I've been gaming for just about 25 years now, so I think my definition of the genres has become pretty strict over the years.

My definition of an adventure game is:

You play as a protagonist that exists in the game world.

You are either presented with a story, or you uncover it as you go along.

There can be action sequences, though I'd prefer if they were left out (I play adventure games to relax, not to push a lot of buttons)

You solve puzzles along the way. It doesn't really matter if they're inventory based or part of the world. However, and here's my most important distinction between puzzle and adventure, these puzzles have to be a part of the game world, actually be integrated into the world you're exploring, and not just there for the sake of having a puzzle.

I would definitely consider the Myst series adventure games. They were a bit atypical, since they didn't really have any of the traditional dialog we were used to. You didn't participate in conversations, you just listened in on them. Where the Myst games differed from other games at the time, were the style of the puzzles you solved. They were based very much on logic and math, and not the more traditional 'item A+B=result'. However, they were always integrated into the game world, and not just there for the sake of having a puzzle. Oh, and by the way, the Myst series has a very deep storyline, it's just not presented the way we're used to. You're not part of the story, but it's your job to uncover it.

A game like Big Brain Wolf is, for me at least, very much a puzzle game. While some of the puzzles you solve are loosely integrated with the task at hand, most of the time they're just there for the sake of having a puzzle. Definitely not a bad game, but doesn't fit my definition of an adventure game.

Anyway, that just about covers it I think

The one word that keeps coming up when writing about Myst is that the puzzles are "logical" and right there is where I claim that means it is not an adventure, but a logical puzzle game with a story attached to the puzzles. A true adventure game isn't logical in any way, shape or form, because the puzzles are based on imagination and intuition (or hunch) and mind-reading (trying to figure out what the game maker was thinking when the solution isn't the same as one would expect) which can be somewhat annoying, but fun when its solved, even if one needs a walkthrough to get it. And yet another definition for adventure could be that it is a "light-hearted story mixed with danger, humor, lots of things and people to interact with and just a lot of fun to play. No mind-bending, boring puzzles which would appeal to a rocket scientist and a story line that is like reading history as it happened who knows when and only found in books. Well, that's my take and I'm hanging on to it.

Only some of the Myst puzzles are purely logical, most require imagination, intuition and mind-reading (like you say).

Also, while I really like your description of adventure game gameplay, I strongly disagree that "a true adventure game isn't logical in any way, shape or form". For example:

Scissors are a tool to cut flat, thin things, therefore I can cut this flat, thin object with them.

Thinking logical like that is essential to adventure games - it just isn't enough, because adventure game challenges go beyond that.

Please do not get so derogatory. It's fine for you to not like logic puzzles, but I love them, and I'm no rocket scientist.
I'm tired of this Myst vs. other adventures discussion (every forum has it's moments and there seems to be quite a few of them right now). You can take your stand, but don't belittle us gamers that like these games, and constantly feel like we have to defend them.

Right on, colpet !!!!

Shucks, I was just speaking for myself and how I feel and suddenly it seems that some of you are thinking that I somehow mean YOU. Why are you taking it so personally? This is a forum for different viewpoints and I didn't trash your POVs, so it would be nice if you didn't trash mine!

Sierramindy -- some people take their gaming seriously, and it's not that much of a stretch to feel that you were criticizing their point of view.

Trashing is something we try to avoid. Nobody likes to have to clean up afterwards.

I'm locking this thread, while offering up the usual "let's agree to (nicely) disagree" statement.