It lacks a certain surprise factor that [the best games in the series] have pulled off so well and despite having an interesting premise for a plot, at times it comes off as flat and doesn’t live up to the potential that such an intriguing plot could have had.

Those whose idea of a good adventure involves inventory puzzles and plenty of characters to talk to may be put off by the emphasis on solitary exploration and puzzle solving, particularly given the game's surface resemblance to other quest-style adventures. But the beautiful setting, along with an interesting storyline, clever puzzles, and lots of little magical touches all help to bring the game to life.

A solid diversion for mystery fans, though it’s got too many holes in it to stay afloat in your consciousness for long.

The story is charming and witty, the puzzles are a refreshing change from the usual, and the game is appropriate for everyone in the family.

A very well-designed ghost story from a very promising developer, and well worth the purchase for suspense and first-person fans.

The Cave may not turn out to be the genre trailblazer that Maniac Mansion was, but this modern day classic puts a new spin on many of the adventure conventions that have been around since Colossal Cave.

With some enhanced animations and cutscenes, this entry is better than the last game but shorter in duration, and continues to rely a little too heavily on chores than actual detective work.

Although it remains a formula with tremendous potential, this is one experiment that needs to go back to the drawing board.

An enjoyable murder mystery with many excellent elements, but it is let down by sloppy implementation and inattention to detail.

This is a solid sequel in the franchise and while it doesn't really break any new ground, it does make some minor but important improvements that make it the best game in the series.

As a game it’s not unpleasant but as an add-on it’s anything but essential.

Scratches is a great adventure game that shouldn't be missed by anyone who enjoys a story well told within a scary, gothic presentation.

If nothing else, this game is destined to be divisive, and whilst it’s certainly not “Still Life: Part 2”, it does – just barely – do enough good things to deserve to be called Still Life 2.

There is much to be commended about this game for such a small first-time development team, but overall I couldn’t help but be disappointed with Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches.

As it stands, Red Johnson's Chronicles feels more like a showcase of style over substance: a demonstration that more adventure games can be made on the PS3 with QTEs and popular CSI-style investigations.

Secret Files 3 replaces romance with rocket science, but its convoluted premise, simplistic puzzles, and slapdash resolutions make it the weakest link of the trilogy.

If you loved or hated the first Runaway, you'll love or hate the sequel for all the same reasons. For newcomers, The Dream of the Turtle is a solid adventure, but one that falls short of its abundant potential.

Okay, so: few improvements over the first game, a convoluted overarching storyline, painfully simplistic gameplay.

There are plenty of rough edges, but those who have the patience for the mountains of dialogue and can see past the ropey visuals and gut-wrenching voice acting will find a reasonably engrossing world to explore.

A good game is smudged by some obvious flaws in the gameplay that prevent it from standing with the greats. But fans of classic gaming will get a generally enjoyable game due to the story, inventory puzzling, diverse characters, and good looking graphics.

A highly-polished game, but suffers from an uninspired design. While it remains mostly pleasant to play, it is not as satisfying an experience as it ought to have been.

Fans of CSI-type games may find it makes the grade, but for everyone else, there’s just not enough here to warrant much of a look.

The graphics, characters, cinematics and other high points are unfortunately pulled down by an over-reliance on busy work gameplay and a shortage of fun challenges. The end result is a great game that might have been.

The new directions the game goes in dilute the qualities that made the first Dark Fall so great, and it ends up being much less immediate, real and frightening than its predecessor.

Even a lowered difficulty wouldn't be that big of a deal — sometimes I want a game so hard that my head hurts, and sometimes it's nice to relax with something simpler. But when challenge is replaced by backtracking busywork, it becomes very tedious very quickly, especially considering the game's 8 to 10 hour length.

If you are looking for a brain-teasing experience full of complex puzzles to blow your mind, Memento Mori has little to offer along those lines. But if you are fan of story-driven adventures, you'll find a promising new adventure to fill your needs in this gripping psychological drama (albeit disguised as a conspiracy thriller) with one of the most shocking and memorable endings the genre has seen in a long time.

To those who don't find timed sequences a game killer, the original story, unique locale, and ever-charming Alan Parker Cameron help make the game a memorable, though slightly tarnished, experience.

Fans of the original will no doubt persevere and get to experience the worthwhile moments of the second half, but others may find its slow development too boring, its story a little too lost for its own good.

A series of small issues prevent it from shining as brightly as it could have, but its fun puzzles in a cool setting make Ghost Pirates of Vooju Island an entertaining adventure.

Sleekly packaged and eminently playable, Yesterday conceals the darkness of the human mind within a beautiful artistic canvas; drawing you in with glimpses of dreadful secrets and leaving you shocked, yet satisfied, with its twisted narrative.

There are certainly some positive elements in Insecticide that make it worth a look, mainly in the classic "adventure" half of its action-adventure gameplay. The trouble is, that’s only half of what is only half a game to begin with.

A very humours game. With luminous graphics, dozens of different locations to explore, and a zany set of characters to interact with it is a value at the retail price of $30 US. Oh and it has toilets… lots of them.

The Hardy Boys are reliable protagonists, the slightly but steadily increasing challenge of the puzzles will be an excellent primer for more difficult adventures, and who knows, they might even learn something in the process.

Don't let the word "independent" concern you; this game is an excellent adventure that everyone should give a chance, especially those who like their horror mixed seamlessly with science and history.

It is absolutely comical the depths that the game stoops to in order to hold your hand.

This game has a suprising charm and beauty, with enough depth to keep you playing until the end. A solid pick that will surely satisfy.

The setting is inviting and the puzzles are solid, but unless you're a devoted series diehard, desperately seeking something new for your Wii, or have friends to join you in multiplayer, I suggest you consider leaving Mystery Case Files: The Malgrave Incident to gather dust on the store shelf.

A reasonably enjoyable game that aims to appeal to adventure and RPG fans, but one which never fully capitalises on its potential.

The game rarely wows you in any one way, and the pace can drag at times in dry subject matter, but overall it’s both logical and accessible, and with its interesting approach to vampire lore and deftly crafted storyline, Dracula 3: The Path of the Dragon is worth picking up.

Secret Files 2 is a highly-polished, enjoyable sequel that’s better than its Tunguskan predecessor in several key ways.

Overall, there is much to recommend in this handheld conversion, but if you’ve played the PC version already, bear in mind that it’s only a port.

Whatever the root cause, the story is solid on the whole, and these few foggy moments didn't detract from my overall enjoyment.

The Tree of Life is a game that may appeal to hardcore adventure gamers, but be prepared to overlook a lot of very fundamental faults.

The many Nancy Drew fans and DS adventure gamers may be interested in this title, but I can’t really recommend it to any audience. Even for a younger gamer, the repetitive gameplay will likely get boring before the end, and the tedium will quickly be felt by a more seasoned adventure gamer.

J.U.L.I.A. is a unique and thoroughly enjoyable mission of remote planetary exploration and puzzle-solving.

Murder in the Abbey is ultimately one of those games that is fairly enjoyable to play through yet leaves you with the feeling that something is missing.

It's an auspicious debut that should appeal to sci-fi adventure fans, even if you’re not familiar with the American astronaut and his “Perryverse”.

All in all, Everlight is a generally pleasing experience, though it could have been much better with a bit more spit and polish.

An incredible success in virtual tourism — truly brings the island of Capri to life, allowing the user to wander a real-life location at will. Far less successful as a coherent, playable game.

Unfortunately, there are too many translation problems and story gaps that leave players guessing why things are happening or have come to be. Along with the poor sound quality and invisible gameplay triggers that hinder your progress unnecessarily, the end result is a promising game that never manages to rise above its modest station.

The CSI games have become better in recent outings, but ultimately this title feels a lot like treading water, and in some respects, a small regression from the last game.

Puzzle-hungry adventurers look no further: Aura provides an endless number of puzzles, pretty static backgrounds, well-crafted cutscenes and mood music, at the expense of developing any real storyline.

A short, easy game that unfortunately lacks the characterisation and depth that could have made it more interesting to a wider audience.

This is the kind of game that will have you showing up a bit bleary-eyed at work, because you couldn’t quite bring yourself to stop playing late into the night.

Releasing for a budget price doesn't excuse mediocre puzzle design, heavy repetition and a story with so little coherence.

If you like mysteries with just a bit of conspiracy in a thoroughly detailed historical setting, Mata Hari is the right adventure for you.

The gameplay concept is a good one and the license a natural fit, but rather than successfully complementing each other, the end result is a shallow, watered down version of each, neither fully game nor fully show.

All in all, with such an intriguing premise and strong production values, the developers had the foundation to make a great game, but the corny plot, pretentious writing, uninteresting characters, and some questionable design issues prevent it from achieving its full potential.

Unless you're a glutton for punishment, avoid 15 Days. There are much better adventure games-or interactive stories, for that matter-to be played.

Perhaps devoted casual game fans will have some tolerance for this type of hollow experience, but ultimately The Tiny Bang Story's pieces just don't add up to a fulfilling adventure in the end.

It is much, much easier for me to recommend the game as a free browser-based Flash game than as a commercial product.

I should also point out that The Scorpio Ritual is a short game—six to eight hours of play spread across four main locations—and it culminates with an unusually abrupt ending.

The Starship Damrey is a short but enjoyable space mystery that could have been so much better if it allowed you to puzzle through the enigma yourself.

Sadly, the largely static emotion of the narrative and the inconsequential nature of the puzzles don’t flesh out the story to great effect, turning this game into just an average game, rather than a great one.

A very entertaining game that successfully transcends its edu-tainment leanings.

Fans of the show will enjoy it as a quick diversion; hardcore adventure fans will definitely not get their money's worth.

Play this game if you enjoy feeling hopeless and frustrated or are just plain curious as to how a game would specifically seek to bring about such a feeling. Otherwise, you'd be wise not to bother.

So if you’re feeling nostalgic for the bygone days of Shadowgate, or simply like your content dark and deep and don’t mind slogging through a world of hurt to get to it, Theresia may just warrant a look.

A short game. A very short game. It wouldn’t be at all difficult to complete it within one sitting, and experienced adventure gamers may zip through within an hour or two. As a comparison, it gives Full Throttle a run for its money for World’s Shortest Adventure Game.

This game is a quick snack, clocking in for me at about 15 hours. Though rough in a few spots, it has some very interesting puzzles and challenges that I really enjoyed.

The voice work and graphic design are both well done, if a bit utilitarian, but the dialogue and story need polishing to create a strong immersive atmosphere that a game like this really requires.

Worth playing through for the story, but questionable design issues prevent it from being nearly the classic that comes bundled with it.

There isn't much glitz or glamour in James Noir's Hollywood Crimes, a puzzle-adventure with low production values and repetitive puzzles that even an interesting murder mystery can't overcome.

A good, very well-written, snack-sized adventure for fans of Laura Bow games and Jane Jensen's writing—but only those who can tolerate a heap of casual game elements in their adventures. Don't bother otherwise.

It will tide you over until "Phoenix Wright 2" comes out, but it's nothing special.

Despite a few glaring deficiencies, The Watchmaker is a solid game. It offers firm value at its retail price and for the length of gameplay, approximately 20-30 hours, as well as for the degree of difficulty in its puzzles.

A solid, unexceptional adventure and a potentially engaging diversion. Unfortunately the plot, for all its intricacies, fails in what should have been a primary objective; holding the gamer’s interest.

Ultimately, although it definitely suffers for its extremely ill-conceived finale, Alter Ego shows significant improvements on some of the problems that plagued Future Games' previous projects, and in fact is probably the best game the developer has produced to date.

While Crystal Key II does have its charms, none of them are strong enough to save it from being average and lacklustre.

Treasure Island isn’t as good as the source material that inspired it, but offers enough pleasant discoveries that pirate fans should find worth the journey.

Sometimes infernally frustrating and plagued with inconsistent design, the deeply morbid Lucius nevertheless contains some diabolical fun for those with loads of patience and a strong stomach.

If you've got the machine to run it, and the patience to endure some of its quirks, then this is definitely a game to check out.

It’s a murder mystery with a twist everyone will see coming from a mile away, and the puzzles and slowness don’t do it any service. This could have been a classic.

This contributes to the overall feeling that A Stroke of Fate: Operation Valkyrie is exactly what it is: about half of a game. It's got pretty good writing, a decent aptitude for historical authenticity, and entirely okay art design, but it's wrapped up in a very bland package that lacks ambition, depth, length, and a single moment of tolerable voice acting.

A long-winded Myst-like puzzle game that will likely appeal to the hardcore gamer only.

Generally a frustrating and unrewarding game, with the ultimate anti-payoff. I can't even sincerely recommend it to even the most ardent Ripper historian.

Overall, Undercover: Operation Wintersun is well worth playing for fans of traditional adventures.

While not supplying any complex game play design or innovation, one thing I appreciated about PC is its polish.

It's a promising start that offers a few hours of decent entertainment, just one that never unearths much imagination along the way.

As it is, unfortunately the game can't maintain a proper serious tone long enough to really be engrossing, and ultimately comes off as another substandard adventure with—ironically enough, considering the country of origin—a lack of polish.

A difficult game, like a classic can be a "difficult book". Its lack of polish and some appalling design choices definitely reduce the enjoyment. Its decision to keep the best of both plot and gameplay for the latter stages demands that the player have some faith in the developers to keep going on.

For Sherlock fans, I’d rank this as more of a Basil Rathbone than a Jeremy Brett on the Holmes-o-meter; somewhat enjoyable but wildly inaccurate. And for DS fans simply looking for a good adventure, I’d largely recommend holding out for better mysteries than this.

For better and worse, Hunt for the Puppeteer is a simple adventure without any pretensions. It can be relaxing filler easily played with your brain off, but lacks both the quality and character to bother with otherwise.

A lightweight fun distraction that aims high with interesting puzzle variety, Da New Guys is somewhat pinned down by its poor visuals, irritating lead characters and underused plot devices.

The X-Files Game will delight fans of the series by placing them wholly inside a world of lies and conspiracy, complete with a torrent of in-jokes and interaction with their favourite series regulars. Even non-fans will enjoy this spooky sci-fi romp, due to its slick interface, gripping plot-line and highly immersive quality.

If the numerous technical problems are fixed, this is definitely a game that would-be detectives will want to pick up. Until then, most players will want to take a pass.

Next Life is fairly lengthy, probably 15+ hours of playtime, but it's not quality time because of the abundance of backtracking and slow animations.

In spite of all the similarities, Miami Law turned out to be a better game than Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles—but not by much. Miami Law has higher production values and a more ambitious scope, but overall these games share a surprising number of pitfalls, which leaves me wondering who they were designed for.

Edna & Harvey: The Breakout is very much a mixed bag. Its distinctive art style is marred by a problematic interface. Its massive wealth of interactivity is hindered by a handful of vastly unfair puzzles. Its imaginative setting is dragged down by long, often tedious dialogues. Still, it's a game I'm glad I played, and that's mainly because the underlying story about a girl who's lost her way is so touching.

There's some real scares to be found, but illogical puzzles and a confusing plot make Anna a different kind of horror to play.

The poorly designed game logic, lackluster characters and frustrating pixel hunts are flaws that can’t be ignored. Only dedicated fans of the Miami-based show might find this title worth the price of admission.

Despite its few moments of levity, however, the surreal nature of the storyline remains a little too odd throughout, and the repetitive nature of the gameplay makes Flower, Sun and Rain more of a slog to play through than it is enjoyable.

In the end, this is certainly not a bad game, but it feels cheaper than a Jurassic Park game should, and the gameplay is sure to be divisive among adventure fans.

No evolution here; just a splicing of new and old, resulting in more frustration than fun.

There is just too little done right throughout its 5-8 hours of play time (or much longer if you don't save regularly or have to replay minigames excessively) to recommend to anyone.

Captain Morgane and the Golden Turtle is a beautiful looking game with an adventurous story about growing up and dealing with grief, though a few odd design decisions spoil some of the fun.

Though padded somewhat by a repetitive combination of puzzles, strategy and RPG elements, Doctor Lautrec and the Forgotten Knights finally gives gamers an adventure of substance on the Nintendo 3DS.

There are those who will dismiss Gobliiins 4 as a mere puzzle game, but unless you play adventures only for their stories, I can safely say that this game is worth the time of any point-and-click adventurer.

Series fans may get a mild kick out of the latest case for Lindsay and the gang, but few others will find the point of exploring these Crimes of Passion, as there’s just not enough of significance to seek out here.

Three episodes in, Legacies offers a highly scaled-back version of the familiar cops-and-lawyers formula that doesn't do the intriguing storylines full justice.

While the problems that exist in Alida are unfortunate, the game is still recommendable to die-hard first-person adventure devotees, especially those who don’t mind rolling up their sleeves and getting down and dirty with puzzles.

The Da Vinci Code is a decent modern adventure that gets bogged down by some ill-conceived design choices and technical weaknesses. There's fun to be had here, but you'll have to fight your way through the problems to reach it.

The game has its moments and a few interesting ideas, but the experience as a whole is so irritating, with its constantly grating voices, bad writing and dull gameplay, that you barely register the positive.

Although it is possible to overlook the somewhat pre-dated graphics, poor elements in both plot and puzzle design taint what could otherwise have been an excellent game. With its short length and $20 price point, I simply cannot recommend The Arrangement.

Agatha Christie was obviously a masterful author, and The A.B.C. Murders could have been an engaging interactive companion to one of her most famous works. It's too bad the gameplay is so atrocious that even a good story couldn't make up for it.

It's easy to pick up and play in short bursts, which does suit a handheld if you're looking for a budget time-waster, but in the end, this body of evidence should steer most people away from a game that's guilty of sucking all the life out of its own potential.

The story behind Conspiracies is incredibly well executed, with enough twists and turns to satisfy just about any mystery enthusiast out there.

Unfortunately, the game's confusing plot, lack of human contact, static scenes and frustrating gameplay had simply worn thin.

The puzzle structure, iffy dialogue, and subject matter make this a hard recommendation to a general audience. As the score indicates, unless you’re a hardcore horror/adventure fan, it might be wise to first play the demo, or await a price-drop.

A philosophically ambitious game that distinguishes itself from the crowd. A rewarding experience, but expect plenty of confusion along the way.

The very brief Adam’s Venture has a nice, shiny exterior, and actually feels adventurous in its physicality, but everything else is the very definition of “just okay”.

This game has a clever premise with gameplay to support it, and even though the story falls way short of its promise, players who go into it with the right expectations will find a lot to like here.

3 Cards to Dead Time is a (very) lite word-based adventure that offers a gripping ghost story full of interesting characters. However, its casual nature means it isn't for everyone, and the sequel doesn't quite measure up to the standards of its predecessor.

Overall, Dead Reefs offers plenty of atmosphere that teases with its potential, but really suffers from its make-shift story and weak gameplay, made worse still with poor controls.

There are clearly some areas that needed more polish in this first effort, but it’s a solid debut that the developers can surely build on.

A muddled adventure game with little inspiration, even though it pretends to be Hitchcock-inspired. Lacking any depth or real intelligence, The Final Cut deserves to be left on the cutting room floor.

Although the game rarely excels at any particular aspect, and the loose characterisation lets it down, the presentation and story are solid enough to atone for any rough edges, and will keep you guessing until the end.

Try MOTD only if you are willing to put up with rude character dialogue and idiotic puzzle solutions. If not, wait for House of Tales to release "The Moment of Silence."

Even so, while the tragic backstory is worth seeing through and the cell phone concept is novel for a while, all that’s left beyond that is a poorly-paced exploration in the dark, punctuated by a series of startling yet repetitive ghost encounters. So unless that’s your idea of a good time, this is one number that’s probably not worth picking up.

It's certainly not a bad game, just a decidedly mediocre one, so unless you're in the mood for a fairly lightweight puzzle-adventure, a purchase is not so elementary this time.

While Atlantis isn't exactly a new premise for adventure gamers, the lovely depiction of seldom-used 1930s settings and the game's rich storyline saves The Secrets of Atlantis from being just another first-person adventure clone.

With a retail price of $19.99, this game is being billed as a budget title, but it's still the shortest DS adventure game out there, and it's not worth the price.

There is very little about CSI: Fatal Conspiracy that would appeal to non-fans of the series.

In summary, CSI: Deadly Intent is an entirely lacklustre game. The return to traditional form will please those put off by the casual surprise of last year, but even that enthusiasm won’t last for long.

It's enjoyable to play, but feels, at least at times, like playing basketball with a bum knee might. You have fun, yet the pain prevents you from playing at your full potential. Similarly, this game has lost some of its potential within the framework of its annoyances.

Like its heroine, The Rockin' Dead may be pretty, but beauty is only skin deep, and to find any substance below the surface here, you're definitely going to need glasses.

While The Sacred Rings has plenty of familiar gameplay to offer puzzle lovers, the absence of original ideas and creative spark means the game will have a limited appeal.

More often than not, though, it ends up being the most painful, soul-destroying, stressful, rather-stick-a-rusty-nail-in-my-eye excuse for an adventure game I have ever played.

All told, it took me a little under eight hours to finish Undercover: Dual Motives, which would have been an acceptable length in a better game. As it is, the meagre storyline, uninspired puzzles, and limited exploration already seem stretched at such a modest play time, and even fans of Operation Wintersun will find this handheld successor a shallow and unrewarding experience.

While it remains an innovative and highly laudable idea which I hope will one day be put to better use, in Jazz and Faust it fails to be more than a misguided gimmick. The ‘two adventures in one’ angle fails because even with this feature, the game is extremely short.

Oh, the story. It promises so much, yet delivers so little.

Not only is there a huge amount of territory to cover and explore — a real surprise in an indie game like this — there are a lot of puzzles to solve. None of which I would call easy.

For everyone else, there’s some mild point-and-click fun to be had, but this is one adventure that’s simply too paper thin.

Possibly the worst adventure game of 2003, guaranteed to piss off both adventurers and twitchers.

Ultimately, Jekyll & Hyde is a bit like its dual protagonists: a very mixed bag.

DARKSTAR: The Interactive Movie is a game that takes a lot of patience to truly enjoy. It's not a game for everyone, as some are sure to be turned off by the rarity and simplicity of its puzzles, while others may not relish a return to the infamous days of live actors as their game characters, particularly when some of the acting reminds us why this isn't always a good idea.

Instead of a labor of love, Forever Worlds plays more like a last-minute, pieced-together disaster. A waste of time and money guaranteed to disappoint adventure gamers with its complete lack of depth, user-friendliness, and sincerity.

Various puzzles of seemingly frustrating insignificance litter the entire experience.

Hoodwink establishes an interesting premise in a unique setting, but its ease and occasional frustrations spoil some of the fun in this (undisclosed) episodic debut.