A Hardy Developer's Journal – as written by indie adventure game developers

Puzzle games are hot. Professor Layton, Scribblenauts, World of Goo, even Bejeweled, they’re all making headlines, and rightly so. Puzzle games offer a way to escape from the normal world, where bosses, spouses, parents and others make life miserable, to a world where diabolical puzzles make your life miserable instead. But that’s about the only entertainment they offer. A puzzle book by Sam Loyd, no matter how entertaining, just isn’t the same as a novel by Jules Verne. Similarly, a puzzle game can’t replace the profound entertainment that’s offered by a traditional adventure game… or can it?

Enter Puzzle Bots. Puzzle Bots is an ambitious venture, in that it tries to marry two genres that, although related, at first glance appear not to have very much in common: (more…)

So, after two years Sam and Max are back for season 3 of Telltale’s re-imagining of Steve Purcell‘s classic characters. Now, I’ll admit right away I’m not a Sam and Max regular, however with this being the comedy duo’s first adventure to be released simultaneously on PC and console (and new platforms such as iPad), it is aimed squarely at newcomers to the series, as well as the regulars. (more…)

Often games attempt to be too much. Not content with focusing on doing a few particular things right, many games spread themselves too thin by switching between different styles or genres. On game that completely succeeds where others usually fail is Modern Warfare 2, an incredible example of multi-layered adventure gaming.

What really sets Modern Warfare 2 apart is its top-notch storytelling. In the not too distant future, a group of people got really mad at some other people and they both started shooting and all of a sudden it was war. You play not one, but five protagonists, each with his own unique backstory and motivations. (more…)

Awards are nice. (more…)

There’s just something special about frolicking in a meadow for a while without a care in the world and that’s the best way I can describe Danny Dread is On Call. A cool breeze blows through your hair as you prance through the beautiful flowers, even if you don’t have any real reason to do so and you have minor allergies.

But enough of my odd and slightly creepy analogy that will become a little more clear momentarily, let’s get down to the meat of Danny Dread. (more…)

Review by Drew Wellman, aka ddq5

Note: Download Full Game Here