UIs of point-and-click adventure games

Since I have been working again on game design and game art I came to a point where I feel I have to have another look at some of the UIs of similar games.

I do not tend to play that many point- and-click adventure games these days but the ones I had a chance to look at are: The Whispered World (2009) and Memoria (2012) by Daedalic Entertainment and Botanicula (2012) and Machnarium (2009) by Amanita Design.

I chose these games because they resemble my game idea for honours year project and I have played them previously.


The Whispered World

The mouse cursor in a non-active state looks like in the image above.

The mouse cursor changes to a 'highlight' state (with a small blue light in the centre) when is placed above an interactable item. (see image above)

When clicked the cursor becomes active and opens up a context related menu where a player can select an action he/she wants to perform. (see image above)

An open inventory is made to look like an open bag/sack. It takes large part of the screen and contains all collected items. (see image above) Also, a general menu is hidden on the top right-hand corner. (see image above) 

When a mouse cursor is moved towards the top right-hand corner the hidden menu reveals itself ( the corner peels away). The mouse cursor functions the same way as during game play: when placed above active item highlights the item in blue as well as lights up blue in the centre. (see image above)

Entrances and exits within the game are marked by a red arrow which appears only when placed above an entrance or exit. (see image above)

I did like a lot the look of inventory as well as the general menu being hidden in the corner of the screen. I think it gives an impression of an illustration; however I think the strange shaped mouse cursor feels a bit strange/unusual. Most likely because the convention in games as well as UI's in general seems to use something that reminds an arrow or a pointing finger. I think it's the shape of it that makes it feel strange at first.

Memoria


This is another game released by Daedalic Entertainment. The developers seem to have changed the mouse cursor design for this game: the cursor takes a more traditional look of an arrow and a pointing finger icon that appears next to it when hovered above an interactable item. (see image below)

Inventory is hidden at the bottom of the screen and moving a mouse cursor to the bottom area reveals it (it slides up when opening and slides down when closing). Also game settings and questbook are located inside inventory (bottom right-hand corner). (see image below)

Botanicula

Very simple UI. Direction and some interactable objects being indicated by an arrow as seen in an image above.

The inventory slides down from the top of the screen and contains collectable cards icon as shown in the top left-hand corner of the screen as well as collectable items displayed at the top right-hand corner of the screen.



Machinarium


The game seems to be using the same Inventory principle as Botanicula (slides up and down when mouse pointer is moved to the top edge of the screen).  Standard mouse cursor in a shape of an arrow and a pointing finger icon when above an interactable object.  The collected objects are displayed on the top left-hand corner.

I think using standard arrow and pointing finger icons avoids confusion and looks very familiar to the player. If something else is used then best if design reminds an arrow or is in some sort of triangle shape. At least this is what I have encountered during my general video game play which is not limited by 2D point-and-click games mentioned in this post.


Amanita Design. 2012. Botanicula. Microsoft Windows. Amanita Design & Daedalic Entertainment
Amanita Design. 2009. Machinarium. Microsoft Windows. Amanita Design & Daedalic Entertainment
Daedalic Entertainment. 2013. Memoria. Microsoft Windows. Deep Silver
Daedalic Entertainment. 2009. The Whispered World. Microsoft Windows. Deep Silver

List of games that might be relevant to my project 2: Daedalic Entertainment

2D Games

Daedalic Entertainment over the years has released some really nice looking games.
Here is a list of some of them that I think are relevant to my project:

Memoria
Daedalic Entertainment. 2013. Memoria. Microsoft Windows. Deep Silver and Daedalic Entertainment.

Daedalic Entertainment. 2013. [online image]. Available from: http://www.daedalic.de/en/game/memoria [Accessed 26 January 2014]

Memoria is a point-and-click adventure game based on the events of Previous Daedalic Entertainment game ‘Chains of Satinav’. It builds on the previous story and includes puzzles as part of a gameplay. This game is praised for its visual style and quality of the art. Daedalic also boasts on its website that one of the games features is '120 marvellous, hand drawn backgrounds, each breathing life into the game’s world'. Voice acting however seem to be a bit of a letdown unfortunately.


The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav
Daedalic Entertainment. 2012.The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav. Microsoft Windows. Deep Silver and Daedalic Entertainment.


Daedalic Entertainment. 2012. [online image]. Available from: http://www.daedalic.de/en/game/DSA_Satinavs_Ketten#5 [Accessed 26 January 2014]

This game is based of The Dark Eye, Europe's best-known role-playing brand that has been around for more than 25 years. TDE: Chains of Satinav is a point-and-click adventure with incorporated puzzles. Story is based in the town/village of Andergast, world of Aventuria. Just like other Daedalic Entertainment games it stands out by having hand drawn/painted artwork.

"Each location has its own distinctive colour palette, instantly creating an atmospheric mood. When you approach a rundown hut in the dark, set against a cloudy sky and decomposing wood backdrop bathed in blues, it’s clear that something sinister is afoot. A harbour town and its dock are made up of browns and greys, bright light shining only from windows, highlighting the poverty that lingers on each corner. The detailed settings draw you in and make the world feel entirely believable, though ambient movement is minimal, sticking to mostly simple things like rising mist or gushing water."*

Fantasy atmosphere  is enriched with music which changes or goes silent as the mood of the game and the story turns 'darker' and more menacing. "A slow, sinister string piece is set against the beating of rain to create a shady atmosphere down at the docks, and when entering a dream world the music becomes ethereal, yet still retaining a strong tension that reminds you of lurking danger." *
However it seems to suffer from the same bad voice acting issue like majority of the other Daedalic Entertainment games.

One of the mentioned game downfalls is a lack of animation or animation being really 'choppy' which takes away from the game and makes it tacky and boring. Lack of emotion in character performance prevents players from bonding with the character and hinders his/hers involvement with the story.*

Also, "... a black loading screen that happens every time you change location or begin a conversation, which snaps you out of the experience for a moment when it should have been done seamlessly (or at least less intrusively)."*


* Keeley, J. 2012. The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav review. [online].  Adventure Games. Available from: http://www.adventuregamers.com/articles/view/21919 [Accessed 26 January 2014]

In my opinion Joe Keeley made some valid points regarding animations, loading screens and sound. I think it does prove those nice painted images which in this case may resemble nice concept art, book illustration or even animation, is not enough for the game. Since game is interactive and things/characters move around the screen, quality and amount of animation is just as important not only for the 'finished' look/feel but also for payers involvement within the story, world and empathy towards the main character. Also, because sound plays a big role in players immersion quality, its quality is also important. Video game is a really complex system, especially if it attempts to tell a story and each of the game elements and its quality plays important part to the whole.


The Whispered World
Daedalic Entertainment. 2010.The Whispered World. Microsoft Windows. Viva Media  and Lace Mamba.

Daedalic Entertainment. 2010. [online image]. Available from: http://www.daedalic.de/en/game/The_Whispered_World#23 [Accessed 26 January 2014]

The Whispered World is another point-and-click puzzle fantasy adventure game from Daedalic Entertainment. The story is about a young clown called Sadwick and his pet companion Spot. As far as I know, it started its life as a graduation project and after a number of years has been developed in to a finished videogame. It is dialogue heavy and has a good story with some nice characters; however it also suffers a little bit from bad voice acting (English version). Also, just like the rest of Daedalic games, it has that amazing hand painted game art. It certainly reminds a lot of traditional fairy-tale animations with Disney like backgrounds. Actual character animations are not very well done, but not as bad or as noticable as in The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav.

One of the downfalls of the game from the interactivity point of view are 'hidden' items (collectables, or intractable objects) that can only be found while randomly clicking around the screen. Perhaps making them slightly more visible to a player would make for a better gameplay flow.



A New Beginning
Daedalic Entertainment. 2012. A New Beginning. Microsoft Windows. Daedalic Entertainment.

Daedalic Entertainment. 2012. [online image]. Available from: http://www.daedalic.de/en/game/A_New_Beginning#9 [Accessed 26 January 2014]

A New Begining is described as "a cinematic, interactive adventure-thriller that deals with the defining issue of our time."** It is another point-and-click puzzle adventure however this time players can control two characters: scientist Bent Svensson who's been working on eco-friendly alternative energy source and Fay, a young woman sent from the future to prevent an impending environmental catastrophe.
As a standrad game features detailed, hand-painted backgrounds, however this game also has incorporated an animated graphic-novel story telling "with more than 40 minutes of animated comic book cutscenes".** Art overall looks very similar to the previously mentioned games however not as detailed or painterly as previously. Possibly because there are many characters within the game, developers chose to resemble more comic book art style. Especially, since quite a few scenes feature dialogue (animated faces) and it would have been to consuming to paint everything/everyone in a high detail.

**Daedalic Entertainment. 2014. A New Begining. [online]. Daedalic Entertainment. Available from: http://www.daedalic.de/en/Game/A_New_Beginning [Accessed 26 January 2014]


The Night of the Rabbit
Daedalic Entertainment. 2013. The Night of the Rabbit. Microsoft Windows. Daedalic Entertainment.

Daedalic Entertainment. 2013. [online image]. Available from: http://www.daedalic.de/en/Game/The_Night_of_the_Rabbit [Accessed 26 January 2014]

The Night of the Rabbit is a point-and-click adventure where main character is a 12 year old boy called Jerry who dreams of one day becoming a wizard. Again, this game contains the same art style that reminds more an animation or a book illustration rather than a video game.


Goodbye Deponia
Daedalic Entertainment. 2013.Goodbye Deponia.  Microsoft Windows. Daedalic Entertainment

Chaos on Deponia
Daedalic Entertainment. 2012. Chaos on Deponia. Microsoft Windows. Daedalic Entertainment

Deponia
Daedalic Entertainment. 2012. Deponia. Microsoft Windows. Daedalic Entertainment

Daedalic Entertainment. 2012. [online image]. Available from: http://www.daedalic.de/en/game/Deponia#1 [Accessed 26 January 2014]

Deponia is a series of point-and-click games featuring main characters: Rufus (guy convinced of his own greatness) and Goal (inhabitant upper-class spheres) trying to find their way Elysium and saving junkyard planet Deponia from destruction.

Game art is not that different from most of other Daedalic games, especially The Night of the Rabbit.

I chose to mention these games because it is obvious that developers at Daedalic Entertainment dedicate a lot of attention towards producing games that are nice to look at and have a high quality/standard artwork in them. Also, a lot of players seem to respond really well towards it. It is nice to see that some companies finding time and money to spend on visual side of the game. Although my projects final goal would be to create more painterly look/feel for the game rather than what is seen in Daedalic games examples, I think I can gather a lot of information on how to deal with interactivity and general point-and-click mechanics.