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Top Adventure Games
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iOS has become a prime popular platform for playing adventure games, thanks to multi-touch being in many ways a perfect interface for the genre. Many classic PC adventure games have already been ported to iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, and a few adventure games are even built exclusively for Apple devices. Not sure where to start? Below is Adventure Gamers' full list of best iPhone and iPad adventure games:
Top Picks
Year Walk
(iOS Exclusive) Taking the term "mobile gaming" to a whole new level, this haunting vision quest introduces the ancient Swedish ritual of year walking through eerie, surreal landscapes in search of a glimpse into the future. It raises more questions than it answers, but one thing's for sure: the future of iOS gaming looks secure in the hands of promising developers like Simogo.
Gemini Rue
The past meets the future in this impressive retro-styled sci-fi thriller that should conjure up fond memories of Beneath a Steel Sky and Blade Runner (complete with occasional gunfights). This 2010 IGF Student Showcase winner by Joshua Nuernberger offers two very different looks into a bleak, dystopian future, as the seemingly unrelated stories of an ex-assassin and a mind-wiped rehab patient gradually converge towards a dark and compelling finale.
The Next BIG Thing
(Known as Hollywood Monsters on iOS.) Whatever its title, in the hands of Pendulo, the studio behind the popular Runaway series, you could almost call this game “the next sure bet”. As expected, the offbeat comic adventure set in a 1940s Tinseltown filled with real-monster movie stars is creative, bizarre, and superbly produced, though it does get a little hairy at times.
Dominique Pamplemousse in “It’s All Over Once the Fat Lady Sings!”
For most developers, a game about a gender-ambiguous film-noir private eye with rudimentary black-and-white claymation figures and cardboard sets, virtually self-solving puzzles, and a story that plays out largely through song would be utterly unthinkable. But from indie developer Deirdra Kiai, anything other than a thought-provoking and utterly eccentric adventure that thumbs its nose at conventions would be a surprise. And somehow she manages to make it all work with whimsy, audacity, and a lot of brass polka.
Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller - Episode 1: The Hangman
You didn’t need to be psychic to have a feeling that Phoenix Online’s first commercial adventure series was going to be something special. With Jane Jensen acting as story consultant to the team behind the fan-made Silver Lining freeware epic, the tale of troubled FBI agent Erica Reed and her unique post-cognitive abilities began with a strong foundation and didn’t let us down. This gritty paranormal story grabbed us from the start and promised to continue occupying our thoughts between each of the season’s four episodes.
The Journey Down: Chapter One
Yo, listen mon! Dis HD remake of a delightful point-and-click freeware adventcha is all kinds of island fun. With a reggae and jazz-infused soundtrack, Jamaican accents and character models based on African tribal masks, this first of four parts has a distinctive style all its own, and it's entertaining as well, patterned after the classic LucasArts titles of old. In other words, somewhere between Elaine Marley and Bob Marley!
BlindSide
Who says great adventures need good graphics? In fact, who says they need graphics at all? Certainly not indie developer epicycle, who have created a unique audio horror adventure that's not to be missed. Awakened in the middle of crisis with no eyesight at all, with monsters now lurking in the all-encompassing shadows, can you listen and feel your way to safety?
The Secret of Chateau de Moreau
(iOS Exclusive) Who'd think to look for one of the deeper, most complex murder mysteries on the iOS? Well, you will, if we have anything to say about it. With a host of Professor Layton-style puzzles, a dash of Phoenix Wright-like evidence presentations, and enough quirky characters and bizarre plot twists to make Agatha Christie's head spin, you'll soon be deeply immersed in Antoine Moreau's attempt to find his father's murderer and clear his own good name.
MacGuffin’s Curse
Two words: crate puzzles. Still here? If that prospect doesn't scare you off, then you should enjoy this lighthearted comic puzzler, which blends an entertaining story about a man cursed to become a werewolf in moonlight with a series of progressively difficult obstacles to overcome, one locked room at a time. You'll activate switches, operate control panels, and shove lots and lots of crates to make a path in both human and lycanthrope form alike, chuckling all the way.
Machinarium
How would little independent Amanita Design top its popular Samorost series? Easy – by making Machinarium, the company’s first full-fledged adventure that exudes charm, style, and polish at every turn. Bigger and more complex than its predecessors, the game casts players as a little robot who must make his way back into a towering mechanical city. For a game about robots, it’s got far more heart than most adventures, and it’s a refreshing, imaginative title that’s not to be missed.
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Capcom’s latest pointy-haired hero is still pursuing justice, only this time it’s not in court but the afterlife. From Shu Takumi, the creator of the Ace Attorney series, comes a unique supernatural puzzler that casts players in the spirit role of a recently-deceased man. With the ability to possess objects and rewind time among his variety of “ghost tricks”, our victim has just one night to discover who murdered him and why, helping a diverse cast of quirky characters both living and dead along the way.
Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP
A distinctly retro fantasy adventure with very few puzzles, a little combat, and a life force that goes down instead of up may sound counter-intuitive, but that's exactly the point of this quirky art game. By emphasizing thoughtful, reflective discovery over traditional gameplay in this "woeful errand" to subdue a malevolent entity you unwittingly unleashed, Superbrothers is all about the journey, creating a unique atmospheric audio-visual experience you won't soon forget.
Hector: Badge of Carnage - Episode 1: We Negotiate with Terrorists
For an episodic game starring a cop, Hector: Badge of Carnage sure takes no prisoners. It’s so disgustingly funny that it’ll make you laugh your head off. If not, a sniper will probably blow it off anyway. A homicidal maniac is demanding three acts of goodness, and it’s up to the hungover, fat slob Detective Inspector Hector to provide them, armed only with a used condom, a sex doll, and a bad attitude. Yikes!
Dracula 3: The Path of the Dragon
(Note: iOS version split into 3 parts) Less a horror game than a scientific exploration of the Dracula "myth", this game takes a unique approach to its timeless story, telling a completely new tale of Father Arno Moriani, a priest sent to Transylvania to investigate a candidacy for sainthood. What he discovers, however, not only challenges his personal spiritual beliefs but ultimately drives him to a confrontation with the legendary vampire himself.
Kaptain Brawe: A Brawe New World
After a lengthy development downtime, Kaptain Brawe re-emerged from the stratosphere, and will you ever be glad it did. This sci-fi comic adventure is a delightful throwback to the old school classics, yet made for modern audiences. There are more than enough challenging puzzles to keep any gamer on their toes, with enough hints and help to make sure you never get stuck. In short: it’s funny, it’s beautiful, it’s not to be missed.
Puzzle Agent
Mix a dose of Graham Annable’s Grickle cartoon with a pinch of David Lynch, a dash of Fargo, a sprinkling of Professor Layton, and a healthy heap of puzzle filling, and you’ve got the unusual concoction called Puzzle Agent. Quite unlike Telltale’s other offerings, this puzzler serves up a steady diet of brainteasers wrapped up in the eerie mystery of Scoggins, Minnesota. Only Nelson Tethers, one-man Department of Puzzle Research for the FBI, can solve the curious case of the local factory closure and the “hidden people” that are somehow connected to the whole sordid affair.
Scarlett Adventures: Episode 1 - Scarlett and the Spark of Life
This comedic fantasy adventure begins much like any other generic fairy tale, with the titular Princess being abducted. But that's where the similarities end, as this is no damsel in distress. Scarlett can be a royal pain with her edgy attitude and knack for getting herself in troublesome situations. Fortunately, her escape from a simple medieval town introduces her to a host of unusual characters, including the mechanical “horse” Gherkin, one of the funniest supporting characters in recent adventure memory.
Back to the Future: Episode 1 - It’s About Time
It’s about time indeed! Twenty-five years after the original movie made the flux capacitor a household name, the beloved Back to the Future franchise is revived in a new five-part episodic adventure. Marty McFly, Doc Brown (voiced once again by Christopher Lloyd), and the time-travelling DeLorean are all back for another go-round, and despite the change to a more cartoony presentation, the series feels like it hasn’t missed a beat.
Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars - The Director’s Cut
The first adventure of George Stobbart and Nico Collard is still the benchmark of the series, and one of the finest adventures ever made. Beginning with a bang (literally), the globetrotting conspiracy thriller is smartly written and beautifully designed, and has recently been ported to in a “Director’s Cut” version with additional new content.
Tales of Monkey Island
Sure, you could play the long-awaited revival of Monkey Island on PC, but now you can guide Guybrush Threepwood through his five-part new adventure series with your iOS platform in hand. Attempting to stop the spread of an insidious pox that he himself released, Guybrush sails the seven seas in search of a legendary sea sponge, but obstacles and much hilarity await him at every turn.
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