time anymore.

Why exactly did I need to go into this Buttcrack Bar?

So, after escaping from the Humpford mansion, I learn that my dad has been kidnapped and I need to hurry and save him. So I need to find a way into the Sludgeworks. Only, the strikers are blocking the entrance. It took me quite a while to figure out where to go and what to do. Thankfully there were limited possibilities this time, but I still had to look for some outside assistance for this puzzle. And even now I have no idea how you were supposed to figure it out without some inside knowledge.

Looks like my cooking pot when I try to make chocolate mousse...

So I finally found my way inside the factory, only to be confronted with a series of timed action sequences. I had to save in every room I entered, and had to reload every one of them at least five times. Perhaps it's because my previous playthrough had been a while that I couldn't figure out what to do with all the control panels I encountered. Turned out I had all the answers in my inventory...

Not exactly LeChuck's fortress, but still quite impressive...

All in all, I'm glad I played through this game again, but I wouldn't exactly call it fun. The first half is definitely okay. It's easy going, quite cozy even, with obvious things to do. The second half is a lot of work, with trial and error, saving and restoring, quite non-intuitive puzzles even. But it's a decent enough story, quite the adventure that really fits in with all those animated movies I used to watch as a kid (and sometimes still do...) If it had been a bit more forgiving, I'd recommend it more, but as it is I'd only play it if you're really looking for a challenge.

"Just a To the Moon Series Beach Episode", my Adventure Game Hotspot review!

Read my full review on Adventure Game Hotspot!

Excerpt: "A series’ “beach episode” is generally just a whimsical aside where familiar and favorite fictional characters leave their comfort zones to engage in far different activities than their everyday routines, literally by going swimming, surfing and playing tourist. Just a To the Moon Series Beach Episode might start off like that, but it soon adds other elements to keep you on your toes: there is more going on here, but the question is, will you find out exactly what? In my view, this elevates the game above a simple yet fun diversion. It is still fun, as the mini-games and some free choices ensure, but the overarching storyline for these characters takes a huge turn as well, making it an important addition to the series. We don’t yet know where this particular story will end, since there is still one more episode to come, but for series fans this is a wonderful day out with the SigCorp team and dramatically sets the stage for what lies ahead."

"Arsene Lupin - Once a Thief", my Adventure Game Hotspot review

Read my full review on Adventure Game Hotspot.

Excerpt: "Although I expected to play only as Arsène Lupin himself, the playful way in which the narrative’s chronology is broken up between Lupin carrying out his heists and Ganimard trying to figure out how he does them is very fun. Some of the puzzles are fairly straightforward and overly forgiving, with unlimited tries and no repercussions when you do something wrong, but the more traditional investigative puzzling is rewarding to solve, and whenever I succeeded in linking evidence correctly, I felt as if I was donning a black cloak and top hat of my own in plotting my latest heist. The music is great, the isometric scenes fun to rotate and explore, and the supporting cast just begs to be fooled by Lupin. Since I’ve read some of the Leblanc books, I recognized some plot elements here and there, like how Lupin escapes his unavoidable arrest, but it’s certainly not necessary to know anything about the character going in. Just like his more famous British and Belgian contemporaries, Lupin is a character straight out of literary fiction who was long overdue a lead role, and I’m sure he will charm his way into the hearts of those who aren’t already familiar with his antics as well."