Latest Adventure Games News - PC page 98

If you've been thinking recently that we need more psychological thrillers that not only entertain but also "raise awareness of mental health and the long term effects of heavy drug use on the human brain", then you shouldn't be surprised at the announcement of The Baader Meinhof Phenomenon, currently raising funds through Kickstarter.

It's a common lament among hardcore gamers that new releases just aren't as challenging as they used to be. Well, be careful what you wish for, as the upcoming Perturbia is a horror adventure promising to offer an old-school challenge. First, though, it must overcome a challenge of its own in raising the necessary funds through Kickstarter.

Using the interactive medium of adventure gaming as a means to educate rather than just entertain, independent Swedish developer Michael Levall is tackling the contemporary issue of depression in an upcoming game called Please Knock on My Door.

Normally the phrase "it's a dog's life" isn't considered a good thing, but it is when the canine in question is the star of a new upcoming point-and-click adventure Seventeen Uncles: A Pug's Life, currently seeking funding through Kickstarter.

First The Last Door, then Ron Gilbert's Thimbleweed Park, and now the upcoming comedy/mystery adventure The Darkside Detective... looks like the chunky pixel is back in style!

In 2013, gamers were treated to a disturbing surrealist freeware adventure aboard a train called Sepulchre, which hinted strongly of more to come. Today that "more" has been revealed, as the original game by Owl Cave will be surrounded with both prequel and sequel installments in the commercial release of The Charnel House Trilogy this April.

In 2009, the semi-interactive webcomic Homestuck was launched, a kind of "mock adventure game" combining a story about teenagers who become trapped inside the world of a video game with a comedic parody of the genre. It went on to gain a cult following of fans, bolstered by community involvement in the comic's direction. In 2012, creator Andrew Hussie took to Kickstarter to raise funding for a proper video game set in the Homestuck universe, garnering nearly $2.5 million dollars by campaign's end.

Back in 2013, you may have come across an online demo of a game called Stairs, a psychological first-person horror adventure in the vein of Amnesia. Now indie Swedish developer GreyLight Entertainment has turned to Kickstarter to complete work on a full-fledged commercial game by the same name. Though not a remake or extension of the original demo, it expounds on the concept of telling dark tales of man’s inhumanity toward man, all in the context of a chilling horror narrative.

Being an identical twin could have its perks in an adventure game, but it could also lead to danger if your sibling is in trouble and pleads for your help before suddenly disappearing. That is the premise of Mirrored, an upcoming episodic mystery series from indie developers Ozan Civit and Cardboard Sword.

Many players expected to find horrific secrets lurking in the deserted Greenbriar home in 2013's Gone Home, only to discover a surprisingly poignant modern familial drama instead. The prospect is certainly compelling, however, and now a new indie developer comprised of experienced industry veterans is running with that Gone Home-meets-horror game concept in the upcoming House of Caravan.

It's been nearly 200 years since Mary Shelley brought Frankenstein to life, but two centuries later her creation is still raising ethical questions about humanity and inspiring artists to explore them, such as Niklas Hallin in his upcoming point-and-click adventure, Belladonna.

While we're still waiting on the first full adventure to make use of Senscape's Dagon engine, now we can look forward to another in the form of Seclusion: Islesbury.

“If you can Google, you can play."

First-person puzzlers are making a comeback! Though unlike in Myst's heyday, they're often done in real-time 3D these days. The latest in the new crop of exploration- and puzzle-based adventures is Pneuma: Breath of Life, which is set to debut later this month.

If at first you succeed, try again and make it even better. That seems to be the motto behind Morningstar: Descent to Deadrock, a popular freeware sci-fi thriller being updated and re-released later this month as a commercial adventure.