Adventure game

Adventure is a genre of video game typified by exploration, puzzle-solving, interaction with game characters, and a focus on narrative rather than reflex-based challenges. The vast majority of adventure games are computer games, though console-based adventure games are not unheard of. Unlike many other game genres, the adventure genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based art forms, such as literature and film. Adventure games encompass a wide variety of literary genres, including fantasy, science fiction, mystery, horror, and comedy. Notable adventure games include Zork, King's Quest, The Secret of Monkey Island, and Myst.

Related Topics:
Video game - Puzzle - Narrative - Computer games - Console - Literature - Film - Fantasy - Science fiction - Mystery - Horror - Comedy - Zork - King's Quest - The Secret of Monkey Island - Myst

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Adventure games are similar to computer role-playing games (CRPGs), except that the game play is more focused on problem-solving rather than combat and statistics. In general, games that involve the management of player attributes and statistics are considered to be CRPGs, while those that focus solely on puzzles and narrative are considered to be part of the Adventure category. It should be noted, however, that this distinction is an extremely loose one, and many games blur the line between the two categories. In particular, the status of what are sometimes called action-adventure games as members of the category is largely in doubt, with adventure gaming purists (and, to a lesser extent, action gaming purists) labeling action-adventure games as belonging to neither the action nor adventure genres rather than to both.

Related Topics:
Computer role-playing game - Game play - Problem-solving - Action-adventure game

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Most adventure games are designed for a single player, since the heavy emphasis on story and character makes multi-player design difficult.

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The adventure genre was quite popular during the late 1980s and early 1990s, and many considered it to be among the most technically advanced genres. Indeed, adventure companies like Sierra pursued technologies for their games (such as hand-drawn backgrounds, rotoscoped animation, and in-game video) that were more advanced than most other genres at the time. However, the release of the Sony Playstation marked the end of the adventure era; as 3D became the dominant graphics format, the mostly 2D adventure market began to shrink. Though a few developers continue to produce adventure games, the genre is now almost entirely confined to sub-genres such as Survival Horror.

Related Topics:
1980s - 1990s - Sierra - Sony Playstation - Survival Horror

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