Okay, we have a current thread about the easiest adventure game you have played, so here is a thread about the worst adventure games you have ever played.
On top of this, some of these mazes are timed sequences, and are *dark*...

The Longest Journey. I will now go hide from objects flying at my head.

Sorry,
Rusty

Piece of cake -

Chateau D'or for oh, so many reasons

A Fork in the Tale for the same oh, so many reasons

The Scroll - that game just goes without saying

Nine - the first time I actually wanted to reach through the screen and throttle a game character

Hey, everyone is entitled to his/her opinion.. That would not be a game I would choose for this thread, but it is your choice, and therefore valid.. By it's nature, this is a very subjective thread... <img border="0" alt="" title="" src="graemlins/bravo.gif " />

Midnight Nowhere.
Susan

Curse of Atlantis - Thorgal's Quest

Booorrrrrrrriiinnnnggggg!!!

I've played some real stinkers, but I believe this one tops my list of "Never To Be Played Again Under Any Circumstances"

I second the vote for "A Fork in the Tale" and "9". But Turkey is much too nice a title for them. How about rat??? Blood sucking leech??? Bloated cockroach??? Would you like to know how I really feel about those games?

Nickie
Rusty

no contest

worst adventure game ever made and no game ever made in the future will ever come close to being the all time turkey as

THE QUIVERING

I agree with Rusty- The Longest Journey gets a vote from me. Too much talking!
Schizm- very pretty but too hard!

I tried and gave up on Nine twice.... maybe it will be third time lucky?????

I gave up on Frankenstein for the same reasons as you Warmbear... I hates mazes to pieces!!!!

I had to force myself to finish The Crystal Key and Amber.

Rusty & Sassafras, I'm with you. It would have to be The Longest Journey. Way too much talking. I read a book during most of the conversations.

Hey Nickie,

For me...Had to be ND's Haunted Carousel, I can't even bring myself to give it to my nieces and nephews.
It literally is the smell in this room that only a dog or cat can appreciate. One would bury it and the other would cover it with litter <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="tongue.gif" />

Ingie

Adventure at Chateau D'Or
The Scroll was bad too.

I liked Nine, though I couldn't finish it the second time I played because of a bug.

I don't think TLJ would qualify, whatever one's personal opinion of it is, because so many people DID like it. A "golden turkey" thread isn't quite the same as a "games you hate" thread, is it? If it is, never mind what I just said.

Forever Worlds....forever in the recycling bin.

I have to without a doubt say "Rhem". ONLY game I never finished, but coming in a close second is Watchmaker or Midnight Nowhere. But I can't say for sure yet because I'm still struggling through them. I'm utterly bored with them.
Ana

or as I named it after many a frustrating hours... Forgotten Worlds and it should be

The potential was there, many of the funnies were drowned out by the background music. The humour was very twisted!!

FOREVER WORLDS- no contest- hands down -over and out-HATRED, HATRED, seething, heaving, red spots-BAD BAD DEVELOPERS. I feel better now.

Sorry to disagree with a few here TLJ is one of my all time favorite games because of the conversations and character interactions and fantastic plot. As for what I consider to be the worst I've played it has to be Myst and Exile (didn't go near Riven, ROTS and Mysterious Journey). Can't stand games that are all puzzles on top of puzzles on top of puzzles and no real story or character interaction. My all time worst vote though would probably go to Forever Worlds!!!! By the way, am currently playing Midnight Nowhere and finding it to be alot of fun and really good game in general. Hang in there BrownEyedTigre the end will blow your mind!! A totally different kind of surprise!!! (I'm actually still playing it, some idiot tipped off the end to me, could have killed him. But it is something I've always wanted to do/be in an adv game and I'm playing the game from that perspective and loving it.

Enjoy,
Bill

My vote goes to:

Thorgal's Quest - What a disappointment.

City of Lost Children - Had an arcade sequence that was a game stopper for me.

You Mean "Forever Stupid"?


Okay, I don't even consider "Forever Worlds" a game... A big, fat joke, perhaps (One that was played on everyone who was tricked into purchasing it.. what an abomination)....

My vote is also for Chateau D'Or...I couldn't wait to get that game, then I couldn't wait to finish it! but I did finish..never to play it again! Glynn

"A Quiet Week-end in Capri"- it was pretty to look at for about the first three hours, then it just became B-O-O-O-O-Ring. (Apologies to all of you who liked it - a lot of the previously mentioned hated games are on my favorites list.)

Forever Worlds, I can't get it to sell or trade, okay what if I put it on one of my table feet to level the table, that it is good for...

Another one, I am not to fond with is A Quiet Weekend in Capri, like SuMac said, pretty to look at for a while, then it gets to you...tired of all that walking and getting lost..not my kind of game...

Liz

I already have a post elsewhere telling how I much dislike Forever Worlds (playing it now, but not for long). I don't even want to resurrect that thought!

Well, it certainly looks like "Forever Worthless" and "A Quiet Weekend in (a) Coma" have many loyal fans here...

I think I'm playing it right now ... "Missing" <G>! That's followed closely by "Conspiracies". I've tried several times to finish but just can't.

Susan

Adventure at the Chateau d'Or had many faults but still managed to provide a couple of interesting puzzles. I do think 7 glasses of wine was a bit much, and I was very tempted to leave the princess captive in that sphere just to punish her for her atrocious acting, but I still had a good time with it. I now know a little more French history, too. However, it is at the bottom of my list, and I doubt if I'll ever replay it.

Okay Bill...you have now piqued my interest. I'll keep that in mind as I plug my way through. BTW, I do find the posters and reading material quite interesting though!
Ana

Rhem. Boring. I believe it is the only game I didn't finish.

Druuna Morbis Gravis - nuff said.

Hi

In my book, "9" is certainly a turkey that shouldn't gobble any more....

Someone, around these parts, once said they turned the box upside down so they could pretend it was a different game

I liked 9 a lot, with the exception of the final puzzle and the fact the game window was small.

My vote goes to Trick or Treat. I know I'm not supposed to pick a game because of bugs, but this game is impossible to get to the end of due to a bug that occurs right after the first big cutscene. I haven't met anybody who's managed to get past it and it's been tested on every type of computer from a 386 run DOS 5.0 to a new PC running WinXP. Gobble gobble.

I haven't played Forever Worlds (nor am I likely ever to), but it sounds like it deserves the award as well.

Wow...so many...

Rhianna Rouge
Midnight Nowhere
Salammbo (hated it, just HATED it)
Chateau D'Or

Those would be MY top 4 stinkers.

I'd forgotten about Forever Worlds. That one certainly trumps them all as far as turkeyhood goes.

I don't agree about RHEM at all though. It was a puzzle-oriented game that had wonderfully logical mechanical puzzles. Not for everyone but certainly no turkey.

I don't know if I would call them "turkeys" but these are games that I couldn't get myself to finish, either due to being majorly difficult to progress for me, had me totally confused, or just boring to me...

Traitor's Gate
Safecracker
Temujin
The Quivering
Feeble Files
Twinsen's Odyssey

Hello-

I think the Turkey of the year goes to Crystal Key, of course it could of been me, I prefer Syberia, The Longest Journey and Dungeon Siege, but the Crystal Key I could not get anywhere.

popcorneater -- you hated the Nancy Drew game The Haunted Carousel?

So you keep saving your game, because experienced adventure gamers KNOW they can get killed off any second; and they're ready to load that saved game - right? But nothing happens to you! The game moves forward, and the sounds get scarier; and nothing happens to you.

Finally, your in the 'endgame' sequence -- staring right into the "Darkness" itself... and what pops up? A lovely, multi-colored and NON-scary puzzle. You make a mistake... and nothing bad happens to you. You just try again. Then another pretty puzzle to solve... and nothing happens. You're at the end, and thousands of lost souls are crying out to you for help. You feel the pressure on you, to NOT MESS UP. But you DO mess up. Do you get EATEN? NO! Do you die? NO! Do you get (at least) yelled at by the scary "Darkness"? No!!!

It just stares at you from its fountain of souls, and waits patiently for you to get those lyrics right. You don't die, because you CAN'T die. And you realize you've been CONNED.

BTW, this is for the AMERICAN release.

--- --- Give Dark Fall a 'Turkey' AND a 'Chicken' award, IMHO...

In these sorts of threads I used to say Temujin, but now I have a new winner, Traitors Gate 2.
Gadzooks, did this game have issues.

I have to go along with Nine also. It is still sitting on my shelf where it will probably stay just because it seems sinful to toss games.
Gee, maybe it will become a classic some day as the worst game ever and be worth some money.

Lakerz... was the Trick or Treat game based on the film???

Actually, I really liked that you couldn't die in Dark Fall. I like games where you can't die. To me experiencing the fear, suspense and anticipation does not necessarily imply that you have to be able to die in the game. In fact, I feel a sense of accomplishment that I fought evil and lived whether dying was possible or not. There's enough chances to die in the real world--why put it in my game??

but anyway, turkeys.

The two games i've never been able to finish are Thorgal's Quest and Traitor's Gate. The first was just annoying and had too many stupid action elements that I didn't want to deal with; boy was that a waste of money. The latter was just non-sensical and boring and contrived. I mean, I'm sure in the real world a super secret agent would be sent out on a mission with a lock-pick that only works on one specific 16th century kind of lock. Yuck. Words cannot express my revulsion for that one.

The two that I actually finished but thought were dreadful: Mystery of the Druids and The Omega Stone. Both had real potential that they just didn't live up to. All that back and forthing in TOS about drove me mad, too.

WW

Missing/In Memoriam.

Mostly because the lack of a gameworld annoyed me no end. I probably would have quit (I rarely bother finishing a game I don't like) if I wasn't playing it for review. Exploring a cool gameworld is far and above the main reason I play adventure games. Missing/In Memoriam was the equivalent of being tied to my chair and forced to fill out tax forms all day.

Am I the only one that liked Forever Worlds?
Jeykll & Hyde
Thief
Toonstruck
Luv,Joanie

I did not even like the premise it is built on....
I do not want to buy any game that is not self contained.. What happens when the developer decides not to host the webpages that are part of the content anymore? The game becaomes worthless.. The publisher tries to herald it as some sort of wonderful new direction for adventure games.. yeah, sure..

Joanie, I liked Forever Worlds. See, You are not alone.

What great responses, people! <img border="0" alt="" title="" src="graemlins/bravo.gif " />

After reading them, I have moved some games to the bottom of my "to buy" list i.e. Chateau D'Or, which seems to be pretty universally disliked..


Many others games appear to have split decisions, and that is not really surprising.. This is subjective, and as some people want more story and less puzzles, and others want less story and more puzzles, I can see why some people would love (for example) TLJ, and others would hate it..

In any case, this is really interesting reading everyone.......

Contribution to mega-turkeys list(since this is neutral ground):

Beyond Atlantis II (Atlantis 3)-gorgeous graphics, but completely nonsensical in its number of bizarre puzzles and utter lack of plot. The dreadful ending had me staring at the screen, baffled, slack-jawed and glaze-eyed.

Amerzone-sorry, but to me just plain lame and somewhat childish. If it had been marketed strictly as a game for the young, I'd have no beef with it.

Thanks to this forum, for many years I've been able to avoid purchasing any number of lousy games. I'm forever grateful!

I'd like to add In Memorium to my list. The concept was interesting but when I got into it it was just plain blah!!!!

Tigger, I'm not sure what the Trick or Treat movie was about, but I don't think the game is based on any movie license. The game is about a guy who just got a job at a retirement home, and they are planning a big Halloween party. Things are not what they seem to be though at the home. The ironic thing is the game was fairly vanilla until the first cutscene when a lot was revealed that made you want to continue...then crash. That sucks.

lakerz, in the same spirit as banging one's head against the wall because it feels so good when you quit, I think I'll load up Trick or Treat, if the problem cutscene is not too far into the game. Is it?

johnboy for agreeing with me on
Forever Worlds.I was feeling so alone <img border="0" alt="" title="" src="graemlins/cry.gif" /> You're a pal! Luv,Joanie

Good luck, nickie. lakerz sent me a saved game and I tried to get past the crash on 3 different systems/OS to no avail.

I'd adding my voice to the Chateau D'Or group. It was very short, and I absolutely HATED having to "study" in order to pass a quiz and progress in the game.
And I am eternally grateful for ANY adventure game in which I CANNOT die, and thoroughly enjoyed Dark Fall!

Thanks Scout! I doubt very much that I'll have different results, but I was just curious, and the game has been sitting here on the shelf forever.

There are 3 other games Id like to add to my dislike list. Conspiracies and Harvest, And A Quiet Weekend in Capri.

The only reason that one doesn't get more votes is that so few people have played it.

Regarding "....Weekend in Capri"..... JA ought to be shot for giving it such a high rating.. Very misleading and disappointing.. The game is far too flawed to get an A+ rating...

I really do not know what game Quandary reviewed, but it could not have been AQWIC... "Think Myst but in a real location"...? Umm, no......

AQWIC and FW are the first 2 adventure games I would actually consider selling... (I am a real horder when it comes to adventure games).....

A true baager won't even sell their bad games. I probably have every game that belongs in the Hall of Shame.

I'd feel guilty about taking money for Forever Worlds.

Well, I suppose you could make a coaster with it, or a "sun catcher"... Or perhaps use it for leveler for a table with a short leg....

I've been using it as a tester for dodgy old CD drives, which I suspect might "eat" the CD.

<img border="0" alt="" title="" src="graemlins/bravo.gif " /> Now there's a new use......

I have a feeling that one day ~ hopefully far distant ~ I am just going to have to have a copy of Forever Worlds to find out if its really as bad as people say...

Last time we mentioned least favorite games I nominated "Labyrinth of Time" (nothing but an endless series of mazes connected by puzzles) and "Mystery of the Nautilus" because of all the timed stuff, strange clues, sudden deaths and especially the game-stopping robot.

Those are still my least favorite games but on reflection even those aren't total turkeys. I did enjoy them at times. Graphics were nice, music was pleasant, there were some puzzles I got a kick out of solving etc

Only one I've played this last year that I might add is "Bad Mojo." They really werent kidding, were they? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="tongue.gif" /> But it was fun at first to find yourself playing an insect

In fact, I enjoyed every game mentioned on this thread (that I've played) to varying degrees. Of course, there are quite a few mentioned that I havent played. Chateau D'or definitely just moved down a few notches on my to-play pile

Its a rare game that brings nobody any joy. I thought that honor was reserved for Dun duh da! The Scroll (Is Forever Worlds really a contender for the Dungeon of Shame?)

Susan

I found "Midnight Nowhere", "Saalambo, "Conspiracies" and "A Quiet Weekend in Capri" to be a big bore.

I loved TLJ and those like it.

Teddo

Really great seeing the diversity of opinions on this thread. For instance I'm currently playing Midnight Nowhere and Conspiracies and find both to have totally engrossing draw you in storylines. I also really liked TLJ and it's in my top 10 never get rid of pile for numerous replays, although from what I'm seeing Midnight Nowhere might fall in that category also (unfortunately someone tipped off the end to me and it's something I've always wanted to do/be in a game). Knowing what's really going on and playing the game from that perspective is wild!! Still would have preferred to not have been tipped off and then replayed knowing what was really going on. I totally agree with Forever (Forgotten) Worlds sharing the honor with The Scroll (couldn't even get that one to install) as one of the biggest turkeys of all time and a definite candidate for The Dungeon of Shame. As I stated before reading the diversity of opinions is one of the things I find most interesting on this site as well as the great people on it.

Happy Gaming all,
Bill

Lakerz, the Trick or Treat movie was about a deceased Rock star coming back to life when his record is played backwards.. spooky stuff!!

Hi Susan. To you, and others who were surprised by my voting Dark Fall a 'Turkey' and a 'Chicken' ---

I LOVED the game. Did I forget to mention that?

I'll buy every game that Jonathan Boakes creates.

THAT'S why I voted for it. It was too good a game, IMO, to have those photos in it; and too delightfully CREEPY a game, IMO, to leave me standing in front of the Dark Fall's rainbow-colored puzzle that I repeatedly messed up... ALIVE.

I agree with you. I hesitate to buy Missing worrying about closing webpages. Sometimes I spend 5 ~ 6 years on playing a game. I dislike being pressed with lack of time. What if some part of the game vanish while I am playing it?

Oh, I know. The criminal would not wait for so long without any acting.

Can anybody spell WARD! as in "The Ward"?

And I second (or third?) the vote for Chateau D'or!

Louis

I did ask the question re Missing's websites to the guy from TAC on a previous thread and he said the websites would be there forever....

I've avoided Chateau D'Or and The Scroll thanks to the 8,000 step DeBaaging program. It was inpatient care but I escaped & bought both The Quivering & the worst of the worst....Of Light and Darkness, before I was recaptured.

Repetitive timed sequence nightmares in OLAD that gave my brain carpal tunnel syndrome, not to mention feeling like a dog. Fetch that glowing orb! Good dog, now again and again and again and....ARGH!!! Plus the game stopping bug toward the end.

That disgusting save system in Quivering...<shudders> Absolutely hated to save. First game I ever quit. Started myself a trend. Too many games, too little time. I'd rather play a screensaver.

Love, Jen

I would have to say "Chateau d'Or". I laboriously searched the net, stores, thrift shops, yard sales etc. for this one. After travelling to several cities I finally found it and it had been marked down from $35 to $20. Woohoo! After finishing it the same day I started it, I sat and stared at the monitor for quite some time, waiting for the next chapter to begin, only to realize the game was over. More time passed.... but nothing happened. Finally my family had to pull me away from the computer, my hand still clutched to my mouse, waiting for more. As I feverishly slept the next few nights, I cried out "but it's such a big building, there must be more rooms in it!".....

ROTFL

Well...your mind obviously works in a really, really different way than mine! I just can't even wrap my mind around the concept of "this game was too good not to kill me!"

WW

Hi Guys,

The Sydney Mystery.

danyboy

Skippy,
You are too funny but absolutely right! I kept trying to get into those 3 doors in that small hallway, thinking there had to be more to see. I also wrote down the symbols, hoping they would be a clue later in the game. No such luck.

Jenny100,
I agree with you about Rhem not qualifying as a turkey. It was not a game for folks who don't like mechanical puzzles, but it was well crafted and challenging. I enjoyed it very much.

Do you know the worst thing??? I even want to try the ones which come with cranberry jelly and chestnut stuffing!!!

Syd, any space in the Rest Home, my BAAGS just got worse!!!!!

Sorry for the late reply Nickie. It was a couple of nights worth of playing before I reached the first cutscene. The game is tough in that every screen has dozens of items you can look at and try to pick up, so it's easy to miss something. I know I kept my notes while playing, so if you do decide to start it and get stuck, I should be able to give you a clue or two.

Thanks Lakerz, but I couldn't even get it to install on this computer! When I drag my old one out, I'll give it a try again, and know I would appreciate the tips!

I remember that thread, and the response to queries about the sites going down or disappearing was (as I recall) "You won't have to worry about it"...

Sorry, But given TAC's overall track record (which has just gotten worse and worse.. now standing at abysmal), I don't believe a word they say at this point... Just look at their latest debacle.

warmbear, I don't know if it makes any difference to you, but just so you know : the online site for In Memoriam (which Dreamcatcher released as Missing) doesn't have anything to do with Dreamcatcher or Adventure Games. Its SKL Network backed by Ubisoft.

That's interesting, but no it does not change my original sentiment about any game that is not self-contained. I still play games that are 10 years old (and even older)... That clearly will not be possible with games(?) such as "Missing".

As I recall, Ubisoft and EA both tend to shut down online games after about 3 years.

guess I had better finish it quick then, huh?

I never played turkeys til the end but I would not judge a game until I see the ending.

Skippy! I've felt that way about many games. I *STLL* want to see the rest of Tay. Sad, eh?

I also avoid games that depend on websites to run. For one thing, I usually like my computer to be disconnected from the net when playing adventure or puzzle games.

Maybe you could save the necessary pages to your hard drive? I guess it depends on how that part is laid out.

Susan

I agree with that and, using that as a criterion, I haven't played a "real turkey" - yet. But, two games that I intensely disliked, for different reasons, are The Longest Journey and The Omega Stone.

Ducking and weaving.

Jema

I don't play a huge number of games, adventure games can be quite hard to get. That's why I hate to buy one that I can't be bothered to finish. CSI was one of these. I kept wondering where the actual game was. At all times you are taken by the hand and told what to do. I know it can be frustrating when you seem to be stuck in a game forever and you've clicked on everything and tried to combine the most ridiculous items but then you get to that moment when you just grin from ear to ear. And that's what we want from our games.

Jema, I know the feeling.

I liked The Omega Stone... when I wasn't booted out by the infamous "Photo Album Corruption Glitch"...

My vote for the number one worst game of all time has to be "Stupid Invaders"! I don't get offended very easily, but that piece of trash was rather insulting!

I have to say the worst I've played was Crystal Key, twice. First time was after initial purchase, and I stopped playing when it got so confusing what had to be done.

Second time, and I finished it this time, I just had read something about the game and decided to try again. Had to use a WT most of the time because there wasn't any way to know what had to be done when or with what.