I followed the TWP blog for a long time, and I was really looking forward to playing the game -
I played all the classic LA games when I was about 12. I was never that much into video games, and stopped playing computer games after “escape from MI” (which I liked!).
A few years ago I started replaying the old classics with SCUMMVM, and while replaying them was fun - even when I didn’t remember exactly what to do, I always had a vague memory of the general idea of the various puzzles.
The thing I was really looking forward to with TWP was playing an adventure game where I didn’t know what to do, so I could recreate the experience I remembered of discovering the game for the first time.
I had a vision of playing TWP for a while, piece by piece. When I was a kid, it took me months to get through the games - in retrospect I didn’t understand most of the jokes and hints, and I was not able to play for hours on end because of school, my parents (which didn’t let me sit in front of the computer for too long), and whatever else I was doing back then…
but now I’m an adult, i’m the parent (!), and as soon as TWP came out I bought it and played for 6 hours at night when my wife and daughter were asleep. It was actually a pretty busy time at work, but I ignored my deadlines and spent most evenings in the days following the release playing the game. I finished it in a few days with a total play time of 13 hours. I was never really stuck - I don’t think it was too easy, but the puzzles just made sense to me and I kept moving forward.
so whats my point? Finishing the game made me think of my life in those last 20+ years, more than the game itself (which is great! I loved it). I’ve not become a responsible adult that can pace himself, and balance work/family/TWP, and by binging TWP i’ve kind of lost the possibility of enjoying it over a few months. It made me realize I’m not 12 anymore… it really gave me pause when the credits rolled.
so thanks to the team for creating this game - it was a real emotional experience for reasons totally different from what I expected.
I played TWP with my 10yrs old son and really was able to recapture the feeling, because many things he experienced like I did back then and the overall atmosphere was so well done.
We sat in front of my Laptop, Coke and Popcorn and took our own notes and shared played the game. It was just wonderful and felt completely like playing a SCUMM game back then.
that’s awesome Marco, my daughter is only 10 months old, so I don’t let her play with the computer yet , but maybe i’ll be able to have that experience with her in 10 years playing TWP 5 (assuming they release a sequel every 2 years). I did eat a lot of popcorn while playing, so we have that in common
This is an awesome post and very similar to my experience. I have been die hard fans of LucasFilm (Arts) adventures since MM on C64 (and i was 12 years old too!) and MI series changed my life. They really touched me deep back then and the signs are still with me. I always get emotional when I hear MI2 music I play in the car regularly.
And similarly now I have a young kid and wife so I need baby to go to sleep and wife to be busy or asleep to play TWP freely. I did every night since it was out almost. I spent hours and hours without thinking the next morning.
All in all it still has the same emotional effects on me and value, playing adventure games.
I was lucky to get a few days without the kids when TWP was released and managed to finish it in 2-3 days (before any youtuber finished it or guides were available)…
I remember being stuck for months with Monkey 2, … and also weeks with other LA games. But I remember finishing Broken Sword 2 in just a few hours, since I never really got stuck.
My 3yo loves Putt Putt and he’s a master of using a mouse now, thanks to it Interestingly, I never played them, I was too old for kids-looking games when they were out.
I was reading some time ago about humongous story. It could have been a great adventure games company. But after Ron left it didn’t create anything it seems… Now they use Scumm VM for their releases so they don’t even produce new technology.
Also, i don’t think Ron or anyone from the original team get a penny from royalties.
From their website
Tommo Inc., a global game and entertainment company, has completed the acquisition of the Humongous Entertainment Brand and the majority of its assets, which was initially announced last summer during the Atari assets bankruptcy auction.
I’d guess this is correct. Also the same is true for Monkey Island & Co.
But nonetheless I’m sure he and all others who worked on those games back then want them to be played. It’s their legacy and it’s a legacy they can be proud of.
Wasn’t that even true for the Humongous games? AFAIR Ron owned that company. If he sells Terrible Toybox and/or TWP one day we have the same situation as with Putt Putt…
I wanted to binge, but needing sleep I was basically forced to enjoy it slowly. It took me circa 13 hours of play time to finish it, but a month in real time.
So… not having the time to play helped me feel those sensations again, being stuck for a long time, thinking about the game while not playing and waiting eagerly to get back to the PC to try my new ideas. It was wonderful.
