YouTube might be one of the last places you expect to see an interactive adventure game, but some very clever and creative people have made it possible by exploiting YouTube’s annotations feature. The annotations are pop-ups that provide the viewer with a choice (for example, “Run” or “Hide”) and contain links to other videos that carry out the desired action. With some carefully-planned logic and editing, annotations makes it possible to create adventure-style games for YouTube that hark back to interactive FMVs and Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books. Cool, huh?
There’s not many out there, but here’s a humble collection of the YouTube adventure games I know of:
The Time Machine
This game is a production of filmmakers Chad, Matt & Rob, a comedy troupe from L.A. who have several film projects in the works. The Time Machine is credited as being an interactive adventure that is the “first of its type” on YouTube. If you enjoy The Time Machine, be sure to also check out their other interactive adventures on YouTube: The Birthday Party, The Murder, and also the trailer for The Treasure Hunt, which is coming soon.
Editing the Dead
An interactive adventure based on George Romero’s original 1968 film Night of the Living Dead that uses actual movie clips (the movie in in public domain, in case you are wondering how this game avoids copyright infringement). Can you survive the zombie apocalypse?
Deliver Me to Hell
OBJECTIVE: Help Steve get across the city to deliver his pizza without being KILLED by the zombies.
This one’s actually a glorified advertisement for New Zealand pizza chain Hell Pizza, but its so well done and entertaining that you’ll forgive the self-promotion. (You might also find yourself wishing for a Hell Pizza near you.)
Do you know of any other YouTube adventure games? Please share in the comments and I’ll add them to this list.
