Spectacle

Spectacle is a first-person graphic adventure in pure Shadowgate style, in which players are trapped in a fantasy realm from which they have to escape by any means necessary. The catch? Your only means of survival is your own ingenuity, since your protagonist is otherwise defenseless against the many dangers you'll encounter in this fantasy world.

The gameplay of Spectacle will be familiar to anyone who has ever played the aforementioned Shadowgate or Elvira saga games, or even a lesser-known game called Personal Nightmare. At the bottom of the screen, you'll have a list with all the commands you can use, as well as a map for locating yourself quickly. On the other hand, on the right side of the interface, you'll have your inventory and spells, while on the left side, you can see whatever scene is laid out before your protagonist. To interact with any element in the scene, first choose which command you want to use (look, open, pick up...), then tap on the element in question.

The most original aspect of Spectacle is that time passes as you move through the different locations in the game, so the sun will set, and one day will change into another. Some of the puzzles in the game can only be solved at certain times of day, so sometimes, to solve a puzzle, you'll not only have to think about how to solve it but also when to solve it. Fortunately, some of the spells you can learn throughout your adventure will help you find the right solutions.

Another aspect of Spectacle to keep in mind is that it has a few different procedural elements. In short, this means that some of the puzzles in the game have random variables, so you won't be able to find the exact solutions in any guides. You can look up how to solve the puzzles, but not the exact solutions, since the solutions will vary from game to game.

Spectacle is an absolutely outstanding old school adventure game with beautiful visuals, a charming soundtrack, an interesting story, and some very original puzzles. This game will be a real treat for fans of a genre that, unfortunately, has not had much recent representation beyond the Shadowgate remake.