What is an adventure game?

[GarryG]

I’ve been thinking about this after reading some of the recent posts, and it seems that people have very different ideas of what an adventure game is. I have a sneaky feeling this is going to be an age-based thing again!

There are several things seem to be being called ‘Adventure games’:

1) Text only adventure games (I think it’s now PC to call these ‘Interactive fiction )
2) Text based adventures with static graphics.
3) Text based adventures with moving graphics.
4) Point-and-click games.
5) Joystick/keyboard based games that have an element of puzzle solving.

Number 5 covers a lot of sins…

My personal definition would probably stop at number three!

[MikeHaggar]

Oh, no. What have you done

[TMR]

Tetris!! [Runs away, giggling =-]

[Bub&Bob]

Gronda, Gronda, Gronda!!!!

[pantal00ns]

In my opinion upto number 3 as well

[Antiriad2097]

You've missed out 'Arcade Adventures'. That term used to cover Atic Atac and the like, where there's a clear map and defined goals to achieve beyond 'kill stuff'.

'Adventure' covers all bases, but 'Graphic Adventure' is a text based game with pictures (animated or otherwise).

'Point n click' ones are not 'Graphic Adventures'.

[Opa-Opa]

'Adventure' covers all bases, but 'Graphic Adventure' is a text based game with pictures (animated or otherwise).

'Point n click' ones are not 'Graphic Adventures'.

What he said

[GarryG]

Ah! The Vortex, I used to love that bit

You've missed out 'Arcade Adventures'. That term used to cover Atic Atac and the like

I would say that's covered in number 5; joystick/keyboard controlled!

[Celebaglar]

Maybe I'm bucking the trend here, but my own definitions would be different. I'd see things like the Monkey Island series (point-and-click) as adventures, since their principle is the same, only the nature of the interface is different.

I'd also be more likely to class those as "graphic adventures" because their interface is based on graphics, while "text adventures" would be any adventure which is text based, regardless of whether it has added graphics or not. Usually, the graphics in the latter games were just eye-candy anyway, and served no useful purpose towards gameplay. Case in point would be many of the Level 9 games, which were first released as text only and later with added - if rather uninspiring - graphics. Either way, they're the same game.

So I suppose looking at that list in the opening post, I'd go all the way down to number 4 and include the point-and-click games.

[Antiriad2097]

But 'graphic adventure' is a term that was coined and came into common use for text adventures with added graphics. To include point and click into that confuses the genre. They have their own name that's clear - 'Point n Click'

[Celebaglar]

But 'graphic adventure' is a term that was coined and came into common use for text adventures with added graphics. To include point and click into that confuses the genre. They have their own name that's clear - 'Point n Click'

I don't make a distinction between text-only adventures and text adventures with graphics. None is necessary IMHO.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't remember the "graphic adventure" term being used all that much. Granted, stuff like GAC did use it as you describe, but for me it's a meaningless distinction.

Even so, whether you refer to point-and-click as "graphic adventures" or "point-and-click" it doesn't change the fact that in principle the gameplay is essentially the same, so it makes no sense to consider one lot adventures and the other not.

I say this as someone who very much prefers text adventures (whether with or without graphics).

[The Master]

Uh, what are "point and click" games? You mean like Hypercard?

[Celebaglar]

Uh, what are "point and click" games? You mean like Hypercard?

No. The Monkey Island games, Loom, the later Sierra games, Lure of the Temptress, Flight of the Amazon Queen and a whole bunch of others.

What you're tjinking of are games likke Tass Times in Tonetown or Magnetic Scrolls' Wonderland. These tried an intermediate approach, where the surrounding were still mainly described by text, but the player might interact with his environment by clicking on icons rather than just typing commands. I think there were earlier examples of this cross-over approach with games like Koboyashi Naru, but my memory is getting a bit fuzzy.

[Xesh]

Personally I would call any game that has a narrative where you play one of the characters (whether it's text or graphics) an adventure game.

I believe that the definition of an adventure game has changed over the years. When I first had my Elk then adventure games were text based with occasional pictures. As the capabilities of computers increased so has the complexity of the games. Today's adventure games are mainly graphical with small amounts of text (almost the opposite of before). Neverwinter Nights and Elder Scrolls are prime examples of adventure games today imo.

[Antiriad2097]

But 'graphic adventure' is a term that was coined and came into common use for text adventures with added graphics. To include point and click into that confuses the genre. They have their own name that's clear - 'Point n Click'

I don't make a distinction between text-only adventures and text adventures with graphics. None is necessary IMHO.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't remember the "graphic adventure" term being used all that much. Granted, stuff like GAC did use it as you describe, but for me it's a meaningless distinction.

Even so, whether you refer to point-and-click as "graphic adventures" or "point-and-click" it doesn't change the fact that in principle the gameplay is essentially the same, so it makes no sense to consider one lot adventures and the other not.

I say this as someone who very much prefers text adventures (whether with or without graphics).

Remember or not, Graphic Adventure was a long established term before GAC came along, which is one of the reasons it has such a functional title.

I'm not disputing they are both adventures, but the two styles are established sub-genres. Graphic Adventures and Point n Click Adventures are very different beasts indeed. They have many similarities, but equally they have many differences. Its a bit like DOS and Windows - they're both Operating Systems, but your interaction with each is radically different and this impacts on how they are used.
Each of the two adventure styles encourage different approaches.

Uh, what are "point and click" games? You mean like Hypercard?

Nah, more like Myst