Adventure Gamers - Forums

The Space Bar

This is a game of split personalities, not only because you get to play as ten different characters (one human and nine different aliens) but that the game itself is split between being tremendously fun to head-bangingly frustrating.  While playing it, I alternately wanted to hug its creator, Steve Meretzky, and throw him into a pit of vipers.  Still, this is a unique gem of a game that will consume hours of your life and leave you wanting more.

In the screenshot, you are playing as Click, an alien who uses echolocation instead of eyes to see his world.  The apparatus is used to analyze the ingredients for a special kind of bomb.

I’ve heard a lot about this game, but never played it. Don’t know why. Just more games in line ahead of it I guess. Although with more games coming out, think Obduction,that are beyond my computer’s capabilities. I may start to look for and play older games such as this.

One of the most difficult games, and at the same time one of the games that “breathes” a lot, you really feel like you’re “there”. Frustrating, yes, but not for a second a boring game.

Becky - 28 August 2016 08:42 AM

Just reading Lady K’s description makes me want to play this game. Um, isn’t this the one where there’s a section where you have to move absolutely perfectly—any step in the wrong direction brings failure?

Yes. LadyKestrel’s pic is from that part of the game. Fun! It’s a great game filled with bizarre creatures. Just very difficult.

PS: Your every move counts in many other sections too. Legacy of the text adventures Steve Meretzky created.

There are several situations like that in the game, Becky.  The three that come to mind are trying to board the bus as Thud and Fleebix, Click’s vine swinging to escape the police, and the robot’s game of veebleball. 

One of the more frustrating parts of the game is knowing how long to wait for something.  You have a dial to advance the time, but knowing how long to wait is tricky.

Veebleball rules mainly concern arguing and getting physical with the refs.  Clubs are used.  Appropriately, the bot’s name is Dirtkicker.

Here are the very important Veebleball rules:

rtrooney - 27 August 2016 06:50 PM

I’ve heard a lot about this game, but never played it. Don’t know why. Just more games in line ahead of it I guess. Although with more games coming out, think Obduction,that are beyond my computer’s capabilities. I may start to look for and play older games such as this.

Do take a look a the CPT if you decide to play The Space Bar.

It might not be the easiest game to set up (just check the steps in the first post of the CPT). I played it in a Virtual Machine with Win98 myself.
And getting it to run is just the first of many hard puzzles…

Very funny game, though.