INKY SQUIGGLES

Whether you're new to gaming or just hankering after something to lose yourself in that isn't weighed down by complicated mechanics or repetitive grindfests, I've got the perfect list of adventure games for you. Crucially, these won't send your blood pressure soaring with jump scares or game over screens (just good old-fashioned emotional trauma). Many can even be – and are compelling enough to be – completed in just a few sittings (or even just one). And, as much as I love the classic adventure games, I've opted for more modern titles where you're unlikely to be stumped for months on end by mind-bending moon logic puzzles involving, say, having to craft a fake moustache disguise using cat hair, maple syrup and the last shreds of your sanity.  Night in the Woods At first glance, I wasn't sure how I felt about this game's quirky art style featuring cartoonish anthropomorphised characters, but as soon as I started playing it, any misgivings quickly dissip...

A journey into darkness. I've played my fair share of retro point-and-click adventure games, so when I peeped moody aesthetic screenshots of this cult classic 2003 horror adventure from Czech developer Future Games, I wondered how it'd slipped past my radar.  One Halloween Steam sale whirlwind later, and I was transported to Black Mirror, the remote ancestral Gordon family manor in Suffolk, 1981. After a 12-year absence, protagonist Samuel Gordon is drawn reluctantly back by his grandfather's mysterious death. Dismissed as suicide by everyone else, Samuel is convinced otherwise and begins his own informal investigation. This leads – naturally, given their sizable wealth and gothic English estate – to the revelation of an ancient family curse. As Samuel confronts the darkness that shrouds his family history, more bizarre, unexplained deaths gather pace around the manor, and he must race to break the curse before Black Mirror claims another victim. The most striking thing a...

Touted as the spiritual successor to Gabriel Knight , I really wanted to love this. An intriguing murder mystery/supernatural crossover setup, a strong female lead and Jane Jensen as a story consultant; this has a lot going for it. However, I never really felt that this had the heart that some of the best adventure games have, such as the Gabriel Knight and Blackwell series. You're plunged into the action from the get-go, but I missed those quieter, reflective moments that give more insight into the characters through idle chit-chat, relationship building and even the protagonist's home space. You never visit Erica's home (the closest thing is her work desk  –  this tells you something about her, but nothing particularly meaningful) or learn much about her outside of her job/predicament. The other characters are similarly sketchily drawn. Your partner/best friend is resigned to his desk for the majority of the game, interactions with your romantic interest don't...

While I found Dreamfall Chapters immersive and enjoyable, the various disparate narrative threads simply didn't come together at the end for me. I ended up looking forward to Zoë's parts of the game much more than Kian's, who I found somewhat dull. In keeping with this, I found Stark, Zoë's futuristic cyberpunk world, more compelling than Arcadia, which presents a much more typical magical fantasy setting. Because of this, I was disappointed at the fragmentation of the gameplay into three different main characters and settings, all of which had intrigue but none of which felt fully fleshed out (particularly Saga, the third character, who mostly remains a mystery throughout). While Stark and Arcadia appear large, atmospheric and interesting, most of the buildings are simply decorative and cannot be entered, and most of the city inhabitants cannot be interacted with meaningfully, only eavesdropped in on. Similarly, Riverwood and the Purple Mountains are stunning ...

I can remember the exact period in my life I played this game; like Sam, the protagonist, I had just moved to an unfamiliar British city on my own and was starting a new job. Through this game, I could imagine my uncertain independent venture was slightly more exciting than it actually was, and it brought me solace at a challenging time due in large part to its stunning soundtrack and deeply immersive atmosphere. Indeed, Jane Jensen's (see my review of her 20th Anniversary Edition of Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers here ) Anglophile tendencies are at peak potency here, resulting in a moody, gorgeous (albeit admittedly quaint and idealised) depiction of Oxford, England. Additionally, the mythos surrounding arcane members-only magic circles and the history of England lend to the intrigue of the game. However, this is a flawed game. The puzzle mechanics (especially those involving magic tricks) felt disappointingly simplistic, and the production values in terms of the ...

While it's difficult to find a legit (cough) copy nowadays,  Discworld is worth revisiting if only as a curious and charming relic of a bygone age (1995!), when the adventure game reigned and creative puzzles and witty dialogue were everything. This also hails from an era when authors collaborating with games developers made perfect sense. The result is a game infused with the hallmark (if sometimes arcane) humour of the legendary Terry Pratchett , which is   especially delectable when combined with the voice work of British treasures Eric Idle, Tony Robinson and Rob Brydon, among others (available only on the newer version). The music is uncomplex (but then that comes with the age of the game), but whimsical and appropriate, complementing the quirkily appealing cartoonish background art. And, while this is far from high res and needs to be played in windowed mode, I've always felt that this type of hand-drawn art style has weathered the ravages of time much bet...

This is a promising adventure title with lovely settings and visuals that have held up surprisingly well. The game has some rather charming and creative narrative touches and appealing musical moments. Visually, it evokes an impressive steampunk-style environment; in combination, these elements make for a quite immersive experience. However, at its core, the Syberia series is sadly limited; the puzzles are humdrum and unsatisfying, and there is little motivation due to a lacklustre, slow-moving plot. The protagonist, Kate, is never fully fleshed out; one of her main companions spends much of the game unconscious (her remaining ally is a largely underused automaton), while her relationships with others are primarily revealed through phone calls with disembodied (and rather stilted) voices and weak dialogue. Meanwhile, the villains of the tale are almost comical in how unthreatening they are. This is a shame, as the game is often beautiful (although I always found the design o...

This was just OK. I purchased this in the hopes of finding a spacey adventure game with an intense atmosphere like that of The Dig (both involve mostly solitary exploration of strange, desolate alien environments), but was left distinctly underwhelmed by the game in general. Morningstar is diverting enough, with sufficient mileage to absorb somewhat for a few hours, but the plot and characters are basic and lacklustre. There's also no true climax/resolution to the game –   while there's a confrontation, it's expected and occurs as a cut scene that is over quite quickly, so there's no real sense of being in actual danger at any point or discovery of anything truly shocking. The voice acting is rather poor, with some lines read as though the actor doesn't fully understand their context (although, while fluent, I suspect they aren't native speakers, so they deserve some slack). I discovered after playing that this was originally an in-browser game that was ...

The most striking part of the 20th Anniversary Edition is the transformation into polished HD graphics. The moody, detailed environments – one of the game's greatest strengths – truly shine in the re-release, enabling Jane Jensen's vision of the New Orleans locales to be fully realised. Robert Holmes' remastered soundtrack is more stirring than ever. Additionally, the rerecorded voices are strong and don't jar with my recollections of the characters – a concern when I discovered the excellent original voice cast (including Tim Curry, Leah Remini and Mark Hamill) wouldn't be returning. Otherwise, there have been slight refinements (such as a helpful new hint system) and additions (new puzzles and scenes), although nothing drastic. The game is, for the most part, faithful to the original, which can be seen as both a strength and a weakness. Although not groundbreaking, the intriguing and well-paced storyline still holds its own (check out my review of the sec...

I came into this gaming experience without really knowing what to expect. Despite never having heard of the horror adventure title from indie games studio The Astronauts before, I bought it during a Steam sale without viewing much more than the description and a brief trailer. As someone who likes to research games in depth before committing to a purchase (and as a notorious 'fraidy cat), this was an unusual move for me. Certain key phrases really sold it to me on the store page: 'immersive storytelling'; 'inspired by the weird fiction from the early twentieth century'; 'atmosphere, mood, and the essential humanity of our characters'. Sometimes, when it's right, you just know. I wasn't disappointed.

This is a gorgeous game with a cast of fun and well-voiced characters (if not somewhat typical for the genre) and stunning music to match; I had high hopes for this title. However, the exasperating ' your princess is in another castle ' gameplay pattern that emerges after the first chapter is a serious let-down. I felt slightly hoodwinked into playing on in the conviction that [ they couldn't possibly make me do everything again, *again*, right ]?! ( highlight to view spoiler ) Granted, many of the repeat tasks are optional, but after a certain point the game offers little that's new in terms of gameplay, plot  –  or even dialogue. Extra quests and activities should enrich the gaming experience, not drain the life out of it. Unless you get a kick out of recycled mega bosses and grind-fests, in which case this could be the game for you. You are rewarded with some intriguing character revelations, but it all gets a bit lost in the sheer repetition of it all. You mi...

'As artistic as a video game' isn’t a phrase that gets bandied around often. While perceptions are gradually changing, video games have long been associated with degenerate teenagers mashing buttons to effect a mysterious 'pew pew' sound. News and media outlets almost unanimously condemn them as being at the root of all youth violence, and the parents who purchase mature-rated games for their sprogs seem to think of them as little more than sophisticated toys. Video games as art might be a divisive subject – if only because the concept of what a video game should be and do is such a limited one in the first place. Besides. What is art, if not the search for meaning in the abstract? Or something. The following 'game changers' are just a few of a growing number whose interaction design, storytelling and musical direction make a compelling case for video games as a legitimate art form. Machinarium

Version reviewed: PC (also available on Mac and Linux) Available from: Steam or www.GoneHomeGame.com How well do you really know the people closest to you? When Kaitlin Greenbriar returns home from a gap year in Europe to find her entire family gone, it’s up to her to uncover the secrets that didn’t make it into those long-distance letters. Picking up the threads of her family’s lives, the player must explore the colossal house they have since moved into, examining letters, newspaper clippings and, if one so chooses, the hundred thousand other details that make up a life. If it’s the people, and not the house, that make a home, then this game shows how each individual has inhabited every room with their cares, uncertainties and basic humanity. From hastily scrawled notes passed between friends during class, to adult magazines buried under work documents, Gone Home is teeming with meticulously authentic details of family life that the player is at liberty to snoop through, tu...