Duke Grabowski Episode 1 Is Out Now

The first episode of Duke Grabowski, the crowd funded adventure game by Venture Moon (the new venture by a trio of developers that made Autumn Moon's adventures, including Bill Tiller himself), is finally here on Steam.

The game follows a brutish pirate named Duke, who longs to be a captain.  It's set in the same world that was introduced in Ghost Pirates of Vooju Island.

More Duke Grabowski Coming In Episodes

Duke Grabowski's Kickstarter updated with news that more Duke Grabowski is coming, as the game is now episodic and will now be published by Alliance Game Studios.

The game that backers will be getting will now be episode one out of five. Backers will get the game exactly as described in the Kickstarter, but the good news is that Duke's adventures will be larger than planned. The other good news is that the backing by a publisher means that the Duke Grabowski team can now work on the game full time. The first episode, the one that backers of the Kickstarter will be getting, is now planned to be finished in July.

Point and Click Adventure Review: The Perils of Man Episode Two

The Perils of Man concludes in a very satisfying manner, presenting a fantastic conclusion that caps off this fantastic adventure wonderfully.

This episode continues immediately after the last left off, with Ana finally having found her father. Their reunion isn't what she hoped, and she is soon thrust into a situation that is much more perilous than anything that she's experienced up to that point. The story really gets interesting in this episode, and the finale is fantastic. It closes Ana's journey quite well, while still leaving room open for a sequel.

The story isn't the only thing that's wonderful in this episode. The puzzles in the first episode were a great throwback to classic adventures of the past, with a dash of Autumn Moon's style thrown in via the interface. This tradition continues in force, as this episode has some of the best puzzles in the entire game. The third person perspective puzzles via the risk assessment goggles are also put to great use here. That aspect of the game really sets this adventure apart from it's peers. It's true that it's merely a gimmick for the risk based game play that was included in the story as it was partially funded through the insurance company, Swiss Re, but it's a gimmick that really works well.

The fantastic art style continues to shine. The new locations that Ana visits are all quite excellent. The voice work is also top notch in this episode. This has been true for all of the game, minus the voice of Ana's mother, who only appears in a major role in the first chapter of the game. The rest of the voices are quite good, and the voices of Ana's other relatives are particularly well done. It's great to get a chance to see Ana finally get to have some contact with her family outside of her mother, as she's been made into a shut in due to her mother's paranoia over her husband's disappearance. These interactions are quite well portrayed, and the voice excellent work of both Ana and the other Eberlings is a large part of that. The musical score also continues to shine here, complimenting the story and voice work superbly.

The Perils of Man Episode Two ends the saga on a high note. The game has always been advertised as a return to the classic adventure games that the designers Bill Tiller and Gene Mocsy are known for, and it succeeds. The puzzles in this game are among the best I've played in the post-LucasArts era of adventure games. The third person risk assessment puzzles are quite unique, work well, and add to the game's charm. The presentation of the game helps cap off the rest of this great adventure is a fantastic way. The art style is charming, the voice acting is supurb, the story is great, and the music frames the game excellently. The Perils of Man is a game that is worth playing for anyone that considers themselves a fan of classic point and click adventure games.

Final Verdict:

4½ out of 5

Episode I Review

The Perils of Man Is Now Out On Steam and iOS

At long last, the adventure game by IF Games, designed by Bill Tiller and Gene Mocsy, which also sees Mr. Mocsy as lead dialog writer, is finally out on iOS, and Mac and Windows through Steam today.  If you already purchased The Perils of Man on iOS when Episode 1 was released, your app will be updated to the full version of the game at no extra charge.

Point and Click Adventure Review: The Perils of Man Episode 1

The first chapter of The Perils of Man was a fun adventure game that was fun on its own, and showed great promise for things to come.  The first episode of The Perils of Man is now available, adding two more chapters to the impressive start of the story that began in chapter one.  So far, episode one has lived up to expectations, and in some ways, even exceeded them with a new gameplay mechanic that brings something new to the table, while working well with the inventory based puzzles that are staples of the adventure genre, rather than feeling shoe-horned into the game.

This episode begins from the start, so if you already played chapter one, your experience in the first chapter will be largely the same.   There is one slight difference, but only if you played chapter one when it was first released.  One scenario has been changed to have a little bit of added complexity in that it now requires an inventory item to start the puzzle.  If you played chapter one after episode one was released, your experience will be identical, as the puzzle has since been updated in chapter one to cause less confusion by matching the updated puzzle in episode one.  Episode one continues seamlessly after the end of chapter one, and adds two more chapters to the mix.

The puzzles in chapter one are as sharp as ever, and the inventory and dialog puzzles in the other two chapters continue that momentum, but the brilliance in this episode comes from the mechanic introduced in chapter two, and first put to use in chapter three.  The Perils of Man has always been advertised as a game about risk, and although we got a taste of that with Ana's mother, that theme really comes into the picture here.  Ana finally discovers how to use the gift that her father left her, and begins a journey through time to protect people by minimizing risk.  While the rest of the game is presented as a point and click adventure on a traditional side scrolling two dimensional plane, once Ana puts on her Risk Atlas, the game switches to a third person perspective, allowing Ana to analyze the risk of objects around her.  Once she discovers the risks, Ana can minimize the risk through inventory puzzles and discussing the situation with the characters around her.

The new locations are quite interesting, and complement the dollhouse art style already seen in the first chapter at the Eberling estate.  The music once again fits the locations nicely, and all of the characters are interesting as well. Each character, both new, and returning, are quirky, yet believable.  The slightly grating, pretentious tone of Ana's mother is still present, but so far she's regulated to just the first chapter, so it's not too distracting.  The rest of the characters are voiced quite well, especially Ana's new sidekick, the steampunk robot bird, Darwin.  We also get a taste of one of the most intriguing characters, just as Ana completes her first foray into her family's legacy.  Thus, the episode ends on a satisfying note, while leaving a nice cliffhanger that leaves you wanting more.

Episode One of The Perils of Man is a fantastic start to what looks to be a fantastic adventure.  The inventory and dialog puzzles are very well done. The new third person perspective risk atlas mechanic fits the story well, making it feel like it blends well with the rest of the game, rather than feeling like an afterthought.  The music, art style, quirky characters, and voice acting also are well done, and fit the tone of the game well.  There is one part that's a bit confusing, as it requires you to guide a light to a location by holding it down and rotating it, which is a mechanic that hadn't been used in the game at all up to that point and there is nothing in-game that explains it.  Other than that small hiccup however, the game is fantastic, and is one of the better adventures in recent memory.

Final Verdict:

4 out of 5

Chapter I Review

Episode II review

The Perils of Man Will Be Released On April 28

IF Games has announced that their adventure game, The Perils of Man, which has a design by Bill Tiller and Gene Mocsy of Autumn Moon, and is also co-written by Mr. Mocsy, will be released on April 28, 2015 for Windows, Mac, and iOS. Episode 1 of the game was previously only available on iOS, and for those who have already purchased the iOS version of Episode 1, the app will be updated to the full version at no extra charge once it's released. They also released an announcement trailer for the game, which has been embedded above.

The Perils of Man Estimated Release Window Set For Spring

For those, like me, who have been wondering how the second and final episode of the Bill Tiller and Gene Mocsy designed The Perils of Man is coming along, developer IF Games has announced an estimated release window of Spring 2015 for the full game.

The Perils of Man will be released for iOS (people who already own Perils of Man Episode 1 on iOS will get the second episode as an update to the game app at no additional charge), and IF Games also have announced their intention to release the game on Steam for PC and Mac in the same estimated Spring 2015 timeframe.

Duke Grabowski is Funded, Now Accepting Paypal

The Duke Grabowski kickstarter campaign is now fully funded and they also now accepting Paypal donations for the digital tiers (you'll find the Paypal links at the bottom of the main page). So, if you wait for that option before backing a crowdfunding campaign, and you want to play a campaign with an awesome art design by Bill Tiller and a game design by Dave Grossman, Bill Tiller, and Gene Mocsy, then you can now be a backer as well.

Oh, and my rendition of the pirate song is on its way. I'll try to get it done soonish. :)

Duke Is 90% Funded, Dave Grossman Joins Team

There is some good news at the Kickstarter for Duke Grabowski: Mighty Swashbuckler! Dave Grossman, the co-designer of the first two Monkey Island games (and Tales of Monkey Island), has joined the team as a co-designer. Another LucasArts alumni, and the current co-writer of Teen Wolf at MTV, Alyssa Clark, has also joined up to write dialog for the game. In addition, Larry Ahern, the co-designer of The Curse of Monkey Island, will be joining Dave Grossman in voicing versions of themselves in the game.

Duke is now 90% funded, and new slots have been added to the sold out upper tiers as incentive for those who want to pledge that high but missed the chance.  There's just over two days left in the campaign, so there's still time to make the goal.  Oh, and if the goal is met, I promised the readers of The International House of Mojo that I'd perform all four parts of The Curse of Monkey Island pirate song.  So, if you want to watch a grown woman try to mimic four men in a pirate shanty, there's always that for incentive. ;)

The Perils of Man Chapter I Review

The Perils of Man Chapter 1 is the free introduction to the seven chapter adventure game, The Perils of Man.  It missed its original release window set last year, but it has proven to be well worth the wait.

Sixteen year old Ana Eberling is the latest in a line of scientific geniuses to bear the Eberling name.  All of her male ancestors have either died or disappeared, in mysterious circumstances, including her father, who she hasn't seen for ten years.  On her birthday, she mysteriously receives a gift from her long lost father, and is determined to discover its hidden meaning.

The first chapter tells just a small part of Ana's journey, and ends just as she starts making startling discoveries.  However, this small taste of the tale, is certainly sweet.  The puzzles have been designed by Bill Tiller and Gene Mocsy, the creators of A Vampyre Story and Ghost Pirates of Vooju Island, and are their best puzzle designs to date.  The puzzles here are among the best I have played in an adventure game since the 1990's classics.  The puzzle difficulty increases as the game goes on, but even the most challenging puzzles remain logical, and true to the game's world.

The game is by IF Games, which is a joint venture of the animation studio boutiq, so the art is bound to be good.  The game's atmosphere is quite interesting, as it aims for an old world feel, with a steampunk undercurrent.  As this is just the first chapter, we just get a tease of the steam powered machinations of Ana's great, great, great grandfather, but what is here is certainly interesting.  The game's voice cast and music also fit the world well, although the voice of Ana's mother, who goes for a stereotypical aristocratic style of speaking, can get a bit grating.

The Perils of Man Chapter One is just a small taste of the great adventure, but it serves as an excellent introduction to the game.  The music fits the game's world, and the voice of Ana is done well.  Ana's mother can come off as a bit grating, but this doesn't detract from the game's charm.  The puzzles presented here are already excellent, and the game's art design and atmosphere is fantastic.  The story is intriguing, although it ends just as it starts to get exciting.  Chapter one certainly makes you want to learn more about the Eberling family's secrets, so in the end, it serves its role as an introduction to the game's world quite well.

Final Verdict:

4 out of 5

Episode I review

The Perils of Man Episode 1 Is Out Now For iOS

The Perils of Man: Episode 1, the first part of the two part adventure with a game design by Bill Tiller and Gene Mocsy of Autumn Moon (and co-written by Mocsy as well), is now out for iPad and iPhone/iPod Touch for $4.99. Your five bucks will get you all seven chapters of The Perils of Man, as you'll get the first three chapters now in episode one, and the remaining four chapters at no additional cost once episode two is released in December.

The game is excellent, but if you'd prefer to try before you buy, chapter one (the first third of episode 1) is available on iTunes for free.

If you don't have an iOS device, you'll have to wait a bit longer. According to The Perils of Man Frequently Asked Questions page, they are currently developing the game for Android devices as well as PC, Mac, and Linux.

The Perils of Man Episode 1 Coming September 30

The first episode of The Perils of Man has gotten a release date. The Perils of Man is an episodic adventure game designed by The Curse of Monkey Island lead artist and A Vampyre Story and Ghost Pirates of Vooju Island co-designer Bill Tiller and Ghost Pirates of Vooju Island and A Vampyre Story co-creator, and creator of 1954: Alcatraz, Gene Mocsy. The Perils of Man Episode 1 will be released on the Apple App Store on September 30th. Chapter One is out already. If you have an iOS device, make sure to pick it up, as it is excellent.

 In other news, another LucasArts veteran's current project has just been released. The final issue of Maniac Mansion co-creator Gary Winnick's five part comic book series, Bad Dreams, was released for digital distribution on Wednesday. The print issues are somewhat hard to come by (if you want to pick them up at regular price) since they sold out pretty quick, but you can pick up all issues digitally from Comixology.

Kickstart Duke Grabowski, Mighty Swashbuckler!

Bill Tiller, Jeremiah Grant, and Gene Moscy started a new company (Venture Moon Industries) and a new kickstarter to fund a pirate themed adventure game inspired by Monkey Island. It's called Duke Grabowski, Mighty Swashbuckler, and will be set in the Azurbbean, the fictional version of the Caribbean from Ghost Pirates of Vooju Island. It's an homage and spoof of The Secret of Monkey Island but with a twist, the main character is a big, dim, angry man who turns out to be a man of honor. Bill Tiller is going to be the project lead and art director, Gene Mocsy is going to design, produce, and write for it, and Jeremiah Grant is going to be the programmer. They're looking for $40,000 which will fund the game, which will have about ten to twelve rooms and be a quarter of the size of A Vampyre Story. So, if this interests you, what are you waiting for? Pick a tier and back it now.

The Day of Mocsy Is Upon Us!

Update: 1954: Alcatraz is now available on Steam as well, at the same limited time $2 discount as GOG.com.

Two new adventure games co-developed by Gene Mocsy, the co-writer of Ghost Pirates of Vooju Island, have been released today!

The first release is 1954: Alcatraz, the first game by Gene Mocsy's studio Irresponsible Games (and co-developed by German adventure game developer Daedalic). The game has two lead characters, a man who must escape Alcatraz prison in 1954, and his wife, who is trying to avoid gangsters who are after the money that her husband stole. The game has multiple solutions to puzzles, which will affect the characters in different ways. 1954: Alcatraz is out now on GOG.com (currently discounted at $2 off it's usual $19.99 price tag), and will also be released in a few hours on Steam.

The second game is The Perils of Man: Chapter One, the first chapter of a seven chapter adventure game about risks and consequences developed by IF Games with a game design by Gene Mocsy and Bill Tiller of Autumn Moon. Chapter One is currently available for free from iTunes for iPad and will be updated soon for support for iPhone and iPod touch devices as well. They also have expressed interest in releasing the game for Android and Windows, OS X, and Linux, and ask for people to post on their forums to express their interest in the game for these platforms.

iOS Adventure The Perils of Man Gets Demo on March 11

The official Perils of Man Facebook page has been updated with news that The Perils of Man, the upcoming iOS adventure game developed by IF Games with a game design by Autumn Moon's Bill Tiller and Gene Mocsy, will be getting a demo release on the 11th of March. The full version has not yet received a release date.

They have also stated that they intend to release some teaser tracks of music from Perils of Man from composer Paul Shapera soon, and hint at a possible full soundtrack album release. To see some of his previous work, you can check out his bandcamp page here.

The Perils of Man Delayed To Early 2014

You may be wondering what is going on with the upcoming free iOS adventure game The Perils of Man, which is being developed by IF Games and designed by Bill Tiller and Gene Mocsy of Autumn Moon.

Its previous release date of October 2013 came and went, and the official Facebook page has been surprisingly quiet about the situation.

The game's FAQ has recently been updated, indicating that the game has been delayed to early 2014. However, there's no word on whether they still plan on releasing the game in two episodes as originally planned.

Bill Tiller Is Now Working On The Perils of Man

His first Kickstarter campaign may not have been successful, but we will still see a Bill Tiller (lead artist of Curse of Monkey Island, creator of A Vampyre Story and Ghost Pirates of Vooju Island) adventure later this year.

He is working with IF Games, which is a new game studio opened by the Swiss animation house Boutiq, on a two part adventure game for the iPad titled The Perils of Man.  Each part will contain between 2 to 3 hours of gameplay.  It involves time travel that will revolve around events through time that "spans 150 years, darting from a tramp freighter adrift in the South China seas to impending disaster at the Chicago World's Fair, bringing a host of unforgettable characters, perilous exploits, and existential riddles along for the ride."  You will explore the "mysterious chronicle of history’s disasters and catastrophes", and use your ability to "timewalk to real-world events from the gilded age of scientific invention."

Both parts will be released completely for free, since the game serves as an advertisement for the 150-year anniversary of the insurance company Swiss Re. The game will not be cluttered with ads for the insurance company, however, as the only branding in the game is said to be the Swiss Re logo in the game's credits.  The exploration of risk throughout the gameplay itself and the game's storyline serve as the advertisement.  The game is said to contain a "special gameplay mechanic that reveals a hidden matrix of cause and effect".  And you will "command the fates of thousands by mastering a hidden technology that gives the player the ability to foresee risk."

The first part will be released for the iPad this October, and the second part is expected to be released some time before the end of this year.

A Vampyre Story: Year One Kickstarter Is Live

The crowd funding campaign for A Vampyre Story: Year One, the prequel to Bill Tiller's A Vampyre Story, is now live on Kickstarter!

The game, which is set in the first year that Mona is captive in Castle Warg, begins when she first meets Froderick the bat. It is episodic (on Facebook, Bill Tiller mentioned that the first episode will tentatively be called Spring, with the other three being the remaining seasons of Year One), and the first episode should be about one third the size of A Vampyre Story, and have about five total hours of game play.

The Kickstarter goal is $200,000 for episode one, and (according to the afforementioned Facebook page) the other episodes could be funded through this kickstarter as well, depending on how much money is pledged.

The minimum tier with the download of the first episode is available for only $8 (with beta access included!). If you pledge higher, you'll get a soundtrack download at $25, a digital artbook at $50, a special collector's "big box" version (made with the dimensions of the Curse of Monkey Island box) at $100, a hardcover art book at $500, and even more goodies at the higher premium tiers. So, choose your tier and pledge your support for this classic style adventure game.

For those of you wondering about A Vampyre Story 2: A Bat's Tale, the reason that one's not being Kickstarted is because the rights lie with the publisher, Crimson Cow.  But, Bill Tiller did mention on Facebook that if this Kickstarter does well, the chances of A Vampyre Story 2 coming out soon ("fall 2014 or sooner") go way up.

A Vampyre Story: Year One Coming To Kickstarter

Autumn Moon's A Vampyre Story: Year One, the long-awaited prequel to A Vampyre Story, could finally be coming out if there is enough fan-funding thanks to an upcoming Kickstarter campaign.

The Kickstarter video is currently being worked on. Autumn Moon founder and A Vampyre Story creator, Bill Tiller, posted a work in progress screenshot of the 3D modeling of the characters from the video on his twitter page, and he uploaded a small animation of Froderick the bat to whet fans' appetites. It shouldn't be too long now before the Kickstarter campaign for A Vampyre Story: Year One is started.

A Vampyre Story: Year One

A Vampyre Story: Year One was announced last year, but I missed the news. It is the prequel to A Vampyre Story, a game by Autumn Moon Entertainment, lead by The Curse of Monkey Island art director Bill Tiller. This game will be downloadable and episodic, and will consist of five episodes. The game will feature Mona the vampire and Froderick the bat before the start of A Vampyre Story, and will let players explore new parts of Castle Warg and Draxylvania that weren't shown before.

The game will be available first as an exclusive on the Apple iPad, and a while later a PC version will be released.

Also, while I'm posting about A Vampyre Story, the original A Vampyre Story was added to the GameTap premium pack (for which a 14 day free trial is available), so if you're like me and have yet to play it, now's your chance.