Top 11 Retro Adventure Games (That are NOT Sierra or LucasArts!) - Part 1

[@LGR]

What, no Hugo: Jungle of Doom? UNSUBSCRIBED

[@pushinguproses]

I hope everyone is prepared for massive disappointment when I start counting down the final entries.

[@hunam_1]

I prefer Hugo: Whodunit to Jungle of Doom.

[@hunam_1]

Whodunit? has some seriously BS puzzles requiring pixel perfect navigation and pre-typing shenanigans.

[@Tycahal1991]

flight of amazon queen is also a classic also it would be cool if you talked about Amerzone and Syberia

[@HazmanFTW]

Don't worry Clint, it'll be coming in at number 2, House of Horrors will be Number 1

[@mayorenstein5316]

"it's my goddamn list that's why"-PushingUpRoses I find this to be a compelling argument. Great list so far by the way.

[@pushinguproses]

It's definitely hard to argue against. ;)

[@paaaaaaaaq]

Tim Curry is everywhere and his imdb page is much too short.

[@Jason-fv4rg]

The developer of Titanic: Adventure Out of Time was based in my home town of Knoxville, TN. I dated the girl who ran the call-in hint line for the game!

[@Arrowdodger]

The wiki-how thing is an absolutely perfect call. I can't unsee it.

[@pushinguproses]

Thanks! I had fun making it.

[@jasonblalock4429]

Yep. I had to pause on every screen to read the text. Way to go above and beyond! :-)

[@MagusMarquillin]

I paused to read each panel too, that was so funny! I remember reading a review of Last Express; she was so offended that it forces her to treat Robert's friend that way. But, in truth it was pretty surreal design. You didn't actually post that up on WikiHow did you? I couldn't find it, but I'd love to read more.

[@pushinguproses]

Nah, it's not gonna be posted. The whole thing is one giant photoshop. Very glad you liked it though!

[@TheBaltasaro]

Never played Toonstruck, but heard "WHIP MY CREAM" and immediately recognized the voice of Suzi, the leader of the Vultures in Full Throttle. One search later and I'm astounded by Tress MacNeille's career in voice acting. She'd make a hell of a podcast guest.

[@intrinzikritik]

"This is literally the cutest thing I've seen in my life. It makes me feel fucking sick just looking at." LMAO XD

[@Mario583a]

Roses is the next I Hate Everything.

[@DataDrain02]

I'm almost surprised you didn't mention the irony of having Christopher Lloyd as a hero in a sort of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" kind of game. Since... you know, he played Judge Doom in that movie. It's just kind of a funny contrast between that game, and the movie you mentioned.

[@faishiro5009]

_Data_Drain_ I was this many years when I figured out that irony.

[@92JazzQueen]

An added bonus is Tim Curry was offered to play Judge Doom but was deemed too scary.

[@lucianof-f6z]

so glad this is only part one.

[@futonrevolution7671]

The next time I serve as a plot reveal, I'm stealing that "It is I, Raoul!" line delivery.

[@theredeft5319]

Oh my gosh that Titantic game is such a nostalgic trip for me. I and my brother played that a lot when I was little. It was such a hard game for me at the time. It was such a interesting concept to go back in time and knowing the Titantic is going to sink, and getting to walk around and see all the beautiful backgrounds and things. That game wa s amazing

[@heeeyyy2947]

Oh my god I’m SO GLAD you talked about Toonstruck MORE PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT!!!

[@Hedvigu]

I didn't before and now I'm totally intrigued.

[@AlyxxTheRat]

I think my favourite adventure game not Sierra or Lucas is The Longest Journey which was developed in my home country, Norway. It's pretty heavy on dialogue (and monologue at times) but to me it felt like an incredibly well developed game with a really well thought out universe inside it. Or... dual universes if you will. I'm also fond of Westwood's Blade Runner game even though I've never finished it.

[@TridonsEve]

I played that with the Norweagian audio, and was surprised how many well known actors were there. Well, for Norway at least. Geir Kvarme is just great :D

[@AlyxxTheRat]

Yeah, they all do a great job too. I was really disappointed by the Norwegian voice performance in Dreamfall by contrast... though I kinda hate that entire game so let's not get into that ^^'

[@azadalamiq]

i played dreamfall. the longest journey is a pretty solid adventure franchise. :D

[@AlyxxTheRat]

I couldn't stand Dreamfall because of how much it fucked up and it was just a painful game to play imo.

[@azadalamiq]

Alexandria Thorne i played it just fine, it was a stand alone using events from TLJ as backdrop. It wasn't a sequal by any stretch.

[@kaph123]

Toonstruck will be my most favourite point & click adventure for all time. Thanks for including it on the list. There is/was a fan project to bring the cancelled continuation to life!

[@nobody4821]

Toonstruck is onsale on GOG right now. Good timing

[@Sgt_Glory]

Sold on Steam as well! I only ever played the shareware version when I was a little tyke, but now I'm finally going to get to finish it.

[@somehowoptional2501]

Same here! Old men high 5 ;)

[@Arrowdodger]

The Last Express also has one of the best Easter Eggs I've ever seen, with that juggling bit.

[@BlackCrossCrusader]

I'm grateful you found these, I like finding old gems. I'm gonna check these out now. Thanks PUR. :^)

[@baskerwilNL]

“Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes: Case of Serrated Scalpel” is and was brilliant. And it was an EA game! Ah, so many great games!

[@fanfaretloudest]

Awesome vid Roses. The last game mentioned was a nice surprise in my opinion (as I have said before I loved that game too!). Can't wait to see what other games you have listed for part 2!!

[@karllenasson]

Have you played / how did you like the following adventures? Would love to know people's opinions. Runaway (1-3) the Blackwell series the Deponia series Critter chronicles Simon the sorcerer

[@JaybugJabbers]

Absolutely adored the Blackwell series!

[@doyleharken3477]

Runaway and Deponia are awesome franchises!

[@ShadowlostArts]

Simon the Sorcerer is a classic game, I love it

[@AuspexAO]

The Critter Chronciles becomes "The Book of Unwritten Tales" franchise which is amazing. I also love Runaway and Deponia. However, some people can't get past how terrible of a person Rufus is, ha ha.

[@flavoredwallpaper]

Blackwell is great. I played the first Runaway game and it was so-so. I couldn't get through Deopnia because I hated the characters and didn't find the game funny at all.

[@Marcifar]

I have a hunch that Discworld, Beneath a Steel Sky, I have no mouth and I must scream and maybe Blade Runner are going to be in part 2

[@fanfaretloudest]

I also wonder if Calahan's Crosstime Saloon will be on there too. :)

[@Mirality]

I hope at least one of the Tex Murphy games is in there, after that intro. Also TLJ, of course.

[@Markimark151]

The Last Express is a really good adventure game that should’ve more popular, I’m a fan of Hercule Poirot Murder on the Orient Express. And it was made by Jordan Mechner!

[@Sheepy007]

Funny Thing the First time I heard about the Last Express a few years ago. Then 1 week later I went to a flea Market and found a complete in Box Copy for 2 € in great shape. Coincidence or destiny?

[@Markimark151]

Josh Jacobs Brøderbund is one of the best developers in the early PC gaming, they made Carmen Sandiego, Prince of Persia, they were as big as Sierra and LucasArts.

[@MagusMarquillin]

+Josh A game designer history podcast? Hmm...might I know it's name?

[@doyleharken3477]

Maybe Mechner should consider crowdfunding to get the sequel realized.

[@ZockAmigo]

I‘m really in love with the game flight of the amazon queen. That‘s such a great point and click

[@GlitchBoxzK]

Love your channel. Your numbers are now blowing up FYI. You deserve more subs/views etc. Lot of Adventure/PnC fans out there. Keep it up

[@jamesh3267]

I was hoping to hear a reference to Phantasmagoria, and not see it on the list. Great job as always.

[@HaplessNerd]

14:32 May I offer you an egg in these trying times?

[@HaplessNerd]

Look out! Its a PoIsOnOuS egg!

[@mrmusickhimself]

I'd take you up on your offer but I'm too busy boiling denim.

[@SleepingPepper]

I don't know how I just found this channel! I think I vaguely remember some of your content from TGWTG. You've fulfilled my desire for snarky FMV content that I was so craving after Spoony stopped making stuff. Thank you so much

[@NudistMatt]

Thank you so much for sharing this video! It just came across my feed, and I found three items to add to my Steam Wishlist. As a big fan of Sierra and LucasArts adventure games, I look forward to exploring some of this genre from other studios!

[@PizzaguyJeff]

Oh my god, Toonstruck.... You just unraveled a 20+ year old mystery in my head with this one. I vaguely remember seeing screenshots of this game in EGM or some other magazines that I would read while my mom dragged me around during our trips to the grocery store. I just remember seeing Christopher Lloyd's face with some cartoons and a brief description. Thank you, I will have to play this ASAP!

[@Tamara_SL]

Great idea to spotlight adventure games other than the usual obvious picks! I've played a couple of these myself and some of the other ones are definitely going onto my wishlist to try out some time.

[@TaneKoden]

Thanks for pointing out Eric the Unready! I remember watching my uncle play that game a bit when I was a little kid. I never knew what it was called, but I distinctly remember the UI and some of the images. I'll have to play that sometime now that I know the title.

[@marcsm2008]

Oh man, I loved Toonstruck. Fluffy Fluffy Bun Bun made me laugh out loud when I first met her. Anyway, amazing video. VERY entertaining. 22 minutes that felt like 5. ^^

[@bigloquat]

Learning about Toonstruck is like a fever dream and I can't wait to play it. Great video

[@kazekothestrange8402]

I've found so many new old favourites through this list! And you got me SO hyped for Black Dahlia, particularly because of the acting and the investigation. It was such a shame to hear that it's not very widely available. But I'm determined to find it and play it, wish me luck!

Having watched both parts 1 and 2, I like most of your picks, but I'd like to throw out some good ones not mentioned: The Tex Murphy series (Under a Killing Moon by personal fav of the series) Rex Nebular (this was like a cross between Space Quest and Leisure Suit Larry, made by Micropose I believe) Noctropolis (don't know what to say about this one....it's really different, some hate it, but I liked it a lot)

[@magreger]

"Whip my cream!", Hahaha!

[@firetiger-io7no]

Ryan Schaffer lol

[@AmyraCarter]

I remember that Titanic game. Unfortunately, the copy I played was one of a former friend's mod projects, and the part when the Titanic starts sinking always glitched out, leading to a system crash (requiring a restart of the computer). I don't recall what he was trying to mod, but apparently it coincided with the timer data because it was when the timer itself showed up, the crash occurred.

[@dana8190]

thanks for making great video Roses, theres really no other channel like this on YT

[@TheDeviantGent]

So happy to see these more unsung classics getting some love. Can also recommend Presto Studio's Journeyman Project trilogy for a solid FMV experience, especially Legacy of Time.

[@scottlarmore5038]

Great video Roses. Thanks. Can’t wait for pt. 2

[@ray_kosmic]

Titanic Adventure Out of Time is one of my most nostalgic games, I remember seeing my mother play it when I was 2-5. I recently replayed it, it was really cool to see it through the eyes of an adult, after all these years of my mind warping it to my vague memories.

[@Pablonmon]

I appreciate the personal story on this one. Early on I found myself sensitive to creepy and jump scenes in games and discovered watching my older sister play them was enough "protection" to enjoy them. Probably no longer being responsible for the protagonists survival I imagine. Watching the review was kind of nostalgic that way; never realized how much time I spent watching our family's shared screen while someone else drove the action. SUBSCRIBED for that. ;)

[@WastelandSeven]

Have you ever wanted to feel like you wanted to be on the Titanic? Um...not really. It gives me a sinking feeling. I'll show myself out....

[@Claggy53]

I’m SO glad you had Black Dahlia - I frighten loved that game. Need to get a copy to replay ASAP. Thanks so much for bringing back some weird and wonderful memories!

[@cScottD]

I had completely forgotten The Black Dahlia, but I quite liked it back in the day.

[@JBlade187]

Toonstruck was a great game. cant wait to see the rest. great work, glad to see you putting out another video

[@fruitlessworship]

i really enjoy how detailed this video is!! it really makes me want to play these games

[@GameplayandTalk]

Great video. I recognized a few of those like Toonstruck and Titanic, but the rest are completely foreign to me. Always nice to see stuff I haven't heard of before!

[@derealized797]

A couple of my favorite non Sierra adventure games, that I can remember from back in the 90s. Viel of Darkness, which I didn't beat until many years later, when I had internet and went back to it. And Amazon Guardians of Eden. Which I really liked because it was possible to beat the game without a walkthrough. There are a few others, as far as non Sierra and non Lucasarts adventure games. But they're really obscure and hard to remember the names of them. Well Hugo's house of horror but everyone had that. Personal Nightmare is the last I can remember. I had so many great games back then but it wasn't easy for me to get new games, most of them were copies given to me by friends and then bargain bin games I'd convince my mother to buy me... my parents hated video games. So it was up to my brother and myself, and my grandparents were awesome and understood it. That's why we had our PC back then.

[@reeyanx]

omg thank you. I've been looking for Toonstruck for 18 years.. and the only thing i remember was a scene with 2 armadillo guards at 7:54.

[@davidk3184]

Nice list. I never even heard about Black Dahlia but it sounds great. Hope it gets added to GOG sometime. Part of the list already is so I guess i'll go shopping soon enough again when they have a sale again. (I loved the Legend games too btw. Yep. Even the infuriating Spellcasting games). Wish you'd cover Simon the Sorcerer sometimes.

[@TheJackOfKnives]

Awesome list! I am definitely going to try some of these out. A friend and I are finishing The 11th Hour, and I think after that, it's Tex Murphy time. Toonstruck looks amazing!

[@eveoftartarus2602]

@PushingUpRoses I have a few reccomendations from my childhood of adventure games I played with my grandparents. The Blackstone Chronicles: An Adventure in Terror Amerzone: The Explorer's Legacy Lightbringer (Also known as Cydonia - Mars - The First Manned Mission) The Secret of the Nautilus & Aztec: The Sacred Amulet

[@palthea6468]

Recently I started playing "Inherit the earth" and it's my first adventure game in a long time. It has pretty decent voice acting and it has a good story! Plus it's available on GOG

[@joehosier6187]

Ive been subbed to you for I wanna say about two years now. watched almost all your videos released in that time, as well as most of your back logged videos. I had NO IDEA you were into murder mystery! 😂

[@leirdua1733]

Some of my fondest gaming memories stems from adventure games.. some of my nostalgic favorites not mentioned here is simon the sorcerer 1&2 (2 being my very first exposure to the genre) the tex murphy games, harvester, the riddle of master lu and the longest journey.. i would be in almost a dreamlike state playing those games! the memories :-D

[@MoluskToeCheese]

Rooooses!!!! Back at it again with teh pree-ee-em-oh content!

[@jarrodhook]

Really enjoyed this Roses. Looking forward to part two!!

[@akatuski420davis6]

Love you @PushingUpRoses! I rewatch alot of your videos in my down time. I'm a very niche nerd when i want to be and you help with that. Love the murder she wrote videos yo.

[@jeffreyphipps1507]

"because it's my list" LOL! I actually like your list! Can't wait to see part 2!

[@scullyy]

The Longest Journey and Syberia!

[@oliviacunningham1992]

Scully Roses hasn’t played TLJ - although I’ve been wanting to hear her thoughts on it for years... one day hopefully!

[@funkyferret9294]

Why not? It's on Steam.

[@bluecat42]

My sister had an obsession with both Phantom of the Opera and Titanic when we were kids. I bet she would've appreciated known about Return of the Phantom back then, but I do know we played that Titanic one. I'll always remember the elevator operator's way of saying, "Where to?" any time I think back on it. Thanks for that trip down memory lane 😺

[@Zdub212]

Loved The Last Express, so glad it made it on your list. Good vids, subbed, keep them coming.

[@shadowneko521]

I love your videos on adventure games, it makes me sad I missed so many of these titles growing up. Though I am thankful that adventure games definitely seem to have made a revival.

[@nathanvattes6438]

Thank you Roses for making this list! I could always use more adventure games in my life! keep up the great work :)

[@JemyM]

Best voice acting ever; Mustavio, Keepsake. Timeless I say. Timeless. That said, looking forward to the final part in the series. Also, thanks for being the best presented DOS-centric channel on youtube. This post ends here. RESTORE RESTART QUIT

[@TigerNightmare]

If the Tex Murphy games are not in part 2, you're going to want to play them. The FMV titles (Under A Killing Moon, The Pandora Directive, Tex Murphy Overseer and the fairly recently Kickstarted Tesla Effect) are all tremendous ambassadors to the adventure genre, but Pandora is especially amazing with great film direction, performances, puzzle design, and the multiple endings with a few drastically different story paths add a ton of replay value. Many will scoff incredulously at this, but I'll say it anyway: it's even better than Grim Fandango.

[@JohnDoesThings]

Happy to see the love for Toonstruck. Played that when I was way younger and it's held a special place in my bad pun loving heart ever since.

[@TridonsEve]

Black Dahlia

[@SegaCDUniverse]

Loved these kinds of games as a kid/teen. Thanks for this! Toonstruck was one of my first purchases for my first PC. NEVER could get it to run, was so disappointed. Nice to see it in the list, lol.

[@MsPurji313]

Eric the Unready is by far my freaking favourite non sierra game. I am thrilled to see it on someone's list!

[@niceanddestroyed]

Interesting videos and channel, many games i did not know. May i suggest you more games to try in a "macabre" or in a murder style of adventure? French adventure games from the 80's and the 90's : Mortville Manor, Maupiti Island, Cruise for a Corpse, Black Sect. In a Lovecraft spirit, you have also Shadow of the Comet and Prisoner of Ice. Most of them were hits in France and elsewhere in Europe, and they are quite unique. I also remember an american game by Access Software called "Countdown" that begins in a mental hospital, which was very good.

[@Schizophrenia222]

This video is fantastic and you deserve all the support you get and hopefully a lot more on the way

[@johnoneil9188]

The Titanic one just automatically connects to the Jon Tron song for me.

[@kayhaven4710]

John O ́neil snakes. Bats. Cobras and rats. (Don’t forget the flying eggplant).

[@LastofAvari]

Haven't heard of any of these titles. Thanks for sharing, Sarah!

[@Arrowdodger]

She's said her name before, don't worry. I am pretty sure it's not a secret.

[@Arrowdodger]

Dunno, though given I knew already, it's come up before. Maaaaybe their Draw My Life? that or maybe one of her vids with LGR or something.

[@DeaconTaylor]

she didnt. last's comment is like the end of becausescience's videos - "thanks for watching, [insert name here]"

[@pushinguproses]

It's not a secret, but I do prefer to be addressed by fans as Roses. It's not a big deal here, but for future reference, Roses is the name I use online and am more comfortable that way.

[@pushinguproses]

In case you weren't aware, I do prefer being addressed by Roses, even though my name is out there. No biggie this time around, but I call myself Roses/PUR for a reason. Thanks in advance. :)

[@lotus-prince]

This is a great list! I'd never heard of Black Dahlia before, and I remember you streaming Toonstruck back in the day. :) I know that the list isn't complete yet, so I apologize if you cover these in the second part, but for other super cool adventure games, I recommend Blazing Dragons, a legitimately funny point-and-click on the PS1 and Saturn, and The Bunker, a new game on PS4 and I think Steam, which manages to be serious and not corny. The acting is on point.

[@Nionivek]

Blazing Dragons was always so weird for me because I saw advertisements for the game and it looked fairly interesting... But I never got to play the game. What I did get to do is watch the TV show... Which is extremely typical.

[@maugos]

I always found the animations in the Titanic game oddly charming. It's so adorable how cartoonish you can make real people look. You really make me wanna do a review of the Kyrandia games. There is so much to talk about. It'd be so much fun.

[@moishtar]

Great vid.. i was super bored just now and really needed something to watch.. this satisfies me.. thank you

[@SnarkyPosters]

I've only played one on the list so far (Return of the Phantom), I've played very few adventure games but this was one of them. One of the others is the Star Trek: The Next Generation - A Final Unity by Spectrum HoloByte.

[@willhuey4462]

wasnt that the one that took place in the present and past and you played as raoul de chagny in the past.

[@Eyewarp]

That "WHIP MY CREAM" bit stunned me for like 5 minutes. Holy shit.

[@benrazg]

a bit late to see this video but you had me with referencing Terry Pratchett! (and doing a review of adventure games!)

[@scentfedcreatures]

Watching the first suggestion of the Black Dahlia, made me immediately think back to one of the best fmv experiences I ever had as a kid, which was Goosebumps: Escape from Horrorland (1996) , looking back at a play through it looks like it really really still holds up. Would love if you could look at the goosebumps games - or just that one specifically x

[@Possi_ball]

Yayyy, Return of the Phantom!!! I always thought I'm one of the 5 people that know this game... The other 4, are the friends I copied the disks, so they can play it too... I loved the game, it had great atmosphere that reminded me of the silent movie era and nice puzzles. Maybe you have already filmed the next part, but some non Sierra-Lucasarts adventures I remember are the Gobliiins series, Hook, Shadow of the Comet, Prisoner of the Ice, Beneath a steel Sky, Simon the Sorcerer, Lure of the Temptress, etc. Great era for videos games in general, right before 3d graphics dominate most genres.

[@kooziesan]

Dune, 7th guest, Star Trek 25th, Syberia, Longest Journey, BASS, Under a Killing Moon, Kyrandia, Leather Goddesses of Phobos2.

[@AdventureGameHotspot]

Hey, I really appreciate these videos. You've done a great job helping raise awareness for the adventure game community.

[@Awakeandalive1]

Oh thank goodness!!! I KNEW Eric the Unready wasn't just a fever dream of my Junior High days!

[@rakeesh22]

Love your content, PUR. Keep them coming!

[@MrSoy_]

simp

[@YellowYoshi1]

I have a vague hope I'll see Timelapse on part 2. That's a game that I never see *anyone* ever talk about but it was such a part of my childhood. Mostly for the puzzles being hard as balls to my tiny child brain. But you got to go to all these cool ancient civilizations and it was just mega awesome to me.

[@ByteSizeThoughts]

Such a good video with really on point commentary :). I love to pick up the original big box pc releases so need to try to find these in the wild (ebay is extortionate here in Australia!)

[@Jubernack]

Your video's are great! Glad I found your channel.

[@thrillhoose]

Titanic has always been one of my favorite games. Have you ever tried Dust: A Tale of the Wired West? It was made by the same company as Titanic but as it came before it is a little less refined but it also has some great characters and world building as well as some fun mysteries to solve.

[@davvvy]

Subscribed as soon as I saw Adventure out of Time....that was my childhood!

[@alexthomas5838]

1:36 When I was in college when Black Daliah came out I remember they had a contest of who could answer the most questions correctly based on "researching" the events of the case. It was mostly done by scouring the internet and/or a few specific pages they had set up with "evidence". Anyway, I got in the top 100 in the USA and go a T-Shirt. Which is probably around somewhere to this day but probably at my parent's house.

[@messire9837]

Top 11 Adventure games, without naming a single Sierra or Lucasart game? Talking about a challenge... Oh!!! You named Eric the Unready! I'm touched! This is a first for me on the toob. I'm so much touched by this, (Eric the Unready) I hope I'll also be touched even more when I hear about Gobliiins, Gobliins, Goblins, Rex Nebular, and even Tex Murphy why not, as long as you're prominently dealing with FMV here! Also, Phantom of the Opera reminded me of Dragonsphere, for evident reasons, which one I loved very much because it led me to Quest for Glory later on. But you know what, all? I'll appreciate that list no matter what my tastes are quite similar And also, PushingUpRoses ALWAYS comes up with nice pairs of lists. Now I'll kick myself outta here, as it were... >>>

[@micperson]

I'd love to see a lets play of Toonstruck

[@kitsunemetal]

i love playing Day of the tentacle its so much fun and i never knew there was this many adventure games and Titanic adventure out of time had such amazing music.

[@Nionivek]

WHOA! She hasn't even scratched the surface. There are a lot of point and clicks to play out there.

[@foxesofautumn]

The Last Express is one oh my favourite games. I was so invested in the story, the gameplay, the style. My copy came with a guidebook which helped a lot though.

[@ChelseaColeslaw]

I'd like to hear you talk about the Kyrandia games. It's just... after that cave maze, I kind of need to know there are other people who survived it and aren't completely insane now.

[@1Duegon]

"Including Tim Curry as main villain" I'm sold!

[@CR-wh2co]

THIS CHANNEL IS SO GOOD THO.