As the Steam page says, time travel is real and history is up for grabs.

You may recall we peeked in on Fia Quinn, a time agent for ChronoZen, about two and a half years ago (relatively speaking time-wise of course). She had dropped into 2024, escorting a wealthy client to have a last supper at a favourite burger joint. When the client goes rogue, time threatens to do what time does when stuff that like that happens, meaning Fia has to sort it. Which she does, with your help.

Old Skies is a Wadjet Eye game, so many players will know what to expect. As I said back then (or will say in the future, depending on when we are) while there is a bit of a retro feel to the design, it's a step-up from the pixelly visuals of some earlier games. The same painted backgrounds are present, everything is voiced, and the music track is appropriately good. Game-play is familiar point-and-click, and you can save at will. The inventory ribbon appears top of screen in response to the mouse, where you have access to your items as well as a digital archive with search terms that increase as you uncover information. Plus a 'phone' to contact Nozzo back in the future, who monitors and assists your activities in the past. It's all very straightforward.

Game screens tend to be generally WYSIWYG, and you can highlight hotspots to aid your searching. Exit points will take you to a scrolling streetscape, where available locations are represented by icons top of screen. Just click and that's where you will be.

It hasn't been hard to date, and the game provides plenty of feedback. You will know when new search terms have been added to the archive, and when a new location has become available. I have so far gathered only a few inventory items, most conundrums being propelled forward by conversations and some archive research, but have certainly deployed the few items I have at appropriate locations.

The roll-over aspect to looking at things warrants mentioning. Instead of clicking to look at something, moving the cursor there will generate a little pop-up description of whatever it is you are looking at. I quite like it.

My recollection is the demo finished at the end of the first mission, and so I made sure I went a little further before this look. I was particularly keen to trigger a death, which the Steam page had said was possible. Indeed, it seems to be inevitable (I say that based on a sample size of one). A scene results in Fia's demise, Norro then rewinds time, and you play again with the knowledge of what you did and didn't do last time. I don't know how many times this will occur, or if you can prevent any or all of them occurring by what you do, but on the strength of the scene I just played, you will die, and you will then have to solve it. How I feel about these scenes may well depend on how often they occur, so I will reserve any further judgement. I can say that the one I experienced didn't have any timing involved, but was a product of saying and doing things in the right way. Death more than once though may well result.

I am currently in 1871 chasing down an ex-boxer with traveler number two, and the game promises seven in all. Locations apparently include the speakeasies of Prohibition and the World Trade Center on September 10, 2001.

I am looking forward to it (or back on it, depending :-).

Thank you, flotsam, but you know darn good and well that I don't know what "WYSIWYG" means

What you see is what you get, I believe.

Thank you for the first look, flotsam!

And thank you too, Drac.

Ah, thank you Marian!

Oldbroad, in tech jargon it's pronounced, "wizzywig!"

Well, who woulda thunk it?

Aplogies for that oldbroad - I tend to use it to refer to a scene being limited to what is on the screen in front of you as opposed to it sliding about as you approach its edges.
I will make sure I set it out in full next time

Setting it out in full text would definitely make your description WYSIWYG.
Sheldon Cooper: "Was that sarcasm?"

Anyway, thanks Flotsam. This game sounds like fun. I will have a look.

I'm old enough to know what WYSIWYG means. It was a termed coined when computer screens were getting good enough to give you a general idea of what your document would look like when printed on a laser printer. I've never heard it in the context that flotsam uses it though. But it's a pretty descriptive usage, at least after his clarification. I also generally like games that utilize that interface.

I'm probably old enough; just not wise enough!

But you're both old and wise enough to know what BAAGS means.

Thank you flotsam and drac

As always, a big Thank You flotsam (and Draclvr) !!

As I delve deeper into Old Skies, I would actually compare play with Rosewater. The devs have certainly worked together, but that's not my point. It's the sense that both games are pushing the point and click interface to be...more. I for one appreciate the creativity and the effort.