Play it: Switch, Windows (Steam Deck: OK)
Where to buy: Humble Bundle
Current goals: Continue to hunt the devil in New York City
Like many people, I was a point-and-click adventure fan throughout the late ’80s and much of the ’90s, as Lucasfilm/Lucas Arts produced a pretty steady stream of genre masterpieces. While point-and-click games aren’t getting the mainstream attention they once did, Wadjet Eye Games has been one of the genre’s standard-bearers for nearly 20 years, crafting well-crafted new adventures that have earned the studio a loyal following of genre enthusiasts followers. I admit, however, that while I consider many point-and-click games some of my favorite and most influential gaming experiences of all time, I spend very little time playing these types of games in the 21st century. Now that may be changing, as a friend gifted me the mesmerizing 2018 game Wadjet Eye undisclosedI find myself playing a little more every night.
undisclosed The gripping story of a secret society of mages and other mysterious agents operating in modern-day New York City, working in the shadows to protect the people from demons and other threats from beyond the Veil. You play as a man who has recently been possessed by a demon, who takes over your body and wreaks violent havoc across the city for a year. Recently, you were freed from its control by members of the Unavowed, and you are working with them to find out what it was doing while controlling you, and its plans now that it has escaped.
Like many of the best adventure games, what really drew me to undisclosed It’s its setting, story, and characters, all with great voice acting. Even though the story is filled with elves, fire mages, and demons, it also has an authentic New York feel, making full use of real-world neighborhoods and actual landmarks, and its characters all have rich histories that make every night fun. It’s such a treat to get to know them better before I curl up and play on the steam deck. Point-and-click adventure games may not be the mainstream blockbusters they once were, but the genre is still as capable of captivating us as ever with memorable writing, characters, and atmosphere. It’s nice to be reminded of that. —Caroline Pettit
