Tourist Trap (XBLIG): "Point & Click Adventure Madness"

From the creator that brought you 'The Mind's Eye of Jupiter' (Travis Rogers/Domain of the Infinite) comes a new twisted tale of an intergalactic museum haunted by a Jackalope. This point and click adventure takes you into a literal tourist trap called the 'Tower of Mystery'. Once you step inside, and accept your ticket you are unwillingly caught in the middle of a giant puzzle. In order to get out you'll have to combine, and use items from the museum. It's up to you to escape the Jackalope's wrath.


The controls in the game are simple enough. The 'A' button plays a part in a lot of the point, and click interactions in the game. The 'X' button is used for assigning items via the menu screen, and the menu screen is brought up by using the 'Y' button. The 'Back' button will come in handy if you find yourself stuck since it is used for in-game tips. I only used it once to find out how to get the first ticket. I think that's a mandatory thing though? For movement you will use the 'Left Thumbstick', and the 'Right Thumbstick' to move the camera. It's your basic 1st person point of view.

There are a small variety of items that you will find in the 'Tower of Mystery'. They must be used to solve the puzzles that are necessary for your escape. Among the items you will find things like the cauldron used by the Salem witches, a meteor, and even a cellphone. I found that not all of the items are needed to complete the game. I assume that some of them are there to throw you off. The puzzles themselves mainly consist of combining found items with objects found in the museum. A certain quiz is also required to end the game. There is a point in the game where time is of the essence, and failure means death (I assume so ... I didn't actually die at that part). I spent about an hour figuring the whole thing out.

The graphics, and visual presentation of 'Tourist Trap' are stunning. It is a 3D adventure game, and the developer did an excellent job adding  his own artistic touch. While the game is small in content it still delivers a nice atmosphere. It features old phonograph style music playing from the museum's wall. This adds to the games unique quality. The artwork/pictures that hang upon the museum's walls reflect the personality of the developer as well as add a nice touch to the vacant building. The details that make up this game also breath life into it.

I enjoyed the game for the most part. The puzzles were a bit odd, but supplied a good challenge. The historical artifacts, and info on each object in the museum added background to the not so evident story you find yourself in. It's a method of storytelling I haven't seen since games like 'Myst' for the PC. The Jackalope's tale of bitter revenge definitely adds to the game's unique history. I only wish that the game was much bigger, and that there were more things to explore. In all honesty the game seemed a bit too short to me, and the almost empty 'Tower of Mystery' seemed a little lacking. For an 80 msp ($1) game I think you are getting your moneys worth, but it would be nice to see the developer make an XBLA title based on this.