The 2026 what are we playing thread

Adventure/Lucasfilm Games
1

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
2

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.

4 Likes
3

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.

5 Likes
4

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.

1 Like
5

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.

1 Like
6

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.

4 Likes
7

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.

4 Likes