We have played all sorts of video games throughout our time, and not all of them have a great story. Some do, but others are more about the gameplay and the action. Not so with adventure games, despite their name.
Adventure games are something more relaxed, or so we would like to think before we get stuck with a silly puzzle that has no logical explanation behind its solution.
Since the genre is strange at least, here is what you can expect to find when you search for adventure games.
The Name – It’s Very Confusing
The traditional dictionary definition of adventure implies something dangerous which often has action and lots of physical involvement. Not so with adventure games. The genre refers to games which are centered around a narrative and have puzzle solving and exploration as their main element. There is usually little to no action and in most of them, no danger.
Adventure games can also be text based and will require you to only type and use your keyboard to find the way out and beat the game. They are often defined by three things, the puzzles, the narrative and the exploration.
The Puzzles
All adventure games have puzzles. Some can be logical and brain teasers, which you will find in games like Myst, while others will be more contextual, which you will find in games like Day of the Tentacle, where reading the environment and following the story is more relevant to solving the puzzle than math and other types of skills.
Games like Mystery Case Files will put your logic to the test, as well as your exploration and hidden object finding skills.
The puzzles are made to match the narrative of the game.
The Narrative
Every adventure game has a narrative, and while some are narrative-driven, like LucasArts’ adventure games, others like the Myst series are more about the puzzle and the immersion and exploration, than they are about the narrative.
The narrative becomes more important in games which are centered around it, and when properly executed and rendered, like in Grim Fandango, you get an amazing game that you will never forget.
The Exploration
Exploration is a major part of adventure games, whether text ones, narrative ones or immersive ones. You will be able to sift through various locations and scenes, talk to characters and find secrets and objects that you will later use to solve puzzles. Sometimes, talking to characters is the way to solve a puzzle.
Adventure games are despite their name, mostly puzzle solving games which are placed in an immersive world and may be narrative-driven. They can be textual, 2D, 3D, and even live action. Try one of the classics and see for yourself.