There are some games which are ubiquitous. A poll for funny, happy games? Lost Pig will be there. A poll for beautiful, dramatic games? Photopia always makes it. Conversational games? Galatea. Artsy games? Pretty much anything by Zarf.
There's no doubt all these games have earned their place. But what about all the relatively undistinguished games which still have something to offer? Games that didn't make you cry, but still touched you. Games that made you laugh, but not guffaw. Games that didn't change IF, but maybe could have.
In short, this is a poll for the games that slipped by, but maybe deserve another look.
Little Blue Men, by Michael S. Gentry 5 votes "Very underrated" [+]"Very underrated" ( ![]() | |
Augmented Fourth, by Brian Uri! 4 votes "A funny game with..." [+]"A funny game with a clever magic system and some good puzzles. Gives off a very early Infocom vibe." --Pinstripe... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() | |
Yes, Another Game with a Dragon!, by John Kean 3 votes "Very Infocomish...." [+]"Very Infocomish. Nice satirical-fantasy with a modern sense of humor and clever old-school puzzles. A very memorable final encounter, too." ( ![]() | |
First Things First, by J. Robinson Wheeler 3 votes "Seems to me to be an overlooked gem. Touching in places, and a genius premise. " [+]"Seems to me to be an overlooked gem. Touching in places, and a genius premise. " --Marius Müller... (No comment) [+](No comment) --Emily Short... (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() | |
Orevore Courier, by Brian Rapp 2 votes "It's buggy..." [+]"It's buggy in one or two places, and underdeveloped in a few more, but look past all that and there's an absolutely charming game here, with active NPCs and a clever central mechanic." ( ![]() | |
Blighted Isle, by Eric Eve 2 votes "Probably Eve's most ignored game" [+]"Probably Eve's most ignored game: I never understood why this game didn't receive more attention. It must be one of the best combinations of traditional puzzlefest and deep, dynamic NPC interaction." ( ![]() | |
Adventurer's Consumer Guide, by Øyvind Thorsby 2 votes "Slightly cheating..." [+]"Slightly cheating because I've started aggressively adding it to polls where I think it's overlooked; but *aside* from me, I don't think enough people have played it. It's a lighthearted puzzle game but with some fun, unusual mechanics." ( ![]() | |
1893: A World's Fair Mystery, by Peter Nepstad 1 vote "massive and intricate" [+]"massive and intricate: underrated, underplayed, and an experiential pleasure. " ( ![]() | |
Nevermore, by Nate Cull 1 vote "I don't see..." [+]"I don't see this game mentioned very often on these polls, and I'm not sure why. I found it excellent." ( ![]() | |
Raising the Flag on Mount Yo Momma, by Juhana Leinonen 1 vote "Great game, ideal..." [+]"Great game, ideal for beginners, many hints, simplified conversations, well-crafted puzzles." ( ![]() | |
when i was shot by elephants, by no m3rcy 1 vote "I'm trolling your poll with one of the most trolliest games there is" [+]"I'm trolling your poll with one of the most trolliest games there is" --Dannii... ![]() | |
Surface, by Geoff Moore 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() | |
The Hugo Clock, by Jason McWright 1 vote "Great minicomp game" [+]"Great minicomp game: It's incredibly well designed and polished for a mini-comp game, but the thing that makes it stand out is its incredible goal-driven NPC system." ( ![]() | |
The Shadow in the Cathedral, by Ian Finley and Jon Ingold 1 vote "Really a very fun..." [+]"Really a very fun game that tends to get overlooked because of having been commercial, I think. Some strange world-building and a lot of cool set pieces. " ( ![]() | |
Magnetic Moon [2019 ADRIFT version], by Larry Horsfield 1 vote "A modern improvement of an old classic" [+]"A modern improvement of an old classic: Well told puzzle fest" ( ![]() | |
The Quest for The Magic Muffin 2, by Charlie the Spiffy 1 vote (No comment) [+](No comment) ( ![]() | |
On Optimism, by Zach Flynn (as Tim Lane) 1 vote "Powerful imagery" [+]"Powerful imagery: This is an artistic piece in the school of Photopia, and I think it's very effective. It was probably hindered by the fact that it was released in the Comp a year after Blue Chairs came in 2nd." ( ![]() | |
Return to Ditch Day, by M.J. Roberts 1 vote "A huge, solid..." [+]"A huge, solid puzzler." ( ![]() | |
Poll created on April 10, 2012