Play it on: Switch, Windows (Steam Deck: OK)
Buy it at: Humble Bundle
Current goal: Continue to chase a demon through New York City
Like many, I was a point-and-click adventure fan in the late ’80s and ’90s, as Lucasfilm/LucasArts produced a fairly steady stream of masterpieces in the genre. And while point-and-clicks no longer get the mass attention they once did, Wadjet Eye Games has been a pioneer of the genre for nearly 20 years, creating well-crafted new adventures that have earned the studio a loyal following of genre enthusiasts. I must confess, however, that I’ve barely made time for such games in the 21st century, despite counting many point-and-clicks among my favorite and most formative gaming experiences of all time. That may be about to change, as a friend gifted me Wadjet Eye’s fascinating 2018 game. Unacknowledgedand I play a little more of it every night.
Unacknowledged is a gripping story about a secret society of magicians and other mysterious agents active in modern-day New York City, working in secret to protect its citizens from demons and other threats from beyond the veil. You play as someone recently possessed by a demon who spent a year wreaking violent havoc across the city while occupying your body. Recently freed from his grasp by members of the Unavowed, you work with them to discover what he did while he had you under his spell, and what his plans are now that he has escaped.
As with so many of the best adventure games, I am fascinated Unacknowledged is its setting, its story, and its characters, all of which are superbly voiced. While the story is full of genies, fire mages, and demons, it also feels authentically New York, making excellent use of real neighborhoods and real landmarks, and its characters have rich histories that make it a pleasure to get to know them a little better each night when I curl up on my Steam Deck to play before bed. Point-and-click adventures may not be the mainstream blockbusters they once were, but the genre is still as capable as ever of captivating us with unforgettable writing, characters, and atmosphere. It’s good to be reminded of that. – Carolyn Petit
