It’s almost Spooky Season, and what better kind of game to curl up with than a cosy little point-and-click that’ll have you yearning for the ’80s and also lets you solve a murder? Epic Llama’s Unusual Findings aims to do both of those things with its retro pixel style and immaculate ’80s vibes. Headbands, spandex, and acid-washed jeans will feature.
Game designer at Epic Llama, Hernan Lopez, hits the nail on the head as to why we love this decade so much — the ’80s and early ’90s “sparked our curiosity, sharpened our minds, and set the stage for the people we would become”. And it’s this sentiment that makes Unusual Findings a love letter to the glory days of the arcades, movies, and music.
We’re not going to share our embarrassing ’80s stories here, but what we are doing is sharing details from the press release, which go into details about the game’s themes and mood. Make sure you make a note of all of those references, both below and in the trailer!
It’s Christmas time in a small rural town, but thick-as-thieves friends Vinny, Nick, and Tony aren’t thinking about presents. With a cable descrambler in-hand, the boys are just an antenna-twist away from decrypting channels. But instead of age-restricted content, they find a disturbing distress signal from a spaceship crash-landing in the forest outskirts.
Out in the backwoods, things turn gnarly when a colossal alien emerges. Faced with a threat to their families, friends, and very existence, the boys embark on a timeless coming-of-age investigation in the age of VHS rentals, sci-fi worship, and new wave.
Busting at the seams with heart-warming references, clever easter eggs, and even licensed music like “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” by Dead or Alive, Unusual Findings boasts immaculate ‘80s vibes while pushing the point-and-click genre forward and staying true to its roots
This adventure may be rendered in nostalgic 16-bit art, but leave pixel-hunting in the past with a handy assist mode highlighting all clickable points of interest. Make significant, game-changing choices in a suspenseful tale with full voice acting drawing inspiration from classic films of the era like The Goonies and The Lost Boys. Write your own script en route to dozens of possible endings and outcomes.
Many decisions and dialogue choices directly affect the relationships and story—some puzzles and areas won’t even be seen in every playthrough! Challenge kids at the Laser Llamas Arcade, learn new tricks at the Emerald Sword comic shop, and look for clues at the Video Buster rental store. Rock along to a groovy soundtrack, mash together inventory items for puzzle solutions, and worry not where the journey will lead—just soak up the sights and gameplay of the decade along the way.
If you love your point-and-clicks and are always nostalgic for the Decade of Greed, then Unusual Findings (which, now we think about it, is absolutely a pun on Stranger Things) is something to look out for on the eShop next month.
Will you be downloading Unusual Findings on 12th October? Say hello to us (not our “little friend”) in the comments!