A Guide to the world of the Indie Adventure Game
Heck, even now, after the obviously lucrative niche market The Adventure Company has carved itself, a variety of quirky Nintendo DS adventures and the amazing success of Sam and Max Series 1, nobody is convinced that adventures are truly back and people are still talking about redefining the genre, dropping costs, appealing to the mainstream, going 3D, whatever. What they are very obviously forgetting is that game crafting isn’t a power bestowed solely to big studios by the gods of gaming. It’s an art and craft everyone can have a try at, by either producing a freeware game or going for the more life-sustaining indy commercial development model. This exactly is the case with independent and/or freeware adventure games, a creative scene that’s been thriving for over a decade and going from strength to strength.
An Independent Adventure Game, you see, is a game created outside the stuffy world of uneducated managers who think they actually know what people like and believe there’s no value besides the exchange one. Indy Adventure Games, just like any medieval artisan’s product, only have to be true to the creator’s vision. They can be wildly innovative, copyright infringing, in full pixelated 2D, remakes of classic games, political, silly, absolutely shite, pop, over 500MB, excellent, boring, free or very cheap; anything at all. And, unlike commercial games, especially the ridiculously expensive ones which we’ve been living with for quite some time, they just can’t be proclaimed dead. As long as people -ordinary people- care for them, they’ll be around.
To play an Independent Adventure Game…
For the time being though, the indy adventure game is far from a dying species. One could even speak of an apex, if it weren’t for the ever increasing volume, variety and quality of productions. There are happily dozens of extremely talented developers and groups that keep churning out game after lovely game. To find out about -and of course play- said games, well, you’re spoiled for choice. For starters, this very blog will keep on covering those that catch my eye, Tim’s brilliant Independent Gaming will let you know about 99% of the newest releases, the Adventure Gamers Underground section, the AGS games pages, Adventure Developers, Erin’s blog and the the Adventuress will go on discovering and reviewing them, and then there are the developers’ websites like those of xii games, Herculean Effort, Wadjet Eye and Radical Poesis to search and savor.
<Intermission: In the unlikely case you’ve never played an adventure game and are thinking of having a try now that you ‘ve just discovered the world of freeware, please, do not expect frantic action. Expect interesting stories, mainly 2D graphics, lots of puzzles, inventory manipulation and lots and lots of pointing and clicking at things. The mouse and a capacity for lateral thinking are your friends./>
Now, to get you started and playing the latest and probably the best, I can’t help but suggest having a look at the linking epic that is my AGS Awards Winners 2006 post and the TOP 20 indy Adventures of 2006 as selected by Independent Gaming. Then, there’s this short ‘n’ random selection of games, merely for illustration purposes:
Could you ever imagine EA coming up with a title like that? Or with a game simultaneously featuring two distinct stories? How about a hard brain twister? The most innovative adventure game of the past decade then? Of course not, and that’s the beauty of it. Download Linus here.
Not a huge admirer of fan creations based on existing games, but this one is a glowing exception. SQ 0 is an excellent, original and funny little game, complete with 16-colour EGA graphics and old-fashioned parser interface, in which -you know- you type stuff. Could have easily been a proper part of the SQ saga methinks. Download it here.
Now, for some adult-oriented entertainment. Missing is a gritty and beautifully illustrated adventure utilizing a simple ICOM-like point-and-click interface, that puts the players in the (probably) authoritarian shoes of a cop searching for his vanished wife and kid. Download it here.
Quasi-political satire with photorealistic graphics and absurdist humor, this one features a socialist cop in an almost socialist fictional state surrounded by Fortress Europe. Also looks quite a bit like Gabriel Knight II. Download it here.
A game by John Green, a Disney illustrator, no less. Fantastic graphics, impressive cartoon quality animation, simple interface and a still unfinished but very playable and highly enjoyable adventure. Besides, it’s the story of a reluctant zombie. Download it here.
Crafting, it’s so easy.
Well, provided you can come up with some decent graphics, game design, animation and music, it is. Programming could come in handy too, but as creating your very own engine can be both difficult and time consuming, there are many -mostly freeware- tools/engines that only require a minimum of effort and programming skill. The list that follows will hopefully help you. As for Interactive Fiction (text-adventures) it will be covered some other time. For now have a look at this interesting i-f writing bit.
AGS, the hallowed Adventure Games Studio, is by far the most popular scripting and adventure game creation environment to date. Pretty easy to use, freeware, geared towards classic 2D point-and-click retro adventures and backed up by a huge vibrant community, it’s probably where you should begin. Have a look.
LASSIE Adventure Studio, another free game creator, provides with the tools to create adventures in the classic Lucasarts style in Macromedia, Flash and Shockwave. Why not visit the LASSIE official site then?
The Wintermute Engine is slightly less easy to use a development environment, but with obvious 3D capabilities, impressive built-in graphical effects and high-tech tendencies. Quite the beast, really. Download it here.
Finally, and in a very blog-post ending way, you can also give the pretty excellent SLUDGE and Adventure Maker (also does PSP software, mind you!) tools a go. They are definitely worth your time. And mine.
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Hi, my name is Gnome, a.k.a Konstantinos and I own the blog Gnome's Lair which is all about gaming in all of its many and varied guises. It is thus about computer & video games, old games, new games, indie games, adventure games, free games, board games, ludology, game creation, RPGs, books on games, games on books, and well the theory of and in games.
Life After
Alone in the Dark
One
James Monkman
Jul 17. 2007
Hey Gnome,
Nice article. Just a quick (and unrelated) question. I’ve just read your ace write up of Urban Legend, and was wondering if you’d like to submit a slightly updated version of the same review for RGCD 03… Please drop me an email
James
gnome
Jul 17. 2007
Thanks. Mail dropped!
The Elderly
Jul 17. 2007
(at the back of the large crowd that has gathered, elderly turns to nearby Gnome fan and says…)
“visits my blog you know, ah yes it’s a nice warm feeling being in the company of genius….”
(shouts over the milling crowds….)
Thanks Gnome!!!!!
gnome
Jul 18. 2007
(fails to notice crowd, stops Elderly from talking to the cat)
Glad you liked it Mr. Elderly. Then again, still can’t seem to interest the crods. Damn. Foiled again.
Tom
Jul 18. 2007
Quite possibly the best post I’ve seen on this wonderful blog Gnome. Not that the others aren’t great, of course!
I used to love adventure games (Broken Sword was like crack for me) so this post is extremely helpful for me since I wouldn’t mind getting in on the freeware adventure scene.
Thanks again Gnome
PS. Have you done the RPG session yet? I think I’m going to have to miss out on it anyway.
Derek
Jul 18. 2007
Hey, Gnome! Just wanted to pop in and say that I enjoy your blog immensely. Also that I linked your post.
http://tigsource.com/articles/2007/07/18/adventure-gaming-never-dead
You rock!
Vince Twelve
Jul 18. 2007
(Takes cat away from elderly, puts it back in the bag)
Great article Gnome!
gnome
Jul 19. 2007
Thanks Tom, but I ‘d disagree on this being the best
The best always has to mention tits…
(shows Tom The Best Blogpost Bible, p.64 par.3)
See? Anyway, nice to see people of taste returning to the adventure game… Oh, and we haven’t managed the session yet.
Derek, thank you so much. Actually I think your blog is just fantastic and it really feels great getting linked from it. Your link has already been added here and guess more will come… Cheers!
Thank you Vince! Great cat.
Heriberto Valle
Jul 19. 2007
Hi there, wonderful post. you know. You forgot to mention the Visionary game engine for adventure games. It’s pretty powerful and well endowed.
gnome
Jul 19. 2007
Thanks heriberto! Guess, I’ll have to add both Visionary and the AGI studio…
The Elderly
Jul 19. 2007
(puts on glasses….) oh.. right, better not be seen talking to the cat then….
ah yes the crowds…. only a matter of time….. typical though of the masses, rather myopic when it comes to quality…..
(looks at cat…)
bloody cat…. glad no one saw me…..
gnome
Jul 20. 2007
Yeh, can’t trust ‘em masses nowadays. Definitely need to get closer to Mao. An absolute necessity methinks…
Hey kitty, kitty..
(meow)
Meow?
The Elderly
Jul 21. 2007
aye mao knew how to motivate the masses… that’s it .. a red book… a Gnome manifesto, why Gnome your a genius…
(cat gets sick on Gnomes floor….)
oh dear!
fatherkrishna
Jul 21. 2007
Stunning article Gnome! Am I so shallow that I can’t get past the fact that you as a Greek man were able to use the expression “tits up”?
That is quite frankly fan-fucking-tastic!
You rock Gnome! You well and truly ROCK!
gnome
Jul 22. 2007
(hits cat with Mao’s red book)
(cat stops coughing)
A miracle this one. Now, can I just copy Mao’s wisdom and add “Gnome” on the cover?
(cat tap dances)
Thank you Father, but I actually always thught that “tits up” was a fantatic phrase… Now, if you’ll excuse me I’ll go blush!
Have a great time during your vacation Father!
The Elderly
Jul 23. 2007
erm Gnome.. .i don’t think the cats tap dancing…. looks like a catalytic fit to me….. perhaps you hit him too hard with mao..
gnome
Jul 24. 2007
But it’s such a tiny book… I mean, look at it (elderly looks at it). Pocket-size…. Guess cat aint big enough either…
The Elderly
Jul 25. 2007
..but you hit him in the testicles…….
Cat Protection Agency
Jul 25. 2007
we have reports of the mistreatment of a cat… can anybody sh…
(looks at Gnome…)
you again……!!!!!
gnome
Jul 25. 2007
Please officer. Do consider my childhood… Deeply scarred I were. The cat did it…
cat protection agency
Jul 26. 2007
okay!… well just this once…. erm okay for the second time i’m willing to overlook this sickening and deeply disturbed event…
and like the last time I am still authorised to accept brib… donations for the cat protection Officer widows fund…..
gnome
Jul 27. 2007
Of course of course. Thank you officer. Shall we say a stripper?
Ivy
Aug 03. 2007
Hey ya! Thanks for the namedrop.
For some reason it never occurred to me that anyone would need an introduction to adventure gaming…to me they were as much a part of my childhood as popsicles. That being said, I really enjoyed this guide you put together…I hope it encourages some folks outside ‘the community’ to play our games.
gnome
Aug 06. 2007
So do I dear Ivy. Thanks for dropping by. Care for tea?
Ivy
Aug 09. 2007
Haha, sounds good. I recently had a friend talk me into joining Second Life just so we could have “virtual tea” and chat. This is certainly an interesting age.
gnome
Aug 10. 2007
Especially for those faithfuly reading every intallment of Second Life Safari (by Something Awful -of course)