The 2026 what are we playing thread

Adventure/Lucasfilm Games
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Against all odds, I did finish Brassheart. After solving the meta-puzzle of obtaining the camera by manipulating my save file (turns out it’s simple json with numerical IDs for the inventory content), the rest was mostly smooth sailing. There was one puzzle where multiple items should have done the trick, but of course only the not-so-obvious (to me) solution worked.

I think I stand by my original sentiment and say that it feels a bit bland. The plot is not very original. The setting and locations are exotic, but not utilized to their full potential. I liked the puzzles from a purely mechanical angle, but they rarely sparked excitement or glee even though the situation may have allowed for it. I guess it would have needed extra animations or cut-scenes to achieve that. 3 out of 5 stars.
 

Over the holiday I also played Foolish Mortals.

Very good voice acting and pretty good (if few) music tracks. The setting and story are very compelling too, though the atmosphere is a bit ruined by alternating between slapstick and the macabre. Also, that reveal in the last chapter should have come a lot earlier for additional drama and higher stakes.

Unfortunately, the puzzles all feel a bit shallow and simplified. Like, one of the first tasks is collecting items for a recipe. My expectation was that this would occupy me for quite some time, but half the objects were lying around ripe for the picking, while others needed only a single puzzle to obtain, making the whole episode feel a bit underwhelming.

Over the course of the game there are whole rooms, meticulously drawn, that only exist to provide a single item, with little the player has to do to open the room in the first place, or to obtain the item once inside. Some locations are re-used by changing who and what is there each chapter (which makes the world a bit more lively, too), but that also adds to the simplification as there are practically no red herrings.

So it’s not a terribly hard game (if you’re observant) and the puzzle to story ratio seems rather low. I’d say Brassheart has the better puzzles, but Foolish Mortals is the better package overall. Still, it would have benefited from better writing and more elaborate puzzle chains. 3.5 out of 5.

6 Likes
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As a last for the holidays I played Randal’s Tuesday. It’s shorter than expected (took a mere 5 1/2 hours to complete), but otherwise pretty much the same experience as the original.

Writing is good, with the story unfolding as a series of flashbacks, from the perspective of different characters. That leaves what actually happened a mystery initially, and while each segment has a pretty clear goal, it’s a bit of a surprise where this all leads to.

Voice acting (English only) is hit or miss. Feels like a large part was contributed by German Kickstarter backers, with thick accents and sub-par recording equipment. At least the major characters are okay.

Puzzles are fairly easy but fun, in a subversive and destructive way.

I can recommend it for fans of Randal’s Monday (or Deponia, or maybe even Day of the Tentacle), but do not play the series out of order, as there are spoilers for Randal’s Monday! Just be aware that it’s more a snack than a three course meal.
 

Next up: Old Skies and Rosewater.

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I have been playing the original Broken Sword game. Back in the 90s, I had started it and appreciated the visual style, but I quickly lost my motivation, since the UI appeared too simple to me and there was almost not any humour. Furthermore, the story did not interest me enough.

This time, I have made way more progress. I think, such a simple UI is much more common nowadays, but it makes the entire games easier, since you have less options what to click on with your mouse. Though, most of the puzzles are very easy anyway. I am currently not sure if I am going to continue this game, as I have more than enough other games on the list.

In parallel, I have been playing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Especially the realistic look makes it an amazing experince, but I also enjoy the story and the puzzles very much.

Aside from playing adventure games, I have explored the world of VR over the recent days. I love how immersive it is, but I regret that there are not more recommendable VR games. It seems to remain a niche - at least for the next years. And such a headset is definitely not everyone’s taste.

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I started it [last month]( Indiana Jones and the Great Circle - #21 by Frenzie ). I took a two week break from playing it during the holidays and finished it a few days ago. Turns out I was really close to the end; not that this would’ve been a reason to rush it or anything. :slight_smile:

I might return to finish a few more things. There’s also a giant puzzle at the end which requires another 25 or so of a type of item of which I apparently only picked up about 25 organically.

It’s pretty cool but I’m not interested in owning it.

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I think I know which type of item you mean. Though I probably have missed a whole bunch of them as well, already.

UPDATE: Also, I have not tried every single side quest. Some more good reasons to play it again one day.:grinning_face:

UPDATE 2: I finished the Great Circle yesterday. I was not aware that you still can explore all the contents afterwards (just like in Jedi: Survivor). I like that, but I will take a break first.

UPDATE 3: @Sushi Thank you again on this occasion for recommending Luna!

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Played Rosewater. The gameplay reminded me a bit of The Captain, in that its middle part is split into various smaller vignettes which impact how the larger story unfolds. Unlike The Captain, there’s no time pressure, so that’s a plus.

Items rarely transfer between those scenes, so puzzle-wise they are never too demanding. A few of them took me a while to figure out, but I never got stuck for long. Most, if not all of them can be approached in multiple ways, with varying outcomes, and I reloaded twice since I wasn’t happy with the result I got on first attempt.

The story is a typical wild west tale, containing every conceivable trope and then some. You and a handful of companions go on a treasure hunt and get mixed up in all sorts of major and minor shenanigans. It has multiple endings, though no idea how much variation there really is. I assume it’s a combination of who lives, who dies and who becomes your friend. Not sure if the main plot line itself has different outcomes.

I did not get the best possible ending, but what I got and how it all played out was satisfying nonetheless, with three companions alive and presumably on friendly terms. It’s a game that probably wants to be replayed to see all of it, but it’s by no means short, and I assume there will be quite a lot of repetition.

The music is good and the voice acting excellent, though the graphics took some getting used to. Some pretty nice close-ups and cutscenes, though.

I wonder if Rosewater is perhaps similar to some of the Telltale games? Never played them, but feels like it’s not so much about the puzzles and more about the character interactions. So if that’s your thing, or you like the western genre, then it’ll be fun enough. As a point & click adventure it’s a bit lacking, though.

5 Likes
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Played Old Skies … and so should you!

Now, with that out of the way, I have to say I’m glad I kept Old Skies for last, as all the other 2025 adventure games I played pale in comparison.

For me, it primarily comes down to the writing, but background and character art are among the most beautiful too, voice acting and music are good and even the puzzles give little reason to complain. While classic inventory and item combinations are few and far between, a lot of the gameplay revolves around piecing together bits of information from multiple sources, and then acting upon that information to progress. Not always very complex, but varied enough and well fitting to the narrative and setting.

And narrative and setting are just brilliant. On the surface, the game consists of a series of episodes with seemingly little interconnection, but there’s an overarching plot that ties everything together and brings it onto a whole new level. But most of all, characters and situations felt relatable, drew me in and got me invested, and that’s something only few games accomplish.

6 Likes
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I’ve completed Dragon’s Lair 3D: Return to the Lair

I’ve had the CD’s for so long and it was a hard meta-game to get it running properly. It was released in 2002 and I picked it up probably around 2010, and it didn’t run smoothly at all (0.5 fps or so). I remember contacting ubisoft support and not being able to fix it with other drivers.

Going through my physical gaming backlog, I installed it again on more modern laptop about five years ago and it ran smooth as butter. Except: no music during gameplay, which I only noticed when looking up a walkthrough video for a particularly hard bit a few hours into the game. Then I spent ages trying to get it running with the music over three years, finally got it working (!), and then had to start from the beginning again a few months ago as I totally forgot what I had already played. And of course, I completed the original game since, so it was nice to compare scenes and locations.

On its own it is a pretty average 3D platformer, but for a Dragon’s Lair game, it is quite enjoyable, not too frustratingly difficult (most of the time) and does a good job at keeping the spirit of the original.

Unless you also have a copy lying around that screams buyer’s guilt, I recommend you just watch the playthrough instead.

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That reminds me of a fairly recent game that evoked Dragon’s Lair vibes, but I cannot for the life of me remember what it was called. It drew my attention for the art style and looks (just like Dragon’s Lair had in the 90s, though I’ve learned my lesson, thanks! :slight_smile:). Would have loved to recommend it though, in case you wanted more of the same …

And, speaking of backlog, I played I Was a Teenage Exocolonist, a narrative deck-builder with a couple more genres thrown into the mix. I found it quite addictive, as there’s a lot to discover the first time round, but truth be told, the central card game mechanic isn’t all that great. And as with Rosewater, the overall plot is pretty much set in stone, so it doesn’t really warrant a second run just for minor variations in the minutiae. Moreover, the majority of the 29 advertised endings only differ in what profession your character picks as an adult, and not so much in the fate of the space colony. I ended up as author of seedy romance novels … as if there weren’t enough of those already! (both authors and novels)

From a purely narrative perspective, the game is brilliant, though. It’s got the existential threat associated with growing up as a pioneer on an alien planet exactly right, and without prior knowledge there are a number of bleak events that can hardly be avoided. Not so unlike Lyneham, actually.

It also requires a bit of incentive to pick up on the hints it throws at the player, to follow those leads to uncover smaller or larger mysteries. That way I actually came across two of the more unique endings, but in both cases got the choice to back out and continue working towards a happy end for the colony (and a career in questionable literature) instead.

So recommended for the writing and player agency.

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Cuphead?

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No. For some reason I keep thinking it must be something with Q. But probably not. Has a girl or princess as protagonist.

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I have recently found an old french game studio called “Froggy Software”, they’ve made some interesting text based graphic adventures in 80s. their games are like absurdist plays and they all are avant-garde-ish and artistic, which is so rare and unique in 80s.

Unfortunately non of their games are in english. I’ve played “Paranoiak” using google translate and oh boy, there’s nothing like it in 80s videogames. Such an absurdist and philosophical hidden gem.

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Do you specifically mean a classical cartoon style? There’s also stuff like Sable. There was some other game with a visual style somewhat similar to Sable I played for a bunch of hours but quit because I thought it was too annoying.

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Tsioque. It’s called Tsioque. (And boy am I relieved that there’s still some life in those old brain cells!)

The devs explicitly cite as inspiration the wonderfully animated epic fantasy and its gruesome punishments for failures in DRAGON’S LAIR, and it’s got the looks as well.

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Hey, that’s on my wishlist. :smiley:

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After not playing any games since early January, I randomly decided to play Anno Mutationem.

As far as graphics go, this game looks amazing @kaiman. :wink: The gameplay and story are much more mediocre, but I’m still having a good time with it.

It’s a kind of scfi/cyberpunk type thing with 2D sprites inhabiting a 3D world.

The enemies somehow switch back and forth from really weak to you’re half dead if they hit you. The combat is slightly unresponsive but nothing particularly bad.

The story is that you play a woman who’s probably been experimented on as a child, hence stronger than normal people. Same old, same old.

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I’ve played all of their inspirations (well perhaps not Pyjama Sam, although that is on my backlog too). Heart of Darkness: yes! (at least the first couple of levels were great). The animation of Tsioque doesn’t look nearly as good as either of its inspirations though.

After almost 8 years in my library, I finally installed and finished Rube Works (by David Fox) in two game sessions (~8 hours in total). I knew of Rube Goldberg machines, but I didn’t know any of them, so it was a real joy and had me laughing out loud on a lot of the puzzles. I only wish I hadn’t played the first 12 so quickly in a row, as the last 6 are puzzles made in the style of (but not by) Rube Goldberg, and you can tell they’re a bit more of a hit-or-miss. Still, I’d recommend the game to anyone and I would love to see much more of these (especially if based on the original inventions). But hey, that’s one more game gone from my backlog! Plus, the credits include our friend @ZakPhoenixMcKracken as one of the Italian translators.

4 Likes
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I finished Anno Mutationem last night. My final impression remains more or less the same. Gorgeous game, decent enough gameplay, reasonable story, cutscenes always linger for seconds too long for some reason, “good” ending is kind of insane but whatever I suppose.

Also the final area felt unfinished. Quite sizable but barely anything to do. I guess they felt cutting it would waste the art.

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Played The Abandoned Planet, after biting the bullet and buying it on Steam in the current sale. I was not expecting to complete it so soon (or at all), given its listing of Myst and Riven as inspirations, but it’s nowhere near as difficult.

It does certainly feel Myst-like, though, in how the puzzles work (though there’s also a proper inventory and some item + environment combinations), and when it comes to navigation.

Puzzles are very accessible (if you are good at pattern matching), but still rewarding as often solving one puzzle will hand out the means to solve the next, and everything just clicks into place. Two exceptions, though: in one act, there are a series of 7 locks to open, by learning their code, programming a key with the code, and then solving a little mini game. It was fun for the first two times, but by then the game should have acknowledged that I understood the principle and knew the correct combinations, and just spare me the tedious execution. Then, in act 4 (I think), out of the blue, it goes full Myst on you: there’s a contraption with two states and no means to see what it affects, and another gizmo with about 50 states, that you can narrow down to several valid ones, and also no idea what it does and what’s the correct state. Together they’ll remove an obstacle. I did it, but I didn’t know what I was doing, or why.

What’s helping (compared to Myst) is how fast and fluid movement is. The locations are presented (mostly) in 1st person view, and you navigate across multiple rooms in seconds, as each room is only a still image and you can chose the exits with WASD. Though unlike Myst, each room is only ever shown from one angle, so if you need to backtrack (and you need to backtrack a lot), it feels like you’re actually trekking backwards. Also, sometimes the direction changes a bit unexpectedly (in one instance by 180°, so that pressing W repeatedly means going back and forth between two rooms), meaning you may take the wrong turn here or there by accident.

Aside from Myst, it occasionally reminded me of The Dig, like when you take a tram between different islands. And of TWP (minus the spelling):

Screenshot from 2026-02-26 18-30-36
Screenshot from 2026-02-26 18-30-361920×1080 226 KB

Story is nothing to write home about: your character crashes onto an alien planet, finds a way to leave, and isn’t fazed by any single thing she finds in between. If you play, it’s solely for the puzzles and looks. I enjoyed both, but if you beat Myst without a walkthrough, it’s maybe not the right game for you.

5 Likes
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Finally began playing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and the start took me quite by surprise. Really amazing, and also runs (so far) flawlessly under Linux.

Unfortunately, I also took the opportunity and bought Artis Impact discounted on Steam, and thought I’d give it a quick spin, so that Valve counts it as a Linux purchase. Turns out, it’s more enticing to me than figuring out what the Vatican might want with a cat mummy. It’s one of those quirky, charming JRPGs (not unlike Eastward), but with fast, turn-based combat that doesn’t drag on needlessly long like in (the rather disappointing) Sea of Stars. I totally dig the art-style and it evokes a sense of awe and wonder that mass-market products, as perfectly executed as they may be, often fail to deliver. So, back to Meiji Spa, to trash some AIs!

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