I finished "Old Skies" and yes... this is instant classic to me!

Sadly I had a different view when I visited Washington Square Park...

If you are a fan of Wadjet Eye Games, your zeal will be transformed into divine adoration after playing Old Skies. I reached the end in 15 hours!

Since last time, I finished chapter 4, which was basically an example of the proverb while two dogs fight over a bone, a third runs away with it. It was a very fun chapter, almost to the silly side.

"Old Skies" took me on a rollercoaster ride, alright!

Next came chapter 5. Oh man, this one brings back memories. Real life memories. It takes place right before (and after) an event a couple of decades ago of which I still remember where I was at the time (and always will; it was Disneyland in Paris). This case is a corporate conspiracy story. I felt some John Grisham vibes there. And just like with chapter 1, I had to make a very difficult decision. Which doesn't really affect the outcome, but it's more of a moral decision you carry with you. That's a very strange feeling, especially for people used to more straightforward games with obvious causes and consequences.

Chilling on the beach...

Then finally it was onto chapter 6, the last chapter. For some reason this chapter makes me think of Stephen King. Both him as a person, as well as his novel 11.22.63. And yet again Dave Gilbert succeeds in introducing a new gameplay aspect: yes, even in a time-travel story, you have to race against time once in a while.

Credit where credit is due! These people are artists indeed!

Wow. What an experience. There are many games from the 80s and 90s I've replayed often. I never really felt that urge with modern titles, moreso because there are way many more games to play these days, there's always a backlog, new titles coming out. But Old Skies? I have a feeling that's one I'll return to as well. This is just instant classic to me, and it should be instant buy for anyone who's serious about playing adventure games.

You can find Old Skies here.

I'm 5 hours into "Old Skies" and time is getting loopy!

Back to the Future taught me this headline will probably change...

I'm five hours into Old Skies by Wadjet Eye Games and I've just finished chapter 2!

You won't collect many inventory items in Old Skies!

After catching up with the guy that went awol in chapter 1, I returned to the present to prepare myself for the next assignment. This time, a famous boxer wants to travel back in time to the guy who inspired her, to ask him a question. That sounded simple enough, but it turned out to be anything but.

A cozy night to prepare for the big fight!

So we traveled to the year 1871. First of all we had to track him down, then he turned out to be a completely different person than we'd anticipated. Very different. So different, in fact, we had to activate an emergency protocol, rewinding time for a short period so I could try something again. But rest assured, these are short scenes and not as annoying as other time-looping games where they have you replay entire sections over and over again. I really don't like playing those, and I can honestly say I never once felt like I wasn't having fun with Old Skies!

These close-up scenes are really gorgeous!

These scenes are actually part of the fun. They are very well written, and Fia's personality really comes to the fore in these extreme situations. They are also part of the puzzles, and usually come down to discovering the right information, which you can then use in the correct dialogue options. It takes some figuring out, and even some time-hopping between two different dates, but it all happens with the right amount of humor and doing so gives a great feeling of accomplishment.

New York museums have always astounded me...

So after a lot of unexpected stuff went down in 1871, I returned back to the present, where I was put on a third assignment which took me to the art gallery. The curator wants to find out if an anonymous painting truly belongs to this famous painter in the 1920's. Yet another era to visit, no doubt with its own challenges!

You can find Old Skies here!

New Game: "Old Skies" playthrough!

New game!

I've started playing the new Wadjet Eye game, Old Skies, and I'm one hour into it!

Got any Belgian beers in this place?

My name is Fia Quinn. I work for a company called Chronozen, which works as a kind of travel agency, only across time instead of across the geographical world. It's my job to accompany travelers and keep them (and the time they're traveling to) safe. Think of me as some kind of Time Police. Of course, this wouldn't be much of an adventure game if things didn't go wrong!

Weeeeeeee!!!!!

After one hour of gameplay, I'm still on my first mission. This dying man - a pretty famous inventor, as well - wanted to go eat at the burger joint of his college days one last time, but then tricks everyone and vamooses for some kind of covert, personal mission he didn't tell us about. So I need to track him down, the slippery git...

A real restaurant would cram THREE tables in that spot...

Old Skies doesn't feel like a game; it feels like a work of art. It's entertainment of a whole other level. Its graphical style doesn't look anything like other Wadjet Eye games. There's a constant jazzy, bluesy soundtrack that's just waiting for the game equivalent of an Oscar nomination. Fia is voiced by the incomparable Sally Beaumont, who also worked as a writer on this story.

Always love search engines in games!

The puzzles feel very much like those in the Blackwell series. It's mostly figuring things out and progressing the story than actually "solving" puzzles, combining items, etc. You talk to people, you look up things in Chronozen's archive system and even on a regular computer if they happen to exist in the time you've traveled to. The first real puzzle in the game is figuring out the combination of a door lock. The story progresses at a natural pace through dialogue and cutscenes, and I'm basically loving this type of gameplay. I'm playing, but it doesn't feel like I'm playing. I'm experiencing, and so far I haven't cursed getting stuck on some obtuse puzzle obstacle or other. Simply put, I'm enjoying the heck out of this game, and I'm having a great time with it!

The map or travel screen, always era-appropriate.

And no, I'm not just saying that because Dave Gilbert honored me with the chance to test it before release. I gave him plenty of feedback of things I thought could be better ;)

You can find Old Skies here!

I'm 10 hours into "Old Skies" and the game isn't afraid to mix drama with comedy!

This subject definitely has a peacock attitude

Chapter three of Old Skies brought me to August 18, 1923. A museum curator wanted to verify whether a favorite painting of hers was indeed painted by this famous painter. Color me impressed with the artwork that went into creating these in-game canvases!

Ah, young love...

Of course some more things went wrong, I got caught up in a type of Bonnie & Clyde scenario, and witnessed a twist in the story I definitely didn't see coming! Let's just say Old Skies isn't just a series of standalone time-travel missions... There's an overarching story as well, because... you know, butterfly effect and all that...

From the distant past to the... not so distant past...

I'm currently into chapter 4, in which two people are vying for control of a company. There's a change in tone in this chapter, and it seems to aim to tickle your funny bone after a more dramatic halfway-point event. It's another take on the time-loop gameplay, but at least here you're not repeating the same tasks over and over again. Instead, you take on more of a stealth role...

The further I get in this game, the harder it becomes to remain spoiler-free. Hence the shorter post this time! Rest assured, this is a story you really want to discover for yourself!

You can find Old Skies here!

A series playthrough: "The Blackwell Legacy/Unbound/Convergence/Deception/Epiphany"

Let me tell you about the Blackwell series by Wadjet Eye Games. If you're new to adventure gaming, or have only played the old classics, this series is considered a must-play. And it all begins with The Blackwell Legacy.

It's such a beautiful game. I love how it's set in New York. I've walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and through Washington Square Park myself. I really like the characters, I love Rosa's red hair and that she wants to be a writer too. Joey looks a bit like Mark Ruffalo in Shutter Island.

The story is amazing and I was so disappointed when it was over so quickly. I had no idea what these games were about, from the cover I knew there had to be a ghost involved, but this goes so much further. It reminded me a bit of Odd Thomas, the hero in a book series by Dean Koontz. It was a bit weird to have 25 pages of letters to read in the game itself, but it does add some backstory. And I had a feeling what would happen to the pictures you find at the beginning of the game. I lost some time not knowing how to use the notebook. Whenever I got stuck, it usually solved itself once I combined elements in my notebook to give new information. Something I probably would have known if I hadn't skipped the tutorial part... Stupid ol' me...

Where I lost the most time was finding the name to enter the hospital. I mean, it was so obvious how to use the fake name, I never thought to play with it in the notebook. Left clicking to use objects, right clicking to look at them also took some getting used to, and I still mess up there occasionally. I've played a lot of games with primarily inventory-based puzzles; this one focuses on dialogue and finding information to advance the story, but I kept automatically scrolling through the inventory to see where I could use things. I was surprised that it was such a short game. I've heard a lot of good things about this series, so I thought it would be bigger. It only took me a little over four hours to finish this one.

Blackwell Unbound was even shorter for me, taking me only 3.5 hours. This time it wasn't the notebook I didn't know how to use, but the phone book. It just didn't occur to me to look people up that way.

I was stuck almost immediately, because I couldn't get away from the balcony; no matter what I tried, she kept wanting to finish her cigarette. Then I saw the letters in the interface. "Oh, you can switch between them!" So as Joey I finally got the game started properly.

I didn't like the "map" screen. I mean, the skyline is nice, but I liked the map with the buildings on it in The Blackwell Legacy better. I did a lot of running back and forth between all the places.

I didn't know what to do with one task, so I started exploring the other and that was pretty easy. Then back to the first task, trying to look for things I missed. It took me a while because I didn't explore one item enough and missed an important element there. After that it was easy.

This certainly seems like the next chapter of a great game. I wish they would make an edition where it all plays as one game, and you automatically go to the next chapter. I tried looking up the Blackwell series in the Guide to Classic Graphic Adventures and was sad to see that it barely gets a mention, a small line in the afterword. These games deserve so much more; I wish the book had a sequel, with all the adventure games from the last ten years.

The Blackwell Convergence is the third game in the series. I really like Rosangela, although she sometimes gives a creepy grin after she says something. I'm at least glad that the character portraits during dialogues are back; I missed them in Blackwell Unbound.

I like the jazzy music. Working on the computer is fun. I dig into the story, had some unexpected surprises. The interrogation through the notebook reminds me of Gabriel Knight, although I wish it was clearer sometimes when you've exhausted a topic with someone.

I like this "map" screen better than in Unbound, it gives a better perspective on where all the locations are in the city. I finished The Blackwell Convergence in 3.5 hours of playtime spread over two weeks. It was an easier game than the previous two, because the interface was simpler. No notebook to make connections and no phone book to look things up. There are some very small inventory puzzles added, which I liked as well. I love how in the credits the voice actors have pictures next to their characters. It's so much more interesting than just a name. I wonder if the character designs were based on the actors' performances.

The Blackwell Deception is harder than the others. I got stuck a few times with no idea where to go or what to do. I had to run back and forth between locations a few times.

I like how the notebook is replaced by a phone, but not how you have to re-establish connections. I like how the character portraits end up facing the same side as the characters and even turn around if necessary, which bothered me in the previous games.

 

I don't like the "map" screen, because it doesn't even look like a map this time. You just choose your destination on your smartphone, no idea where those locations are exactly in the city. I'm also not a fan of Rosa's outfit in this game, kind of bland, and there's also something wrong with her character design. All the characters look a bit thin.

There seem to be more ghosts in this part. The hardest part is finding clues so you unlock the right conversation topics/answers.

I finished The Blackwell Deception with 6.7 hours on the clock. So that's almost double the playing time it took me to play Unbound and Convergence. I got seriously stuck twice. I wasn't aware of the extent to which Joey could walk through doors and walls; apparently he can also stick his head into smaller spaces that are otherwise inaccessible. The second time I got stuck was because I wasn't aware of the full extent of how Joey's tie could be used. So I got stuck because I didn't know those things were options

The Blackwell Epiphany is the conclusion of this series. I feel like I'm constantly fighting an invisible enemy here. It's a long game, with nice surprises. Rosa looks better than in Deception, she's cute with her earmuffs.

The "map" screen is something else again. I like how the animated artwork looks, but the locations lack a visible distance from each other, which was at least evident in Legacy and Unbound. The phone has a new feature that lets you download information, which you can then use in your notes to look for cross-references.

I finished The Blackwell Epiphany in eight hours of playtime. This story never ceased to amaze me. I'm sad it's over, having spent a total of 27 hours in this universe (and apparently 682 footsteps in this particular episode).

I don't think I'd ever be best friends with Joey, but Rosa found a place in my heart. An aspiring writer who finds a very different calling, and red hair to top it all off. Yeah, I'd definitely go for coffee with her.

This is very well written, good puzzles although it took some getting used to with the notebook and search engines. The music is perfect, the artwork is beautiful, this series is indeed a huge game.

Wadjet Eye Games will be releasing Old Skies in 2025. I already had the privilige of playtesting it, and the look and feel of Blackwell is apparent throughout. Old Skies is easily as big a game as all Blackwell games combined. So if you want to prepare yourself for Old Skies and want to get a taste of how Dave Gilbert's puzzling mind works, I can definitely recommend the Blackwell series.

You can find the Blackwell series here!

My Adventure Game Top Ten of 2025

My top 10 of 2025!

Here are my top ten adventure games of 2025. This list is based on my personal enjoyment of all 28 games I've played this year - not all point 'n clicks, but one and all great narrative experiences! We had a crazy year and it's actually impossible to make a ranking like this, because all these games are SO good in their own field, it really just comes down to how much fun I had playing them. So even the lower ones are still top notch!

10. Slender Threads

The nightmarish journey in Slender Threads isn’t for the faint of heart, but those with a morbid sense of humor will love the fun of unraveling the delightfully quirky goings-on in the strange town of Villa Ventana. 

9. Rosewater

Its obstacles may not put up much of a fight, but Rosewater’s sharpshooting lies with its wonderful production value and freedom of choice in this character-driven Western, earning itself a big “Yeehaw!” for fun and replayability.

8. The End of The Sun

Exploring the magnificent mythological world of The End of the Sun rivals any vacation you could ever take deep into Central Europe yourself, especially when travelling through time to uncover the Slavic valley dwellers’ intimate personal stories.

7. Blue Prince

The immense puzzle game that is Blue Prince is so multi-layered, it keeps you busy for well over 100 hours as almost every detail matters in one way or another. You're in the position to inherit a huge mansion, but its rooms change daily and puzzling your way to the grand prize is no easy feat! I still haven't "really" finished it, and I'll probably never will...

6. Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer

Our hopes for a wonderful sequel have come true, as Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer balances a great dialogue-based serial killer mystery with entertaining puzzles in another sublime point-and-click pixel art adventure game. 

5. The Drifter

The Drifter is an action thriller with supernatural elements, and the game does an excellent job to translate that into an interactive experience, where we put in a sense of urgency which makes the game feel extremely fast-paced. 

4. Dispatch

Dispatch is an interactive animated superhero series filled with dialogue choices and mission management. You play as Robert Robertson, former superhero Mecha Man, who gets recruited by the Superhero Dispatch Network, where he becomes the man in the chair.

3. The Séance Of Blake Manor

The Séance of Blake Manor is one big investigation game where you have to make deductions and decisions and choose how to spend your time. The initial nervousness quickly made place for elation and the accompanying adrenaline rush, causing the search for a missing young woman in supernatural circumstances to become quite addictive.

2. Foolish Mortals

Foolish Mortals  is going to be right up there with old classics. It features beautiful artwork filled with small animations, excellent voice-overs and straightforward inventory puzzles. The story is very engaging, with lots of characters and great dialogue combining background information with clues to the puzzles.

1. Old Skies 

If you are a fan of Wadjet Eye Games, your zeal will be transformed into divine adoration after playing Old Skies. This is just instant classic to me, and it should be instant buy for anyone who's serious about playing adventure games. It doesn't feel like a game; it feels like a work of art. It's entertainment of a whole other level.

New game: "Foolish Mortals"

New game!

I've started playing Foolish Mortals by Inklingwood Studios. I'm Murphy McCallan, auditor in charge of finding the lost assets of the Bellemore estate. Three brothers and one sister used to live in the Bellemore manor. When the sister got engaged to be married to a sailor in the employ of the brothers, the brothers mysteriously vanished one by one. The wedding still went on, but instead of the sailor, the sister suddenly decided to marry someone else. Before the new couple could say their vows, however, a green light made everyone inside the manor disappear.

The quaint little town of Deadnettle on Devil's Rock.

Having arrived on the island of Devil's Rock where the manor is situated, Murphy quickly learns the tale isn't simply a ghost story. A local fisherman sends him to Doctor Moray, a voodoo priest with the knowledge of how to find the lost treasure of the Bellemores. Why exactly he didn't go find the treasure himself and instead sends Murphy to do his bidding, I don't know. So I don't really trust him.

I hope there's no crazy lady named Medusa on this boat...

But, Murphy is a good chap, like Guybrush Threepwood in the first Monkey Island game before he became too much of a doofus. So he follows the Doctor's orders, fetches him something from the manor to convince him he's got what it takes, and now goes on a big quest of completing a voodoo spell which will help find the treasure.

What secrets will this haunted mansion hold?

Foolish Mortals starts with an eighty minute Prologue chapter where I first reconnoitered the island. You examine things with a right click, manipulate them with a left click though mostly that only gives a second, more detailed description of the hotspots. The game features beautiful artwork filled with small animations, excellent voice-overs - with A.J. LoCascio in the lead whom I know best as Marty McFly in Telltale's Back to the Future game - and straightforward inventory puzzles.

Yay, a big island to explore!

The only nitpick I have with the game is Murphy's slow walking speed. I double-click on everything so at least he jogs a bit. But it looks like this game is going to be right up there with old classics like The Curse of Monkey Island and Broken Sword as well as new titles like Old Skies and Rosewater. Now, let's start Part One and see how good I am in locating the seven ingredients of that voodoo spell...

You can buy Foolish Mortals on Steam and GOG!

Classic time: "Conquests of Camelot: The Search for the Grail" playthrough

New game!

In between reviewing Conrad Stevenson's Paranormal P.I. for Adventure Game Hotspot and testing Old Skies for Wadjet Eye Games, I found a little time to go on a classic Sierra Quest: Conquests of Camelot: The Search for the Grail!

I loved looking for the Holy Grail as Indiana Jones.

As King Arthur... Not so much...

I'm one hour into the game and I've just defeated the Black Knight in a challenge of joust by pure dumb luck. No idea how I did it, but I did it.

Yeah, I Heath Ledgered his ass!

Other than that, I lost count of how many times I already saved and restored in this game. First I forgot to pray, so I was pretty much decapitated by the castle gates when they "accidentally" fell on me. Got killed by a boar because I didn't have a spear. Got killed by a boar even when I had a spear. My mule ran away with my provisions, but it doesn't seem like there's a way to prevent that.

First of many deaths... It's Sierra, after all...

Anyways, lots going on in this game, lots to explore, many ways to die and I'm also expecting a couple of dead ends to be honest.

Very animal friendly game, this... You can't even pick up your kill. Guess that's more a Quest for Glory thing...

BUT it's one of the classics, one I never played before, and you just have to try those out if you want to call yourself a true adventure game aficionado.

First half hour of the game: exploring all the rooms in Camelot.

I like using that word... Aficionado...

Oh, I know exactly who she wants to see returned all right...

Anyways, I'm on my way to Glastonbury Tor, since legend has it that's where Joseph of Arimathea brought the Grail, so logically speaking that's the first place to look for it.

You can find Conquests of Camelot here!