Not to sound like an previous coot (although I’m) however there’s a minimum of one facet of gaming that was rather a lot more durable. If you bought caught on an journey recreation puzzle within the Nineteen Eighties, you could not simply ask the whole world for assist: the web hadn’t been invented but. You simply needed to bang your head in opposition to that puzzle till you figured it out—the closest factor to the web was the occasional pay-per-minute trace line or asking the developer for assist through mail. Not e-mail, old style mail.
If that wasn’t unhealthy sufficient, ’80s journey recreation puzzles have been notoriously illogical and also you’d need to twist your mind right into a pretzel to determine these darn issues out. Today, with puzzle options only a Google search away, it is tough to expertise that true desperation.
But this month there’s an opportunity to check your mettle in opposition to a dastardly ’80s journey recreation the best way God meant: no cheats, no Google searches, and completely no walkthroughs.
Developer Woe Industries has introduced the AGAT, or “Adventure Game Aptitude Test,” which is “a standardized examination designed to assess if anyone can still complete an ’80s adventure game without a walkthrough.”
I do know it appears like a cute experiment, and it’s—however it’s additionally not kidding round. “To ensure no walkthroughs or other outside sources are consulted during play, we will be utilizing college exam proctoring software, which will monitor your smartphone usage and browser activity.”
I used to be capable of get a complicated have a look at the AGAT this week, and I can verify: humorous as this sounds, it is legit. Woe Industries has constructed an internet site that certainly hosts an precise Nineteen Eighties journey recreation (I can’t say which one) and makes use of precise proctoring software program known as AutoProctor that (utilizing AI) watches your face by way of your webcam and displays your browser window to be sure you’re not wanting away from the quiz to search out solutions or utilizing one other browser tab to seek for a walkthrough.
Move your head too removed from the examination in your display, change to a special window or open a brand new browser tab, and even make suspicious noises (it listens by way of your mic as properly) and Woe Industries will likely be despatched a report in your “violations” throughout the quiz.
I’m certain a few of you continue to at school or college might have had to make use of proctoring software program already, however that is all new to me. I do not love an AI suspiciously peering at me and evaluating my trustworthiness whereas I’m taking part in a recreation, however it is a fairly enjoyable and ridiculously elaborate experiment Woe Industries has cooked up.
It’s not the primary, both. Woe Industries has developed some humorous and attention-grabbing browser video games over time, like FromSoft Word—it is like Microsoft Word however if you happen to make a typo, you die—and Myst FPS—it is Myst however you shoot plenty of stuff, too. For the AGAT, they’re actually going above and past.
Don’t consider me? The AGAT is just obtainable on February 28, 2026, between the hours of 1:00 and a pair of:00 pm EST. This is a standardized check, in spite of everything. Everyone has to take it on the similar time to forestall rampant dishonest!
If you select to take the examination and full it efficiently, you will get a pleasant little diploma, too. Isn’t that higher than some achievement? To discover out extra in regards to the AGAT, and be sure you get a reminder in time for examination day, this is the official site.
And if you would like an journey recreation warmup, this is slightly journey recreation quiz of our personal.