9 replies to this topic

[JustinSane]

I didn't want to double post this, so here are my two queries.

1. After ordering Zork: Grand Inquisitor off of the MacPlay website, I tried to make it work but the program automatically quits when I double click it... does anyone know why?

On to the real issue at hand:

What good shareware (or otherwise) adventure games are on the Mac?

[zapranoth]

JustinSane, on May 8th 2005, 11:53 AM, said:

I didn't want to double post this, so here are my two queries.

1. After ordering Zork: Grand Inquisitor off of the MacPlay website, I tried to make it work but the program automatically quits when I double click it... does anyone know why?

On to the real issue at hand:

What good shareware (or otherwise) adventure games are on the Mac?

Ahhh.


Well, Dungeon Master was just re-released in Java.  That's what I have been doing.

[Matt Diamond]

JustinSane, on May 8th 2005, 01:53 PM, said:

I didn't want to double post this, so here are my two queries.

1. After ordering Zork: Grand Inquisitor off of the MacPlay website, I tried to make it work but the program automatically quits when I double click it... does anyone know why?

This has been widely reported- seach this forum for "Zork" to see that lots of people have the same problem. MacPlay is aware of this; if you go to their support page it says that the game is only compatible up to Mac OS X 10.2.8, but they are "working on it".

That message has been up there for a while now so people have pretty much given up on it being fixed. If you have a separate partition you could install 10.2.8 I suppose. Who knows, that might allow you to run Monkey Island 4 as well (another adventure that simply stopped working, published by Aspyr.)

[Eric5h5]

zapranoth, on May 8th 2005, 03:35 PM, said:

Ahhh.
Well, Dungeon Master was just re-released in Java.  That's what I have been doing.

Which is, of course, an RPG, not an adventure game.

Don't know of any shareware ones...commercially, there isn't much either.  Myst IV possibly being the most recent.  The Journeyman Project games are good, if you can find them on eBay, though they only run in Classic.  Rhem is interesting, basically a one-man project.  If you download ScummVM, you can play old Lucasfilm adventure games (not free, you still need to buy the games, but you can use the PC versions and probably get them cheap).

--Eric

[George the Flea]

Adventure games are notoriously hard to find, particularly for the Mac.  If you happen to find any good ones, please let us know about them, because I really miss adventure games (currently replaying the first two Monkey Islands with ScummVM...sooooo good).

The only OSX adventure games I can think of (outside of the Myst ones) are Riddle of the Sphinx 2: The Omega Stone and Alida.  I haven't played either, but both look really, really cool.  Omega Stone website.  Alida website.  IMG review of Alida.

There are some good adventure games for Classic, if you're willing to go there.  I'd particularly recommend Crystal Key and Traitor's Gate from the Adventure Company.  Here's the link. (Warning: this site is kind of depressing because of the sheer number of adventure games offered that are PC only, so peruse at your own risk.)  

If you get Alida or Omega Stone, could you please report back what you think of them?  There's remarkably little info on either on IMG (outside of Alida's review), and both are a little too expensive for me to just buy it on a whim (college student budget being what it is).

And if you do find any shareware adventure games, definitely post some links.  I'd love to get in on that action.  Or adventure.  Whatever.

[Eric5h5]

George the Flea, on May 9th 2005, 04:10 PM, said:

The only OSX adventure games I can think of (outside of the Myst ones) are Riddle of the Sphinx 2: The Omega Stone and Alida.

And Rhem, although the transition effects don't work in OS X, because the OS X version of the authoring system used to make the game has bugs or is lacking features or something.  Not that it's a huge deal.

--Eric

[JustinSane]

Eric5h5, on May 9th 2005, 04:31 PM, said:

And Rhem, although the transition effects don't work in OS X, because the OS X version of the authoring system used to make the game has bugs or is lacking features or something.  Not that it's a huge deal.

--Eric

I've played mostly all the games afformentioned, but I found an interesting game in flash called "Brain Hotel."  Short, but sweet.

[Rev-O]

George the Flea, on May 9th 2005, 02:10 PM, said:

The only OSX adventure games I can think of (outside of the Myst ones) are Riddle of the Sphinx 2: The Omega Stone and Alida.  I haven't played either, but both look really, really cool.  Omega Stone website.  Alida website.  IMG review of Alida.

Omega Stone is okay. Not great, but entertaining. Has (or had, dunno if it has been updated) a bug that was crash-o-riffic, and typically started happening about 3/4 of the way through the game. But no worries, it had an easy fix/work around that did not spoil the game. The puzzles were good, but a couple were too frustrating. Not because they were too difficult, but rather the graphical presentation of the clues was somewhat substandard. Overall, it was a good game, but pales compared to Myst 4. I'd rate it as average.

[Rubel]

Although it's a platformer (remember those?), Psychonauts seems like it's got some adventure game style to it. Or maybe that's just my wishful thinking that anything by Tim Schafer has to be good.

maybe it'll get ported.

[George the Flea]

Rubel, on May 10th 2005, 04:57 PM, said:

Although it's a platformer (remember those?), Psychonauts seems like it's got some adventure game style to it. Or maybe that's just my wishful thinking that anything by Tim Schafer has to be good.

maybe it'll get ported.

Psychonauts is incredible.  My friend downloaded the demo, and it is really, really fun.  Of course, I ejoyed it a lot simply because I've been studying psychology, and the huge number of plays on words dealing with psychological concepts.  The demo at least was definitely far more platformer than adventure game, but that may be because the level seemed to be the tutorial for movement and fighting.  It may well be more adventure-game oriented in the full version.