Hi all
For each of the last 10 years, Gameboomer members have compiled a list of games they would recommend to each other to play. Over the years, games have come and gone from that list. Some older ones have been pushed out by new releases; at the same time, many new games have been consistently out performed by older more venerable games.
Over the 10 years, as more games have been released, we have increased the number of games for which people could 'vote'. However unless we keep increasing it, the sheer number of games means many worthy games will not get a mention.
The purpose of the list is also relevant. It isn't to find the best game of all time, but to be a resource for people to be able to get recommendations about what to play. It was my own desire for that sort of information that led me to starting it in the first place.
So what that all means is that after 10 years of lists, it has been decided to retire some games to a Hall of Fame.
It is clear that certain games will always perfom well and will always be on the final list. Syberia for instance has finished top for the last 6 years, so do we really need to put it on our annual list to know its a game worth playing?
To compile the initial entrants to the Hall of Fame, we went back to our very first list, and looked at how those games had performed over the next 10 years. We chose 10 games that had performed consistently well; they might have gone up and down a bit, but despite all the new releases, they still do well at polling time.
We then looked at which other games had done well in that time, and had a bit of longevity behind them. We decided to retire 4 more games to the Hall of Fame.
Are there arguments for other games being in the Hall of Fame? Without a doubt. However I think most people would agree that those that are listed below deserve to be there. And based on an analysis of the results, that's the consensus of the accumulated wisdom of all those who have voted over the years.
The result of being in the Hall of Fame is that the game will be ineligible to be included on our future annual lists. This will mean we will see other games - both old and new - being more prominent in those lists, and thereby coming to the attention of future players. Further retirements to the Hall of Fame will inevitably occur.
So here they are in alphabetical order - the first entrants to our Hall of Fame.

Amerzone
Dark Fall: The Journal
The Black Mirror
Gabriel Knight: The Beast Within
Grim Fandango
The Longest Journey
Myst
Riven
Sanitarium
Syberia
Syberia 2
Timelapse
Zork Nemesis
Zork Grand Inqusitor

A Hall of Fame List of Games is a great idea. Great idea!

Thanks for the pre-notice, flotsam

A very good idea, Flotsam. I had my rough ready for an annual list, with more current titles, and hope this approach will reduce the redundancy of Syberia, and company, quite deservedly, being listed again and again. I'd like to see the likes of Ceville and Vampyre Story get a chance to someday enter the Hall of Fame. Thank you!

Robertson

I think it's a great idea. An I'm looking forward to voting in this year's List!

Well, I think I'm the only gamer on the planet that hasn't played Sanitarium, Zork or Grim Fandango. I strongly suspect none of these games will run on Win 7, but will they run on XP in compatibility mode? If so, I may venture into the waters by getting Sanitarium. I see Interact has it listed.

BTW, thanks for the great idea, Flotsam.

Barb

Cappy the jewel case version of Sanitarium works on XP without any tweaks (well, it ran for me without tweaks). I'm not sure if the disk version will work in Win 7 though. You can also purchase the download version on Good Old Games (GOG).

I think there's a chance we'll see the Zorks eventually coming to GOG too, since they are releasing classic games now owned by Activision.

LucasArts is gradually re-releasing its classics on Steam, though I don't think Grim Fandango has made it there yet. From what I've heard, Grim can be difficult to get to run on Win XP, even in compatibility mode.

flotsam, an excellent idea and a great choice of games for the Hall of Fame.

The voting will be interesting this year for the List.

Chief

flotsam. I would of listed GK2, Black Mirror, The Longest Journey,Grim Fandango, Sanitarium, and Syberia on this years list so this will give me room to add some new games. Will you be adding new games to the Hall of Fame list each year? Maybe everyone could add a canidate for the HOF on their list too?

Thanks, Becky. I didn't think about GOG. I wouldn't mind getting the download version from them, but it's listed as Vista-compatible. Do you know if that would include Win7? If that's iffy, I'll go for the jewel case version and play it on my XP.

I haven't had any trouble playing my GOG games on Win7, so go for it

Great news, misslilo!! Thanks. I'm heading over there right now.

super idea !

even though i love those games, sometimes i hesitate to recommend all of them to a newbie for various reasons - this is a great way around it !

Definetely The Longest Journey deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. The reason: Very unique game with original story and memorable characters.

Flotsam,
What a right-on list, so great to see so many of my favs there!
This will be great, and I totally agree with your reasoning for doing it.
Will this mean the "Hall of Fame" will now have a permanant 'sticky'?
As a mostly newcomer to PC Adventure games
the info compiled here has been most helpful.
Thanks for all yalls hard work!

Katbear the list can always be found in The Archives forum and on the link on the top of the forum that says GB Annual Game List.

It will not be stickied on this forum.

Ana

Sorry, Ana,
That's what I meant, still get turned round in here sometimes.

No need to be sorry. I wasn't sure if you knew where to find them. Our lists are always available.

Ana

Thanks all - I for one can't wait to get to this years list. Isabelle is bound to feature prominently now

5 new spots just opened on my list. Great idea!

"Isabelle is bound to feature prominently now "

Cant grumble at any of those. Enjoyed them all - well apart from Myst.

I would also like to add

Syberia 1

to the list of adventure games being honored in the Hall of Fame.

It's already there. Just called Syberia:-)

Thanks Flotsam, you just gave me seven openings. My list will really be different this year.

Hi all
Just lifting this back up to the top as a reminder about out "retired" games, and given our list this year is just around the corner!
Start dusting of those unplayed games - I will start the list thread in a week or so.
cya
flotsam

WooHoo! I can't believe it's that time already.

Ana

Because it's almost June! It's time for the List!

Wheee! I'd better start compiling my list.

Ah, there went five of the games I was going to vote for. That's okay, I'm still very much looking forward to making this year's list!!

Wish Gray Matter could be on it, though. Maybe next year.

flotsam: I've been busy with real life. I checked in because I knew the twisty list was coming in June. Any date set for it just yet?


Thanks,

Gamehound

You do a lot of work on these annual Hall of Fame lists, flotsam, as I can easily see by looking back at them, and you really do deserve tons of thanks for it. Retiring games will certainly cut down on the number you have to deal with over and over.

However, I think the newer games should have to slug it out with the ones that have been judged the best time and again to gain a legitimate place in the Hall of Fame. What does it mean if, say, Black Mirror II comes out on top of the pile this year if it doesn't have to compete against the likes of Syberia or Grim Fandango?

I'm sure plenty of others, maybe most of you, will see it another way but that's my take on it.

Gil.

interesting thought , but my take has always been that since we're recommending games as if for someone new , by the time they finished 10 , they would be looking for everything else in a series or the older games ,on their own , as they would have a bad case of baags !

also, they might not want to deal with tweaking with the newer pc systems ?

"also, they might not want to deal with tweaking with the newer pc systems?"

Lol! GOG.com is gradually making that unnecessary. A little too gradually on the tpp point & click adventure games but I've snagged some nice ones that I wouldn't have been able to play on Win 7, 64 bit otherwise.

Gil.

yes , but the people i might be recommending games to have trouble sending e-mail ! let alone downloading things

anyway, the newer things that make the list over and over may go into that hall of fame down the road.

i say , just keep 'em coming , please and thank you !

Hi Flotsam,

I agree with the games on the list totally, however, I can't understand how Tex Murphy was left off, particularly Pandora Directive which has continuously been on top in the lists. By the way how could you have left out Carte Blanch, Forever worlds and (drum roll please!!!) The Scroll ( A total classic for extremely dubious reasons) Anyone play it successfully????? LOL

Regards,

Barry