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+--- Thread: "Guilty Pleasure" games (/showthread.php?tid=617)
RE: "Guilty Pleasure" games - Whooly Shambler - 03-08-2026
(03-07-2026, 10:45 PM)kamineko Wrote: This thread makes me remember Legacy: Dark Shadows.
Somehow I feel bad for Barnabus that this exists.
(03-06-2026, 08:25 PM)Jen Wrote: Nor should you feel guilty about liking such a stinker
Well that's debatable.
RE: "Guilty Pleasure" games - Geisterfaust - 03-09-2026
Took me a while to think of any real guilty pleasures when it comes to adventure games. It feels as if games in general is a medium where it's harder to find that kind of sweet spot between enjoyment and "objective" badness, at least for me.
However, I remember thinking "Wow, this really is pretty stupid and not all that great - but I weirdly like it anyway" when playing Still Life 2. Just something about that absurd serial killer plot and the surprisingly eerie atmosphere while trapped in and exploring the house just had... *something*! I don't think I would ever recommend it to anyone except the most hardcore adventure game fan, but I did enjoy it.
RE: "Guilty Pleasure" games - EirikMyhr - 03-11-2026
I always had a soft spot for Lost Eden. It’s one of these pre-rendered FMV adventures built around a «visual storytelling first, gameplay second» philosophy, but it was so atmospheric, had wonderful graphics (at least back then) and a wonderful soundtrack. Probably not so much a guilty pleasure as some of those other Cryo titles, like Dragon Lore, which looks kind of ridiculous, and I never played it, but something about it makes me want to.
What about the Les Manley series? I seem to recall a game called «Lost in L.A.». I think it was kind of sexist, and has probably not aged well (at all). I only vaguely remember that it seemed kind of stupid and wannabe funny. If it has any playable value at all, it would certainly be as a guilty pleasure.
Is Blue Force a guilty pleasure? I always liked the way it looked, but never completed it either.
«Indiana Jones and His Desktop Adventures» and «Yoda Stories» were probably pretty bad, but since they had the LucasArts logo on them, I bought them and played them, probably more than most people. They were not true adventure games, though...
RE: "Guilty Pleasure" games - diego - 03-11-2026
Al Emmo was notorious for the awful main character's voice (before it was remastered), but I still enjoyed the game a lot. I still think it’s one of the best AGs in terms of the freedom and atmosphere it provides. It’s true they mimicked Sierra, but in some ways they even improved on it.
RE: "Guilty Pleasure" games - Baron Blubba - 03-11-2026
I should be working or spending time with friends and loved ones or out riding my bike or petting lost cats and homeless people. So they're all guilty pleasures. This website is a guilty pleasure.
RE: "Guilty Pleasure" games - Whooly Shambler - 03-11-2026
(03-11-2026, 11:32 AM)EirikMyhr Wrote: «Indiana Jones and His Desktop Adventures»
Oh I played the crap out of this, but it felt more like a move based RPG from memory.
Also, Blue Force was essentially unfiltered Jim Walls outside of Sierra and it was a thing. Les Manley was Leisure Suit Larry humor without Al Lowe in his "prime" (not implying anything mr Lowe if you find this).
RE: "Guilty Pleasure" games - kamineko - 03-12-2026
(03-08-2026, 12:35 PM)Whooly Shambler Wrote:(03-07-2026, 10:45 PM)kamineko Wrote: This thread makes me remember Legacy: Dark Shadows.
Somehow I feel bad for Barnabus that this exists.
Well, adding vampires to this game would have certainly improved the plot.
(03-09-2026, 09:29 AM)Geisterfaust Wrote: However, I remember thinking "Wow, this really is pretty stupid and not all that great - but I weirdly like it anyway" when playing Still Life 2. Just something about that absurd serial killer plot and the surprisingly eerie atmosphere while trapped in and exploring the house just had... *something*! I don't think I would ever recommend it to anyone except the most hardcore adventure game fan, but I did enjoy it.
I actually liked this one.
It's kind of hilarious how serial killers jump out on us like russian dolls.
Also it's impressive that the whole game setting is just one house which secrets are peeled layer by layer, all while dealing with the multiplying serial killers.
Yet another french made game that has good ideas in it by suffers from numerous shortcomings.
(03-11-2026, 11:32 AM)EirikMyhr Wrote: I always had a soft spot for Lost Eden. It’s one of these pre-rendered FMV adventures built around a «visual storytelling first, gameplay second» philosophy, but it was so atmospheric, had wonderful graphics (at least back then) and a wonderful soundtrack. Probably not so much a guilty pleasure as some of those other Cryo titles, like Dragon Lore, which looks kind of ridiculous, and I never played it, but something about it makes me want to.
Lost Eden is definitely not a guilty pleasure. It is a short and simple but very likable game. No guilt here.
RE: "Guilty Pleasure" games - BobVP - 03-12-2026
I've been thinking about this, but I honestly can't think of any game what would apply. Coming from a person who feels and reflects on a guilt quite a lot.
I think the term itself is a slight misnomer: guilty pleasures seem to be more about shame than guilt. People take pride in having good taste and are generally shamed for liking things that are considered bad.
A genuine "guilty" pleasure would be probably be a game that uses AI for (parts of) its creative design; that appears to be a big moral bonfire at this point in time. I avoid those games, though I'm not part of the online outrage crowd. I avoid those as well.
I can think of a lot of games that I appreciate, but were panned by others, often for design decisions that go against player convenience. Maybe that's a good concept for a different thread.
(03-11-2026, 08:36 PM)Baron Blubba Wrote: I should be working or spending time with friends and loved ones or out riding my bike or petting lost cats and homeless people. So they're all guilty pleasures. This website is a guilty pleasure.
This idea of guilt boiling down to irresponsibility is interesting to me. It seems.. functional? I do think the two are closely related (guilt meaning you feel responsible for actions or attitudes that negatively affect others) and I often feel it when I realize I've been neglectful or made a mistake. It does seem different from the type of guilt I carry in my heart. It's fascinating to me how others consider and experience these things. I can think of many reasons why guilt expresses itself differently, from upbringing to personality type.
..once again I find myself getting way too serious about something that's probably meant to be lighthearted! (a slight pang of guilt) But hey, I guess that's me. Kind of a take it or leave it situation - there might be a few people that get something out of it. Can't tell if any of them are on these boards, but I'm here to "be myself" to the extent that's in the cards for me.
..so, feel free to ignore all of this and carry on, my fellow forum dwellers!
RE: "Guilty Pleasure" games - Karlok - 03-12-2026
(03-11-2026, 02:03 PM)diego Wrote: Al Emmo was notorious for the awful main character's voice (before it was remastered), but I still enjoyed the game a lot. I still think it’s one of the best AGs in terms of the freedom and atmosphere it provides. It’s true they mimicked Sierra, but in some ways they even improved on it.
I had no problems with Al Emmo's original voice. It matched his character IMO.