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Elder Scrolls unveils a choose-your-own Twitter adventure
To promote the release of the Elder Scrolls Markarth game pack, Bethesday ANZ is offering a choose your own adventure-type story on Twitter.
'Ring Fit Adventure' update adds Mario and Zelda songs to work out to
Nintendo's Ring Fit Adventure is a great way to keep fit while you're stuck indoors, and the company has added even more to the title. Today, the company announced that it was pushing an update to the game to bolster both the gameplay and the music choices. That includes a new rhythm game mode that'll let you move to the beat of a dozen tracks from Ring Fit Adventure. In addition, music from Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2 and Breath of the Wild will be available for you to bop to.
Disney+ announces two adventure competition shows for teens
While Quibi is remaking the once-popular Nickelodeon show Legends of the Hidden Temple, Disney+ is planning two of its own mazes-based, puzzle-solving shows that could be Legends of the Hidden Temple-esque with a reality TV spin. Today, the streaming service announced plans for the new content: The Quest and The Maze.
Exploratory adventure 'Vane' is now available on Steam
Several months after the PS4 launch, the trippy adventure game Vane is ready for the PC crowd. Friend & Foe has launched the title on Steam for $20, with the soundtrack available separately through Steam and Bandcamp for $7. It preserves the exploration-driven gameplay where you shift between bird and child forms to traverse a mysterious world and discover your destiny. The computer version reflects all the PS4 updates so far, including "more forgiving" checkpoints.
Engadget’s guide to all the outdoor gear you need this summer
If you're reading this at a desk, take a moment to stand up and locate your nearest window. You might see a street, a garden or even some fields. Whatever your current view, you are peering at the edge of the great outdoors, and adventure is beckoning. But this is Engadget, and we believe there aren't many things in life that a sprinkling of gear can't improve -- and that includes the time you typically reserve to escape a screen (ironic, we know).
Westwood’s 1997 ‘Blade Runner’ is playable again on PC
For years it seemed Westwood's Blade Runner might be lost for good. The 1997 adventure game that meticulously recreated the film's universe has becoming increasingly difficult to play on modern PCs. In 2003, the game's source code was lost, and it seemed like Blade Runner would never get the face lift that other retro-games have received. Now, it appears Blade Runner's fate might be changing.
VR puzzle game 'Moss' gets new missions for the Oculus Quest
To celebrate the release of wireless VR headset Oculus Quest, Polyarc is releasing new content for Moss, the adorable puzzle adventure that's made waves on the VR gaming landscape. Our swashbuckling mouse heroine Quill will now be able to explore the Twilight Garden, a new chapter that unveils vast new chambers, a fresh realm of puzzles, unknown enemies and unique weaponry. The Twilight Garden, along with the rest of Moss, will be available for Oculus Quest when the headset launches on May 21st. Players on other platforms, including PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift/S, HTC Vive and Windows MR will get the update for free in June.
Fight for your world and your heritage in 'Falcon Age'
Falconry is among humanity's oldest hunting techniques with evidence of the practice dating as far back as 2,000 BCE. It's listed as part of UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In Falcon Age for the PS4, you too can experience the majesty of falconry -- or at least a digital facsimile.
There's a text adventure game hidden inside Google Search
We all love a good, elaborate Easter egg, and Google has gained a reputation for laying those around consistently over the years. The most recent one is an old-school text-based adventure game that you can play in the developer console of your browser.
Surreal adventure game ‘The Gardens Between’ is coming to Switch
Independent developer The Voxel Agents has announced it plans to release abstract puzzle title The Gardens Between for Nintendo Switch in addition to previously disclosed PlayStation 4, PC and Mac platforms. It's expected to arrive sometime in Q3 this year.
'Westworld: The Maze' is a choose-your-own-adventure Alexa game
Consider yourself a Westworld superfan? Now you can prove it. Ahead of the season finale, HBO is launching its first full-scale Alexa voice skill with Westworld: The Maze, an immersive voice experience that challenges fans to demonstrate their knowledge of the sci-fi western through a choose-your-own-adventure game.
'Life is Strange' comes to iPhone and iPad December 14th
If you haven't had the chance to play 2014's Life is Strange or its recent sequel Before the Storm, now's your chance. The brilliant episodic narrative game revolves around teenaged Max and her ability to rewind time, returning to her hometown only to find it and her previous best friend Chloe in very different straits. Beginning December 14th, a whole new audience will be able to experience their story on iPhone and iPad.
Retro adventure 'Thimbleweed Park' comes to Switch on September 21st
You no longer need an iPhone to take the traditional adventure gaming of Thimbleweed Park on the road. Terrible Toybox has confirmed that the Nintendo Switch version of its retro mystery will be available for $20 on September 21st, or about a month after it reached the PS4. Portability is clearly the selling point of this release, but it also gives you a distinct choice of controls -- you can use the Joy-Cons or the touchscreen depending on your tastes.
The eerie stop-motion game that's 'better than sex with Jesus'
When I first talked with Anders Gustafsson and Erik Zaring in 2012, they promised their creepy, psychedelic, stop-motion game, The Dream Machine, was going to be "better than sex with Jesus." They had a lot of work ahead of them -- they were building the game by hand, with physical materials, and the stop-motion process was inherently time-consuming. Plus, they had to wrangle episodic installments of an intimate yet sprawling story inspired by LSD trips and theories of alternate realities. Five years later, as the sixth and final installment of The Dream Machine finally lands on Steam, I ask Gustafsson and Zaring if they think their game delivers on its sacrilegious promise.
'Distant' is the next game from the 'Alto's Adventure' team
Built By Snowman, creator of Alto's Adventure, has revealed the first trailer for Distant, a game it's creating in partnership with Australian indie firm Slingshot & Satchel. The video (below) shows a caped, glowing hero leaping from column-like structures through a massive cave, with a waterfall, glowing pyramid and blue fauna in the background. The company didn't give a launch date or price, but said it's coming to Mac, PC, consoles and Apple TV.
'Oxenfree' and the sweet spot of supernatural, teenage drama
"Do you want a cigarette?" It's a simple question for most people. But for a high school senior surrounded by friends, acquaintances and crushes, the inquiry can be a minefield of reputation management. The question becomes even more treacherous when that high schooler is an adventurous, blue-haired young woman who happens to be drinking with her judgmental peers on a secluded beach next to a decommissioned military base. You know, normal teenager stuff. This is the opening scene of Oxenfree, Night School Studio's supernatural adventure game that landed today on Xbox One and PC. Oxenfree features terrifying creatures, cave diving, breaking and entering, mystery, death—and, of course, teenage drama.
Cyberpunk noir game 'Read Only Memories' heads to PS4 and Vita
Read Only Memories, a pixelated adventure game set in the futuristic city of Neo-San Fransisco, will make its way to PlayStation 4 and Vita "soon," developer Midboss announced in a new trailer. Midboss is composed of the folks behind the annual GaymerX convention, and Read Only Memories is a narrative-driven, sci-fi romp set in 2064 that happens to include an array of inclusive character options, such as the ability to choose your preferred gender pronoun. However, these options are almost a side-note to the game's emphasis on story, retro 2D gameplay and robust character interactions.
Grow: Cuby's Quest is an intriguing space adventure game
Grow: Cuby's Quest is a new space adventure game for iOS. You control Cuby. No one's entirely sure what Cuby actually is, but at the very least it's a cube-shaped character that survives and thrives on "pecs," crystals in the game. The short version: collect as many pecs as possible to grow Cuby and avoid as many asteroids as possible so Cuby doesn't shrink. However, in its entirety the game features several power-ups and missions to complete to stay alive and soar through the levels. Grow: Cuby's Quest is free for iPhone. Grow's gameplay reminds me of Jetpack Joyride, a game that achieved moderate success in the App Store a few years ago. At first glance it looks like there isn't much to either title, but after downloading you find that the opposite is true. While the game is intuitive enough to not be intimidating, its plethora of missions and power-ups ensures that Grow doesn't totally lack complexity either. Remember the objective: collect pecs to grow Cuby and avoid asteroids, which shrink Cuby. This is done by tilting your iOS device left and right to maneuver that personified cube through space. Now, let's add on the rest of the layers. If you collect 10 pecs in a row without missing any, your combo bar fills and provides a shield good for protection from a single asteroid. If you go a long period of time without collecting any, Cuby starts to shrink on its own. Next in the game are power-ups, which come in all shapes and sizes. The black hole temporarily sucks in surrounding pecs, the death ray destroys incoming asteroids with the tap of a finger and the ice cube temporarily stops the shrinkage while also protecting Cuby - just to name a few. Additionally, four missions are always listed to complete in-game and earn points toward leveling up. The tutorial teaches you about all of these and at first it seems like a lot to take in all at once, but when you start playing the collecting-and-avoiding tactic present in multiple aspects of the game starts to come naturally. I find that succeeding in Grow is all about balance. While collecting pecs is useful to grow, avoiding asteroids inevitably becomes more difficult the larger you are. You have to let Cuby shrink and grow at a standard pace to succeed. The design and controls of Grow are both outstanding. The graphics are pleasantly above expectations for this genre and animations have me shouting "I can't believe it's not butter!" Plus, the motion sensing to control Cuby is as fluid as fluid gets. Cuby is also customizable itself with various accessories and looks, but the feature isn't particularly attractive or necessary. The game does include in-app purchases in its shop, which has various upgrades and power-ups that sell for different amounts of pecs or standard currency. If you collect enough pecs during the game you won't ever need to spend a dime. Grow: Cuby's Quest is undoubtedly a gem. The design is as intriguing as its gameplay. While there isn't anything terribly unique about the objective, this title offers more than enough to stand apart from the rest and shine in its own light. Grow Cuby's Quest is available now in the App Store.
Get delightfully lost with this route-enhancing motorcycle sat nav
We love a bit of "Choose your own adventure" action, and if a recent Twitter game is anything to go by, so do many of you. The problem with most formats is that they're, well, embedded in a book, or behind a screen. What if you could straddle your Harley, twist the throttle, and go on a real-life adventure? With TomTom's new RIDER bike-centric sat nav, you can. It's actually more about spicing-up an otherwise boring A to B route, than solving The Mystery of Chimney Rock. Or, as TomTom puts it: "bikers can choose the level of twists and turns they want to ride to create their own adrenaline-filled adventure." It does all that other sat nav stuff, too (audio navigation, glove friendly screen, route planning) of course. But hey, now that you can finally afford that Enfield, it's time to soak up whatever those Delaware back roads can throw atcha, right? Adventurers will have to wait until April though, when the RIDER becomes available for an as-yet unspecified price.
Spell World is a hard, confusing adventure powered by words
Spell World takes you on an adventure that only moves forward with the power of your vocabulary. At its core, it's just a grid of letters with words hidden in them and you are only able to create words out of letters that are either diagonal or adjacent to each other. Throw in a story line and more enticing objectives and you have Spell World in its entirety. Completing the puzzles and moving forward helps save the "Dudes" from their evil king. The game is free with in-app purchases for iPhone and iPad and requires iOS 7.0 or later. Above the grid of letters is a progress bar. Every time you form a word, it fills a bit and turns green. As time passes when you're trying to figure out words though, the progress bar slowly depletes and turns from green to red. This is my hell in Spell World. It puts the pressure on you to not just find a word in the grid, but do it in a timely fashion. Finding a word is hard enough. I'm not joking - this game is seriously difficult. It doesn't seem like it would be, but trying to find patterns in the letters only diagonal or adjacent on such a small grid doesn't immediately come naturally. SpellTower executes this far better. Words only need to be three letters long, but my instinct is to always go for the longer word to gain more points, but that actually seems to put one at a disadvantage. Spell World isn't difficult in a cutesy, addictive way. It's frustratingly difficult. Although once you start to aim for the smaller words, the game gets a bit easier, but even then that progress bar remains to haunt you and starts to drain faster with each round. Of course there's also the storyline of the game to follow along with. At the very top is a small Dude making his way through the level with your guidance. It's a side-scroller but the only way he moves, defeats enemies and reaches goals is through the words you make. The longer the word, the farther he moves each time, though making smaller words more frequently is also effective. There are some in-game tools to help you out. Along the bottom are three colorful squares, but I promise they're more than just shapes. These buttons are for swapping out for an entirely new board of letters, picking out one letter and swapping its place with another or even finding a word for you. When you run out of the few cheats you get to start with, you have to buy more stars to get more cheats. A pack of five stars is US$0.99, which is a little pricey. The game also has other in-app purchases like packs of lives for when you fail or bonus letters in the grid. The current version of Spell World crashed every other time I played the game, at least. That was as frustrating as the game itself. Plus, even though many apps have not updated with support for iPhone 6, the graphics here look particularly fuzzy. Spell World tries to be too many things at once and ultimately falls flat. The word game portion passes enjoyable addictive territory into just plain annoying, the storyline is less than exciting and the in-app purchases are on the expensive side. It's an interesting attempt, but doesn't fare in the end. The game is available for iOS in the App Store.
