The Aggie Awards – The Best Adventure Games of 2023 page 7
Best Concept: American Arcadia
American Arcadia features the rare combination of 2.5D platforming and first-person hacking. Set in wildly creative dystopian surroundings, the game brilliantly uses this dual mechanic to enhance its narrative, reflecting the themes of surveillance and frustrating constraints. The contrast between Trevor's action-packed escape sequences and Angela's strategic hacking offers surprising diversity and engagement. This creative fusion not only makes "American Arcadia" distinct in the adventure genre but also exemplifies how gameplay mechanics can effectively deepen storytelling, rightfully earning it the Aggie Award for Best Concept.
Readers’ Choice: Chants of Sennaar
Chants of Sennaar takes an incredibly unique approach by integrating language learning into its gameplay. Set in a world inspired by the myth of Babel, players embark on a journey where deciphering ancient tongues is key to progressing. The game's groundbreaking deduction system requires that players understand written communication through symbols, environmental cues, and dialogue hints. Each level introduces new linguistic puzzles, forming a fascinating exploration of language and dialects. This inventive concept of turning language translation into an engaging gameplay element secures Chants of Sennaar multiple accolades as the Readers' Choice for Best Concept, highlighting its creativity within the adventure genre.
Runners-Up:
Next up: Best Setting... the envelope, please!
Continued on the next page...
