What do you miss most about the earlier days of adventure games? Was it the writing, the puzzle design, the sense of discovery, or something else entirely?

And out of curiosity—which decade do you think was the strongest for adventure game releases? Do you lean toward the classics of the ’80s and ’90s, the experimentation of the 2000s, or the modern revival era?

Ana

This is a hard question for me because I don't know the proper words for this stuff. I think what I miss most may have to do with game engines that don't make me sick. Even games these days that say Point & Click have movement that makes me sick and different type of control that I don't care for. (That may not have to do with game engines - I don't know.)

I don't think I'm a big fan of the "classics". In looking at this list, I see a lot of games in the 2000-2010 range that I liked, as well as from 1995-2000. That doesn't mean I don't like a lot of the newer games though.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_graphic_adventure_games

I would have to say that the 1990s were the pinnacle of adventure games for me, although there are a few that I have really enjoyed subsequent to that (The Lost Crown being just one example).

Just between the months of approximately August 1995 and June 1996 we had Torin's Passage, Shivers, Phantasmagoria, Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within, Tex Murphy: The Pandora Directive, Shannara, and Reams of the Haunting, to name a few. There was so much variety to be had here, and also a good bit of full-motion video that I thoroughly enjoyed (not necessary for me to enjoy an adventure game, but adding to the fun when it was done right).

I totally agree with Marian about the 1990s era thereabouts

For the writing, puzzle design, sense of discovery and much more !!

And would add such titles as :

Monkey Island Series
Sam & Max Series
Indiana Jones Series
Day of the Tentacle
Simon the Sorcerer Series
Full throttle
Grim Fandango

Glorious Games All .... Some of which have never been surpassed !!

I think all the elements we loved in the 90s are still there, on occasion, in certain games. No doubt they are more polished now, and often with more bells and whistles. But consider Foolish Mortals. Brilliant point and click with a great story. No sea sickness :-) There are others too. They may be few these days, but embrace them when they are released, and encourage more...

Oh, they ARE embraced, KatieB, and more would be very welcome.
But few recent new releases have drawn me in because so few of them seem to favour stories that I personally find particularly inviting ….

I've been buying up most all of the point & click games I see but too many are pixelated and not really of the epic saga story type that I like most.

What “epic saga story type” titles do you like, oldbroad ??

I’ve always had the impression that the story was not an important element for you ….

I miss not having to deal with WASD. I also miss not having to worry about save at will.

For me it had to be from 1995 thru 2010 especially the years of The Adventure Company and its predecessor DreamCatcher Interactive. They were releasing fantastic adventures monthly. I miss the good old days of perusing the Adventure game aisle at old CompUSA weekly because it was the only way to see what new games were released and trying to peek inside Gaming Magazines (without buying the mag) to see what would soon be released.

Mad, that's probably not the right description for the games but it's what I call them. Games like:

Amerzone
Aura
Echo
Egyptian Prophecy
Longest Journey
Paradise
Pompeii
Road to India
Sentinel
Syberia

But then they lead into a whole bunch of others that I wouldn't describe the same but I like just as much and the description/type starts to blend all together in my brain:

Atlantis
Bad Mojo
Blackstone Chronicles
Dracula
Grim Fandango
Jazz & Faust
Messenger
Sanitarium

Etc., Etc., Etc.

I miss the delivery of a boxed game, opening the box pulling out the manual for a read then slipping the 1.44 or floppy into the drive waiting to see what comes up. Starting the games was so exciting after a wait for them to release

I really enjoyed the Tex Murphy times

EDIT: I miss all those days

I do still play a newer one now and again. Two standouts for me were Foolish Mortals and The Excavation of Hob's Barrow - I enjoyed both of those very much.

And yet, you didn't post in the "What Adventure are you Playing" thread, Marian! I really wish more people posted there. Just the name of the game with no commentary is fine.

You are right. Hob's Barrow, though, I played years ago. Foolish Mortals is something that I could have posted about, for sure. I promise not to have another lapse like that.

I enjoy that thread and will add to it when I can, oldbroad. Unfortunately I started an RPG a few days ago and while I may or may not make it through (I play them very slowly), it isn't fodder for the adventure thread. Oh, and it's an RPG from the 1990s - do we see a pattern here?

Yes, I know where your heart lies regarding games

I agree with so many of these posts !! 🤗

( But, oldbroad, MANY of those titles you posted are “story rich” games )

Yes Mad, but they have enjoyable puzzles in them. My first choice would be a journey story with puzzles. I don't always understand the story though but if it has puzzles that I like, I'm good! I also like games that are mainly puzzle with no story because I like puzzles, but my brain and patience don't always like puzzles anymore. And, I even like story games that don't have a lot of puzzle, depending on the story or how the game unfolds, such as The 39 Steps. Let's just say, I like games! Different games for different moods and different experiences!

OK. You like “games” ?? A good, all compassing answer !!

Mad you listed some of my favorite games of all time. The days of Sierra On-Line and Lucas Arts were my favorite era.

Yes. Those oldies will certainly take some beating, they are such a joy to play ANY time

I too miss the boxes and all the feelies, as well as the suprise that came with playing something different and new.
For me that was in the 90s, when I first got into adventures in a concerted way. Riven, GK2, Sanitarium, Bad Mojo, Faust, Grim Fandango, TLJ, Realms of the Haunting, Twinsens Odyssey - all were different and cemented my love for the genre.
I agree many elements are present in current games, and is the reason I keep playing new games. But they don't tend to surprise me anymore. Early Telltale games (The Wolf Among Us stands out) and some of Inkle's games (eg Overboard and TR-49) come close.
Midnight Walk is probably the best surprise I have had in the last few years. Its reason enough for me to keep playing new games.
I accept that having now played so many games, surprise is a relative concept. But I would love to be surprised more often