You have come to a junction, the path in front of you now forks left and right. To the left you see a solid oak tree on the horizon, and to the left leads down to a stream. In the distance you hear the cries of goblins. Which way do you go? L or R?

Believe it or not that’s an example of what passed as an adventure game, back in the day, completely text based, relying on simple inputs to progress. Considering its limiting nature, it still managed to create a sense of atmosphere and being on a quest.

We eventually moved on to point and click adventures, before being wowed by the likes of what we can play now.

This then is a throwback to those point and click games, featuring two games that were first released in the noughties for the Nintendo DS handheld and Wii.

The story begins with you playing 13-year-old Ashley, who arrives by boat to Blood Edward island, where she believes her father to be. She quickly comes in contact with a ghost, that of a 10-year-old boy by the name of D, as the pair enter Edward mansion to uncover its many secrets.

Two years later, Ashley, now sixteen, gets a call from her father who wants her to go on a camping trip with him to Lake Juliet. Somehow it triggers flashbacks about her mother, who was at the lake some years previously. At the same time she meets a boy there, in the flesh this time, who has lost his father, who Ashley also decides to help.

This then is a nice little package featuring both games Another Code: Two Memories and its sequel Another Code: R – A Journey into Lost Memories, that have not only been updated visually, but have even had some tweaks to the story.

Because of their age, and the platforms they were initially developed for, they could almost be considered entry level titles into the world of adventure puzzle games. So if you’re looking for any form of combat, you won’t find it here.

This means there’s no sense of tension, as you walk around at your own pace, solving the puzzles in a calm and orderly fashion. They start off simple enough, and not exactly taxing, but the difficulty does increase, although not exactly ramped up. At one point we were faced with a puzzle where having a notepad and pen by our side was useful, with a fair bit to remember; it’s fair to say however that it was pretty satisfying when all the pieces fell into place.

The story is also quite appealing, dealing with issues around family and such, but also about the ability to manipulate memories, which is quite dark material.

Even though there have been tweaks to the game, everything about it is on the rudimental side; the graphics are basic, as is the controlling of your character, and interaction with the puzzles. There’s a lot of pressing A to continue dialogue, so thankfully there is an ability to make it automatic, which in a sense turns it into an interactive graphic novel.

If you’re the type of gamer who can buckle at the stress levels playing some of these modern titles can lead to, this is akin to the many farming sims out there, in that it’s a relaxing experience overall, where the only activity necessary is from your brain, in a little light puzzle solving, as a curious and intriguing tale unfolds before you.

For a slower paced adventure, Another Code: Recollection provides a satisfyingly tranquil gaming experience, that exercises the old grey matter just enough to give you a sense of accomplishment. It’s a sense of adventure that can be obtained without sweaty palms, whilst wearing your slippers, which makes this definitely worth thinking about.