Point and click adventures are all about the narrative. Instead of being focused on hair-trigger reflexes and endless action, you get to drink in the story and figure out puzzles, usually at a leisurely pace (Full Throttle being a grand exception). Young and old have their choice in titles, from the classic Monkey Island to the contemporary Runaway and the made-for-kids-but-still-fun-for-me Putt Putt.

 

Fire is the story of Ungh, a caveman who has been cast out of his village for failing one simple task: keeping the fire going. What initially looks to be a simple search for new flames quickly turns into a quirky, bizzare and ultimately hilarious quest across land, space and, yes, time. Ungh will meet a series of colorful and strange characters as he attempts to find fire, be a productive caveman and make his way back into the tribe. Will he be successful? With a caveman like Ungh, it's hard to say.

 

 

One thing that made us interested in bringing Fire to Japan is the minimalistic amount of language. Ungh's journey (and your interactions) are based purely on a cause-and-effect trial and error. You can never tell what needs to happen from level to level, and only clicking around and using your Cro-Magnon noodle will get you from point a to point b. There's no need for a grand monologue or signposts that clearly spell out where to go next: prehistoric intuition is your guide. Oh, and also the space bar, which will highlight places you can click, should you be completely dumbfounded.

 

 

Everything about this game is delightful and nostalgic. I grew up playing the LucasArts titles (which I found after dabbling in some Humongous Entertainment), and the desire to click, poke and drag around is basically second nature. The score is perfectly suited to the staging of every level, transporting you into the world where only your cursor and your brain will discover the secrets. Ungh emotes and staggers around exactly how you'd picture a daffy, lovable caveman to move. And, for the completionist, each stage is hiding three gold coins that can only be obtained by thinking outside the proverbial box and clicking with total disregard for personal safety.

 

 

Fire alone is a great game at a great price, but it also comes jam-packed with extra goodies! First of all, the soundtrack that I mentioned earlier is available for separate download, so you can immerse yourself in Ungh's world anytime you'd like. It's DRM-free, so copy it to whatever device you have handy or just jam out on your computer. Additionally, the original prototype of Fire is included with your purchase. It's a fascinating look into what Fire appeared as in the beginning, and it really helps you to appreciate how cute and polished the release version of Fire is. Ungh is, as you can see, a very different caveman in appearance. It's Windows only (sorry OSX and Linux people!), but it's a great little jaunt down the path of Fire's creation, and really goes to show what a game can become.

 

 

Fire is available this Friday, November 13th, and we're doing a week long discount of 10% off. DRM-free builds are available for all three major OS', as well as downloads for the soundtrack and prototype. Fire will also come with a Steam key which ALSO activates the soundtrack and protoype (check your Steam local files)! If you are at all a fan of adventure, puzzles and/or whimsy, I encourage you to pick up Fire today!