Recurring specific adventure game puzzles/gimmicks

Started by Gaucelm, Sun 04/02/2018 23:19:57

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Gaucelm

Not sure if this thread has already been done, tell me if it has.

So let's share adventure game puzzles and other elements that are quite recurrent in this genre!
This is not to be negative, but for fun and to get a deeper knowledge of the stuff that we like, warts and all.

Warning: could contain some spoilers.

- Pushing a key through a keyhole and making it drop on a piece of paper to retrieve it below the door:
Possibly one of the most famous puzzles. This is basically the classic of classics when we talk of "locked-in-room" situations.
Examples:
- Alone in the Dark 2
- Bargon Attack (strangely, the hero refuses to use a newspaper to retrieve the key because it'd be "too easy")
- Hugo 2: Whodunnit

- A rope is an useful item to have:
A rope is basically a typically useful item.
Strangely, I feel that most of the times a rope appeared in an adventure point-and-click game, it was to say how it is an useful item to have in this kind of games!
Examples:
- Companions of Xanth (your sidekick right-out tells you to go get a rope at a harbor because you always need rope in adventure games)
- Escape from Monkey Island ("hmm, a rope, that could be useful")
- Sam & Max Hit The Road (Sam notes how you always need a piece of rope in this kind of games)

Mandle

Countless games where you have to get past a guard dog or other animal and you have a piece of meat and some sleeping pills.

Crimson Wizard

Unsticking glued piece of paper using hot steam.
I remember this was in the old "Prisoner of Ice" game, and also in the recent "Thimbleweed Park" too.

Frodo

If you need something unscrewed... an old coin will do.  :wink:

Gilbert

I think a crowbar is also popular right? In both adventure and action games.

Mandle

Ran out of gas? Don't worry! In adventure games cars and other vehicles run just fine on whiskey, vodka, and gin and often forever on just one bottle!

Privateer Puddin'

Quote from: Mandle on Mon 05/02/2018 01:39:21
Ran out of gas? Don't worry! In adventure games cars and other vehicles run just fine on whiskey, vodka, and gin and often forever on just one bottle!

In the movie 'Gamer', guy pees in a fuel tank and that works because he's been drinking alcohol

Radiant

Quote from: Crimson Wizard on Sun 04/02/2018 23:47:10
Unsticking glued piece of paper using hot steam.
I remember this was in the old "Prisoner of Ice" game, and also in the recent "Thimbleweed Park" too.
Maniac Mansion, too.

Quote from: Mandle on Mon 05/02/2018 01:39:21
Ran out of gas? Don't worry! In adventure games cars and other vehicles run just fine on whiskey, vodka, and gin and often forever on just one bottle!
Except in Maniac Mansion :-D

Blondbraid

I remember a puzzle in Dead Reefs, where you had one 8 oz jar, one 5 oz jar and one 3 oz jar, and had to divide liquid between all jars to fill the 5 oz jar with 4 oz water. I swear I've seen the exact same puzzle in at least three separate games by now, but sadly I can't remember those games. Anyone else recognize this puzzle?


Mandle

Quote from: Blondbraid on Mon 05/02/2018 09:31:03
I remember a puzzle in Dead Reefs, where you had one 8 oz jar, one 5 oz jar and one 3 oz jar, and had to divide liquid between all jars to fill the 5 oz jar with 4 oz water. I swear I've seen the exact same puzzle in at least three separate games by now, but sadly I can't remember those games. Anyone else recognize this puzzle?

It's a classic puzzle used in classrooms as well. I've used it in a treasure hunt for kids on a summer camp.

It was also used in the movie Die Hard 3.

Quote from: Privateer Puddin' on Mon 05/02/2018 02:18:36
Quote from: Mandle on Mon 05/02/2018 01:39:21
Ran out of gas? Don't worry! In adventure games cars and other vehicles run just fine on whiskey, vodka, and gin and often forever on just one bottle!

In the movie 'Gamer', guy pees in a fuel tank and that works because he's been drinking alcohol

I remember that and thinking how stupid it was. I also remember a game where you could soak something in wine and burn it down super fast because wine contains alcohol.

I think it takes a percentage of about 30% plus before alcohol becomes flammable enough to overcome the water content. So, to run a car on it you would need at least 80% alcohol if not more I would guess and even then it would cause so much damage to the engine that it would only work for a short time, if at all.

Danvzare

#10
Getting a container and putting a liquid in it. Usually a bucket with water, but it can also be a pan (or sometimes even a bottle). Deponia and Day of the Tentacle did it, and both of those used soapy water as well. Quite a few others games I've played have had this quite simple puzzle.
Does thay count, or is thay too generic?

Because I have something even more generic! Tin openers. Once again I can name at least two games from the top of my head where one appeared, and there are probably more than that.

Ooh, but here's a really common puzzle. Getting a long pole and sticking a hook on the end. It's appeared on Curse of Monkey Island, most of the Maniac Mansion Mania games, and I think Zak McKracken Between Time and Space had that puzzle in it as well. And I'm certain that I've seen it on other (popular and commercial) games.

TheFrighter

Quote from: Gaucelm on Sun 04/02/2018 23:19:57- Pushing a key through a keyhole and making it drop on a piece of paper to retrieve it below the door:
Possibly one of the most famous puzzles. This is basically the classic of classics when we talk of "locked-in-room" situations.

Quote from: Mandle on Sun 04/02/2018 23:28:17
Countless games where you have to get past a guard dog or other animal and you have a piece of meat and some sleeping pills.

Both in Phantasmagoria!

_

Yitcomics

A puddle of water with an exposed wire dip in it blocking your path.


NicolaGs

#13
I think that all these recurring puzzles are in my own game... :-D
My first game : I Want Out!

TheFrighter


When you play poker have a mirror surface behind the opponent!(laugh)

__

Ponch

Carrying around two utterly useless items that you'd have no interest in other than once you combine them, the result is something you can't live without. (I use this puzzle in several of my own games). :=

TheFrighter


When a puzzle implies a chessboard you can only use the horse piece.

_


Danvzare

We should make a game which only uses these recurring puzzles and gimmicks.
We could call it Quest Quest. (laugh)

KyriakosCH

10 find racy object in NPC's room
20 ask NPC about it

:=
This is the Way - A dark allegory. My Twitter!  My Youtube!

TheFrighter


The protagonist can't swim or is afraid of water. (Blazing dragons, Ankh)

Sorry if I re-spawn this topic, but I played both games recently and it came in mind!  :-[

_

KyriakosCH

-Code puzzles (ranging from simple, eg find the code itself, to complicated, ie codify some info you find elsewhere) are very common.
-Opening doors (finding a key, etc) is certainly the most common "puzzle".
-Getting info from NPCs (if you regard that as a puzzle; either through dialogue or doing some quest for the Npc)
This is the Way - A dark allegory. My Twitter!  My Youtube!

Babar

Safes or password protected computers with a nearby calendar with a date circled or a photograph with a date on the back (almost every single Wadjet Eye Game  := )
The ultimate Professional Amateur

Now, with his very own game: Alien Time Zone

Danvzare

Quote from: Babar on Mon 08/07/2019 13:09:48
Safes or password protected computers with a nearby calendar with a date circled or a photograph with a date on the back (almost every single Wadjet Eye Game  := )
You know, for a while I've had an idea for a new take on that old puzzle.
You see, a lot of games have a safe that you character owns, but forgot the password of. And you naturally have to find the password. But what if any password you put in works, because since it's your safe, YOU should know the password. And therefore the first password you put in, the game saves for later use. Perhaps even reusing it when you need to open the safe at a later date.
You could even have a hint like the character saying: "Now what was the password again? Oh yes, now I remember!"

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