The Jester and the Madman

The Jester and the Madman is a Point and Click adventure game that feels like it was plucked straight out of the 1990s. For better and for worse. There are no quality of life improvements or anything of the nature that feels modern. For those looking for a complete retro experience, you will probably enjoy this game. The story involves Lovecraftian Eldrich cult horror, but most of the game you are just exploring and solving puzzles in locations such as a hospital, a mansion, a farm, a few side streets and an underground cavern. There are 2 endings to the game, a bad ending if you play the game normally, and a secret good ending for solving a few extra puzzles. (Save often in different files) The game took approximately 2.5 hours to complete. + The voice acting in this game is excellent. + The sound effects and music in the game are retro and really fun to listen to. + There is a point system in the game that is great for replayability if you're a die hard adventure fan. + Several puzzles are very clever. The puzzles are very diverse in design. + The game is priced well at $5.00. + Some unexpected twists and turns in the story. + Well made retro stylized cutscenes. - The game is very slow and retro, modern gamers might be bored at times. - A few of the puzzles in the game are extremely obtuse and difficult to solve. Pure 1990's tradition. (There is a helpful guide in the Steam Guide section if you're stuck) An excellent ode to 1990's adventure gaming, but be prepared for the same flaws that most of those games had back in the day. Overall: 7.5/10

Just wanted to leave a review to say it's working just fine on Steam Deck from what I can tell. So far, I enjoy the graphics and atmosphere. The voice acting mostly is not the greatest. Puzzles seem ok so far, but haven'T played far enough to really tell.

I enjoyed this Lovecraft-inspired game and its retro vibe. It reminded me of old FMV games like the Journeyman Project. I had fun trying to progress and solve the puzzles. I even had to look online to find the solution to one of them! But I found the ending a bit rushed. I wish there had been more explanations to clarify the events at the end.

Don't let the thumbs up mislead you: “The Jester and the Madman” has its flaws but my reasons for recommending this game are a bit deeper than just “I enjoyed playing it”. So bear with me and read the full review before deciding whether you should try this game or not. When we start the game, we get a warning about “J&M” being [b]the second episode of Rick Moreton’s adventures[/b]. Despite a short recap in the beginning of the game, I decided to finish the first episode, titled [url=store.steampowered.com/app/756100/Curse_of_the_Old_Gods]“Curse of the Old Gods”[/url] (Steam, 2017)… And that’s the main reason for the thumbs up. “J&M” is [b]better in every aspect[/b]: better UI, better graphics, better puzzles, etc. This shows that the developer is improving his skills, and I really want him to continue his journey until he delivers us a (not-so-hidden) gem. Now, let’s get to the game itself. The core mechanic is [b]point-and-click[/b] so if you’re a fan of this genre – no reason not to try the game. There’s no pixel-hunting (huge plus): more than that, you can use UI (or RMB) to show you every interactable point of each scene. But don’t worry, some of these objects are just for the lore and atmosphere so you won’t be left in the situation where you don't have to use your brain. Speaking of brains, let's move on to the [b]puzzles and mini-games[/b]. I really liked them. They’re diverse in both form and intelligence needed to solve them but none are beyond your capacities if you follow the story. I was stuck a couple of times but managed to get through, so you can do that as well. But if you’re desperate, the developer wrote a guide that can carry you through (not to the good ending but, at least, to the end of the game), you can access it from the game. Honestly, not a fan of that decision as it prevents main puzzles being discussed by the players and, thus, reduces the number of times it’s mentioned online, but I can understand that: at least no one will be frustrated by being stuck and drop the game because of that. There was only one mini-game I disliked. And one mini-game is fine but failing it can be confusing. I’ll talk about them in comments. In-game [b]story[/b] is nice. It doesn’t add anything revolutionary but it delivers on its promises and doesn’t have loose ends. There are two characters ([spoiler]farm-lady and gas seller[/spoiler]) who are pretty random and are there just to deliver unexpected results but again, ok, minor issues. We have two playable characters now, I liked that addition, but Rick is, of course, in the main one. And, as said in the description, it’s connected to the Lovecraft world – again, if you’re a fan, you’ll be glad to stumble upon some references. [b]Music[/b]. It’s there, it doesn’t sound off, it follows the story. Though nothing will likely be included in your playlist. But I didn’t want to turn it off even when I was stuck in some areas so it fulfills its purpose. Again, there was one mini-game where I’d prefer to have one additional sound. Finally, to the part, that some may find controversial: using [b]AI in voice-over and images[/b]. Let me keep it short: I understand their usage when we’re talking about a solo-dev (with some help with the music). There’re tons of overpriced asset-flip games on Steam and I have no idea how someone can rate them higher. Of course, AI generation brings all its flaws with it: voice lines are different in tone within one character, there’s not much emotion in them, images of characters are slightly different when used in different scenes. But if you hate AI voices, you can mute dialogues and just read the text. As for images – they don’t feel too off. Anyway, the game is about story and puzzles and not about taking screenshots to be hung in the Louvre. Graphics overall is up to your liking, I’ll just repeat that it’s much better than in the first episode (and still has a room for improvement). I’ll end with [b]price/quality ration[/b]. For me, it’s excellent. For $5 you get about 4 hours of gameplay. It took me about 4.5h to beat the game, and if you’re smarter than me, you may finish it in 3.5h. Plus I don’t think you’ll be able to get a perfect score in one go so it has replay value for those who are eager to have 100% of achievements. Regional prices are also available. Well done, keep going.

After foiling the mad Professor Clayton's occult experiment in the Congo mesas, Rick Moreton, a former FBI agent, returns to New York from his previous adventure, but is kidnapped and thrown into a cold cell in the basement of the eerie Kingdom Hospital. There, he meets Holly Bardot, a nurse who accidentally frees him from his cell. Unaware that she has also freed Agent Rick's worst nightmares, she finds herself embroiled in a mysterious story. Together, they must investigate to understand who is behind a secret cult involving the FBI and Homeland Security, hidden machinations lurking in modern America. But they must act quickly, or it will be too late! A beautiful classic 90s-style point-and-click adventure inspired by Lovecraft, with dark, suspenseful settings. There's no combat, just investigations and logical puzzles. The graphics are based on photos and real actors, placed in a mix of slideshow backgrounds with low-resolution pixelated sprites. This enhances the story: we have to talk to suspicious characters, collect, use, and combine objects, and solve puzzles. There's no shortage of dangers; think carefully about what you do, because you might die, but don't worry! There's a Reset system that allows you to go back to the moment before the unexpected and make the right choice. The soundtrack complements the enigmatic settings very well. Overall, it's an interesting adventure suitable for those who love a simple, retro style, a blast from the past that's enjoyable to play. [quote]For more puzzle game reviews, news and everything puzzle-related, follow [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/25928931-Puzzle-Lovers/]Puzzle Lovers[/url] and check out our [url=http://steamcommunity.com/groups/puzzlelovers]Steam group[/url].[/quote]

+ Competent technical execution, much better than the first free game. + Successful nostalgia conjuration. I don't care about the use of AI - the game looks and feels old school - Overly formulaic, cliche-fest. None of the Lovecraft storytelling magic, probably due to lack of poetic approach and not very creative use of language - Abysmal puzzles with absurd solution, illogical and gamey - Paper-thin characters without personality or charm - Endless inventory puzzles, sometimes quite absurd. Overall, I did not enjoy playing the game very much. I had to use the walkthrough due to the absurd nature of the puzzles, and the conclusion was very deus-ex-machina style and unsatisfactory. While I can appreciate the effort put into making the game, it did not leave any lasting impressions.

Good point-and-click adventure, with a retro look. The puzzles are pretty logical, but getting the good ending is a bit hard, so make sure to have a save in the Abandoned Mansion chapter. The game has a few death sequences, which are fun to find, and you don't lose any progress by seeing them. I suggest playing the previous game (Curse of the Old Gods), as it is free on Steam. I hope to see more adventures with both characters!

This game is great! A really cool throwback to classic 90s adventures. The retro art is really cool. And there are a bunch of subtle homages to the classic adventure games of the era. Not long, but it didn't have to be. Great vibes. Not overly difficult, but I did get caught up a few times and had to resort to the walkthrough. I still need to figure out the good ending!

(Beta tester for game) The Jester and the Madman is the sequel to the free game Curse Of The Old Gods, and continues the story almost straight after. The gameplay uses the same format, with first person perspective, this time with colour and improved graphics. You control two different characters this time. There's a good and bad ending, same as before, haven't found the good one yet at time of review.

Amazing game, love the graphics, intricate puzzles, my brain is very teased!