The in-depth look at a variety of puzzle forms moves from the premise that puzzles are so integral to adventure games, bad ones can easily ruin a game:

Adventure games are different–in that the core features of gameplay cannot be effectively evaluated without actually playing it or giving so many details away as to detract from the experience of playing the game. In many respects, the quality of an adventure game depends upon the quality of its puzzles, whether they are ingenious and rewarding or just frustratingly illogical. Having been told an explanation to how a puzzle works means you will never be able to play it as intended, since a big part of the experience is the enjoyment of figuring it out for yourself. You can evaluate the art, voice acting, and even the story or humor present in an adventure game to a certain extent without diving too deep into it, but an adventure game with terrible puzzles can make all those other elements irrelevant, since you likely will never have the patience to finish the game in the first place.

In this article, I will be taking a closer look at the various types of adventure game puzzles, how they relate to the gameplay, and even how some of these basic forms relate to other game genres.

From two basic classifications (’self-contained’ and ‘key’), a wide variety of puzzle types appear; the analysis is interesting and the article is worth plowing through if you’re interested in the nitty gritty of game design.

Adventure game puzzles: unlocking the secrets of puzzle design [Adventure Classic Gaming via GameSetWatch]

However, the extreme peculiarity of these discoveries has not diminished my interest in exploring games’ resource files in the least. Seeing the graphics, sounds, and codes neatly grouped in separate sections and finding out how they intermingle to bring the game to life may not be quite as entertaining as playing the game itself, but for those few who have the patience and a lot of free time, it is an interesting experience.

There is always the possibility of discovering an unused background, animation or sound file, or even just an interesting little comment made by a programmer in a script. As small and uncommon as these discoveries that I have made may be, they add a new dimension to the experience of enjoying these adventure games. In a way, they can be compared to the deleted scenes or audio commentary on a DVD release of a movie, and they give the interested gamer some true insights into the games’ design. Since I have only looked at a small portion of the files in just a few adventure games, who knows how many other hidden treasures have yet to be uncovered?

It’s a neat, nostalgic (if sort of odd) look at some of those classic adventure games.

Resource Quest: hidden treasures in Sierra’s adventure games [Adventure Classic Gaming via GameSetWatch]

Sadly, when I first found this the other week I decided not to take a picture of the On-Line Systems anniversary party page. It featured people from the early eighties (a theme of this blog if you haven’t noticed) enjoying what looked like a California themed ho-down, and men who look like Ewoks wearing aviator sunglasses (though Ewoks didn’t yet exist, so I guess they are proto-Ewoks). I’m upset that I didn’t take a picture of it, because I think it allows you to see (as these other pages do) the small and familial nature of a company that would balloon into one of PC gaming’s most prominent companies.

A post on ‘Sid Meier’s First(?) Game and an Early Look at MicroProse’, about a game no one — including Meier — seems to remember, is also worth a look.

The Beginnings of Sierra Part 1 [How They Got Game]

Despite my fondness for the adventure games of yore, it appears the days of puzzles in narrative games have come and gone. Puzzles – especially the serial unlocking variety found in the old LucasArts games – seem to have become a relic of a bygone era. Where they once provided a necessary ludic element to a clever and often complex narrative – designed to add challenge and force the player to earn his progress through the story – few modern players have the patience for such challenges anymore ….

Combat has replaced puzzles as the progress-impeding mechanic du jour for modern gamers, and fast-paced action, quick reflexes, and gamepad dexterity are the premium skills. To be sure, games like SOCOM and Call of Duty also require strategic thinking, and online multiplayer often requires fine tactical thinking and cooperation. But puzzles – the kind you study for awhile, scratch your head about, and maybe even mull over in your sleep – have largely disappeared from narrative games.

Is there a place for puzzles of the old school stripe in current games? Abbott suggests considering the purpose of such puzzles in narrative-driven games while re-thinking their implementation; it’s a difficult puzzle, to be sure, but one whose dividends could pay off in future gameplay.

Puzzles are for geezers [Brainy Gamer]

ADVENTURE GAMING EXPO CONVENTION TICKETS ON SALE NOW

Adventure Game Fans – It’s Time to Get Your Game On This Summer

MATAWAN, New Jersey – May 1, 2008 – Adventure Gaming Expo, the largest convention dedicated to adventure game fans, today announced that tickets are now available for the inaugural event. Adventure Gaming Expo will take place August 29 – 31, 2008 in Atlantic City, New Jersey at the brand new luxury resort ,The Water Club which is connected to the world-famous Borgata hotel, casino, and resort. From old-school text adventure games to the classic Sierra and LucasArts hits, to Myst and modern day adventure games, the Expo has something for every fan of the genre.

“This will be an exciting weekend for every adventure game fan,” said Howard Sherman, Chairman, CEO, and Implementor at Malinche Entertainment, the organizer of Adventure Gaming Expo. “Meeting the legends who created these classic, timeless adventure games would be reason enough to go, but throw in a charity auction loaded with dozens of rare adventure gaming collectibles, workshops, discussions, and a live-action adventure game, and you end up with a life-changing experience.”

All Adventure Gaming Expo guest will have the opportunity to personally meet all of our VIP Celebrity guests, as well as attend a series of workshops and panel discussions focused entirely on adventure games — from playing them, to beating them, to designing them.

VIP Celebrities include:
Scott Adams – Pioneer of the first personal computer adventure games
Lori & Corey Cole – Creators of the Quest for Glory series & the Shannara adventure game
Chris Jones – Creator of the Tex Murphy series
Al Lowe – Creator of the Leisure Suit Larry series
Scott Murphy – Co-creator of the Space Quest series
Tony Van – Exec producer of Myst V: End of Ages and creator of the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation game series

Charity Auction to Benefit Pencils for Kids
The charity auction will feature rare adventure game artifacts, including the original Zork game (zip-locked TRS-80 version), background art used in producing Space Quest, autographed games from legendary designer Steve Meretzky, a CSI game signed by all eight cast members, and a myriad of other antiquities from the treasure vault. All proceeds will be donated to Pencils for Kids, a foundation dedicated to giving impoverished children the tools to learn.

Live Action Adventure Game
For the daring adventurer who wants to prove their mettle, text adventure game Implementor Howard Sherman is crafting a live-action adventure game that will be played across the expansive Borgata/Water Club Property. What’s a live action adventure game? Think REAL locations with REAL objects (and real red herrings) as well as REAL people acting as NPCs.

Extra surprises are planned during the weekend and additional events and activities are constantly being added.

Special Early Registration is $99 until May 31st. Discount rooms are also available for registered Adventure Gaming Expo attendees.

Additional information and event registration can be found at: http://adventuregamingexpo.malinche.net/

“Just wanted to quickly point out that AdventureGamers.com now runs a partnership with Lezard Electronic to offer digital downloads of many popular adventure games. It’s called Adventure Shop and it launched with a catalog of 23 titles. New games will be added regularly going forward… It already has some titles that are hard to find elsewhere. Sherlock Holmes vs. Arsène Lupin won’t be in stores until sometime in 2008, but it can already be downloaded from the Adventure Shop.”

Holmes vs. Lupin? Forget about Sonic Vs. Mario, this is the matchup to watch for this holiday season.

Digital downloads of adventure games [GamesLOL]