Publisher: Sierra
Developer: Sierra
Year: 1986
Platform: DOS, Apple, Atari ST, Amiga
Rating: 3
On the heels of King’s Quest II, The Black Cauldron was one of the earlier Sierra titles using their Adventure Game Interpreter. And while it’s a much more richly realized game than the first two in the KQ series, this movie adaptation is oversimplified and suffers from many of the same pitfalls that make it a chore to play.
Continue reading The Black CauldronPublisher: The Brotherhood
Developer: The Brotherhood
Year: 2017
Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux
Rating: 3
I had no intention of playing Cayne, a sequel to the underwhelming Stasis. But another sequel, Bone Totem, came out in 2023 that is allegedly significantly better. Since I’m planning to play that soon, I figured I might as well play this one, especially since it’s free. Unfortunately, the only major part of Cayne that’s improved is that the punishment of playing is over quicker.
Continue reading CaynePublisher: Kaigan Games
Developer: Kaigan Games
Year: 2017
Platform: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, PS4, XBox One, Switch
Rating: 2
Several years ago I played my first “found phone” game, A Normal Lost Phone. While the premise was intriguing, I found the puzzles contrived and the gameplay too repetitive. Simulacra amplifies these problems to excruciating levels while adding the worst acting I’ve even seen in a video game.
Continue reading SimulacraPublisher: Croqutea Asesina
Developer: Croqutea Asesina
Year: 2024
Platform: Windows
Rating: 5
The Secret of Monkey Island and Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis are two of the most beloved adventures games out there, and many indie designers have paid homage to them over the past twenty years. Croqueta Asesina, a new studio hailing from Málaga, Spain, takes it one step further with their first game by writing what is essentially a gushing love letter to the LucasArts favorites. The Adventures of the Black Hawk is so much like these games that at first one could be convinced they were playing a long lost LucasArts title, at least for a little while. That illusion doesn’t last, as Black Hawk contains several missteps that prevent it from being considered a must play by the fans the game was made for, but there is much to like here, including an amusing script, silly characters, and fun puzzles.
Continue reading The Adventures of the Black HawkPublisher: Revolution
Developer: Revolution
Year: 2020
Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, tvOS, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Switch, PS4, PS5
Rating: 6
I was so enamored with Beneath A Steel Sky (and so unenamored with my job) that I pulled an all-nighter to win it one sitting and then took a long daytime nap. I am eighteen years older now and the thought of staying up past midnight to play a game makes my brain hurt. And the thought of playing Beyond A Steel Sky in one sitting makes my butt hurt. Nevertheless, it’s a solid sequel that captures the imagination of the original before making of an absolute muck of the ending.
Continue reading Beyond A Steel SkyPublisher: Microsoft
Developer: Interior Night
Year: 2022
Platform: Windows, Xbox One, Xbox series
Rating: 7
The first game by designer Interior Night is a comic book style narrative road adventure that tells a suspenseful and action-filled story about family trauma. And the first half is one hell of a gripping tale. While it’s not unusual for an adventure game to start strong before petering out in the end, As Dusk Falls embodies that pitfall more than just about any.
Continue reading As Dusk FallsPublisher: Sony
Developer: Quantic Dream
Year: 2013
Platform: Windows, PS3, PS4
Score: 4
After gushing over the first three games I’ve played by Quantic Dream (in fact, I ranked them all in my Top 15), I was still eager to dive into the less acclaimed Beyond: Two Souls. Yet, despite some spectacular motion capture and impressive performances by the leads, I was ultimately let down by a poor script and exhaustive repetition.
Continue reading Beyond: Two SoulsPublisher: Sierra
Developer: Sierra
Year: 1991
Platform: DOS
Score: 3
One of several Sierra adventures designed with children in mind, EcoQuest is a very simple and very educational game with above average production values. However, a lackluster story and script make it difficult to recommend.
Continue reading EcoQuest: The Search for CetusPublisher: Achimostawinan Games
Developer: Achimostawinan Games
Year: 2023
Platform: Windows
Rating: 1
Achimostawinan Games (translated to “Tell us a story” in Cree) is an Indigenous-owned game studio and hopefully one of many more to come. Hill Agency: PURITY/decay is their first game, a futuristic detective noir mystery in which the colonizers have mostly left Earth and the few major cities remaining are run by Indigenous people. As an illustration of Néhinaw culture and what a future Land Back world could look like, Hill Agency is a beautiful success. Unfortunately, as an adventure game it’s still quite rough around the edges, even with all the effort the developers have put into smoothing them out since launch.
Continue reading Hill Agency: PURITYdecayPublisher: Gray Design
Developer: Gray Design
Year: 1992
Platform: DOS
Rating: 1
I wish I could say that the final game in the Hugo shareware trilogy finally put things together. But despite a significant improvement in graphics and playability, this incredibly short game still manages to be dull and offensive.
Continue reading Hugo III: Jungle of Doom
Death By Troggles 
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