The Point and Click Showcase, hosted by Amanita Design and Rusty Lake, aims at highlighting a bunch of point and click adventure games, some of which are out and others that have demos, and some that can be wishlisted for the future. This event runs from now until November 9th. We’ve played a lot of point and click games here, so have collected a few highlights for you:
Miniatures
“In that way, Miniatures feels like more of an artistic expression or experience than a conventional game. That’s not a problem, there’s more than enough room for poignant art in the world, however, this feels like an interactive art exhibit — albeit one that you’re meant to slowly sip in private. I don’t know what this means for any sort of commercial success, but I do know that I’m incredibly eager to play the other two adventures within the finished game when it eventually releases.”
Miniatures is four thoughtful experiences played out through the eyes of children
Death of the Reprobate
“A lot of this humor and story is shown in a bunch of different ways — the contrast of the art style paired with the writing style brings a lot of juxtaposition. The tasks that need to be completed are quite funny as well, and have you on a very interesting quest to possibly be a better person. It’s worth noting that Death of the Reprobate does take place in the same world as Four Last Things and The Procession to Calvary, but can be played without playing the previous two games. You just might recognize some of the characters you see if you know the other games.”
Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars Reforged
“That doesn’t make a great game on its own though – what makes a great game is engaging characters, a fantastic story, great scripting and humour, lovely visuals and a soundtrack that supports all of this. Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars: Reforged has all of this and it absolutely stands alongside games like Monkey Island as one of the very best examples of this genre. Simply put, if you like adventure games, puzzles and great stories, then Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars: Reforged comes very highly recommended.”
Duck Detective: The Secret Salami
“This game is extremely silly, funny, and interesting to play through, but it’s one that will give you a challenge. I enjoyed my time with Duck Detective: The Secret Salami and found myself captivated by the world around me while playing.”
The Many Pieces of Mr. Coo
“I am surprised that I haven’t played more games in this style and set within these types of worlds, but I can imagine that animating and designing a world like this is something that isn’t often done due to the amount of effort and knowledge required to create such a complex and fantastical world.”
Tom the Postgirl
“Tom the Postgirl is a bizarre walking simulator with an almost Monty Python-esque sense of humour at times. Whilst the limited run time and repetitive nature of some of the gameplay elements may put off some, those who don’t mind a short game to play through in an evening will be in for more than few few belly laughs and moments of disbelief as this absurd world shows you all the ridiculous things the devs could think of. Deliver this one to your hard drive!”
Woodo
“Woodo is one of those puzzle games that captivates you from the visuals, hooking you in on its unique look. The game is like a world made of wood and clay, and the lighting and general vibe just feel so cozy. Each of the different levels have their own diorama-inspired area, giving you a small capsule of an area to look at without it feeling overwhelming or too large to solve.”
Desktop Explorer
“It’s hard to fault Desktop Explorer as it’s exactly the kind of oddity that I enjoy, with an engaging story and unique and well thought out systems to interact with the world. If I had to level a criticism at it, it’s that a few of the puzzles are a little trite, whilst others are a little too esoteric, but that’s really down to how you like your puzzles to be presented so it’s arguably very subjective. If you have any interest in unique puzzle games, Desktop Explorer is one for you.”
The Mermaid Mask
“Tangle Tower, like it’s in-game counterpart is a beautiful construction filled with mysteries. It makes you think like a detective, throws some puzzles your way and lets you enjoy figuring it all out. The colorful characters breathe life into the game, and if you in any way enjoy mysteries you might just enjoy the game too.”
Is This Seat Taken?
“Is This Seat Taken? has little stories to the start of some of the levels, sometimes being a one-off showing the new location, and other times feeding into a larger story about an aspiring actor who is a little nervous and a little out of place. They’ve not seen actors who have had the same physical shape as them before. I found myself invested in their lives and wanted to see if they ended up making it to the big screen as well!”
