Best Adventure Game of 2006
 

All right. Since Gamespot and the other video game sites can't even figure out what constitutes an adventure game, it's up to us to determine the best adventure game of 2006. I was only allowed 15 poll options, so I couldn't list them all. If your favorite game of 2006 is not on the list, choose 'Other'.

Omitted games include: CSI 3, EVIDENCE: The Last Ritual, Intrigue at Oakhaven Plantation, Lula 3D, Lunar Deep, Paradise, Scavenger Hunter, Secret Files: Tunguska, The Shivah, Time Stand Still, Touch Detective, Tunguska.

I just realized that I haven't played a single one of them :P

*edit*
Nope, I'm lying. I have played Barrow Hill for about 30 min and then lost interest...

You've lumped Lula 3D in with the omitted games...how can you even call yourself an Adventure Gamer? :P

Anyway, I think Sam and Max is the adventure game of the year, because it's genuine quality in every respect.

I thought I'd give Randy Sluganski the benefit of the doubt on that one.

I've only played two of those games: Dreamfall and Scratches. And I'm voting for Scratches.

I think the re-release of Christmas Quest is the best adventure of the year.

I'm having a hard time deciding between three games from the list:

Dreamfall:

Pros: Great story, great graphics, great audio, high production values overall.

Cons: Terrible gameplay and puzzles, too easy, WTF endings are cool but this one is a bit too much.

Keepsake:

Pros: Great atmosphere, great graphics, great puzzles for the most part.

Cons: Cheesy story, bloody annoying voices, puzzles are a bit much toward the end.

Al Emmo and The Lost Dutchman's Mine:

Pros: Nostalgic feel really done well, game is very fun to play, well-integrated puzzles, story is a bit silly but works.

Cons: Low production values, ... that's the only fault I can think of atm.

after organizing in pros and cons just now I'm leaning toward Al Emmo, although while it felt fun to play I don't think it leaves a feeling of OMG BEST GAME I PLAYED THIS YEAR after playing it, that's a bit more Dreamfall's territory, so I think Keepsake is out but I can't decide between those two yet.

Best: Sam & Max: Culture Shock,contender Murder on the Orient Express
worst:Borken Sword 4

What about Runaway 2?

Runaway 2 is defenetly the best adventure game of 2006, but as far as it is considered a "2007 adventure", I vote for Scratches.

Dreamfall is the best game of 2006 and BS4 the second best.

By the way, I´ve read a lot of JA Randy Sluganski and he is a great guy who´s done a lot for adventuregames in general, but when he appointed Murder on Orient Express as the best game of 2006...that´s a joke. Barrow Hill is better, Scratches is better and Runaway 2, who knows - its a 2007 game.

Dreamfall, Broken Sword 4 & Tanguska should be the top 3 adventure games this year hands down.

I don't believe JA has said anything about game of the Year 2006 yet. :crazy:

I've only played Barrow Hill and Safecracker. I enjoyed both, but got the most fun and challenge with Safecracker, so it gets my vote.

So you don´t believe Lucien21...why don´t you read Randys review of MOTOE in JA and maybe you will...

Yes, Tunguska was a good adventure as well Dasilva

Is that all there was in 06? Out of those none really stands out more than the others.

Safecracker's an Adventure game?
More like a puzzle game with the look and feel of an Adventure.

'80 Days' came out in 2006 and that's my favorite, so now you've got to include that in 'Other' as well.

I've only played Ankh, Dreanfall, and Keepsake (though I still haven't finished the latter two). I vote for Ankh, because that counts as two games for me ("Ankh:Herz des Osiris" - "Ankh: Heart of Osiris" - was already released in Germany this year), and both are great and quite funny.


- :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

The Shivah, for me.

I've played 4 and a half of the games on the list, + Secret Files Tunguska.. I'm right now torn between Sam and Max and Tunguska, even though I think Secrets of Da Vinci is worth mentioning..

The others I've played are Keepsake (which does not get my vote), Ankh (neh) and about half of Dreamfall..

I would say that Tunguska is easily the best Adventure game I've played this year.

Shame I could not vote for more than one.

Al Emmo
Scratches
Barrow Hill

Would be the top three.

Hated Dreamfall which is the current top vote getter.

Hmm. I hadn't noticed the 2006 was such a poor year.

Anyway, not having played Tunguska, the only ones that seem better than average are Safecracker and Da Vinci.

And since Safecracker is short, and a puzzle game, I will vote Da Vinci.

The only games from that list that I have played this year are: Al Emmo demo, Bone demo, Dreamfall trial, Sam & Max demo, Ankh demo and Broken Sword 4 demo.

I have only bought Dreamfall this year, and I must say that in my honest opinion, Dreamfall and Sam&Max are the best adventure games of the year 2006.

Broken Sword 4 was the worst.

I voted for Dreamfall and I wish more adventure titles follow this path in 2007 with 3D direct control, joypad support, modern graphics and varied gameplay plus a competitive budget relative to other game genres. I wish to adventure Santa for 2007 to fund a game that would improve on Dreamfall's much-discussed flaws (no need to point them again).

Honourable mentions are Sam n' Max: Culture Shock and Ankh. Culture Shock was great and a joy to play. It could easily get my vote but compared to the complex beast Dreamfall is that would feel like cheating. Well done Telltale waiting to download ep2 as I've bought the whole season. Dreamfall and Sam n’ Max were the primary reasons the genre experienced some positive mainstream press this year and this is a good thing in my book. Kudos to Funcom and Telltale games.

Ankh, was a big surprise for me, kinda short, but highly enjoyable in the great tongue in cheek Lucas Arts way.

That’s all. Lets hope for even better games in the future. All the best and a happy new year to all.

Not surprisingly, Dreamfall.

A bit surprisingly, perhaps. At least, judging by the number of comments that have been posted debasing it as a non-AG, or even a non-G at all.

I am pleased to see it at number one (currently). My vote definitely goes to this beautiful, beautiful game.

Dreamfall, Definatly.

HI :)

I have voted for Secrets of Da Vinci. I have only played the demo, but I thought the demo (even if I had to play it in French - cough --- ahem ;) ) looked very nice.

I also do think that the story is great as well as the animations and visuals are.

Personally, I think that SF: Tunguska is the best adventure game out there.
(I just voted for the sake of voting ;) )

EDIT:

Yes, Dreamfall is, afaik, a beautiful game, but the question seems to remain:
Is it (still) an adventure game ??

Best 3 adventures I played this year:

Runaway 2 - This title just blows away all competition by miles
Broken Sword 4 - always good, tho little less then part 1-3 i think..
Tunguska - Very good , this my 3rd choice

I dont get the hype about Dreamfall. I bought this game and was just very dissapointed. I played dreamfall 1 (in 2000) with much joy and really looked forward to this title. To start with the steering ingame is just a nightmare! Dreamfall clearly tried for a more action-oriented approach, presumably to draw in more fans to the dying adventure genre. Unfortunately, the new direction doesn't lead anywhere enjoyable.

The storyline is excellent, the characters and voiceacting is very good, but as far as ADVENTURE play goes, its just crap. Objects eligible to be interacted with are highlighted by blue brackets and are always obvious. Though there are multiple ways to complete some of the puzzles, they're generally too obvious.


You're always told exactly where to go, and along the way you'll generally find everything you need to complete whatever impasse you arrive at. After you've collected everything, it's a simple matter of combining the obvious and implementing each in a step-by-step fashion. There's disappointingly little cause to use any sort of logistical reasoning to progress outside a handful of puzzles. To be fair, there are a hanful of enjoyable puzzles. Perhaps the lockpick puzzles as well, but even those are relatively simple. Several of the game's more elaborate puzzle sequences actually have other characters guide you, telling you exactly what to do in every situation.

While playing through, it's difficult to shake the impression that intelligent design was given a back seat to painfully simplistic fighting and sneaking sequences. The combat is, for all intents and purposes, a total joke.

So dreamfall is NOT the adventure game of the year imo!

You mean you actually blame the game for not having pixel-hunting? What an... original perspective. :crazy:

I went with Dreamfall.

Broken Sword by far:)

Nah mate,

But with this "console" kinda gameplay the true adventure spirit is gone (for me!) :D

:D No worries, we just released Scavenger Hunter on December 16th so we can wait until the next poll. I have just finished a "Hints" file, done in interactive html so you only reveal what you need a hint for and thus won't spoil puzzles you have yet to encounter by seeing the solution to them too soon.

Keep up the good work and our thanks for supporting us "Indie" developers.

Happy New Year! :) Cheers! Skye

Sam and Max

bwahahahaha, Sam & Max ftw, puny mortals
btw happy new year :-)

I thought about this a little and if I could vote again, I would vote for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attourney, it came out in March and it has been absolutely the best adventure game I've played during last year.

Wow cant believe my eyes Dreamfall dominates the poll,took 2 times more vote than Sam&max! and some 6 lunatics voted Bs4 as Best Adventure Game of 2006!

Ankh was probably my favourite 'major' game this year, but I especially enjoyed some smaller independent projects: The Shivah, The Blackwell Legacy and certainly Super Jazz Man were fabulous.

Dreamfall wins best animated film.