Anyone who has known me for any length of time has probably heard me proselytize about Kentucky Route Zero, an episodic point-and-click "adventure," put out by Cardboard Computer.
It's a game in five acts. Although only four acts have been released so far, even if act V never comes, I'll continue to hold it up as a stunning example of how much innovation can occur with even the simplest mechanics and most familiar stories.
When I was five or so, my next-door neighbors got an Arthur point-and-click game for their PC. I remember being amazed that when you clicked on something on the screen, SOMETHING WOULD MOVE IN THE GAME. Click on a water fountain? It would squirt a stream of water at Mr. Ratburn. Home computers were still a new luxury item, and I would go over almost every day to play on it. I'm pretty sure I was asked to not come over as often, not because I was doing anything wrong, but because I was there all. the. time, and they needed to sometimes not have a computer-obsessed five year old up in their space.
Follow along at home: