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!
). 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.