The thing I like about point and click adventure games is the story Broken Sword 1&2 are some of my all time favourite games due to their amazing storylines, characters
Good point. But most of today's walking simulators have nothing but a good and rich story. Those games are safe too, but it's not the same kind of experience as in good old point & click adventure games. I think one of the most important differences is the pace of narration. If the game is too easy or puzzles are non-existent, we have to concentrate on story, and we don't have a moment to breathe. In point & click adventure games we have puzzles, and if we try to solve them, we take a break from the plot. Such a rest makes us want to know the rest of the story even more. So I believe that paradoxically, the moments spent on thinking are the main element of coziness in point & click adventure games.
Yeah in walking simulators or visual novels, the story progression is as fast as I can click the prompt to continue or move my character to the next bit. In P&C adventures, the game will regularly make you stop in your tracks and reconsider your surroundings. That in itself is really effective in building immersion with the player. I'm not just engaged in the story, but I feel like own actions directly are what drive things forward. The best P&C games give me a feeling of excitement every time I make a breakthrough not just from the satisfaction of solving the puzzle, but also in "getting to see" what happens next in a way that visual novels and walking simulators just don't for me
I remember playing the demo of Broken Sword 2 when I was in my teens. I was amazed at how realistic it felt compared to other games I had played. Instead of shooting my way through everything I actually had to work with the environment and characters. When I got my hands on the full game I was totally engrossed. I remember how shocked I was the first time I managed to get George killed. It felt super intense.
Get George killed. You never refer to the character of most other games in the third person and I completely understand why. Remind me please, can you get George killed in BS2? Your experience sounded like a replication of mine btw, BS2 demo in Marseille was unlike anything.
Totally agree with this, adventure games are characters in good stories. It's nice to have the puzzles and thought provoking conversation trees though or it would be just another visual novel. Personally love the feeling that you didn't just watch the story unfold, you literally had to make it happen. That feeling of accomplishment when you figure out how to carry the melting grog cups all the way into the prison.... Nothing like it.
You’re right! Nothing better on a cold and rainy day than to make a nice cup of something hot, get under a blanket and play a point and click adventure. I’d put a game like Stardew Valley in the same category too.
I feel the same way! I wasn't expecting you to say "cosiness" at all. You articulated a point that I'd felt but not fully realised. I enjoy a wide variety of genres, but there's always a special place with me for point and click adventures. Thank you
I remember playing point and click games when I was little on my dad's computer. They really were the most memorable games I've ever played solely because the genre encourages you to just sit, take your time, and take everything in. Point and click adventure games are memorable but not in the same way as other video games, the whole game feels like something you lived through and experienced uniquely from everyone else, much like the feeling you get when reading a book. Like you're in a personal bubble. I think its because they're so open and simple in nature that they play off of whatever mood you were in while playing them, unlike other games that are so keen on forcing you to feel and act certain way from scene to scene if that makes sense.
Great vid - would agree with others though that you shouldn't underestimate the appeal of a good puzzle. I do remember satisfying adventure game puzzles, and the "a ha!" moment when you nail the solution. Adventure games that don't present a challenge, or an interesting variety of puzzles, will be less engaging. The thing I personally love about adventure games, especially those with a verb interface, is the level of interactivity you have with the game world: any area of the environment might potentially give you something or someone to look at, speak to, push, use etc. Often modern games have meticulously crafted environments that are just set dressing.
Nice video, although I personally disagree on the weight of puzzles in the overall experience of playing an adventure game. I for one do think back to all those "a-ha" moments when I figure out how to solve a problem in game, in fact that's mainly what keeps me playing. If the game doesn't keep me on my toes with interesting and challenging puzzles it's very easy for me to drift off and lose interest in the game. I've dropped so many indie games like this recently because they just didn't have much in the way of gameplay. If I were to fault any aspect of the indie adventure game revolution of the past decade or so is that indie designers are too keen on telling a story, and often forget they are making a game, not writing a book or filming a movie. You can have a great setting, story and characters, but there has to be a game underneath all that, and that means puzzles, not mere "choose-your-own-adventure" dialogue choices. Not to put all newer games in the same bag, there have been some pretty cool, intricate games as well, but I think the trend is clear. To stick to your comparison with reading a book, adventure games can never offer the same level of depth and complexity in storytelling that a writer can engrain into a novel. It's just not the nature of the medium, it would be a drag to even try to reach those depths. A few games have tried (e.g. The Longest Journey) but they aren't any better for it, quite the opposite. There is only so much information you want to read and absorb when you're playing a game, as opposed to when you're reading a book. Adventure game designers have other tools in their belt to keep players engaged, and I believe they should use them. All the games you've shown in the video (with perhaps the exception of KR, which is a bit simpler) have complex puzzle designs in addition to interesting stories and witty dialogue. It's no coincidence. I'll double down on the book comparison. When I'm reading a book, I go to bed thinking about the plot and the characters, and there is usually much for me to unentangle (and if there isn't I'll probably not keep reading). When I'm playing an adventure game I go to bed thinking about the obstacles I'm facing, the items I've gathered, the clues I've got, etc., and I try to figure out how I could combine all that to progress in the game. There may also be some intrigue going on in the plot, and that's nice and welcome, but it's also hardly ever complex enough at any given point in the game that it could keep me thinking for very long when I'm lying in bed.
Good points, all! I think where I'm coming from is that the experience of playing is more akin to reading a book - for me - than it is to playing an action game. And I can only reason that it's because of that 'cosy' feel.
The Broken Sword series are amongst the best games of all time. I have so much love for BS1 and BS2, they are literal perfection. George and Nico feel like old friends and every single time I replay the games (at least once a year) I enjoy them just as much as I did as a child in the 90s.
Some excellent points , I could waffle for hours about how I came to PnC games but the fact of the matter is I love them , nearly all of them and on several platforms . It probably helps that my first PnC game was broken sword , just after I had fallen in love with FF7 , a game where you had to check EVERYTHING. So by that time I didnt have a problem with try to match one item with another no matter how obscure, to find the correct combination to progress. Its a dying art form and it will die with us but im still looking for the ultimate PnC games list . I cant bear to finish BS5 , as it will be the last and so as long as I dont finish it , its still alive. Same with the Runaway series, So Blonde, etc . I love a bit of unrequited romance in my stories. It feels a bit like playing the Fighting Fantasy books of my childhood, me , the story , the adventure and nothing else existed at that time . Happy Memories.
I agree with the no stress factor. Personally for me was the stylized graphics very unique to each game (Broken Sword graphics were amazing by its time). The stories were also very captivating (Beneath a Steel Sky). And props for showing Grim Fandango, the best! Today's games seem to be for ADHD teenagers.
I was definitely going to say the puzzles were what made the games interesting due to them being the main differentiator between a visual novel/walking sim and an adventure game.
Nail on the head mate. Cozy, you get to completely innersive yourself in the atmosphere and what's going before you have to make a game changing decision. Ugh I realise I'm old but God I miss games like this
Meanwhile, in Sierra’s Gold Rush!; if you wait in the hotel room you break into and the occupant returns, you’re sent to the gallows and hanged. Oh, there’s stress.
Hey I'm Danish and a fellow journalist. Thanks for an awesome video and for including 'hygge', the all-encompassing Danish expression you can use for just about anything you want to describe as cozy. I actually studied journalism in London (City Uni) and always thought the English language contained at least a dozen different words for anything imaginable. So it's peculiar you guys only have 'cozy' to describe 'hygge' and that can't even be used as a verb in the right sense :) Anyway, I agree with your theory and I can even add a bit to strengthen the argument: When is it generally the most cozy? When it is dark outside. There is just something about the nighttime that creates an extremely hyggelig (adjective) atmosphere whether you are inside or outside. Take the opening chapters of Monkey Island 1 and 2, Indiana Jones Fate of Atlantis or The Day of the Tentacles. All these nighttime chapters just ooze thick coziness and of course they have all gone down in history as some of the greatest games ever made, not because of their puzzles or stories, but because of their rich atmosphere that can best be described as hyggelig. I love games that take place at night, but I rarely play horror games if ever. No, I'm thinking of Tex Murphy series, Leisure Suit Larry, Full Throttle, Grim Fandango, Maniac Mansion, Darkside Detective, Blade Runner, Gemini Rue and so on.. Hmmm, it seems like pretty much all my favorite point and click adventure games take place at night?! Surely there must be some sort of pattern here :) Is your game intended to take place at night or are you planing any scene/chapter to do so? Cheers from Denmark and good luck with the project. I'm looking forward to watching the next episode.
This is a great point! I will have some night time stuff in my game, but it’s mostly going to take place on a rainy afternoon, as that’s pretty hygge to me. 🙂
There are games I play for the puzzles. Well probably not the kind you're thinking. More like lab work or working rituals (or scene recreation). Maybe even lab work rituals (like alchemy). And there are ones I play because I get to choose the order I follow leads and can tackle multiple in some cases instead of having to commit to each mission like a "sandbox" game. Well, I can get the same from some retro (and retraux) RPGs. There were also a couple with collectible Game Overs. They weren't all parodies. Some were horror games. There's also Theresia. A point and click survival horror with poking sticks and traps instead of an arsenal and monsters.
Thank you for this review, it makes much sense, thank you for your words that got me in the 90's again and understanding my love for this games in words.
Hey, maybe you're right. This is my all-time favorite game. Decades ago, I use to play it as the last thing I did before bedtime because it's so calming : )
Rings very true! A cozy journey without the awful pressure of dying and killing ... just having a good time meeting funny characters and exploring interesting places. Boom: perfect escapism!
Love this description, you really hit the nail on the head with this. A great game genre and the ideal one for someone like myself who can't handle very 3D realistic games due to fear of glitches, clipping etc... I was so happy when they revert back to the old art style for Broken Sword 5 as I played BS1 and 2 as a youngster/teen and it holds a special place in my heart.
I do think that puzzles are important part of the experience, but not in the way many people think of it. Usually people are talking on the eureka moment after hours of trying to solve the puzzle but you can get that with a puzzle game, yet if you throw in a logic puzzle people are going to feel that it just doesn't fit well, why is that? For me, puzzles in adventure games fill a different primary purpose, they are not just a mental challenge but they are also a vehicle for the story, a puzzle is where you are presented with a scene and are asked to fill in the part of the main character, to take their role and figure out how to solve the conflict they are facing. And I think there are two reasons why an adventure game is cosy: One is limitations, the mechanics of interactive storytelling usually require you to think for a bit and than input tye next choice or step and that just makes it hard to translate into it a fast paced scene where you need to act fast but also precise. Secondly, it is because of the nature of stories. Most stories have a lot of scenes that are slower paced, even if the story is full of action, because you need those quite moments to build up before the dramatic scenes otherwise the audience would be a bit tired from the experience, and you also need those slower paced scenes for establishing relationships between the characters. An action game would relegate those scenes to cutsense or to sections where the gameplay changes from its usual action driven format to something else like a dialogue tree, which is distinct from the core gameplay. But in an adventure game this IS the main gameplay, talking with characters, interacting with the environment based upon the narrative context. A great movie can have a lot of information delivered with just a fight scene with no dialogue but most movies cannot be just two hours of action and fighting all the time, the backbones of it is those quit scenes where the characters have more flexibility in their interactions and it isn't a surprise that a genre credited for being about interactive storytelling would have its core gameplay based on that.
Me and 3 of my friends have started playing click story games on discord we just chat and one of us plays and stream it. It's really chill and help finding solutions
I loved these games growing up because you aren’t in any hurry, in no rush. You can slow down, take your time. Enjoy the world, the art, the story, the writing. When these came out in their peak in the 90s, there was nothing quite like it for story telling.
It's definitely the story and atmosphere that carries point-and-click games. I can recall countless times I've been frustrated with puzzles, or had to look up a walkthrough, but what's most memorable and what keeps me playing is the humor and characters!
My goodness, this hit me in my aging soul. Extremely well said. Coziness/cosiness is truly central to the whole thing, isn't it-- like a golden age mystery novel. Which, now that I think about it, has formed the basis for more than one adventure game.
Great perspective. Similar feeling to watching an episode of ice road truckers when it’s snowing outside, except I have to earn the page turn in a game which gives that nice dopamine hit that I’m being successful and get to keep discovering while maintaining the escapism.
"It's like a book but you have more control." I think this pretty much sums it all up, personally. Every other aspect of the explanation is just window dressing. _The Wolf Among Us_ was fairly easy, but HIGH energy and exciting, but works wonderfully because it's basically a book, only you kind of _are_ the main character. But then, despite all of that, even _the Wolf Among Us_ is kind of cozy. XD
I agree with the cozy argument fully, I'd just like to add that these games also affected me emotionally exactly like a piece of art should. I mean the Broken Sword and The Longest Journey specifically. I don't get this from any other kind of game, it's just incomparable. What I remember the most about these games is emotion.
Atosphere is key to a good point and click game. Grim Fandango, Broken Sword, The Journy Down all have enviroments that are dripping with atmosphere and charm.
I wondered if the Monkey Island death scene was going to get a mention - haha. To be fair, I misread the question, I thought it was "what do people like in a P&C game?" rather than versus other genres. I completely agree that I am more likely to remember a bad puzzle (Monkey Wrench!!) - and I'm actually struggling to come up with a favourite puzzle...
25 year old guy here, I got into adventure games (monkey island) via the families old laptop and my brothers games. I was so surprised by them, this type of game with world building, story telling, humour and puzzles it was fresh from the other games we had. The story was one big puzzle that drew me into it, like a book! They were such a strange games that I found it interesting, of course I was young and those puzzles were hard (monkey island 4 prosthetics) , but I had so much fun exploring the world, interacting with objects and people. But my favourite mechanics were combing the items :) . My brother didn't have much interest in the adventure game genre and so that kinda cut off any source of what the games were and finding more. So learning that the games I liked were from the 90s (colour me shocked with how good they were, since as a kid I was only exposed to low res 3d games) I tried looking around but they weren't making any new point and click adventure games , heck I didn't even know the proper genre name lol. This combined that no one I knew liked or played them I was alone and ignorant what was out there. The closest I got to one was "spongebob employee of the month" which realising now came out in 2002 , so still an old game when I got to it haha. Tldr: I'm Envyous of those who grew up with Point and click. I hope to go through the backlog of the old ones, especially because the new ones like Thimbleweed Park are too high req for my PC XD
I play it for the puzzles and problem solving.... its just my thing though yes i'm in my 40's but I always been geared toward that... Peace I'm out....
I agree with the overall sentiment, and of course we all have our own relationships with these games - but I disagree that you really only ever remember the overly difficult puzzles. I find that I remember the ones that give me a little trouble, but that I figured out myself. Like pirate insults in MI or finding a way out that hotel in BS. Or how about working out details about a scene in The Case of the Golden Idol - that one in particular connects the 'puzzles' directly into the story. Without those little reward nuggets the games wouldn't be enjoyable. So one thing can't really live without the other. The stories need the puzzles and the puzzles need the stories.
What makes Broken Sword so good? The short answer is, it's not. Why not? The games are flat, boring, and lack the whimsy and comic relief that make point and click adventure games so much fun.
This video is awesome and I believe you hit the nail strait on its head! I agree with everything you said, and I love the way you've summarised point and click games. Love the 10-min Monkey Island ref!
Let me answer the question in the title, since you decided not to - nothing can make Broken Sword good, it’s a horribly boring game and the story is so so - kinda predictable. I’ll give em points for the voice acting, music and graphics though.
Quite spot on, the games should be relaxing but, not boring. boring? yes if the game don´t challenge me with thinking on my own (puzzles or not giving the player all info) it get quite dreadful to complete the game. My favorite game series is; monkey island, indiana jones, secret files, broken sword, runaway, lost horizon and the longest jurney "dreamfall" to name a few. The recent point and click adventure games last 5-10 years has been poorly made in my opinion. They are made in unique graphics and is based apon telling a story like u watch a movie, and requires no to little thinking and reflecting. Most games are made by indie game producers and may be the reason the games don´t deliver to a top notch standard. Sadly the point and click adventure fan base is not as big as call of duty or others, but there is still hope for the future. Playing mokey island 3 from Tim Schafer now and looking foreward to the new broken sword games. :)
For me personally having grown up playing monkey island Indiana jones and other Lucas arts games it had a really captivating atmosphere and the detective aspect of a wayward hero drawn into a bizarre adventure involving templars was magical. the fact they hit hard on so many historical accuracies as well traveling to real world locations made it even more tangible and you could imagine not just being in these places but discovering new secrets like George. The banter was fantastic and honestly its to this day one mf my all time favourites games. they missed the mark on 2 it was ok but 3 and 4 were horrible. Broken sword 5 parts 1 & 2 was a redemption in that sense adding so much more to the characters and playability with modern controls and quality of life changes sticking to the original format more.
Hey, you hit the nail on the head with the "coziness", that's exactly what makes them wonderful. In fact I was just the other day staying inside while it was raining, wrapped in a blanket and sipping a cup of coffee with a couple of sandwiches and playing Unavowed for the first time. It was cozy and I loved it!
I loved the characters in Broken Sword. For a few often very frustrated hours I wanted to be George, and fell in love with Nico. They have a great storyline too. I spent more money on the helpline back in the day than the game actually cost.
Love Broken Sword and Monkey Island but in all honesty the new MI didn't keep my attention, it was a real slog. Loved the first 1/3rd but it just became a bit of a drag after that. It felt empty, the graphical style was muddy lacking charm, and just didn't present much character to the world. It was barren, none of the characters were memorable. Returning characters were so limited too, especially everyone's fave talking skull. I think a lot can be taken from the way that Disco Elysium constructed itself; always something to do, lots of ways to do them, you don't feel like you're forced down an alley and you don't get stuck going round and round and round. There's a lot of people to meet and chat to, relationships to build, things you can miss first time and tbh i have never enjoyed RPG's, and especially not heavily text-based adventures. It felt like the next step in adventure games. I don't think everything needs a levelling system but it was nice to be able to open new dialogue doorways based on the way you were playing the game.
I'm 28 and I love point and click monkey Island 3 got me into it bought it from a bargain bin in Germany when I was 12 for 2 euros at the time. The puzzling is just so much fun
point and click adventures are not popular anymore.... cause young ppl want action. but in the 90's ALL of my friends loved adventure games. so i would say the genre was very popular in old days.
My favorite game Genre is the RPG, the thing is even the best RPGs tend to have rather weak story, and lack that casual nature. Adventure games while often short, which I am not a fan of, as I like long deep stories, tend to have much better stories. They are more like an interactive book than a game. My first adventure game was not a point and click, but a text based Kings Quest 4, though the sierra games were more deadly than some others. But my main reason for these games is the story, they give me an interactive book like story with visuals and some feeling of directing the outcome, for use when I want something more mentally relaxed than reading a book, and yet that story element...but as you mentioned that breaks down when the puzzles get in the way. I do think as players age they will find the genre and look into them, I played some in my youth but they got better when I got older, and while they will not be huge hits for large masses, good ones can reach new fans, and bring them in. So it may not be as bleak as you made it sound, as younger players will age into the genre in time.
Another way to put it: Adventure games don´t waste your time, they enhance it ! They value it, by design they hit you with everything they´ve got, they are noble.
Great video, quite strange too. I was just giving you advice regarding this. Before this video was uploaded on the previous videos comments. Which is totally fine, I am enjoying helping you and watching your content. It seems we both were actually thinking about the same thing. I would like to add that if you play "Discworld 1". That was released for the Sony Playstation. That point and click adventure. Will hassle the player, if the player does nothing. Because Rincewind the character in the game. Will knock on the screen while looking around and says "Hello is anybody home!" It's a very funny scene. That players will only get to see. If they leave there game alone and make a brew. Or whatever they are doing, instead of playing the game. I would like to talk about the topic regarding wasting time. If a developer tries something that he hasn't done before to there game. But wastes a lot of time trying to implement there game design. But succeeds in the end. If this happens to you? Please remember wasting time/failing at something in the moment. Is a necessary stepping stone. To becoming successful, actually what you need to do. Is to start to fail faster. So you can succeed! Looking forward to your next devlog video. These are best RUclips videos. I have see for a while. Regarding your story/making a point and click adventure. Well done, Fantastic!
I think your title is quite misleading, the video is not about Broken Sword in any way except that you use it as an example. Why is it in the title? I found the video trying to learn more about the game, not searching for an essay about point & clicks in general
You are very spot on about the games being safe spaces. Even in dialogue when it's your turn to speak, you can get up and make a cup of tea before progressing; the lengthy pause having no real impact on the immediate storytelling. One other thing I'd mention is the music and ambience. I can't quite pinpoint it, but these games carry some FANTASTIC ambience. I regularly fall asleep to games like Amerzone, Syberia, and the first 2 Broken Sword games. The chirping of the birds, footsteps, doors opening, rustling of the leaves - they're all conducive to a peaceful sleep!
Thats true, you stop and nothing happen its nice. You stop walking in GTA and you can be sure it will end up in a street fight because some random NPC bastard decide to ruin your day haha
Hi! U have the point dude..:) I was watched your video and i have my ideas for your „questions”, i was put them in some points. -Need an intresting story and a simpatic „hero” as in movies. not enought put a many puzzle solving elements put in. -The „art style” very important, u like or not? Me personaly like better the „cartoon” style storys as Broken Sword. When it went to that 3d madness in part 3 if i remember good, that was not the same and went to negative direction. Example when i was kid i was liked Tom and Jerry and Garfield. after they went to „3d” i was cant watch them i was must take to next channel on tv.. :/ -In old time my father was bought to me the broken sword 1. Me and my bro played many years with it till we was can finish it. When u was get a big „unsolvable part” u was take away it for weeks or mounths too, then started agin. Present days i just watch a video on youtube and its done -21324 hour „gametime”.. -Modern point and clicks are the Uncharted type games when u part of the story a bit but they still „just” tell a storys as all point and click games. Or as you said „books in raintime” I know in this times come some nice P&C game (I was liked the one with that black kitty.) -Last one, becouse we are near one ages if i see good. Why RTS ganer is dieing in the era of multiplayer?
What is the game at arround minute 4:40 , and depending the topic, i am a fan of the storys, and watching those people life in different places, i loved th part in broken sword 1 where he goes to ireland, i love grey matter for the fact it plays near oxford and i like the scenerie as a whole, i could go on, and on, but i guess you catch the drift.
I am in my mid 20 and I started playing point and click games last year. I got tired of the usual 70 hours plus open world RPG games so I wanted something different so I started with Monkey Island 1 and I love point and click games now. I love how relaxing and full of charm they are. I have played dozens of point and click games since then from Indiana Jones to Kathy Rain. Currently playing Wadjet Eye games. I can't get enough.
I thought i loved point and click games..Turns out i simply love awesome point and click games such as broken sword beneath a steel sky monkey island discworld ..most modern point and click games simply suck
@@pcd Im going to be honset .I only just read your channel name.And seen your a fellow game developer.Thats awesome .Do you have any reccomendations on modern pac games?
I'm 36 and it's the only genre I still play. It's been almost 10 years since I've played any other type of game. To me the reasons I enjoy them are many. But the biggest one is that's it's a great way to spend time with your significant other. It doesn't matter which one of you is playing. You both share the same experience. It requires team work to solve the puzzles. There is no other medium that offers this to a couple.
Plus, what I was gonna say has been pretty much summed up in the video. The point and click genre is a very smoothing genre compared to others and Siberia is a good example in my opinion
The thing I like about point and click adventure games is the story
Broken Sword 1&2 are some of my all time favourite games due to their amazing storylines, characters
Good point. But most of today's walking simulators have nothing but a good and rich story. Those games are safe too, but it's not the same kind of experience as in good old point & click adventure games. I think one of the most important differences is the pace of narration. If the game is too easy or puzzles are non-existent, we have to concentrate on story, and we don't have a moment to breathe. In point & click adventure games we have puzzles, and if we try to solve them, we take a break from the plot. Such a rest makes us want to know the rest of the story even more. So I believe that paradoxically, the moments spent on thinking are the main element of coziness in point & click adventure games.
Yeah in walking simulators or visual novels, the story progression is as fast as I can click the prompt to continue or move my character to the next bit. In P&C adventures, the game will regularly make you stop in your tracks and reconsider your surroundings. That in itself is really effective in building immersion with the player. I'm not just engaged in the story, but I feel like own actions directly are what drive things forward. The best P&C games give me a feeling of excitement every time I make a breakthrough not just from the satisfaction of solving the puzzle, but also in "getting to see" what happens next in a way that visual novels and walking simulators just don't for me
I remember playing the demo of Broken Sword 2 when I was in my teens. I was amazed at how realistic it felt compared to other games I had played. Instead of shooting my way through everything I actually had to work with the environment and characters. When I got my hands on the full game I was totally engrossed. I remember how shocked I was the first time I managed to get George killed. It felt super intense.
Get George killed. You never refer to the character of most other games in the third person and I completely understand why. Remind me please, can you get George killed in BS2? Your experience sounded like a replication of mine btw, BS2 demo in Marseille was unlike anything.
Totally agree with this, adventure games are characters in good stories. It's nice to have the puzzles and thought provoking conversation trees though or it would be just another visual novel. Personally love the feeling that you didn't just watch the story unfold, you literally had to make it happen. That feeling of accomplishment when you figure out how to carry the melting grog cups all the way into the prison.... Nothing like it.
You’re right! Nothing better on a cold and rainy day than to make a nice cup of something hot, get under a blanket and play a point and click adventure. I’d put a game like Stardew Valley in the same category too.
I feel the same way! I wasn't expecting you to say "cosiness" at all. You articulated a point that I'd felt but not fully realised. I enjoy a wide variety of genres, but there's always a special place with me for point and click adventures. Thank you
I remember playing point and click games when I was little on my dad's computer. They really were the most memorable games I've ever played solely because the genre encourages you to just sit, take your time, and take everything in. Point and click adventure games are memorable but not in the same way as other video games, the whole game feels like something you lived through and experienced uniquely from everyone else, much like the feeling you get when reading a book. Like you're in a personal bubble. I think its because they're so open and simple in nature that they play off of whatever mood you were in while playing them, unlike other games that are so keen on forcing you to feel and act certain way from scene to scene if that makes sense.
Great vid - would agree with others though that you shouldn't underestimate the appeal of a good puzzle. I do remember satisfying adventure game puzzles, and the "a ha!" moment when you nail the solution. Adventure games that don't present a challenge, or an interesting variety of puzzles, will be less engaging.
The thing I personally love about adventure games, especially those with a verb interface, is the level of interactivity you have with the game world: any area of the environment might potentially give you something or someone to look at, speak to, push, use etc. Often modern games have meticulously crafted environments that are just set dressing.
Nice video, although I personally disagree on the weight of puzzles in the overall experience of playing an adventure game.
I for one do think back to all those "a-ha" moments when I figure out how to solve a problem in game, in fact that's mainly what keeps me playing. If the game doesn't keep me on my toes with interesting and challenging puzzles it's very easy for me to drift off and lose interest in the game. I've dropped so many indie games like this recently because they just didn't have much in the way of gameplay. If I were to fault any aspect of the indie adventure game revolution of the past decade or so is that indie designers are too keen on telling a story, and often forget they are making a game, not writing a book or filming a movie. You can have a great setting, story and characters, but there has to be a game underneath all that, and that means puzzles, not mere "choose-your-own-adventure" dialogue choices. Not to put all newer games in the same bag, there have been some pretty cool, intricate games as well, but I think the trend is clear.
To stick to your comparison with reading a book, adventure games can never offer the same level of depth and complexity in storytelling that a writer can engrain into a novel. It's just not the nature of the medium, it would be a drag to even try to reach those depths. A few games have tried (e.g. The Longest Journey) but they aren't any better for it, quite the opposite. There is only so much information you want to read and absorb when you're playing a game, as opposed to when you're reading a book. Adventure game designers have other tools in their belt to keep players engaged, and I believe they should use them. All the games you've shown in the video (with perhaps the exception of KR, which is a bit simpler) have complex puzzle designs in addition to interesting stories and witty dialogue. It's no coincidence.
I'll double down on the book comparison. When I'm reading a book, I go to bed thinking about the plot and the characters, and there is usually much for me to unentangle (and if there isn't I'll probably not keep reading). When I'm playing an adventure game I go to bed thinking about the obstacles I'm facing, the items I've gathered, the clues I've got, etc., and I try to figure out how I could combine all that to progress in the game. There may also be some intrigue going on in the plot, and that's nice and welcome, but it's also hardly ever complex enough at any given point in the game that it could keep me thinking for very long when I'm lying in bed.
Good points, all! I think where I'm coming from is that the experience of playing is more akin to reading a book - for me - than it is to playing an action game. And I can only reason that it's because of that 'cosy' feel.
The Broken Sword series are amongst the best games of all time. I have so much love for BS1 and BS2, they are literal perfection. George and Nico feel like old friends and every single time I replay the games (at least once a year) I enjoy them just as much as I did as a child in the 90s.
For me it's the story, characters and adventure. Also, it feels really good when you solve the tough (but fair) puzzle.
Some excellent points , I could waffle for hours about how I came to PnC games but the fact of the matter is I love them , nearly all of them and on several platforms . It probably helps that my first PnC game was broken sword , just after I had fallen in love with FF7 , a game where you had to check EVERYTHING. So by that time I didnt have a problem with try to match one item with another no matter how obscure, to find the correct combination to progress. Its a dying art form and it will die with us but im still looking for the ultimate PnC games list . I cant bear to finish BS5 , as it will be the last and so as long as I dont finish it , its still alive. Same with the Runaway series, So Blonde, etc . I love a bit of unrequited romance in my stories.
It feels a bit like playing the Fighting Fantasy books of my childhood, me , the story , the adventure and nothing else existed at that time .
Happy Memories.
I agree with the no stress factor. Personally for me was the stylized graphics very unique to each game (Broken Sword graphics were amazing by its time). The stories were also very captivating (Beneath a Steel Sky). And props for showing Grim Fandango, the best! Today's games seem to be for ADHD teenagers.
I wish more games like Blackwell Legacy and similar would come out. Those games were super fun and the soundtrack was great
I was definitely going to say the puzzles were what made the games interesting due to them being the main differentiator between a visual novel/walking sim and an adventure game.
Hygge completely surprised me, because that's exactly what these games gave me a as kid, loads of hygge
100% on the feel-good book. After work there nothing like winding down into a different world. Immersing yourself in the story.
Nail on the head mate. Cozy, you get to completely innersive yourself in the atmosphere and what's going before you have to make a game changing decision. Ugh I realise I'm old but God I miss games like this
Meanwhile, in Sierra’s Gold Rush!; if you wait in the hotel room you break into and the occupant returns, you’re sent to the gallows and hanged. Oh, there’s stress.
It was always the story and characters that made me like it even if waiting for any adventure games to come out.
love the video
Hey I'm Danish and a fellow journalist. Thanks for an awesome video and for including 'hygge', the all-encompassing Danish expression you can use for just about anything you want to describe as cozy. I actually studied journalism in London (City Uni) and always thought the English language contained at least a dozen different words for anything imaginable. So it's peculiar you guys only have 'cozy' to describe 'hygge' and that can't even be used as a verb in the right sense :)
Anyway, I agree with your theory and I can even add a bit to strengthen the argument: When is it generally the most cozy? When it is dark outside. There is just something about the nighttime that creates an extremely hyggelig (adjective) atmosphere whether you are inside or outside. Take the opening chapters of Monkey Island 1 and 2, Indiana Jones Fate of Atlantis or The Day of the Tentacles. All these nighttime chapters just ooze thick coziness and of course they have all gone down in history as some of the greatest games ever made, not because of their puzzles or stories, but because of their rich atmosphere that can best be described as hyggelig. I love games that take place at night, but I rarely play horror games if ever. No, I'm thinking of Tex Murphy series, Leisure Suit Larry, Full Throttle, Grim Fandango, Maniac Mansion, Darkside Detective, Blade Runner, Gemini Rue and so on.. Hmmm, it seems like pretty much all my favorite point and click adventure games take place at night?! Surely there must be some sort of pattern here :) Is your game intended to take place at night or are you planing any scene/chapter to do so?
Cheers from Denmark and good luck with the project. I'm looking forward to watching the next episode.
This is a great point! I will have some night time stuff in my game, but it’s mostly going to take place on a rainy afternoon, as that’s pretty hygge to me. 🙂
@@pcd Cheers mate and a rainy afternoon is definitely hard to beat in terms of hygge :)
There are games I play for the puzzles. Well probably not the kind you're thinking. More like lab work or working rituals (or scene recreation). Maybe even lab work rituals (like alchemy).
And there are ones I play because I get to choose the order I follow leads and can tackle multiple in some cases instead of having to commit to each mission like a "sandbox" game. Well, I can get the same from some retro (and retraux) RPGs.
There were also a couple with collectible Game Overs. They weren't all parodies. Some were horror games.
There's also Theresia. A point and click survival horror with poking sticks and traps instead of an arsenal and monsters.
What's the cat game at 3:30? Struggling to find it via google
edit: Ah, I googled the name of the club and the game is 'Nine Noir lives'
Thank you for this review, it makes much sense, thank you for your words that got me in the 90's again and understanding my love for this games in words.
My first point and adventure game was syberia. The game was so good i still remember it sometimes brings back memories😊
Hey, maybe you're right. This is my all-time favorite game. Decades ago, I use to play it as the last thing I did before bedtime because it's so calming : )
Rings very true! A cozy journey without the awful pressure of dying and killing ... just having a good time meeting funny characters and exploring interesting places. Boom: perfect escapism!
Love this description, you really hit the nail on the head with this. A great game genre and the ideal one for someone like myself who can't handle very 3D realistic games due to fear of glitches, clipping etc... I was so happy when they revert back to the old art style for Broken Sword 5 as I played BS1 and 2 as a youngster/teen and it holds a special place in my heart.
My first experience with the genre was from playing The Last Express on pc…I’ve been hooked ever since🤩
I do think that puzzles are important part of the experience, but not in the way many people think of it.
Usually people are talking on the eureka moment after hours of trying to solve the puzzle but you can get that with a puzzle game, yet if you throw in a logic puzzle people are going to feel that it just doesn't fit well, why is that?
For me, puzzles in adventure games fill a different primary purpose, they are not just a mental challenge but they are also a vehicle for the story, a puzzle is where you are presented with a scene and are asked to fill in the part of the main character, to take their role and figure out how to solve the conflict they are facing.
And I think there are two reasons why an adventure game is cosy:
One is limitations, the mechanics of interactive storytelling usually require you to think for a bit and than input tye next choice or step and that just makes it hard to translate into it a fast paced scene where you need to act fast but also precise.
Secondly, it is because of the nature of stories. Most stories have a lot of scenes that are slower paced, even if the story is full of action, because you need those quite moments to build up before the dramatic scenes otherwise the audience would be a bit tired from the experience, and you also need those slower paced scenes for establishing relationships between the characters.
An action game would relegate those scenes to cutsense or to sections where the gameplay changes from its usual action driven format to something else like a dialogue tree, which is distinct from the core gameplay.
But in an adventure game this IS the main gameplay, talking with characters, interacting with the environment based upon the narrative context.
A great movie can have a lot of information delivered with just a fight scene with no dialogue but most movies cannot be just two hours of action and fighting all the time, the backbones of it is those quit scenes where the characters have more flexibility in their interactions and it isn't a surprise that a genre credited for being about interactive storytelling would have its core gameplay based on that.
Fantastic video as always, and thank you so much for the shout-out to Lucy Dreaming. You're a true gent! 🥰
Me and 3 of my friends have started playing click story games on discord we just chat and one of us plays and stream it. It's really chill and help finding solutions
I loved these games growing up because you aren’t in any hurry, in no rush. You can slow down, take your time. Enjoy the world, the art, the story, the writing. When these came out in their peak in the 90s, there was nothing quite like it for story telling.
It's definitely the story and atmosphere that carries point-and-click games. I can recall countless times I've been frustrated with puzzles, or had to look up a walkthrough, but what's most memorable and what keeps me playing is the humor and characters!
My goodness, this hit me in my aging soul. Extremely well said. Coziness/cosiness is truly central to the whole thing, isn't it-- like a golden age mystery novel. Which, now that I think about it, has formed the basis for more than one adventure game.
Great perspective. Similar feeling to watching an episode of ice road truckers when it’s snowing outside, except I have to earn the page turn in a game which gives that nice dopamine hit that I’m being successful and get to keep discovering while maintaining the escapism.
Really nicely put and quite agree with you especially being bought up with them in the 90's.
"It's like a book but you have more control."
I think this pretty much sums it all up, personally. Every other aspect of the explanation is just window dressing.
_The Wolf Among Us_ was fairly easy, but HIGH energy and exciting, but works wonderfully because it's basically a book, only you kind of _are_ the main character.
But then, despite all of that, even _the Wolf Among Us_ is kind of cozy. XD
I agree with the cozy argument fully, I'd just like to add that these games also affected me emotionally exactly like a piece of art should. I mean the Broken Sword and The Longest Journey specifically. I don't get this from any other kind of game, it's just incomparable. What I remember the most about these games is emotion.
Atosphere is key to a good point and click game. Grim Fandango, Broken Sword, The Journy Down all have enviroments that are dripping with atmosphere and charm.
Syberia- The World Before- Adventure gaming at its pinnacle!
Why would anybody want to play these games with such ugly graphics🤢 instead of playing under the original😔
Before I watch the video, my answer is: Balance/logic of the puzzles, and the quality of humour.
I wondered if the Monkey Island death scene was going to get a mention - haha. To be fair, I misread the question, I thought it was "what do people like in a P&C game?" rather than versus other genres. I completely agree that I am more likely to remember a bad puzzle (Monkey Wrench!!) - and I'm actually struggling to come up with a favourite puzzle...
25 year old guy here, I got into adventure games (monkey island) via the families old laptop and my brothers games. I was so surprised by them, this type of game with world building, story telling, humour and puzzles it was fresh from the other games we had. The story was one big puzzle that drew me into it, like a book! They were such a strange games that I found it interesting, of course I was young and those puzzles were hard (monkey island 4 prosthetics) , but I had so much fun exploring the world, interacting with objects and people.
But my favourite mechanics were combing the items :) . My brother didn't have much interest in the adventure game genre and so that kinda cut off any source of what the games were and finding more. So learning that the games I liked were from the 90s (colour me shocked with how good they were, since as a kid I was only exposed to low res 3d games) I tried looking around but they weren't making any new point and click adventure games , heck I didn't even know the proper genre name lol.
This combined that no one I knew liked or played them I was alone and ignorant what was out there.
The closest I got to one was "spongebob employee of the month" which realising now came out in 2002 , so still an old game when I got to it haha.
Tldr: I'm Envyous of those who grew up with Point and click.
I hope to go through the backlog of the old ones, especially because the new ones like Thimbleweed Park are too high req for my PC XD
I play it for the puzzles and problem solving.... its just my thing though yes i'm in my 40's but I always been geared toward that...
Peace I'm out....
I agree with the overall sentiment, and of course we all have our own relationships with these games - but I disagree that you really only ever remember the overly difficult puzzles. I find that I remember the ones that give me a little trouble, but that I figured out myself. Like pirate insults in MI or finding a way out that hotel in BS. Or how about working out details about a scene in The Case of the Golden Idol - that one in particular connects the 'puzzles' directly into the story. Without those little reward nuggets the games wouldn't be enjoyable. So one thing can't really live without the other. The stories need the puzzles and the puzzles need the stories.
What makes Broken Sword so good?
The short answer is, it's not.
Why not?
The games are flat, boring, and lack the whimsy and comic relief that make point and click adventure games so much fun.
This video is awesome and I believe you hit the nail strait on its head! I agree with everything you said, and I love the way you've summarised point and click games. Love the 10-min Monkey Island ref!
"I'm not putting my mouth on that"
Let me answer the question in the title, since you decided not to - nothing can make Broken Sword good, it’s a horribly boring game and the story is so so - kinda predictable. I’ll give em points for the voice acting, music and graphics though.
Quite spot on, the games should be relaxing but, not boring. boring? yes if the game don´t challenge me with thinking on my own (puzzles or not giving the player all info) it get quite dreadful to complete the game. My favorite game series is; monkey island, indiana jones, secret files, broken sword, runaway, lost horizon and the longest jurney "dreamfall" to name a few. The recent point and click adventure games last 5-10 years has been poorly made in my opinion. They are made in unique graphics and is based apon telling a story like u watch a movie, and requires no to little thinking and reflecting. Most games are made by indie game producers and may be the reason the games don´t deliver to a top notch standard. Sadly the point and click adventure fan base is not as big as call of duty or others, but there is still hope for the future. Playing mokey island 3 from Tim Schafer now and looking foreward to the new broken sword games. :)
For me personally having grown up playing monkey island Indiana jones and other Lucas arts games it had a really captivating atmosphere and the detective aspect of a wayward hero drawn into a bizarre adventure involving templars was magical. the fact they hit hard on so many historical accuracies as well traveling to real world locations made it even more tangible and you could imagine not just being in these places but discovering new secrets like George. The banter was fantastic and honestly its to this day one mf my all time favourites games. they missed the mark on 2 it was ok but 3 and 4 were horrible. Broken sword 5 parts 1 & 2 was a redemption in that sense adding so much more to the characters and playability with modern controls and quality of life changes sticking to the original format more.
Hey, you hit the nail on the head with the "coziness", that's exactly what makes them wonderful. In fact I was just the other day staying inside while it was raining, wrapped in a blanket and sipping a cup of coffee with a couple of sandwiches and playing Unavowed for the first time. It was cozy and I loved it!
I loved the characters in Broken Sword. For a few often very frustrated hours I wanted to be George, and fell in love with Nico. They have a great storyline too.
I spent more money on the helpline back in the day than the game actually cost.
Love Broken Sword and Monkey Island but in all honesty the new MI didn't keep my attention, it was a real slog. Loved the first 1/3rd but it just became a bit of a drag after that. It felt empty, the graphical style was muddy lacking charm, and just didn't present much character to the world. It was barren, none of the characters were memorable. Returning characters were so limited too, especially everyone's fave talking skull.
I think a lot can be taken from the way that Disco Elysium constructed itself; always something to do, lots of ways to do them, you don't feel like you're forced down an alley and you don't get stuck going round and round and round. There's a lot of people to meet and chat to, relationships to build, things you can miss first time and tbh i have never enjoyed RPG's, and especially not heavily text-based adventures. It felt like the next step in adventure games. I don't think everything needs a levelling system but it was nice to be able to open new dialogue doorways based on the way you were playing the game.
I agree 100%
I'm 28 and I love point and click monkey Island 3 got me into it bought it from a bargain bin in Germany when I was 12 for 2 euros at the time. The puzzling is just so much fun
point and click adventures are not popular anymore.... cause young ppl want action. but in the 90's ALL of my friends loved adventure games. so i would say the genre was very popular in old days.
My favorite game Genre is the RPG, the thing is even the best RPGs tend to have rather weak story, and lack that casual nature. Adventure games while often short, which I am not a fan of, as I like long deep stories, tend to have much better stories. They are more like an interactive book than a game. My first adventure game was not a point and click, but a text based Kings Quest 4, though the sierra games were more deadly than some others.
But my main reason for these games is the story, they give me an interactive book like story with visuals and some feeling of directing the outcome, for use when I want something more mentally relaxed than reading a book, and yet that story element...but as you mentioned that breaks down when the puzzles get in the way.
I do think as players age they will find the genre and look into them, I played some in my youth but they got better when I got older, and while they will not be huge hits for large masses, good ones can reach new fans, and bring them in. So it may not be as bleak as you made it sound, as younger players will age into the genre in time.
Another way to put it: Adventure games don´t waste your time, they enhance it ! They value it, by design they hit you with everything they´ve got, they are noble.
Why did you pick danish if you couldn’t pronounce the danish word for cosiness ? 🤣
Really like your channel, ton of quality and good thematic
Great video, quite strange too. I was just giving you advice regarding this. Before this video was uploaded on the previous videos comments. Which is totally fine, I am enjoying helping you and watching your content. It seems we both were actually thinking about the same thing. I would like to add that if you play "Discworld 1". That was released for the Sony Playstation. That point and click adventure. Will hassle the player, if the player does nothing. Because Rincewind the character in the game. Will knock on the screen while looking around and says "Hello is anybody home!" It's a very funny scene. That players will only get to see. If they leave there game alone and make a brew. Or whatever they are doing, instead of playing the game. I would like to talk about the topic regarding wasting time. If a developer tries something that he hasn't done before to there game. But wastes a lot of time trying to implement there game design. But succeeds in the end. If this happens to you? Please remember wasting time/failing at something in the moment. Is a necessary stepping stone. To becoming successful, actually what you need to do. Is to start to fail faster. So you can succeed! Looking forward to your next devlog video. These are best RUclips videos. I have see for a while. Regarding your story/making a point and click adventure. Well done, Fantastic!
Your videos and advice are also helping me out. On my personal dev journey too, thanks.
_"Broken Sword (saga)"_ are mine fav.' game
What makes every point and click games so good .. story
You perfectly resumed what i love about these games !
As a Danish person, i was caught so off guard by the "hygge" section haha
Broken sword is part of my heart . Forever.
Love p n c games it’s the stories indeed 😁
For me it's kinda relaxing and i like the stories and also the art style of the game
Nancy drew, Monkey island, deponia
The goat puzzle :'D
A very beautiful analysis
I think your title is quite misleading, the video is not about Broken Sword in any way except that you use it as an example. Why is it in the title? I found the video trying to learn more about the game, not searching for an essay about point & clicks in general
You are very spot on about the games being safe spaces. Even in dialogue when it's your turn to speak, you can get up and make a cup of tea before progressing; the lengthy pause having no real impact on the immediate storytelling.
One other thing I'd mention is the music and ambience. I can't quite pinpoint it, but these games carry some FANTASTIC ambience. I regularly fall asleep to games like Amerzone, Syberia, and the first 2 Broken Sword games. The chirping of the birds, footsteps, doors opening, rustling of the leaves - they're all conducive to a peaceful sleep!
So good this video!
Sam and max hit the road and blade runner, bevis and buthead is ace vr spring feals omg
Scummvm is amazing to have as a old gamer to get to finish the games I stared as a kid
Thats true, you stop and nothing happen its nice. You stop walking in GTA and you can be sure it will end up in a street fight because some random NPC bastard decide to ruin your day haha
Hi!
U have the point dude..:) I was watched your video and i have my ideas for your „questions”,
i was put them in some points.
-Need an intresting story and a simpatic „hero” as in movies. not enought put a many puzzle solving elements put in.
-The „art style” very important, u like or not? Me personaly like better the „cartoon” style storys as Broken Sword. When it went to that 3d madness in part 3 if i remember good, that was not the same and went to negative direction. Example when i was kid i was liked Tom and Jerry and Garfield. after they went to „3d” i was cant watch them i was must take to next channel on tv.. :/
-In old time my father was bought to me the broken sword 1. Me and my bro played many years with it till we was can finish it. When u was get a big „unsolvable part” u was take away it for weeks or mounths too, then started agin. Present days i just watch a video on youtube and its done -21324 hour „gametime”..
-Modern point and clicks are the Uncharted type games when u part of the story a bit but they still „just” tell a storys as all point and click games. Or as you said „books in raintime” I know in this times come some nice P&C game (I was liked the one with that black kitty.)
-Last one, becouse we are near one ages if i see good. Why RTS ganer is dieing in the era of multiplayer?
What is the game at arround minute 4:40 , and depending the topic, i am a fan of the storys, and watching those people life in different places, i loved th part in broken sword 1 where he goes to ireland, i love grey matter for the fact it plays near oxford and i like the scenerie as a whole, i could go on, and on, but i guess you catch the drift.
It's Unavowed, by Wadjet Eye Games.
@@pcd thank you very mutch
This video is cozy
I am in my mid 20 and I started playing point and click games last year. I got tired of the usual 70 hours plus open world RPG games so I wanted something different so I started with Monkey Island 1 and I love point and click games now. I love how relaxing and full of charm they are. I have played dozens of point and click games since then from Indiana Jones to Kathy Rain. Currently playing Wadjet Eye games. I can't get enough.
Great video!
Good video. Subbed
Briljant video! And I think you're absolutely right. Please tell me the name of the game that starts at 0:51.
It's called Whispers of a Machine. Highly recommend!
Thanks a million! 😊👍
I thought i loved point and click games..Turns out i simply love awesome point and click games such as broken sword beneath a steel sky monkey island discworld ..most modern point and click games simply suck
There are plenty of great modern ones out there!
@@pcd true. but what do you think about deponia: complete journey? should I give it a try?
@@pcd Im going to be honset .I only just read your channel name.And seen your a fellow game developer.Thats awesome .Do you have any reccomendations on modern pac games?
well done
Nothing
What are the three games from the very beginning?
Broken Sword, Monkey Island 2, and Kathy Rain.
This video was ironically peaceful
I'm 36 and it's the only genre I still play. It's been almost 10 years since I've played any other type of game.
To me the reasons I enjoy them are many. But the biggest one is that's it's a great way to spend time with your significant other. It doesn't matter which one of you is playing. You both share the same experience. It requires team work to solve the puzzles. There is no other medium that offers this to a couple.
whats the game at 4:05
It's one of the Blackwell games by Wadjet Eye games. Great titles.
Game at 3:47?
Nine Noir Lives!
Hygge ;) haha. Nice video
1:01 - what game is this?
Whispers of a Machine
@@pcd thanks!
I'm 17 and ever since playing Siberia when I was 14, it has been my favourite genre ever since
Plus, what I was gonna say has been pretty much summed up in the video. The point and click genre is a very smoothing genre compared to others and Siberia is a good example in my opinion