Point-and-click: Four unique graphic adventures that caught our interest at DevGAMM

The other day at the DevGAMM in Lisbon we gathered exclusive insight from developers and executives of the video game industry, discussing topics such as accessibility, mentoring, perseveration, films vs movies, scriptwriting, industry crisis, and more.

But among our fourteen Gamereactor interviews there are four videos coincidentally dedicated to adventure games, so we decided to put them together in this "adventure highlights" piece. They come from very different countries to tell quite unique stories from much disparate contexts, so feel free to go beyond the description and play the full video with local subtitles to get a better idea of these captivating interactive narratives.

The Night is Grey, from Portugal

The Night is Grey is a narrative-driven point-and-click adventure game developed by a Lisbon-based team called Whalestork Interactive, with backgrounds in marketing and cinema. Blending 2D and 3D art with digital painting and parallax effects, the game creates a cinematic, dark, and eerie atmosphere. The story follows Graham, a man who emerges from a forest and discovers a house inhabited by a defensive little girl, unravelling a mysterious and compelling plot. Released on Steam for PC and Mac, it's suited for fans of thrillers, horror, and mystery, offering an experience that emphasizes storytelling.

The Berlin Apartment, from Germany

The Berlin Apartment is a first-person narrative exploration game by BTF Games that unfolds entirely within a single, historic apartment in Berlin. Players navigate through different episodes across the apartment's 100-year existence, stepping into the lives of various characters whose personal stories reflect significant moments in Germany's and Berlin's history. Each episode features unique gameplay mechanics -such as scavenger hunts to pack belongings as a Jewish movie theatre owner, or transforming the apartment into a space station while writing a sci-fi novel- offering ever-changing experiences. The game delves into themes of memory, history, and personal connection, providing a unique lens on the past through immersive storytelling. Scheduled for release in the last quarter of 2025, it invites players to explore the echoes of lives once lived within the same walls.

Your House, from Spain

Your House is a narrative-driven thriller by Patrones y Escondites that blends elements of visual novels, graphic adventures, and escape books. Set in the 1990s with a noir comic aesthetic, you play as an 18-year-old woman who, after receiving a mysterious letter, flees her boarding school to explore a house filled with secrets that could change her life forever. The game involves interacting with text, images, and videos to solve puzzles and progress the story, focusing on the theme of the cost of chasing one's dreams. Scheduled for release in March 2025 on Steam and mobile platforms, a demo is currently available for those interested in this unique storytelling experience.

Book Smugglers, from Lithuania

Book Smugglers is a narrative-driven game by Fluxo Games that immerses players in 19th-century Lithuania during the Russian Tsar Empire's ban on the Lithuanian language. You play as a book smuggler committed to preserving your culture by secretly distributing Lithuanian literature to schools, priests, and villages. The game features resource management, survival elements, and mini-games like language decoding, with choices that significantly impact the storyline. Set for release on PC and Nintendo Switch, it offers an insightful look into a pivotal historical struggle for cultural identity