Finding replay value
 

A question that just wandered into my mind whilst browsing these forums was: How do people find replay value in their adventure games? Obviously once you've finished a game you know all the answers to the puzzles - so is there really any need to replay each game?

Myself, I rarely ever replay games as it just isn't a challenge and it seems less like a game as such, and it feels more like clicking through an interactive story. Though saying that, I recently replayed through the original two Monkey Island games - mainly because I played them so long ago, as a child, that I couldn't remember a lot of the puzzles.

So, do any of you often replay games? And why? And how does the game bring you back to it? - Even though you know the answers to the puzzles.

there is no need, I never replay adventure games. But some strange people like to replay same games, reread same books dozens of times.

How did you like Monkey Islands the second time around?

I liked them a lot more, replaying them brought a warm fuzzy feeling over me... since I last played them when I was around 8/9 :) So about 10 years ago.

I've only just recently became interested in adventure games again - mainly as I'm inbetween school and university with absolutely nothing to do :9 Just discovered the Discworld games - enjoying them a lot!

I'm strange and damn proud of it. Thankyouverymuch. :)

I replay adventure games....usually years afterwards when I've forgotten puzzle solutions, but sometimes sooner. It's like rereading a favourite book, or rewatching a favourite movie. People watch their favourite movies all the time. Well, I do anyway.

I also generally wait until I don't remember puzzle solutions until I replay a game. Some games I have replayed many, many, many times - even if I remember the puzzles, the sheer joy of playing the game inspires me to go through the motions, just to watch the beautiful flow of the game unfold before me. It's like meeting an old friend : )

I've replayed dozens of adventure games for dozens of reasons :) . When I was starting with games it was because for a very long time I only owned a handful of them and didn't have anything new to play instead. Later on, as my English got better and better, I replayed many because I wanted to finally understand the dialogues and what was going on in the story ;) . Of course, I also replayed some games just for their atmosphere and the pure pleasure of playing them. Finally, I replay some titles nowadays to write reviews for them, which I don't want to base solely on memories. At this point in life, however, I have too many different interests to allow myself to spend time this way only for the pleasure of reliving my favorite titles.

Rereading books is strange? I've read my favorite ones dozens of times. Replaying games however is usually much less satisfying, I've tried it with a few and almost never finished a game in the second run. The strong feeling of immersion that makes me pick up the game for the second time in the first place usually just isn't there any longer.

I don't think playing a game more than once is any stranger than watching a movie more than once, or reading the same book again.

Granted, with most adventure games, it's all about exploration and once you solve the puzzles, much of the incentive to play is gone. That is, unless you have a powerful story behind the whole thing that you might enjoy reliving more than once. Some of the better games give you different paths you can explore, with different endings, such as King's Quest VI.

There aren't too many adventure games coming out these days that have compelling reasons to play them again, unfortunately.

Given the responses so far, I think it's safe to say that NOT reading/playing/listening/etc. to your favorite things is strange.

I have not yet replayed an adventure game … but I am excitedly looking forward to vicariously replaying some favourites through my Mum who only last week asked me how she could get a computer for games and internet stuff!

Apparently, all the other seniors at her Tai-Chi class are doing it … :D

(Of course she getting my old rig for free! I just need to find another monitor.)

I've been trying for a year now to get my mother to play some AG's :)

But she's afraid because she's not that good at english and doesn't like to use the keyboard at all.
I've told her about pure point-and-click, but she still hesitates...

I would love to play one with her, just have to find the right one.
Has to be 3rd person, not too difficult with lots of english to understand and a story that will suck her in :D

To come back to the subject - only a year ago, I replayed most of my games and had a lot of fun doing it.
I actually found some real old classics I didn't think I had :D

I never understand what is going on in the heads of those that reread a book several times.

Life is too short and there are way too many good books for me to reread them, besides my memory is pretty good.

And after things like Netflix I will almost never rewatch same movies for the same reasons.

90% of the time, I enjoy adventures for their storytelling rather than puzzles. There are some games where I've simply used a walkthrough for many of the puzzles because I'm simply too impatient to go through them.

The second time round gives me the opportunity to relax and think about how to solve a riddle rather than embrace myself for what happens in the story next.

Also, I like exploring the locations in many adventure game. Just looking at the lively scenery gives me something to do if nothing else.

Experiencing a story again with a friend/ family is another reason. I can't wait for my best friend to return from a long trip so I can show him Sanitarium. He's going to love that game.

I replay my adventure games. Not all of them, but some. Some of them i've only done once but i'll gladly go through them again in the future. And yeah, i replay/re-read my favourite non-adventure games, books, music and movies. I could never bring myself to not play/read them again or get rid of them like a lot of people do. I would've thought, if anyone has a favourite something, like a ride at a theme park for example, you'll more than likely want to experience it again.

I seem to find certain adventure games more fun the second time through. Usually the first time i end up cheating through it, miss out dialogue or other information, my mind wanders off during certain parts of the story, or parts of the story are confusing or some puzzles don't make sense right away. Going through the second time, i end up solving the puzzles myself and things become more clearer.

Broken Sword 1-3 (esp. 1) are my most replayed adventure games. Followed by Simon the Sorcerer 1 & 2 and in due time - Monkey Island and Gabriel Knight. With some games, i do try and leave them for a long time, hoping i forget the puzzle solutions, characters, stories etc. But with Broken Sword especially, i find it very difficult to leave it alone lol. Alundra, on the PSOne, is a game i've managed to leave for quite a long time. But i can't remember how many years ago i last played it. It certainly brings back memories and going through it a stage at a time is re-jogging my memory.

I often replay adventure games because it's a return to the stories and characters I love rather than for the puzzles themselves. It's like visiting old friends again. There are certain games I get never tired of playing so I play them a lot.

It all depends on whether or not the creator intended replay value. If an adventure is online, there is no need for replay value.

I guess when I watch a movie, read a book or play a game I do it more carefully and slower and pretty much take it all in so I almost never have a need to do it over again. I am a pretty slow reader, and probably those who are fast readers miss a lot of stuff or just read through without thinking. And when I watch movies I like subtitles to be on and if I miss something I rewind right away.

Any book worth reading is worth re-reading. There's always something new to savour, like seeing how the author uses foreshadowing to set up events that will happen later in the story.

It may just be the Asperger's talking, but I'll choose re-reading an old favourite over starting a new book every time. It's always an effort to get into a new piece of fiction, and I have to be in the right mood to do it.

And games are much the same. A good game with a solid story is worth replaying. Again, if it's well written, the early parts will have a lot of foreshadowing and scene-setting that you can only appreciate once you know what's coming up.

Sanitarium (which I'm replaying now) is a good example. Yes, the first time around it was unsettling to wander through the asylum and talk to the inmates. Now that I can link their apparent babblings to later events, it's a deeper experience.

I've also wanted to write out my favourite game storylines in story form, so I can go back and enjoy them without having to play them through. Am doing this now with Sanitarium.

When I was younger - ahem - I had this series of books called Angelique with 22 volumes.
And I think I've read the whole thing minimum 8 times.
The printing was very tiny and the pages were all yellow and aged, but I loved it. :)

I would put my feet up under me in the recliner and have a cup of coffee next to me and start reading - one after the other.
The story about this young girl growing up in France, when Ludvig the 14th was king, was told so vividly, that it sucked me in for days.

Of course with a game it's different.
But some just have this "Je n'est-ce pas" over them, that keeps you coming back - over and over.
For me it's games like Broken Sword, Syberia 1 and the new Perry Rhodan. :)