Point & Click games

[AccidentalDenz]

I noticed in a thread that @Ekans2011 had been asking for advice on specs that they mentioned being fans of point & click games and that they were disappointed the genre is nearly extinct. This is just advising on a few of the better games released in recent years that I think are worth a play.

Wadjet Eye Games are one of the bigger names in the genre these days and both develop and publish P&C games. I've enjoyed all of their games so far, but I particularly enjoyed the following:

- Technobabylon

Technobabylon on Steam

A cyberpunk adventure game from the studio that brought you Gemini Rue and Blackwell! The year is 2087. Genetic engineering is the norm, and an omnipresent AI powers the city. Take control of three citizens of this world as they struggle to understand a deadly conspiracy.

store.steampowered.com

- Unavowed

Unavowed on Steam

A demon has possessed you and used your body to tear a swath of bloodshed through New York. You are now free, but life as you knew it is over. Your only path forward is joining the Unavowed - an ancient society dedicated to stopping evil. No matter what the cost.

store.steampowered.com

- The Excavation of Hob's Barrow

The Excavation of Hob's Barrow on Steam

The Excavation of Hob's Barrow is a folk horror narrative-driven adventure. Explore the isolated moors of rural Victorian England as you uncover the mysteries of Hob's Barrow. The answers lie in the soil...

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- The Blackwell Series

The Blackwell Bundle on Steam

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The Frog Detective games are pretty good, but can be completed in an hour or so, so may be worth looking for a sale.

Frog Detective 1 + 2 + 3 on Steam

store.steampowered.com

The Darkside Detective was a lot of fun and well worth playing. It has a sequel that was equally well received:

The Darkside Detective on Steam

Grab your trench coat, tune your sixth sense and join the Darkside Division as they investigate the outright bizarre, the downright dangerous and the confusing cases of Twin Lakes. Flesh-hungry tentacles, mafian zombies, and the occasional missing sock are no match for The Darkside Detective.

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The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark on Steam

Delouse your room with sage and pack up your travel-sized ouija board, it’s time to re-enter Twin Lakes - America’s 34th most haunted city. Join Detective McQueen as he puzzles his way through 9 chilling cases, risking life and pixelated limb to solve the macabre mysteries that plague the poor town.

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Kathy Rain was also an enjoyable time

Save 60% on Kathy Rain: Director's Cut on Steam

The award-winning point-and-click adventure returns in the Director's Cut with an extended story, additional puzzles, and new areas to explore. Witness the rise of an iconic detective as you uncover a dark and sinister truth hiding behind the calm exterior of a small rural town.

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There are so many games with the Point & Click tag on Steam. These are just some of the better ones in my view!

 

[Ekans2011]

I noticed in a thread that @Ekans2011 had been asking for advice on specs that they mentioned being fans of point & click games and that they were disappointed the genre is nearly extinct. This is just advising on a few of the better games released in recent years that I think are worth a play.

Wadjet Eye Games are one of the bigger names in the genre these days and both develop and publish P&C games. I've enjoyed all of their games so far, but I particularly enjoyed the following:

- Technobabylon

Technobabylon on Steam

A cyberpunk adventure game from the studio that brought you Gemini Rue and Blackwell! The year is 2087. Genetic engineering is the norm, and an omnipresent AI powers the city. Take control of three citizens of this world as they struggle to understand a deadly conspiracy.

store.steampowered.com

- Unavowed

Unavowed on Steam

A demon has possessed you and used your body to tear a swath of bloodshed through New York. You are now free, but life as you knew it is over. Your only path forward is joining the Unavowed - an ancient society dedicated to stopping evil. No matter what the cost.

store.steampowered.com

- The Excavation of Hob's Barrow

The Excavation of Hob's Barrow on Steam

The Excavation of Hob's Barrow is a folk horror narrative-driven adventure. Explore the isolated moors of rural Victorian England as you uncover the mysteries of Hob's Barrow. The answers lie in the soil...

store.steampowered.com

- The Blackwell Series

The Blackwell Bundle on Steam

store.steampowered.com

The Frog Detective games are pretty good, but can be completed in an hour or so, so may be worth looking for a sale.

Frog Detective 1 + 2 + 3 on Steam

store.steampowered.com

The Darkside Detective was a lot of fun and well worth playing. It has a sequel that was equally well received:

The Darkside Detective on Steam

Grab your trench coat, tune your sixth sense and join the Darkside Division as they investigate the outright bizarre, the downright dangerous and the confusing cases of Twin Lakes. Flesh-hungry tentacles, mafian zombies, and the occasional missing sock are no match for The Darkside Detective.

store.steampowered.com

The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark on Steam

Delouse your room with sage and pack up your travel-sized ouija board, it’s time to re-enter Twin Lakes - America’s 34th most haunted city. Join Detective McQueen as he puzzles his way through 9 chilling cases, risking life and pixelated limb to solve the macabre mysteries that plague the poor town.

store.steampowered.com

Kathy Rain was also an enjoyable time

Save 60% on Kathy Rain: Director's Cut on Steam

The award-winning point-and-click adventure returns in the Director's Cut with an extended story, additional puzzles, and new areas to explore. Witness the rise of an iconic detective as you uncover a dark and sinister truth hiding behind the calm exterior of a small rural town.

store.steampowered.com

There are so many games with the Point & Click tag on Steam. These are just some of the better ones in my view!

Thank you very much, that's AMAZING!

 

[AccidentalDenz]

Not a problem. There are many more games out there, these are just some of the more recent games. I could do a part 2, 3, 4 or whatever at some point if you like!

 

[Pl8]

I absolutely loved Thimbleweed Park - definitely recommend, especially if you're a fan of X-Files, Twin Peaks and/or being nostalgic about LucasArts!

 

[AccidentalDenz]

I absolutely loved Thimbleweed Park - definitely recommend, especially if you're a fan of X-Files, Twin Peaks and/or being nostalgic about LucasArts!

Excellent shout. That would probably have been part of my next recommendations.

Thimbleweed Park™ on Steam

In Thimbleweed Park, a dead body is the least of your problems. Switch between five playable characters to uncover the surreal secrets of this strange town in a modern mystery adventure game from the creators of Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion. The deeper you go, the weirder it gets.

store.steampowered.com

 

[Ekans2011]

I absolutely loved Thimbleweed Park - definitely recommend, especially if you're a fan of X-Files, Twin Peaks and/or being nostalgic about LucasArts!

I already have this one; I picked it up exactly for those reasons.

 

[Pl8]

Excellent shout. That would probably have been part of my next recommendations.

Thimbleweed Park™ on Steam

In Thimbleweed Park, a dead body is the least of your problems. Switch between five playable characters to uncover the surreal secrets of this strange town in a modern mystery adventure game from the creators of Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion. The deeper you go, the weirder it gets.

store.steampowered.com

I'd definitely love to hear more recs if you ever get the chance, can't have too many point & clicks. Once I get my PC I'm going to look into how to get the old Discworld games, they were my absolute favourites and the 'logic' was mad enough that I've definitely forgotten the solutions!

 

[AccidentalDenz]

There were 3 Discworld P&C games:

Discworld (video game) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Discworld II: Missing Presumed...!? - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Discworld Noir - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The first two are probably the better games, but the third is probably the one I'm most familiar with. None of them are on sale any more, but all three can be found on various abandonware sites. I'm not going to link to any of them as all too many of the games have viruses and other nasties, so it's very much a play at your own risk kinda thing.

The logic of the original two games in particular is very much in line with some of the classic P&C games made by LucasArts and Sierra such as:
Space Quest

Space Quest™ Collection on Steam

Experience a blast from the past with the complete, completely twisted Space Quest Collection.

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The Monkey Island games

Monkey Island Collection on Steam

store.steampowered.com

The Gabriel Knight Series

Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Father® on Steam

Gabriel Knight is the last in a long line of Shadow Hunters, those fated to fight the dark forces of the supernatural.

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The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight® Mystery on Steam

Play as both Gabriel and Grace as they are dispatched to Munich to solve a series of mutilation murders thought to be the work of werewolves.

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Gabriel Knight® 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned on Steam

Play as both Gabriel Knight and Grace Nakimura as you learn more about what is hidden in the hills of France.

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Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers 20th Anniversary Edition on Steam

Revisit of one of adventure gaming’s greatest classics by master storyteller Jane Jensen! Struggling bookstore owner Gabriel Knight investigates the sinister Voodoo Murders in New Orleans, discovering the secrets of his family history and unfolding his destiny in this tale of horror and suspense.

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The Phantasmagoria games (which are also FMV games - another genre I'm really into!)

Phantasmagoria on Steam

Master storyteller Roberta Williams challenges you to experience the ultimate interactive nightmare.

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Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh on Steam

All Curtis wants is to live a normal, happy life, but something seems to have other plans...

store.steampowered.com

The Indiana Jones games

Save 65% on Indiana Jones® and the Last Crusade™ on Steam

Europe, 1938: The lost Ark was just a warm-up! Now Adolf Hitler is after the most powerful talisman of all - the Holy Grail. A few brave men stand in his way. Fortunately, one of them is Indiana Jones, and this time he has his dad with him.

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Save 65% on Indiana Jones® and the Fate of Atlantis™ on Steam

The Man With The Hat Is Back In His Greatest Adventure Yet! 1939 - The eve of World War II. Nazi agents are about to get their hands on a weapon more dangerous than the atom bomb. Only Indy can stop them before they unleash the deadly secret that sank Atlantis.

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My absolute favourite P&C game is undoubtedly the original Broken Sword.

Broken Sword: Director's Cut on Steam

One of the all-time classic adventures, multi award winning "Broken Sword: Director's Cut" pitches sassy journalist Nico Collard, and intrepid American George Stobbart into a mysterious journey of intrigue and jeopardy.

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The first two in the series are exceptional in my view, the third was pretty good and the 4th was meh. They did a fifth game in the series which I also really enjoyed.

Save 85% on Broken Sword 5 - the Serpent's Curse on Steam

From multi-award winning Revolution Software comes the latest explosive episode in this classic series. Playing as intrepid American George Stobbart and sassy French journalist Nico Collard, you find yourself on the trail of a stolen painting – and a murderous conspiracy...

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[Martinr36]

Here's a couple that I've got:
this is definitely worth 99p https://www.gog.com/en/game/the_whisperer
And this is from the same folk and is down to £4.99 https://www.gog.com/en/game/the_whispering_valley

 

[Pl8]

There were 3 Discworld P&C games:

The first two are probably the better games, but the third is probably the one I'm most familiar with. None of them are on sale any more, but all three can be found on various abandonware sites. I'm not going to link to any of them as all too many of the games have viruses and other nasties, so it's very much a play at your own risk kinda thing.

I never got into the third one, I hadn't yet fallen in love with the City Watch (I very much have now) and I missed Rincewind too much Think I will have to find a decent abandonware version now.

Another old Lucas game that I loved was Sam & Max Hit the Road. I was 10 when it first came out and despite playing it for what seemed like hundreds of hours I don't think I got far at all, so I'm glad to see GOG have it!
https://www.gog.com/en/game/sam_max_hit_the_road

One more modern one which everyone has almost certainly heard of but just in case - Kentucky Route Zero, another one for Lynch fans!

Kentucky Route Zero: PC Edition on Steam

KENTUCKY ROUTE ZERO is a magical realist adventure game about a secret highway running through the caves beneath Kentucky, and the mysterious folks who travel it.

store.steampowered.com

 

[TonyCarter]

One of the best Point & Click games I have, and I can play with it for hours on end, is a work simulator called Microsoft Excel.

 

[SpyderTracks]

I never got into the third one, I hadn't yet fallen in love with the City Watch (I very much have now) and I missed Rincewind too much Think I will have to find a decent abandonware version now.

Another old Lucas game that I loved was Sam & Max Hit the Road. I was 10 when it first came out and despite playing it for what seemed like hundreds of hours I don't think I got far at all, so I'm glad to see GOG have it!
https://www.gog.com/en/game/sam_max_hit_the_road

One more modern one which everyone has almost certainly heard of but just in case - Kentucky Route Zero, another one for Lynch fans!

Kentucky Route Zero: PC Edition on Steam

KENTUCKY ROUTE ZERO is a magical realist adventure game about a secret highway running through the caves beneath Kentucky, and the mysterious folks who travel it.

store.steampowered.com

Sam & Max was great, I was brought up on those by my cousins

 

[Martinr36]

One of the best Point & Click games I have, and I can play with it for hours on end, is a work simulator called Microsoft Excel.

I used to play that, got to the pivot table level but no further

 

[Ekans2011]

This may interest my wife

Dracula Trilogy

Dracula: The Resurrection Based on the characters from Bram Stoker's suspenseful novel,

www.gog.com

 

[AccidentalDenz]

One of the best Point & Click games I have, and I can play with it for hours on end, is a work simulator called Microsoft Excel.

I always knew there was something not quite right about you!

 

[TonyCarter]

I used to play that, got to the pivot table level but no further

I'm onto slicers, sparklines and custom functions - nowhere near the top score though!

 

[SpyderTracks]

I'm onto slicers, sparklines and custom functions - nowhere near the top score though!

Are there any in game purchases in Excel these days? Can you buy custom skins for your Microsoft avatar?

 

[Martinr36]

Are there any in game purchases in Excel these days? Can you buy custom skins for your Microsoft avatar?

Don't think you can even get clippy these days

 

[TonyCarter]

You can buy lots of add-ins to make your data prettier, or give you more chart options, or additional functions…so ‘cheat engine’ if you will

Pity our company has disabled the installation of these, so I just have to do everything the old, slow, manual way.

 

[AccidentalDenz]

Not quite as strong as some of the other recommendations, but Between Horizons is a pretty good P&C game that came out this year. It even has a demo so you can get more of a sense of it.

Between Horizons on Steam

Between Horizons is a narrative 2.5D sci-fi detective adventure. 33 years into the Zephyr's journey, its mission is suddenly jeopardized. Can you find the culprit before it's too late? Experience an enthralling story set in a semi-open world that branches and ends based on your choices.

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