Point-and-Click Adventure Games: The Artist's Answer to Online Gaming?

So I've always played online flash games as a way to procrastinate. I started playing them religiously in college when I wanted to avoid the inevitable, eye-vein-popping all-nighter writing various essays. I never really took them very seriously since many of them were clearly not targeted to my demographic with cutesy animation and cheesy humor. The occasional game impressed me, but, again, I didn't take the games I played very seriously, nothing beyond a guilty-pleasure kind of way to not do my homework. Anyways, isn't that how it is for most of us?


Recently, though, I have gained a new-found respect for online flash games. This is mostly thanks to some impressive point-and-click adventure games that have proven to be true standouts in the flash game world. Okay, so I know some of the die-hard gamers are going to give me some flack for this since point-and-click games are pretty basic and easy, but hear me out on this one. Yes, I have my own qualms with these games since perhaps they aren't interactive enough and, at times, too simplistic to really engage the player. Point-and-click games are basically exactly what they sound like. You basically click everything you can on the screen to search for clues or tools to progress to the next level. Occasionally you have to battle a monster or solve a puzzle with, again, clicking around a lot being your main strategy. It's as straightforward as you can get.


Even still, I think this genre does have a solid place in the online game world because these games are great for a quick, mellow gaming sesh. Also, they're great for young kids who are curious about games, but maybe lack the basic intelligence to do anything besides point and click. Not to mention, It's a game genre in which the storyline actually matters, which is rare. As a lover of stories and storytelling, I can appreciate that. Admittedly though, it is not their storylines that make point-and-click games great. What has given these games some real value is their artwork. The point-and-click genre provides the game developer the opportunity to show off their skills and not be bogged down by the physics and movement of the game components.

The first game that caught me eye was The First Hero, which is a Greek myth-themed game. Hercules is the main hero and you must help him travel to the underworld to save his love, the most beautiful woman in the world. When I first started to play, I was taken aback by the detail of the animation. This game had style and eh, the plot wasn't so bad either. 

Then I stumbled upon Compressing the Heart, which is really really f***ed up and cool. A shadow monster steals your disturbed characters heart and you must use his soul to possess other characters and make your way to defeat the shadowy perpetrator. This game is dark and homicidal and I highly recommend it. Not only was the animation bad ass, but the music was pretty good too. 

And then I found Rew, which is also dark and creepy, but not quite true to the emo theme as Compressing the heart. The first scene your main character, a weird-ass purple bear thing, Rew is standing over the bloody body of an old lady. Then proceeds a Momento-like backwards chain of events, in which every scene is five minutes before the last, so you come to understand why such a cute, but pretty awkward critter could brutally murder a little old lady. 

And finally, my latest discovery has been The Wok. On a tribal-themed alien planet a strange thing comes flying and crashing into the earth. Behold, the wok (yes, it's literally a wok). The tribe believes the wok is god's gift, but evil monsters take it away... starting to see a pattern eh? I think The Wok's main character is easily the most lovable out of the bunch and I totally dig the wok worship as a die hard lover of stir fry. 


I would really like to know if the animator of these games is the same person and if so, I to have a chat with this person and hear her/his point of view on flash games. Let me know if anyone can find out! 

Anyways, I think that these point-and-click games have a lot of potential. I recently stumbled upon the demo of Machinarium, which looks absolutely AMAZING with very impressive artwork. THAT'S the direction I would like these games to move towards. I know that flash games are still just flash games, that no game developer is going to dedicate all that much time on a game that isn't even sold for profit and basically is just some side project for him or her. However, I think that there are many artists out there who might want to find ways to get their stuff out there and perhaps this is a way for them. As a gamer who is probably too old to be playing half the games that I do, I appreciate the extra effort these point-and-clickers have made. 


If anyone has any other further point-and-click game recommendations, I would be stoked if you let me know.