The best Adventure Games that aren't made by Lucasarts or Sierra

[The Adventurer]

I'm looking to round out my adventure game collection and while I'm on the up on the Lucasart and Sierra sets I'm a little lacking in terms of everyone else.

So what's really good? AKA the best the industry ever offered?

And what are some legal ways to get ahold of some of the older stuff?


For the record what I do have is...

Discworld Noir
Return to Zork
Zork Nemeis
Zork Grand Inquisitor
Myst
Riven
Myst 3
The Neverhood

Thanks.

[Fairygdmther]

You don't list three of my favorites:

Obsidian
Faust - 7 Games of the Soul
Sanitarium

Lynsie

[AFGNCAAP]

There's a lot more to adventure games than just LA and Sierra. Unless you want people either to ignore your request ("Recommend some games to me" threads aren't exactly rare) or simply spew lists of their favourite titles that you may have to investigate into by yourself anyway (btw, I heard this site (http://www.adventuregamers.com/reviews.php) is good for reviews ;)), tell us more of your gaming preferences. For starters, what games (among Sierra's, LucasArts', or those you listed) you liked and why?

[The Adventurer]

I'm a conasuer of all types of genres and game play types. Comedy, Serious, 3rd Person, 1st Person. It doesn't matter as long as the game is GOOD.

The Secret of Monkey Island is probibly my favorite series, followed up by Zork.

Zork Nemesis is probibly my favorite serious 1st person adventure. So Good.

[ILoveYou]

Faust - Seven Games Of The Soul
The Moment Of Silence
Still Life
Discworld Noir

[RLacey]

t doesn't matter as long as the game is GOOD.

Could you clarify what you expect from a good game? I'm not trying to be petty here: there are a number of games that I would recommend those who have similar views to me give a wide berth to, but a lot of other people would say that those games are very good. Syberia and The Moment of Silence, for instance.

[After a brisk nap]

Well, I think it's fairly simple to name some of the classics that aren't on your list. The games that get dragged up repeatedly in discussions around here. In addition to a couple of the ones already mentioned:

From Access:
The Pandora Directive (and the other FMV Tex Murphy games)
From FunCom:
The Longest Journey
From Revolution:
Beneath a Steel Sky
Broken Sword
From Westwood:
Blade Runner
perhaps Hand of Fate (and the other Kyrandia games)
From Brøderbund:
The Last Express
From Pulse:
Bad Mojo

In addition to that list, I'd like to mention personal favorites The Riddle of Master Lu and I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream.

[MdaG]

Some I fancy

Sanitarium
Revelations (Myst 4)
Black Mirror
Kyrandia 1,2,3

[Coop]

blade runner, longest journey, last express

[BerserkerTails]

I can't recommend "The Pandora Directive" and "Last Express" enough. These games (Especially the first) are two of my favourite adventure games of all time. Excellents plots, excellent acting, and stories that completely engage you.

Plus, they're both not too hard either.

[rtrooney]

You said you had a fairly complete collection of LA and Sierra games. If you are looking for designers with a catalog that is fairly consistent, I'd look at Microid games.

[Ninth]

Simon the Sorcerer 1 and 2.
Hands of Fate (Kyrandia 2).
Zork Nemesis
Zork Grand Inquisitor
Myst 2 (Riven) and Myst 4 (Revelation)
Gateway 2 : Homeworld
Deathgate
Shannara
Discworld 1 and 2
Still Life
Feeble Files (doesn't work on XP)
Obsidian
Sanitarium

That'l all I can think of for now. :) (sorry for those that were already mentioned)

[Terramax]

Gabriel Knight 1,2 and 3 and the Broken Swords.

[Leo]

If you like murder mysteries then you could try "Sherlock Holmes and the Silver Earring". I believe the other sherlock games are better but I have never tried them. Also you might enjoy "Fahrenheit" but you might want to read up about it first since it might not be to your liking.

[mgalesic]

Blade Runner, Pandora Directive, Sanitarium, Beneath a Steel Sky, Broken Sword

[Gonchi]

And what are some legal ways to get ahold of some of the older stuff?

eBay, Amazon and other websites of their sort. Sometimes you get lucky and find an online/retail store that has a dusty diamond in the bargain bin, but eBay’s probably your best bet. I’ve often heard people bragging about their latest find in a thrift store...

Beneath a Steel Sky and Flight of the Amazon Queen are both freeware and can be downloaded at ScummVM (http://www.scummvm.org/)'s website (downloads section). I've heard Discworld and Discworld 2 will be added at some point in the future.

Lure of the Temptress is also freeware, and can be downloaded from Revolution (http://www.revolution.co.uk/index.php)'s website.

Leaving aside newer games (which I'm assuming you're familiar with already) and those games already mentioned, here are non Sierra/LA Adventure games I've enjoyed:

Bureau 13
Call of Cthulhu: Shadow of the Comet
Call of Cthulhu: Prisoner of Ice
Cruise for a Corpse
Noctropolis
Shadow of Destiny
The Gene Machine
The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Serrated Scalpel
The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Rose Tattoo
Titanic: Adventure Out of Time
Touché: The Adventures of the Fifth Musketeer

There are a few more that occur to me, but they are hybrids and involve either flight simulation or combat or things of the sort, so I won't mention them unless you're interested.

[MaverickGR]

Shadow of the Comet
Alone in the Dark Trilogy
The Longest Journey
Black Dahlia
Syberia
Legend of the Kyrandia Trilogy
Beneath a Steel Sky
Dark Seed
I have no mouth and I must scream
Future wars

Probably others as well but I can't remember now.

Maverick

[AudioSoldier]

Broken Sword (I, II and III), Blade Runner and Fahrenheit are good choices.