Adventure Gamers - Forums
You are here: Home → Forum Home → Gaming → Adventure → Thread
Post Marker Legend:
-
New posts -
No new posts
Currently online
Casual Games Thread
My suggestion would be for something like Cadenza: Music, Betrayal and Death which is highly rated by the gamers at Big Fish, is recent enough that not everyone has played it (I haven’t play it yet), and isn’t a sequel (so no one feels that something has been missed if they haven’t played previous games in the series).
Remember our discussion re: the You Tube reviewer. I.e. consider the source when deciding whether the review is valid. If he/she likes a game, I will avoid it like the plague. If he/she hates it, it goes on my must-buy list.
I did a very mini comment on this game a few pages back. I thought there were aspects of this game that were terrific. I also thought there were aspects of this game that were borderline racist. Which should not be unexpected when a game set in New Orleans, starring a predominately black cast, is developed and produced by a company headquartered in Eastern Europe.
Only saying that relying on BFG reviews to help our selection process doesn’t strike me as the best way to go.
For whom the games toll,
they toll for thee.
Happy Birthday, Casual Games thread!
Having played these two casual HOGs, my question is this: “is this really it?”Well the obvious answer is no!
And Karlok says the answer is an emphatic “Yes” But with exceptions such as the Ravenhurst games. Which I consider to be among the worst of the genre. A never-ending series of door puzzles similar to those found in Black Dahlia compounded with the introduction of a morphing HO in the third game!
Just as we can’t define what makes a “real” adventure game. It’s often difficult for participants on this thread to define what constitutes a casual adventure.
Very early in this thread I was asked whether Tetris was a casual game. Of course it is. Just not the type of game we’re discussing here.
For whom the games toll,
they toll for thee.
True, but it still boils down to 50% want to play again, but want to do it in a group environment. That’s certainly been my primary motivation. And 50% haven’t played before, but will do so because they know they’ll have the help and hand-holding they wouldn’t have if they played the game alone.
Plus it’s just fun to discuss the game as you’re playing it, with a group of people who are playing it as well…
The truth can’t hurt you, it’s just like the dark: it scares you witless but in time you see things clear and stark. - Elvis Costello
Maybe this time I can be strong, but since I know who I am, I’m probably wrong. Maybe this time I can go far, but thinking about where I’ve been ain’t helping me start. - Michael Kiwanuka
And Karlok says the answer is an emphatic “Yes” But with exceptions such as the Ravenhurst games.
I said: the Ravenhearts games and other Mystery Case Files.
Such as Dire Grove and The 13th Skull, which I liked very much.
Which I consider to be among the worst of the genre. A never-ending series of door puzzles similar to those found in Black Dahlia compounded with the introduction of a morphing HO in the third game!
Every single casual I’ve played had door/gate/window puzzles! Comes with the genre. I don’t see why anyone should object to them as long as the puzzles are good and/or original. They were excellent in the Ravenhearst series, especially in the third one which was really a fantastic game. Creepy and gory. High production values. Original puzzles, not just the cookie-cutter stuff we’ve seen so many times before. Appropriate over-the-top acting. Politically incorrect too.
Just as we can’t define what makes a “real” adventure game. It’s often difficult for participants on this thread to define what constitutes a casual adventure.
On the contrary, it’s very easy. Every genre has its grey area of course.
Butter my buns and call me a biscuit! - Agent A
And I absolutely love Black Dahlia, which is why I continually nominate it for the Community Playthrough. But the Ravenhurst games do take door puzzles to the extreme. Yes, they are clever. But the addition of the morphing objects in Ravenhurst 3 totally turned me off to the Ravenhurst franchise. It may have done so for other people as well since we’ve not seen a Ravenhurst 4.
And I totally agree with you regarding Dire Grove. But for every Dire Grove there was also a Shadow Lake and Madame Fate. Mystery Case Files, for all its gems, had a fair share of bloopers.
Lots of shades of gray as you suggest.
“On the contrary, it’s very easy.” to the question of defining what is what, I beg to differ. I’ve been hanging around AG for a few years and have seen numerous threads float by that tried to define what is an adventure game. “They cant contain an action sequence!” Except when they do! And the same goes for casuals. “Obviously, they must contain hidden object scenes!” Except when they don’t! Again, shades of gray.
For whom the games toll,
they toll for thee.
I think the Drawn games are the only casuals I actually have on my list of games to play (there’s so many classic AGs I never played, and so little time to actually play them).
I feel your pain. But unless a classic is available on GOG or Steam where I don’t have to jump through hoops to make the game work, it just isn’t worth the time and trouble. As to the Drawn trilogy: If there was ever a series of “casual games” that would cause your jaw to drop, they are it!
For whom the games toll,
they toll for thee.
Or, we can simply nominate Becky!
Cough, cough. I think it’s a better idea to nominate the one who started this thread. 
I re-read your opinion of Cadenza. Maybe not the best game for a Let’s Play.
Cough, cough….I think the fact that I started the thread makes me the least likely person to lead the playthrough. And, seeing you were the person that proposed the group play…. 
I think we should go forward with nominations and see where it goes from there. If there aren’t enough, then we will chose a game and share the role. Assuming that’s OK with you.
I’m going to nominate Serpent Flame as a starter.
I’ll surely nominate a few more before the end of the week.
For whom the games toll,
they toll for thee.
But the addition of the morphing objects in Ravenhurst 3 totally turned me off to the Ravenhurst franchise. It may have done so for other people as well since we’ve not seen a Ravenhurst 4.
I didn’t much care for the morphing objects either. Plus they were hard to find. I’d love to play a Ravenhearst 4 though. My guess is that some aspects of #3 (for instance the pregnant women puzzle) turned many players off.
But for every Dire Grove there was also a Shadow Lake and Madame Fate. Mystery Case Files, for all its gems, had a fair share of bloopers.
Agreed. I played the Shadow Lake and Madame Fate demos and didn’t feel like buying the games.
“On the contrary, it’s very easy.” to the question of defining what is what, I beg to differ. I’ve been hanging around AG for a few years and have seen numerous threads float by that tried to define what is an adventure game. “They cant contain an action sequence!” Except when they do! And the same goes for casuals. “Obviously, they must contain hidden object scenes!” Except when they don’t! Again, shades of gray.
The gray areas are a bit larger for the Adventure category than for RPG or FPS, and will get even larger now with the arrival of new types of games like Kentucky Route Zero, Dear Esther, The Stanley Parable, or even The Walking Dead. Unless someone comes up with a new name for the games that don’t fit in any genre.
Butter my buns and call me a biscuit! - Agent A
Unless someone comes up with a new name for the games that don’t fit in any genre.
What’s in a name?
It’s just a label. We shouldn’t really be discussing “is it a casual or not?”, or “is it an adventure game or not?”. The quality of the game is a more important matter…
The truth can’t hurt you, it’s just like the dark: it scares you witless but in time you see things clear and stark. - Elvis Costello
Maybe this time I can be strong, but since I know who I am, I’m probably wrong. Maybe this time I can go far, but thinking about where I’ve been ain’t helping me start. - Michael Kiwanuka
Unless someone comes up with a new name for the games that don’t fit in any genre.
What’s in a name?
A whole lot! Names are good! Names are informative, they tell you what to expect. I’m very glad we have names for categories or I would have to think of a description whenever I wanted to talk about reptiles, mammals, insects. Same goes for games, RPGs, shooters, platformers, adventures and casuals.
Butter my buns and call me a biscuit! - Agent A
I don’t normally play Casual games, and the few I have tried, I didn’t really like, but I’m not afraid to try new things or change my preconceptions, so if you agree on a game for a playthrough then I will also give it a try.
Who knows you might even be able to convert me and get a new member for this thread, and worst case, you don’t.
You have to play the game, to find out why you are playing the game! - eXistenZ
But the addition of the morphing objects in Ravenhurst 3 totally turned me off to the Ravenhurst franchise. It may have done so for other people as well since we’ve not seen a Ravenhurst 4.
I didn’t much care for the morphing objects either. Plus they were hard to find.
The morphing object scenes were bloody awful. Especially towards the end, when the remaining objects were the smallest and slowest to morph. Staring at a computer screen for what seems like hours, hoping to see a little “twinkle” somewhere as an infinitesimal object morphs is not my idea of a good time. It makes me wonder whether Big Fish actually play tested the game using normal people.
But for every Dire Grove there was also a Shadow Lake and Madame Fate. Mystery Case Files, for all its gems, had a fair share of bloopers.
Agreed. I played the Shadow Lake and Madame Fate demos and didn’t feel like buying the games.
The 2nd Madame Fate game, “Fate’s Carnival,” had different gameplay and was MUCH better than the first.
I don’t normally play Casual games, and the few I have tried, I didn’t really like, but I’m not afraid to try new things or change my preconceptions, so if you agree on a game for a playthrough then I will also give it a try.
Who knows you might even be able to convert me and get a new member for this thread, and worst case, you don’t.
Iz -
Nice of you to put in an appearance!
My goal is not making you a convert. 
But I think you’ll note, if you take the time to peruse the entire thread, that while we may enjoy playing casual games, they are not our exclusive form of amusement.
Chrissie is a semi-regular contributor. As are Monolith and Crabapple. Becky and I are participants in the Community Playthrough. UruBoo is a contributor on several of the “regular” game threads. Those are just a few who come to mind.
And we, as a group, certainly don’t think that every casual game is a gem! Far from it! It’s just that the real clunkers generally don’t get a full-fledged review. They normally are lucky to get one sentence, if not one word to describe an opinion.
For whom the games toll,
they toll for thee.
I’ve put most of the Casual Playthrough voting posts in their own thread, and made some links in the Game recommendations and important/popular threads thread.
That’s basically similar to how the ‘regular’ community playthroughs work, so if there are any suggestions on how to make the playthrough voting process more efficient, I’m happy to hear them, and I’ll make the necessary modifications accordingly.
I just had a little time to split the thread now, and that’ll definitely save me time later… 
The truth can’t hurt you, it’s just like the dark: it scares you witless but in time you see things clear and stark. - Elvis Costello
Maybe this time I can be strong, but since I know who I am, I’m probably wrong. Maybe this time I can go far, but thinking about where I’ve been ain’t helping me start. - Michael Kiwanuka
You are here: Home → Forum Home → Gaming → Adventure → Thread
