Shadowgate

Remake of an early Macintosh first-person point-and-click adventure from 1987. Nice graphics that had a painting-like quality to them. Lots of screens to explore. Atmospheric with good music. Puzzles were pretty good with lots of possibilities. And if you play in classic mode at journeyman or master, there will be more and harder ones. Lots of red herring items at difficulties other than the default normal. You also encounter creatures but each one has to be dealt in a simple different way, like an adventure, not like a RPG. The interface was functional but was clumsy when it came to using an item from the inventory on something on the scene. You can easily switch between the new and somewhat retro graphics (think pixelated), and a talking skull provides hints. This is a remake done right.

Shadowgate is a carefully crafted modern revival of a landmark adventure game, developed and published by Zojoi, that sets out not merely to preserve a classic but to reinterpret it for a contemporary audience without stripping away its identity. Rooted in the legacy of the original 1987 title, this version feels less like a remake chasing nostalgia and more like a respectful continuation of an idea: a slow, methodical descent into a hostile fantasy stronghold where intellect, caution, and curiosity matter far more than reflexes. From the moment you step inside the ominous castle, the game establishes a tone of foreboding isolation, reminding the player that every action carries consequence and that survival is never guaranteed. You take on the role of a prophesied hero, the so-called Seed of Prophecy, tasked with infiltrating the cursed fortress of Shadowgate to stop the rise of the Warlock Lord. The narrative is intentionally restrained, delivered through environmental storytelling, cryptic clues, and the occasional piece of lore rather than through overt exposition. This minimalism works in the game’s favor, allowing the castle itself to become the primary storyteller. Each roo…

Great game. Fun trying to figure out all the puzzles. Fun point and click game.

Really great remake of a classic. In fact, Id say the original nes/appleII shadowgate is practically required reading for this game. I couldnt get anywhere in this until I went back and played the original. My one complaint though is that all the deaths feel similar. They missed an opportunity to include some really gruesome waxworks-esk death scenes rather than still relying on text. The cutscenes also dont jive thematically with the rest of the game.

This sucks. Not at all like the original.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢠⡞⠋⠉⠳⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⢠⠴⠒⠳⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⢀⡶⢶⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢠⠏⠀⠀⠀⠀⢹⡄⠀⠀⣰⠋⠀⠀⠀⠸⣆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⣀⡼⠀⠀⠛⠒⠒⡦⠀⠀⠀⠀⡟⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣷⠀⢰⡏⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣹⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⣏⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣼⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣹⠀⢸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠉⡶⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⡆⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢽⠀⢸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣽⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⢷⡤⠞⠉⠉⠉⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⡆⢸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣼⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠸⣆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠛⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⣸⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⡤⠆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠸⡁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢠⡞⠉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⢷⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣰⠏⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠽⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡟⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢻⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣧⣠⣄⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣳⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⣤⣾⠁⠈⣧⠀⠰⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢠⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀⡿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠐⡇⠀⠘⠁⠀⠘⠲⢤⡀⠀⠀⠀⢀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠉⠀⠀⠀⢠⠇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⢦⣄⠀⣠⠤⠤⠄⠙⡇⠀⠀⢨⠷⢶⡋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣴⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣧⠀⢷⣀⡴⠂⢠⣇⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⣀⣴⠟⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠳⠤⣤⣤⡴⠋⠀⠹⣽⣛⣛⣿⠋⠉⠉⢁⡴⢋⣳⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠳⣄⡀⠀⠀⠉⠁⠀⠀⠀⣠⡞⠓⠚⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠹⡍⠓⠦⢤⠤⠴⠶⣺⠟⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣀⡀⡰⢲⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠉⠓⠒⠛⠲⠶⠚⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⣏⠉⠁⠈⠲⣤ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡆⣀⡀⠀⡞⠁ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠁⠈⠙⠁⠀