How to Get Through an Adventure Game Without Using a Walkthrough or Spoilers

Adventure games, while a genre completely all of its own, are probably some of the most ingenious forms of gameplay that one can have while they are looking for that perfect gaming experience. However, with all of the cerebral footwork that goes into these games, there are a lot of times when someone will get stuck and they will want to advance to finding a walkthrough on the Internet at a gaming resource site. Do not feel bad, as I am one of those people myself that often times that has to do this, but more commonly than not, what we missed is so obvious that we can find oursleves kicking our prospective bottoms to why we did not see it sooner.

But, all is not lost. There are ways that one can actively participate in the game where they will not need to seek help. I have put together a handy little guide that will help all of those who play these types of games and will help them progress further along and at a faster rate. While most of these tips may seem obvious, they can sometimes be overlooked in these frustrating times and the next thing that we find is the uninstalling of the program and then moving on to something else that could be less challenging. So, without further ado, let us look at a great many things that we can do for ourselves that will help us get what we need in order to solve that perplexing puzzle that we have been at for months:

1) Always treat the simplest explanantion as the right one. More often times than not, we tend to overanalyze a puzzle when the answer could be as simple as the nose on our faces. For instance, say we have a puzzle of symbols and we need to find the correct order of those symbols in order to advance to the next area. Look in your inventory (* if it is an inventory-based program) and see if there is something there that will help. If there is nothing, that usually means that the enviornment can be manipulated in some manner. The 'Syberia' and 'Myst' series of games are great examples for that, even with the fact that there are inventory items that you can pick up. Manipulate the enviornment as much as you can, trying many various combinations. While this may take a while, eventually there has to be a combination that will work to help you open that door or get that item that will be of use in the next area of the game.

2) Have a notebook and pen ready. If the game carries a lot of story, there may be a lot of reading that you will have to do. In some games, there may be perhaps journals ot books that will require your examination. Now, if you are playing agame such as this, there may be photographs or key points that you wil have to examine or look at, which usually means that a puzzzle of this nature may be close at hand. You may have also already found it, and you weren't exactly sure what to do with it when you first happened upon it. These books supplement the information that may be needed for it, and you may have to read between the lines in order to find out what it means and what may be given or happen when it is completed. Also, take lots of notes and make sketches in case there are symbols or orders of symbols that you will have to remember, as some puzzles activate upon order of iconography in their solutions.

3)Save, save, save! Always save your game in multiple slots. If you make a mistake and you don't save in multiple slots, there's a god chance that you may have to backtrack to where you have already been and complete tasks that you have already spent hours on trying to complete. This can be a painstaking and very mundane activity and could have you wanting to just get rid of the game. While the saving every two minutes can be dreadfully dull, as after you complete a task you just want to keep playing, just keep telling yourself that it's going to be worth it later when you find yourslef at that large door tat you need to learn to open, and if it takes lock-picking skills, you aren't going to have to complete the other three tasks that were just before that just so you can spend the next six hours trying to complete that new puzzle, right?

4) If you notice that you are getting tired from all of the cerebral brainwork, take a short break or just shut the thing down altogether. Burnout is a common occurrance when playing thse games, and after many hours of gameplay, you can feel like you have just been put through the wringer. Watch a light movie or read a book or any other kind of activity that you find relaxing. Talk with others who may be playing the same game what you have just learned on forum boards or message boards, as if they have not gotten that far, you can be a great resource to them when they find that they are stuck in a spot that you have just completed.

5) Remember that just because the enviornments are non-linear, the game very well may not be. In most adventure games, there are locations that you can visit at the spur of the moment while others may require you to get something, such as a key, or manipulate something somewhere else. Always examine every area for everything before you move on. There's a chance you may have missed an inventory item or maybe forgot to flip a switch somewhere or turn a wheel on a machine or examined a book or painting. Always make sure that you look at everything!

6) In inventory puzzles, examine everything that you have. If you find that what you need will not serve the purpose, go back to a previous screeen and look around if you can. In some games, you may have to pixel-hunt to find that item as it may be very small. I ran into this while playing the 'Syberia' series of games as well as games such as 'Still Life' and 'Post Mortem', where I missed one small item that may have been crucial to my quest. This is why I explained how saving is very important in a previous tip, as you may have to go back to the last save point in order to retrieve the item that you need.

7) Always remember to exhasut your conversations if there are any. Some NPC's (*Non Playable Characters) within a game may have vital information that you will need in order to understand where you will need to go or what you are doing. You also may have to run back and forth between areas to speak to different NPC's in order to advance the story or maybe even receive a vital item that you may need later in the game. Some NPC's also carry inventory items or may know where you are going next, and that information you will definitely need in order to complete the game.

8) Obviously, complete all of your quests and do them in order. Just because you have completed one quest does not mean that it was the right one. If you complete your quests out of order, an item or something else could be easily missed, and that makes for more work for the player.

Adventure games are very much like role-playing games, as you have to complete quests in order to finish the game. While most adventure games do not give you weapons or more powerful armors and such while you play, in adventure gaming the only armor that you have is your wits and your intellect to get you through. So, as you continue to explore this new genre in gaming, I hope that these tips will benefit you as you play. If you find yourself getting that walkthrough, do not be ashamed, as there are many times that I have had to do this with myself. This guide is simply to help those who would like to try to complete these games without any additional added assistance.

Good luck and good hunting!