'A House In California' Is a Nostalgic Flash Treat for Adventure Game Fans

by Ben Deitz on November 15, 2010 at 05:50 PM

Having grown up on classics like 'Day of the Tentacle' and the 'King's Quest' series, fogies like us are lifelong fans of adventure games. The genre possesses more than just retro appeal, however. In fact, we've now entered a kind of indie renaissance. This week we'll share our favorite free-to-play picks for those in the mood to do a little pondering and puzzle-solving; take a refreshingly nostalgic break from all that furious button-mashing.

Part nostalgia for childhood and part old-school PC adventure game, 'A House In California' is a remarkable gaming experience. Thankfully, it never crosses the line into excessive self-importance (as the similarly artistic but overwrought 'Braid' did), and it succeeds in painting a deeply personal atmosphere with only a few pixels and some bare sound effects. The game uses the verb-based interaction method of LucasArts games (known as "SCUMM"), wherein a player selects a verb from the bottom of the screen, and then combines it with an object to produce a result. Differing from SCUMM and its staid "look," "push"and "pull" options, though, A House in California gives you more surrealistically contextual choices, such as "remember," "forget" and "play." You'll use these words to interact with a world both magical and mundane, playing as characters based on designer Jake Elliott's own family. Wondrous and melancholy, the game gives us a real sense of interacting with another person's cherished memories and family history. It is, without a doubt, one of the best gaming experiences we've had in a long time.

A House in California

Tags: a house in california, AHouseInCalifornia, FlashGames, gamesonthego, gaming, jake elliot, JakeElliot, TimeWaster, top, videogames

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'A House In California' Is a Nostalgic Flash Treat for Adventure Game Fans