a90skid.com
  • Shop
  • Reviews
  • Shop
  • Reviews
0
A 90s Kid
  • Shop
  • Reviews
  • Gamedev
  • Opinion
  • PC

Indie Game Splittown Continues Classic Adventure Game Revitalization

  • September 12, 2017
  • Matthew Owen

I have fond memories of my elementary school years, when my free time was often filled with classic LucasArts adventure games.  Titles like Day of the Tentacle and Sam n Max: Hit the Road are easy contenders on my “Top Games of All Time” list, so I consider myself a pretty big fan of the genre.  That wonderful genre of point n click adventures that impacted my childhood eventually subsided, with few notable titles releasing as the years continued.  Games created by developer Telltale Games reignited an interest in adventure games, mainly with their release of The Walking Dead in 2012.  Since then, the industry has seen a resurgence of classic adventure experiences, the biggest being Thimbleweed Park, released just this year.  After having a gleeful time with that title, I secretly hoped that indie developers would again embrace the seemingly forgotten genre.  I recently got the chance to play the demo for Splittown, a new indie game that makes good on those hopes.

Splittown Street

Indie Super Gods

Developed by indie studio Super God, Splittown is less a modernization of classic adventure gaming and more of a replica.  The small development team based in Oulu, Finland has one previous release; an action based rogue-like called Riptale.  With a good interactive presence on social media (and generally being pretty cool people), the developer seems interested in getting quality responses from adventure genre fans.  They want to do right by the community, and that is commendable within itself.

Cold War, Colder Circumstances

The world of Splittown is one of espionage, as you take control of Leonard Nimby, a once decorated agent of IM5.  After villainous “SCUMM” agents make off with a prototype portal gun and leave your base members tranquilized, you must awaken your boss and hunt them down.

Splittown ConversationThe demo picks up right there, decently far into the actual game.  With your boss passed out on her desk in front of you, you must figure out a way to awaken her.  You do this by interacting with items and hot spots, classic point n click style.  By pressing the space bar, you’re able to see all interactive items, making Splittown an easy point n click to follow.  This is a feature that I’ve seen implemented more and more in the adventure genre, and it’s a great way to direct the player without specific instruction.

Splittown Freezer

The demo takes place across multiple rooms, and while there’s a decent amount of space to explore, there’s plenty of blocked paths.  As I made my way through the main building, eventually exploring an outside street with a stuck car, I had an urge to fully examine my surroundings.  Using the “look at” option on various items rewarded me with smartly written flavor text, and subtle animations brought scenery to life.

More to Come

Splittown‘s demo is short, only containing one main puzzle with a few steps.  It was a joy to explore the various rooms, and I found myself trying to figure out solutions for puzzles that weren’t even included in the demo.  The old school visuals of Splittown make it easy to fall into a comfortable pace of examination and observation, easily picking up on where to go and what to do.  I never found myself stumped by a puzzle, nor did any of the solutions seem to be improbable.

Splittown Puzzle

In comparison to games like Thimbleweed Park or Broken Age, Splittown isn’t the prettiest looking adventure game, but it’s true to history and memory.  I really enjoyed my time inside its world of spies, appreciating small nods to classic games and the inspirations drawn from them.  Fans of the classic will no doubt already see the references, specifically the namesake of the SCUMM agents.

I can’t wait to see the rest of the game, and I urge you to check out the demo!  It’s available on PC, Mac, and Linux, and you can download it straight from their website HERE.  Additionally, follow them on Twitter for updates, and be sure to show your support for indie developers.

Total
6
Shares
Share 6
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Related Topics
  • demo
  • Indie
  • lucas arts
  • point n click
  • splittown
Matthew Owen

I'm a life long gamer and an overall media junkie. In addition to writing great articles like this, I host a gaming/comedy podcast called "Super Gamecast 64" available on iTunes and Stitcher. I also watch an unhealthy amount of movies, and try to spread as much love into the world as I can. Hope you enjoyed the content!

You May Also Like
Elden Ring SGDQ
View Post
  • 4 min
  • Opinion
  • SGDQ 2023

SGDQ 2023 Raises $2.2 Million for Charity (Day 7 Recap)

  • Matthew Owen
  • June 4, 2023
Kaizo Monkey Ball SGDQ 2023
View Post
  • 4 min
  • Opinion
  • SGDQ 2023

SGDQ 2023 Breaks the $1 Million Milestone (Day 6 Recap)

  • Matthew Owen
  • June 3, 2023
Cat in the Hat SGDQ 2023
View Post
  • 4 min
  • Opinion
  • SGDQ 2023

SGDQ 2023 is Getting Silly (Day 5 Recap)

  • Matthew Owen
  • June 2, 2023
Sonic Adventure DX SGDQ 2023
View Post
  • 4 min
  • Opinion
  • SGDQ 2023

Sonic, Shmup, and Spooky Speedruns at SGDQ 2023 (Day 4 Recap)

  • Matthew Owen
  • June 1, 2023
Halo 3 at SGDQ 2023
View Post
  • 4 min
  • Opinion
  • SGDQ 2023

SGDQ 2023 Showcases FPS Speedruns and More (Day 3 Recap)

  • Matthew Owen
  • May 31, 2023
Zelda Link Between Worlds SGDQ 2023
View Post
  • 3 min
  • Opinion
  • SGDQ 2023

SGDQ 2023 Picks Up Speed (Day 2 Recap)

  • Matthew Owen
  • May 30, 2023
Mega Man Maker showcase SGDQ 2023
View Post
  • 3 min
  • Opinion
  • SGDQ 2023

Summer Games Done Quick 2023 is Starting Strong (Day 1 Recap)

  • Matthew Owen
  • May 29, 2023
Redfall Popcorn Machine
View Post
  • 3 min
  • Opinion
  • PC
  • Xbox
  • Xbox Series X

Redfall is Mid but the Popcorn is Delicious

  • Matthew Owen
  • May 17, 2023

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

A90KID.COM

VIDEO GAMES COMMUNITY & ENTERTAINMENT

A 90s Kid is an active website and media channel, dedicated to providing you information and entertainment related to the video games industry

Navigation
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Refund and Returns Policy
Recent Articles
  • SGDQ 2023 Raises $2.2 Million for Charity (Day 7 Recap) June 4, 2023
  • SGDQ 2023 Breaks the $1 Million Milestone (Day 6 Recap) June 3, 2023
  • SGDQ 2023 is Getting Silly (Day 5 Recap) June 2, 2023
  • Sonic, Shmup, and Spooky Speedruns at SGDQ 2023 (Day 4 Recap) June 1, 2023
  • SGDQ 2023 Showcases FPS Speedruns and More (Day 3 Recap) May 31, 2023
A 90s Kid
© 2023

Input your search keywords and press Enter.