Ceville
Ceville is a modern classic, earning a name rightfully for itself in this day and age. The best part of Ceville is how it mixes up the traditional mold of adventure storylines. Ceville was the mean, cruel-blooded tyrant of his realm who ruled ruthlessly until the people rose up in rebellion and forced him out of his throne. In his stead, they installed the beloved and just queen Gwendolyn. But, when an evil force threatens the kingdom, Queen Gwendolyn isn’t the right leader to fight off the evil. Ironically, the one with the skills to save them is their old brutal king. Ceville is rife with humor, wonderful voice-acting, and great characters. You can imagine blending together Monkey Island, Discworld, and Shrek and you’d end up with Ceville.
The Whispered World
Of all the modern-day adventure games, The Whispered World was one of the first to be considered part of the modern renaissance of adventure gaming. It has won over 30 awards for its beautiful, hand-drawn art style, melancholic storyline, and fairy-tale elements. Although the graphics and sound may be pleasing, the puzzles can actually prove to be quite a challenge.
Deponia
Rufus is an unlikeable jerk. And that’s part of what makes Deponia so much fun. The game is constantly poking fun at him. Expect a game full of shenanigans, a unique comic style, bizarre characters, and wacky humor. But don’t think that makes for an unsatisfying adventure. The puzzles are really well done. There are hours of spoken dialogue. There are unexpected plot twists. And the hand painted enviroments and character designs are charming and well done. If you’re a fan of Terry Pratchett (Discworld), Douglas Adams (Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy), or Matt Groening (The Simpson’s, Futurama), you’ll feel right at home with Deponia.
The Book of Unwritten Tales
Travel through a beautifully presented world that is a twisted image of almost every popular fantasy land you’ve visited in games, movies, and books. Help a pack of hapless heroes to solve over 150 mind-boggling puzzles and discover more than 300 items that can be used and combined. Meet a cast of crazy characters – from two-headed ogres and vegetarian dragons to good-natured zombies. The Book of Unwritten Tales is a classic point-and-click adventure game with a cornucopia of humorous references. Whether it gently lampoons a particularly popular MMO or the stereotypical fantasy conventions, it’s sure to put a knowing smile on the face of even the most hardened adventurer! It very well may be the funniest and most charming game of recent years.
Resonance
A particle physicist’s mysterious and spectacular death sparks a race to find his hidden vault and claim his terrifying new discovery. Wadjet Eye Games is back again after the incredible Gemini Rue in another gem of an adventure game. You’ll experience a twisting and riveting storyline from four different perspectives as you freely swap between all the main characters to solve puzzles and progress through the game. There’s also a great addition to traditional gameplay mechanics via a short-term and long-term memory system, that will change the way you play the game and solve puzzles. Resonance comes highly recommended.
Botanicula
When it comes to emotion, Botanicula never fails to deliver. The main characters are memorable, the art style surprisingly beautiful in its simplicity – it looks as if the producers have stolen some doodles from a kindergarten drawing session and have infused those scribbles with divine breath. The result is unforgettable. Combined with the playful music, this makes Botanicula one of the most expressive games ever. It is amazing how little is needed to masterfully tell a story which goes deeper then even most AAA titles.
To the Moon
Has a game ever made you cry? To the Moon might just have one of the most thoughtful and inspiring stories ever conceived in a video game. Its nostalgic 16-bit graphics are intertwined with touching, hand-drawn scenes and an overwhelming soundtrack which is guaranteed to tug at those heart strings. As the player, you will assume the role of one of two scientists who are traveling backwards through the scattered memories of a dying man’s life. His life has never been particularly satisfying, so it’s up to Dr. Rosalene and Dr. Watts to fool his mind into believing he has accomplished his ultimate life goals. With each step back in time, a new fragment of Johnny’s past is revealed. Don’t be afraid to shed some tears of manliness.
Scratches
Oh, the atmosphere! Does this sound appealing to you? A really scary horror atmosphere created by moody music, creepy sound effects, and great visuals. Plus, the terrible unknown. Challenging puzzles – you will have to use the best of your logical deduction skills to solve them. Captivating story that will scare you senseless but at the same time it will keep you up for hours. If all those elements sound up your alley, then you should run to play Scratches. Exploring an old abandoned house should not be this much fun and at the same time so frightening!
The Blackwell Chronicles
You know how you can tell when a game was written by an actual writer of novels? The Blackwell Chronicles is one of those series and it features some of the best story-telling and most fleshed-out characters in the entire industry. A large portion of the charm in the series comes from the dynamic between Rosangela Blackwell, a journalist that recently discovered she is a medium and can see spirits, and Joey Malone, a man who’s been dead since the 30’s. They really come off as believable characters, and seeing their interaction over the course of 4 games, and then seeing Joey and Rosa’s aunt in Blackwell Unbound, as they help lost spirits find peace and move on, is the reason you will keep wanting to play these games. You get four games with hours of gameplay for a very low price.
Dear Esther
Dear Esther is visual poetry. Some critics don’t consider it be a game because there really isn’t much gameplay to be found. While it may be true that Dear Esther isn’t trying to challenge you, it does make you work to explore and comb the edges of the island to discover more about what took place. As the pieces slowly fall into place, you will experience the game resonating emotionally deeply. It is a short adventure and there isn’t much to it, but it is powerful and entrancing while it lasts.
