Eight Promising Point-And-Clicks Still To Come In 2023

As we enter the second half of 2023, plenty of mouth-watering games are still set to launch, all vying for your money and attention. But how do you know which ones to invest in? Especially if you’re like me and love point-and-click adventures, of which there are heaps of upcoming unique and creative titles to choose from. I’ve hand-picked eight games set to release in the remaining months of 2023, these look the goods and are worth keeping an eye on.

Rosewater

Developer: Grundislav Games | Publisher: Application Systems Heidelberg
Platform: PC | Release: 2023 | Wishlist

Grundislav Games’ Rosewater is a Western adventure set in the alternate 19th-century world of Lamplight City, the developer’s previous game. You play as Harley Leger, a freelance writer who ends up in the titular town of Rosewater alongside her ragtag crew. Here, she takes up a simple assignment for the local newspaper that leads to her crew searching for a man’s missing fortune. Leger will encounter a varied cast of characters on her journey, and the game promises that your choices do matter, with situations and relationships affected by the decisions you make. A demo is available for those who want to try it out before it launches later this year.

Midnight Girl

Developer: Italic | Publisher: Italic
Platform: PC | Release: 2023 | Wishlist

Midnight Girl from Italic has been on my radar for a while. It’s set in Paris in 1965 and follows teen tomboy Monique, a cat burglar who is jailed after a failed heist. In prison, she forms a bond with another inmate and thief, and together they escape with plans to steal a precious diamond, taking them on a wild journey. It’s inspired by heist films of the sixties, Belgian comic books, and the city of Paris. It’s got a lot going for it and I can’t wait to play it when it does release.

Vlad Circus: Descend into Madness

Developer: Indiesruption | Publisher: Blowfish Studios
Platform: PC | Release: 2023 | Wishlist

Blowfish Studios and Indiesruption have joined forces to make Vlad Circus: Descend into Madness, a point-and-click psychological horror that tells the chilling story of a freak circus that burnt to the ground in 1921. Eight years later, the ringleader is attempting to get the crew back together, and playing as Oliver Mills, a clown whose memory has been affected by trauma, you’ll need to speak with old colleagues about life since the fire to remember the past, as well as watch out for figures lurking in the shadows

I went hands-on with the game at PAX Aus 2022 and had a great time. The combination of the audio design and atmospheric pixel art style really immerses you in the world. Keep an eye out for this one later in the year.

Murder on Space Station 52

Developer: Made From Strings | Publisher: Made From Strings
Platform: PC | Release: 2023 | Wishlist

With a uniquely engrossing hand-drawn art style that looks like the work of Amanita Design, Murder on Space Station 52 sees protagonist Edward Locke trapped on a space station full of strange creatures where he must catch a ruthless killer or risk becoming another victim. It’s got a cracking Blues soundtrack and players can earn in-game currency from exploration and completing tasks that they can spend on customising their apartment and buying creatures for their aquarium. Developer Made from Strings took the project to Kickstarter, where it hit its funding goal of $10,000, setting it up to launch sometime in 2023.

Loco Motive

Developer: Robust Games | Publisher: Chucklefish
Platform: Switch/PC | Release: 2023 | Wishlist

Inspired by old-school LucasArts games, Robust Games’ Loco Motive is a thrilling adventure set on a 1930s steam train where you play as the prime suspects of a murder. Your characters will include a lawyer, a crime novelist-turned-rookie detective, and a spy. Together, the trio must prove their innocence and find out who the killer is before it’s too late. With dashing pixel art, slapstick humour, and a soundtrack composed by Paul Zimmerman, Loco Motive is one to watch out for in 2023.

Foolish Mortals

Developer: Inklingwood Studios | Publisher: Inklingwood Studios
Platform: PC | Release: 2023 | Wishlist

Foolish Mortals hit Kickstarter last year and I had no qualms about pledging money to its development after reading that it’s inspired by Broken Sword and Monkey Island. It’s set in 1933 on the island of Devil’s Rock and follows the adventure of Murphy McCallan as he searches for the famous treasure of Bellemore Manor, where a wedding party mysteriously vanished decades earlier. However, McCallan’s search awakens the spirits of the manor, as well as an evil phantom determined to beat him to the treasure. But finding the treasure first won’t be enough, he’ll need to discover what happened to the wedding party all those years ago, and to do that – he might need to die too.

Verne: The Shape of Fantasy

Developer: Gametopia | Publisher: Assemble Entertainment
Platform: PC | Release: 2023 | Wishlist

Verne: The Shape of Fantasy is an adventure based on the life and works of famed sci-fi author Jules Verne. Set in 1888 in an alternate Earth called ‘Hemera’ where war against the ‘Nation’ threatens to destroy the world, players assume the role of Verne as he embarks on a journey to discover the lost city of Atlantis. According to legend, a mysterious artefact with the power to change the course of history and save Hemera lies buried there. But Verne and co. will have to confront a dark entity intent on wiping the power of imagination from the minds of Hemera’s citizens. Developed by Gametopia, the game features classic point-and-click gameplay, non-linear dialogue that allows for a varied experience, and a steampunk world brought to life with a detailed pixel art style. A demo is available now for those keen to dive in and check it out before release.

The Many Pieces of Mr. Coo

Developer: Gammera Nest | Publisher: Meridiem Games/Astrolabe Games
Platform: PS5/PS4/Switch/PC | Release: 07/09/23 | Wishlist

One of the wackier games on this list is The Many Pieces of Mr. Coo from Gammera Nest. Stuck in a nonsensical world, our protagonist, Mr. Coo, is trapped and cut into pieces and must make himself whole again. It has a beautifully hand-drawn 2D cartoon art style with stunning animations that instantly catch your eye and a story that is full of humour and quirky characters. A demo is available now if you want to try it before it releases on PlayStation consoles, Nintendo Switch and PC on September 7.

Well there you have it, eight point-and-click adventures that look super promising. Let us know in the comments if you’re excited for any of these titles or if you think we’ve made a glaring omission.