Android Adventure Games
and Room Escape Games

Doors&Rooms by Gameday Inc. (free) - If you're fairly new to room escape games, this is a good one to start with because it gives you a taste of the different categories of room escape games. In Chapter 1, the levels are very simplistic versions of the "Three-Wall or Four-Wall Room Escape Games" category (below). In Chapter 2, the levels are all in the "Single-Wall Room Escape Games" category (below). The levels in the remaining chapters become much more complex and challenging (and fun), with numerous items to find and use. Chapter 4 displays a warning message because you might want to skip this chapter if you don't like seeing "horror" type of images. In each room, slide your finger up/down/left/right to see more of the room. Tap the icon in the top left corner of the screen to see what's in your inventory (be patient, it takes a few moments to open up - the developers told me they're working on the performance issues). In the inventory screen, tap an item to highlight it. Then you can tap the "Use" button to return to the room and use the item, or tap the "Dismantle" button to try to dismantle the item into smaller pieces (most of the time this doesn't do anything), or tap the "Observe" button to zoom in and see the item up close (tap "Observe" again to zoom out). You can also tap two items in your inventory to highlight them, then tap the "Combine" button to combine them (most of the time this doesn't do anything). Tap the "home" icon at the top right side of the inventory screen to return to the Main Menu. This game doesn't save your progress (i.e. the items that you've collected in the current room), but I've emailed the developers to suggest adding this feature.

Escape Games Frog Prince by Llama Institute (free) - A cute adventure game for kids, although it's more challenging than it appears. Your inventory is displayed at the bottom of the screen (slide the icons left or right to see more of your inventory). Tap an item in your inventory, then tap the "magnifying glass" icon to zoom in on the item, then tap the item to see if anything happens. While you're zoomed in on an item, tap another item in your inventory to combine the items.

Escape Game Panda w/ Cheese by Llama Institute (free) - A cute adventure game for kids, although it's more challenging than it appears. Your inventory is displayed at the bottom of the screen (slide the icons left or right to see more of your inventory). Tap an item in your inventory, then tap the "magnifying glass" icon to zoom in on the item, then tap the item to see if anything happens. While you're zoomed in on an item, tap another item in your inventory to combine the items.

Mysterious Village by Mobile Game Project (free) - A retro adventure game (green lines on a black background). Your status is displayed at the top of the screen. Below the green picture, tap the "Look" button to activate it, then tap all around the green picture and see what's displayed in the status area at the top. Tap the "Get" button to activate it, then tap all around the green picture to see if there are any items to pick up (the items will be displayed in the boxes labeled A, B, C, and D). Similarly, tap the "Push," "Open," and "Move" buttons to activate them, then tap all around the green picture to see if anything happens. Tap an item in your inventory to activate it, then tap all around the green picture to see where the item can be used. The three arrow icons at the bottom are for moving around. The first icon will turn you counter-clockwise, and the second icon will move you forward, and the third icon will turn you clockwise.

ScummVM SDL by Android Games Development (free) - This is an emulator which allows you to play dozens of classic point-and-click adventure games (Beneath A Steel Sky, Flight of the Amazon Queen, Humongous Entertainment adventure games, King's Quest, Space Quest, etc.) on Android. This is not the ScummVM app which is available in the Google Play apps store, because that app is not as good as this one (in September 2013). To install and setup ScummVM SDL on your Android device, follow these steps:

• Download the latest ScummVM SDL .apk file to your PC. This is essentially the installer file for ScummVM SDL, because it's not available in the Google Play apps store.
• To install ScummVM SDL, connect your Android device to your PC (using the charging cable or a wireless app such as AirDroid). Make a new folder on your internal or external SD card, then copy the ScummVM SDL .apk file to the new folder on your Android device. Use a file explorer app such as ES File Explorer, and navigate to the folder where you copied the ScummVM SDL .apk file. In ES File Explorer (or a similar file explorer app), you should be able to tap the .apk filename in order to install it. If that doesn't work, try long-pressing the .apk filename and then tapping "Install." Whichever method you use, it will install ScummVM SDL on your device, and it will place an icon for ScummVM SDL into the apps drawer on your device.
• Search online to find the files for the games you want to play, then download them to your PC. Connect your Android device to your PC (using the charging cable or a wireless app such as AirDroid). Make a new folder on your internal or external SD card, then copy the game files to your Android device. For example, on my internal SD card I have a folder called ScummVM_Games, and in that folder I have a separate folder for each game such as SpaceQuest1, SpaceQuest2, and so on. You don't need to copy any game files that start with DOSBOX, GOG, INSTALL, README, SIERRA, SETUP, or files that end with .BAT, .COM, .DOC, .EXE, .ICO, .PDF, .RTF, or .WRI. All other game files should be copied, just to be safe, but you can also check the ScummVM Datafiles page to see what files are needed for a specific game (the Datafiles page is for a different version of ScummVM, but the game requirements should be the same).

• Run ScummVM SDL on your Android device. At the top of the screen, quickly tap the "Change Device Configuration" button in order to modify some settings. This usually only needs to be done once, so the next time you run ScummVM SDL you can ignore the "Change Device Configuration" button and wait for the main ScummVM SDL screen to come up.
• These are some things you can tweak in the "Device Configuration" window:

  • In the "Downloads" section, tap the checkbox next to "app data," which I think will download the necessary plugins. You can also download some free adventure games here. When you close the "Downloads" section then the data will be downloaded.
  • The "On-screen keyboard" section lets you tweak the settings for some on-screen buttons, but it doesn't seem to have any effect on the actual on-screen keyboard. Under "On-screen keyboard size" I prefer the "Medium" size for the on-screen buttons, but it gets changed to "Custom" after I re-position the buttons. Under "Size of button images" I prefer "Medium." Under "On-screen keyboard transparency" I prefer the "Transparent" option. Under "Remap on-screen controls" I select the checkboxes for the Text Input button and several other buttons, depending on how many functions I want to use for a particular game (see my button mappings for each adventure game, below). When you tap OK, you'll be prompted to choose a function to map to each button, such as LCTRL (the left Ctrl key) or F7 or some other function. The "Customize on-screen keyboard layout" option allows you to change the location of the on-screen buttons. The Text Input button is labeled "Ab" (it will bring up your phone's on-screen keyboard), and its default location is at the top left corner of the screen. The other buttons are grouped at the bottom right corner of the screen by default. After dragging the buttons to your desired positions, tap your phone's Back button.
  • The "Mouse emulation" section allows you to configure how the mouse pointer works. Under "Mouse emulation mode" I prefer "Small, touchpad mode." Under "Left mouse click" I prefer the "Tap" option, which allows me to do a left-click by tapping the screen. Under "Right mouse click" I prefer the "Touch screen with second finger" option, which allows me to do a right-click by putting one finger on the screen and then tapping with a second finger. Under "Advanced features," if you unselect every checkbox then the mouse pointer will always be under your finger. This means that tapping anywhere on the screen will automatically do a left-click at that position, because the mouse pointer will be positioned directly under your finger. If you select the "Relative mouse movement" checkbox then the mouse pointer will move when you slide your finger across the screen, even when your finger is nowhere near the mouse pointer. This means that after you position the mouse pointer over a button or an object or a menu item, you'll need to tap the screen to do a left-click. I prefer the "Relative mouse movement" option because it's easier to control the position of the mouse pointer, and it's easier to access the game menu in some games (by moving the mouse pointer to the top of the screen).
    
    Keep in mind that ScummVM was originally a Windows program, so you must use the mouse pointer plus left-clicking and right-clicking, just like in Windows. The only exception is that you must tap the on-screen buttons, just like in Android.
  • The "Remap physical keys" section allows you to map your phone's buttons to the functions described under the "On-screen keyboard" section (above). Tap a button on your phone (except the Home and Power buttons), then select the desired function.

• To add a game to ScummVM SDL, left-click the "Add Game" button. Left-click the folder name which contains the files for the game you want to add (you don't need to open the folder). This will highlight the folder name. Left-click the "Choose" button, which will bring up an Options screen. In the Options screen, I prefer to left-click the "Audio" tab and select "Subtitles" (if it's available), because I usually turn off the audio when people are around while I'm playing an adventure game (sometimes I need to left-click the "Override global audio settings" option in order to select "Subtitles"). The subtitle speed can be adjusted on this screen if the subtitles are disappearing too quickly or too slowly during the game. I also left-click the "Paths" tab (you might need to left-click the "right arrow" icon in the tab bar to see the "Paths" tab), then I left-click the "Save Path" button and the "Extra Path" button and change the paths to be the same as the "Game Path." This causes all of the game files (e.g. saved games) to be stored in the same folder, rather than having various game files stored in various places on the phone. If you don't change the "Save Path" folder (or if you left-click the "red X" icon to delete the "Save Path" folder), then the default folder will be used. On my phone, the default folder is "\HTC One X\Internal storage\Android\data\org.scummvm.sdl\files\.scummvm." After you left-click the "OK" button, the game is added to the list of games on the main ScummVM screen. To change any of the options for a game, highlight the game in the list and then left-click the "Edit Game" button.
• To play a game, left-click the name of the game to highlight it, then left-click the "Start" button (or left-click the "Load" button to restore a saved game).
• To access the game menu (e.g. to use an item in your inventory), in some games you move the mouse pointer to the top of the screen, and in other games you press ESCAPE. To grab or use an item in your inventory, some games require a left-click while other games require a right-click.
• To use a keyboard, sometimes your phone's on-screen keyboard works well (which can be accessed using the Text Input button described above). In some games, the text which you type using your phone's keyboard will be displayed in the game's text input box, but you'll need to left-click the text in order to simulate pressing Enter (or else re-map an on-screen button to do a RETURN function). In other games, the text which you type using your phone's keyboard will automatically trigger the Enter key for you. If the game doesn't recognize what you typed using your phone's keyboard then the ScummVM SDL keyboard should work, which can be accessed using the F7 function. In the ScummVM SDL keyboard, use the mouse pointer to write words by left-clicking the appropriate letters, then left-click the Return key, then left-click the "green checkmark" icon when you're finished, or left-click the "red X" icon to cancel. The ScummVM SDL keyboard also allows you to enter various keys such as Tab, F1, F2, etc., which you can't enter using your phone's keyboard.

• Beneath A Steel Sky -

  • I didn't have any problems playing this game on my phone (with the help of a walkthrough). It was easy to move the character (Foster) using the mouse pointer because he automatically walks around most obstacles. I had my sound off, so I don't know if there were any issues with the sound.
  • My on-screen buttons were mapped to these functions: Button 1 = LCTRL (brings up the ScummVM menu, which allows you to Quit the game or Save your progress or Load a saved game). Button 1 and the Text Input button were arranged in a row at the bottom right corner of the screen (in that order). My phone's Back button was mapped to ESCAPE (simulates pressing the Escape key).

• Conquests of the Longbow - The Legend of Robin Hood -

  • I didn't have any problems playing this game on my phone (with the help of a walkthrough). I haven't quite finished the game because I upgraded my phone and I'm in the process of getting the new phone configured properly. It was easy to move the character (Robin Hood) using the mouse pointer because he automatically walks around most obstacles. I had my sound off, so I don't know if there were any issues with the sound.
  • My on-screen buttons were mapped to these functions: Button 1 = F5 (brings up the "Save" dialog for saving your progress), Button 2 = LCTRL (brings up the ScummVM menu, which allows you to Quit the game or Save your progress or Load a saved game). My phone's Back button was mapped to ESCAPE (simulates pressing the Escape key).
  • At one point you'll need to win a game of Nine Men's Morris. There are websites which explain the rules of the game, and there are websites which explain some strategy to use, and there are Android apps which allow you to practice playing Nine Men's Morris (e.g. Doublemill 2 Nine men's morris).

• Flight of the Amazon Queen -

  • I didn't have any problems playing this game on my phone (with the help of a walkthrough). It was easy to move the character (Joe) using the mouse pointer because he automatically walks around most obstacles. I had my sound off, so I don't know if there were any issues with the sound.
  • My on-screen buttons were mapped to these functions: Button 1 = LCTRL (brings up the ScummVM menu, which allows you to Quit the game or Save your progress or Load a saved game). Button 1 and the Text Input button were arranged in a row at the bottom right corner of the screen (in that order). You can also map Buttons 2 through 6 to perform the same functions as some of the icons at the bottom left side of the screen. To do this, use O for Opening an object, C for Closing an object, M for Moving an object, G for Giving an object to someone, L for Looking at an object, P for Picking up an object, T for Talking to a person, or U for Using an object. Buttons 2 through 6 can be arranged in a row at the bottom left side of the screen so that they overlay the game icons for those functions. I originally tried using Buttons 2 through 6 in this way, but I found that I preferred using the mouse pointer in order to see what each function icon does. My phone's Menu and Back buttons were mapped to these functions: Menu = F1 (brings up the game's menu, which can also be accessed by left-clicking the journal in your inventory), Back = ESCAPE (simulates pressing the Escape key).
  • To move Joe, left-click where you want him to go. When the mouse pointer is touching an object and there's a command displayed below the game area (e.g. "talk to bellboy"), left-clicking will cause Joe to look at the object or walk to the object, and right-clicking will perform the displayed command (e.g. Joe will talk to the bellboy). If you select one of the commands at the bottom left side of the screen, then a partial command will be displayed (e.g. "talk to"). Move the mouse pointer onto a person or an object to complete the displayed command (e.g. "talk to Eddy"). Left-clicking will perform the displayed command, and right-clicking will perform a default action (e.g. looking at the person or object). So if you've left-clicked a function icon (e.g. "pick up"), then left-click an object to perform the displayed command. If you haven't left-clicked a function icon then right-click an object to perform the displayed command.
  • To use an item in your inventory, first left-click the "Use" icon, then left-click the item in your inventory, then left-click the object to use the item on.

• Freddy Pharkas, Frontier Pharmacist -

  • I didn't have any problems playing this game on my phone (with the help of a walkthrough). It was easy to move the character (Freddy) using the mouse pointer because he automatically walks around most obstacles. I had my sound off, so I don't know if there were any issues with the sound.
  • There are several prescriptions that Freddy must fill, and the only way to know what to do is to look in the Freddy Pharkas manual or in a walkthrough.
  • My on-screen buttons were mapped to these functions: Button 1 = F5 (brings up the "Save" dialog for saving your progress), Button 2 = LCTRL (brings up the ScummVM menu, which allows you to Quit the game or Save your progress or Load a saved game). My phone's Back button was mapped to ESCAPE (simulates pressing the Escape key).

• Humongous Entertainment Adventure Games -

  • These games (Freddi Fish, Putt Putt, Pajama Sam, Spy Fox, etc.) are great for young children, and I haven't had problems playing any Humongous Entertainment adventure games on my phone. When my kids were very young, playing these games on our Windows PC gave them practice in using a mouse, and developing hand-eye coordination, and listening to the characters plus following their instructions, and remembering where to go and what to do, and using logic and reasoning to solve puzzles, and so on.
  • Most of the ScummVM adventure games on this page are very long and very complicated, and it's unlikely that you'll be able to finish them without using a walkthrough (unless you have a lot of time to spend on these games). The Humongous Entertainment adventure games, on the other hand, are long enough to provide plenty of entertainment, but they're not overly complicated (it's likely that you'll be able to complete them without needing to use a walkthrough). In addition, some of the Humongous Entertainment adventure games will give you a different set of clues when you start a new game, so they can be re-played without being overly repetitive.
  • My on-screen buttons were mapped to these functions: Button 1 = S (to Save the current game), Button 2 = L (to Load a saved game), and Button 3 = LCTRL (brings up the ScummVM menu, which allows you to Quit the game or Save your progress or Load a saved game). Buttons 1, 2, 3, and the Text Input button were arranged in a row at the bottom right corner of the screen (in that order). My phone's Back button was mapped to ESCAPE (simulates pressing the Escape key, which bypasses animated sequences).

• Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis -

  • I didn't have any problems playing this game on my phone (with the help of a walkthrough). It was easy to move the character (Indiana Jones) using the mouse pointer because he automatically walks around most obstacles. I had my sound off, so I don't know if there were any issues with the sound.
  • My on-screen buttons were mapped to these functions: Button 1 = LCTRL (brings up the ScummVM menu, which allows you to Quit the game or Save your progress or Load a saved game). Button 1 and the Text Input button were arranged in a row at the bottom right corner of the screen (in that order). My phone's Menu and Back buttons were mapped to these functions: Menu = F1 (brings up the game's menu, which can also be accessed by left-clicking the journal in your inventory), Back = ESCAPE (simulates pressing the Escape key).
  • To move Indy, left-click where you want him to go. When the mouse pointer is touching an object and there's a command displayed below the game area (e.g. "walk to door"), there will usually be a different command highlighted in the list of commands at the bottom of the screen (e.g. "open"). Left-clicking will cause Indy to perform the displayed command (e.g. Indy will walk to the door), and right-clicking will cause Indy to perform the highlighted command (e.g. Indy will open the door). If you select one of the commands at the bottom left side of the screen, then a partial command will be displayed (e.g. "talk to"). Move the mouse pointer onto a person or an object to complete the displayed command (e.g. "talk to Sophia").
  • To use an item in your inventory, first left-click the "Use" icon, then left-click the item in your inventory, then left-click the object to use the item on.

• King's Quest 1 (VGA remake) -

  • I didn't have any problems playing this game on my phone (with the help of a walkthrough). However, using the mouse pointer to move the character (Sir Graham) was tricky because he kept bumping into things. The secret was knowing that his feet will always move toward the tip of the mouse pointer. First he'll walk diagonally until his feet are approximately in line with the tip of the mouse pointer, then he'll turn and walk straight to the mouse pointer. I had my sound off, so I don't know if there were any issues with the sound.
  • My on-screen buttons were mapped to these functions: Button 1 = RETURN (simulates pressing the Enter key), Button 2 = KP2 (down), Button 3 = LCTRL (brings up the ScummVM menu, which allows you to Quit the game or Save your progress or Load a saved game), Button 4 = KP4 (left), Button 5 = KP8 (up), Button 6 = KP6 (right). I had Buttons 2, 4, 5, and 6 arranged in a "plus sign" configuration at the bottom left corner of the screen (so my left thumb can easily move Roger down/left/up/right), and Buttons 1, 3, and the Text Input button were arranged in a row at the bottom right corner of the screen (in that order). Sometimes it's easiest to move Sir Graham using the mouse pointer (especially when he needs to move diagonally), but usually it's easiest to move him by using the up/down/left/right buttons. My phone's Menu and Back buttons were mapped to these functions: Menu = F3 (re-types the most recent command), Back = ESCAPE (simulates pressing the Escape key).
  • To save my progress, I usually pressed ESCAPE to bring up the game menu (at the top of the screen), then used the up/down/left/right buttons to highlight the "Save" menu option, then tapped the RETURN button. Sometimes I simply typed "save."
  • When I used my phone's keyboard to type in commands, it didn't pause the game. Therefore, sometimes Sir Graham was killed before I finished typing in a command. To prevent this, I first tapped my phone's Back key (to do an ESCAPE function), which brought up the King's Quest 1 menu at the top of the screen and paused the game. Then I used my phone's keyboard to type in a command, then I used ESCAPE again to hide the game menu, which allowed my command to appear in the text input box. If I used the ScummVM SDL keyboard (using an on-screen button mapped to the F7 function) then it automatically paused the game to give me plenty of time to type in a command. However, I prefer using my phone's keyboard.
  • The kingdom of Daventry is essentially laid out in a grid of 6 rows and 8 columns, and I found it helpful to first map out the entire grid on a piece of paper (collecting any obvious objects along the way). The rows and columns will wrap around, so when you're in the top row of the grid and you go up (for example) then you'll be in the same column in the bottom row of the grid. You'll visit other places outside of this grid, but it's not necessary to map out those places.

• King's Quest 2 -

  • I didn't have any problems playing this game on my phone (with the help of a walkthrough). However, using the mouse pointer to move the character (King Graham) was tricky because he kept bumping into things. The secret was knowing that his feet will always move toward the tip of the mouse pointer. First he'll walk diagonally until his feet are approximately in line with the tip of the mouse pointer, then he'll turn and walk straight to the mouse pointer. I had my sound off, so I don't know if there were any issues with the sound.
  • My on-screen buttons were mapped to these functions: Button 1 = RETURN (simulates pressing the Enter key), Button 2 = KP2 (down), Button 3 = LCTRL (brings up the ScummVM menu, which allows you to Quit the game or Save your progress or Load a saved game), Button 4 = KP4 (left), Button 5 = KP8 (up), Button 6 = KP6 (right). I had Buttons 2, 4, 5, and 6 arranged in a "plus sign" configuration at the bottom left corner of the screen (so my left thumb can easily move Roger down/left/up/right), and Buttons 1, 3, and the Text Input button were arranged in a row at the bottom right corner of the screen (in that order). Sometimes it's easiest to move King Graham using the mouse pointer (especially when he needs to move diagonally), but usually it's easiest to move him by using the up/down/left/right buttons. My phone's Menu and Back buttons were mapped to these functions: Menu = F3 (re-types the most recent command), Back = ESCAPE (simulates pressing the Escape key).
  • When I used my phone's keyboard to type in commands, it didn't pause the game. Therefore, sometimes King Graham was killed before I finished typing in a command. To prevent this, I first tapped my phone's Back key (to do an ESCAPE function), which brought up the King's Quest 1 menu at the top of the screen and paused the game. Then I used my phone's keyboard to type in a command, then I used ESCAPE again to hide the game menu, which allowed my command to appear in the text input box. If I used the ScummVM SDL keyboard (using an on-screen button mapped to the F7 function) then it automatically paused the game to give me plenty of time to type in a command. However, I prefer using my phone's keyboard.
  • The kingdom of Kolyma is essentially laid out in a grid of 7 rows and 7 columns, and I found it helpful to first map out the entire grid on a piece of paper (collecting any obvious objects along the way). The rows and columns will wrap around, so when you're in the top row of the grid and you go up (for example) then you'll be in the same column in the bottom row of the grid. You'll visit other places outside of this grid, but it's not necessary to map out those places.

• Space Quest 1 (original EGA version) -

  • I wasn't able to complete this game on my phone (even with the help of walkthroughs). The VGA Remake (below) is much more fun, and it allows you to bypass the mini-games which the EGA version forces you to play. Using the mouse pointer to move the character (Roger) was tricky because he kept bumping into things. The secret was knowing that Roger's feet will always move toward the tip of the mouse pointer. First he'll walk diagonally until his feet are approximately in line with the tip of the mouse pointer, then he'll turn and walk straight to the mouse pointer. I had my sound off, so I don't know if there were any issues with the sound.
  • My on-screen buttons were mapped to these functions: Button 1 = RETURN (simulates pressing the Enter key), Button 2 = KP2 (down), Button 3 = LCTRL (brings up the ScummVM menu, which allows you to Quit the game or Save your progress or Load a saved game), Button 4 = KP4 (left), Button 5 = KP8 (up), Button 6 = KP6 (right). I had Buttons 2, 4, 5, and 6 arranged in a "plus sign" configuration at the bottom left corner of the screen (so my left thumb can easily move Roger down/left/up/right), and Buttons 1, 3, and the Text Input button were arranged in a row at the bottom right corner of the screen (in that order). There are places where you can't move Roger using the mouse pointer, so you'll need the up/down/left/right buttons. My phone's Menu and Back buttons were mapped to these functions: Menu = F3 (re-types the most recent command), Back = ESCAPE (simulates pressing the Escape key).
  • To save my progress, I usually pressed ESCAPE to bring up the game menu (at the top of the screen), then used the up/down/left/right buttons to highlight the "Save" menu option, then tapped the RETURN button. Sometimes I simply typed "save."
  • When I used my phone's keyboard to type in commands, it didn't pause the game. Therefore, sometimes Roger was killed before I finished typing in a command. To prevent this, I first tapped my phone's Back key (to do an ESCAPE function), which brought up the Space Quest 1 menu at the top of the screen and paused the game. Then I used my phone's keyboard to type in a command, then I used ESCAPE again to hide the game menu, which allowed my command to appear in the text input box. If I used the ScummVM SDL keyboard (using an on-screen button mapped to the F7 function) then it automatically paused the game to give me plenty of time to type in a command. However, I prefer using my phone's keyboard.
  • In several places during the game, the commands that I typed never appeared in the text input box at the bottom of the screen. I was able to handle this glitch by moving the mouse pointer back and forth until all of the letters appeared in the text input box.
  • When Roger was trying to retrieve a data cartridge, a text input box appeared in the middle of the screen, in addition to the normal text input box at the bottom of the screen. If I used my phone's keyboard to type in the data cartridge name, then the words appeared at the bottom of the screen rather than in the middle of the screen. In order to handle this glitch I saved my progress and quit ScummVM SDL. Then I ran ScummVM SDL again and re-mapped my F3 on-screen button to F7, which allowed me to bring up the ScummVM SDL keyboard. After typing in the data cartridge name using the ScummVM SDL keyboard and then left-clicking the "green checkmark" icon (but without left-clicking the Return key), all of my typed letters properly appeared in the middle of the screen. Then I tapped my on-screen RETURN button, and the data cartridge was retrieved. Then I quit ScummVM SDL and ran it again and restored the mapping for my F3 on-screen button.
  • Before you play the slot machine, save your progress and quit ScummVM SDL, then run ScummVM SDL again and re-map the F3 on-screen button to F8. Every time you win some money, save your progress so you can restore your winnings if you start losing money. After you win 250 Buckazoids, the slot machine will break (you'll need most of this money later). Save your progress and quit ScummVM SDL, then run ScummVM SDL again and re-map the F8 on-screen button to F6, because you'll need F6 in several parts of the game.
  • When you look at the panel on the star generator, you'll need to enter a 4-digit code. Use the up/down/left/right buttons to position the red/orange arrow over a number, then tap the F6 on-screen button to select the number (the selected number won't appear in the display window). After entering the 4-digit code, move the red/orange arrow to the ENTER button above the numbers and tap F6 to initiate the self-destruct sequence. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to figure out how to leave the star generator panel. At this point Roger just needs to get into a small ship to escape the Sarien ship, and then the game is over.

• Space Quest 1 (VGA Remake) -

  • I didn't have any problems playing this game on my phone (with the help of a walkthrough). It was easy to move the character (Roger) using the mouse pointer because he automatically walks around most obstacles. I had my sound off, so I don't know if there were any issues with the sound.
  • There are two places where you need to type in a secret code in an alien language, and the only way to do this is by looking up the appropriate codes in the Space Quest 1 (VGA remake) manual or in a walkthrough.
  • My on-screen buttons were mapped to these functions: Button 1 = F5 (brings up the "Save" dialog for saving your progress), Button 2 = LCTRL (brings up the ScummVM menu, which allows you to Quit the game or Save your progress or Load a saved game). My phone's Back button was mapped to ESCAPE (simulates pressing the Escape key).

• Space Quest 2 -

  • I didn't have any problems playing this game on my phone (with the help of a walkthrough). However, using the mouse pointer to move the character (Roger) was tricky because he kept bumping into things. The secret was knowing that Roger's feet will always move toward the tip of the mouse pointer. First he'll walk diagonally until his feet are approximately in line with the tip of the mouse pointer, then he'll turn and walk straight to the mouse pointer. I had my sound off, so I don't know if there were any issues with the sound.
  • My on-screen buttons were mapped to these functions: Button 1 = RETURN (simulates pressing the Enter key), Button 2 = KP2 (down), Button 3 = LCTRL (brings up the ScummVM menu, which allows you to Quit the game or Save your progress or Load a saved game), Button 4 = KP4 (left), Button 5 = KP8 (up), Button 6 = KP6 (right). I had Buttons 2, 4, 5, and 6 arranged in a "plus sign" configuration at the bottom left corner of the screen (so my left thumb can easily move Roger down/left/up/right), and Buttons 1, 3, and the Text Input button were arranged in a row at the bottom right corner of the screen (in that order). There are places where you can't move Roger using the mouse pointer, so you'll need the up/down/left/right buttons. My phone's Menu and Back buttons were mapped to these functions: Menu = F6 (needed in several parts of the game), Back = ESCAPE (simulates pressing the Escape key).
  • To save my progress, I usually pressed ESCAPE to bring up the game menu (at the top of the screen), then used the up/down/left/right buttons to highlight the "Save" menu option, then tapped the RETURN button. Sometimes I simply typed "save."
  • When I used my phone's keyboard to type in commands, it didn't pause the game. Therefore, sometimes Roger was killed before I finished typing in a command. To prevent this, I first tapped my phone's Back key (to do an ESCAPE function), which brought up the Space Quest 1 menu at the top of the screen and paused the game. Then I used my phone's keyboard to type in a command, then I used ESCAPE again to hide the game menu, which allowed my command to appear in the text input box. If I used the ScummVM SDL keyboard (using an on-screen button mapped to the F7 function) then it automatically paused the game to give me plenty of time to type in a command. However, I prefer using my phone's keyboard.
  • In several places during the game, the commands that I typed never appeared in the text input box at the bottom of the screen. I was able to handle this glitch by moving the mouse pointer back and forth until all of the letters appeared in the text input box.
  • At one point Roger must cross a fissure. I was able to get a log across the fissure, but Roger kept dying no matter what I tried, even though I was doing what all of the walkthroughs said to do. According to a forum I found, this sequence can only be done using the keyboard arrow keys (specifically the KP6 function). The problem is that when Roger walks up to the tree and stops by bumping into it, the program still has Roger in "walking" mode. So when Roger gets the log across the fissure, he immediately begins walking and loses his balance and falls to his death. The secret is to use the KP6 on-screen button to make Roger walk to the right toward the tree, then tap the KP6 on-screen button again to make Roger stop at the base of the tree. Now the program has Roger in "stopped" mode, and he won't fall off the log. When the log is lying across the gap, tap the KP6 on-screen button to make Roger crawl across the log to the right, and he'll safely cross the fissure. Later you'll need to use the KP4 on-screen button to move Roger toward the left in order to get him back onto the log.

• Space Quest 3 -

  • I wasn't able to complete this game on my phone (even with the help of walkthroughs). Using the mouse pointer to move the character (Roger) was tricky because he kept bumping into things. The secret was knowing that Roger's feet will always move toward the tip of the mouse pointer. First he'll walk diagonally until his feet are approximately in line with the tip of the mouse pointer, then he'll turn and walk straight to the mouse pointer. I had my sound off, so I don't know if there were any issues with the sound.
  • My on-screen buttons were mapped to these functions: Button 1 = RETURN (simulates pressing the Enter key), Button 2 = KP2 (down), Button 3 = LCTRL (brings up the ScummVM menu, which allows you to Quit the game or Save your progress or Load a saved game), Button 4 = KP4 (left), Button 5 = KP8 (up), Button 6 = KP6 (right). I had Buttons 2, 4, 5, and 6 arranged in a "plus sign" configuration at the bottom left corner of the screen (so my left thumb can easily move Roger down/left/up/right), and Buttons 1, 3, and the Text Input button were arranged in a row at the bottom right corner of the screen (in that order). My phone's Menu and Back buttons were mapped to these functions: Menu = F3 (re-types the most recent command), Back = ESCAPE (simulates pressing the Escape key).
  • To save my progress, I usually pressed ESCAPE to bring up the game menu (at the top of the screen), then used the up/down/left/right buttons to highlight the "Save" menu option, then tapped the RETURN button. Sometimes I simply typed "save."
  • When I used my phone's keyboard to type in commands, it didn't pause the game. Therefore, sometimes Roger was killed before I finished typing in a command. To prevent this, I first tapped my phone's Back key (to do an ESCAPE function), which brought up the Space Quest 3 menu at the top of the screen and paused the game. Then I used my phone's keyboard to type in a command, then I used ESCAPE again to hide the game menu, which allowed my command to appear in the text input box. If I used the ScummVM SDL keyboard (using an on-screen button mapped to the F7 function) then it automatically paused the game to give me plenty of time to type in a command. However, I prefer using my phone's keyboard, even though in this game my commands were displayed very slowly in the text input box.
  • In several places during the game, the commands that I typed never appeared in the text input box at the bottom of the screen. I was able to handle this glitch by moving the mouse pointer back and forth until all of the letters appeared in the text input box.
  • The Astro Chicken video game was a bit difficult to play on a phone at normal speed, but slowing down the game (under the "Speed" menu option) made it easier. Keep in mind that tapping the KP8 button (up) makes the chicken flap its wings, and tapping KP8 again makes the chicken stop flapping. After landing the chicken successfully 10 times, a coded message appears. You can decode it manually using the decoder ring from the happy meal, or search online to find the decoded message. It's possible to finish Space Quest 3 without playing the Astro Chicken game or decoding the message.
  • In the ScumSoft hallway Roger needed to use a keycard to open a door, and after using the keycard Roger needed to quickly show something to the scanner. Using my phone's keyboard I wasn't able to enter the "show ____" command fast enough, so my access kept getting denied. I quit ScummVM SDL and then re-ran it and mapped the F3 button to F7. Then I used the F7 button to bring up the ScummVM SDL keyboard at the appropriate time, and I was able to enter the "show ____" command and open the door.
  • After Roger rescued the two guys from Andromeda, he was forced into a robotic duel. In order to play this mini-game, I had to re-map a couple of on-screen buttons to be J and M.
  • After Roger won the robotic duel, he needed to shoot down five enemy spaceships, at which point the game is essentially over. No matter what I tried (slowing down the game, changing my button mappings, etc.), I couldn't finish this mini-game.

• Space Quest 4 -

  • I didn't have any problems playing this game on my phone (with the help of a walkthrough). It was easy to move the character (Roger) using the mouse pointer because he automatically walks around most obstacles. I had my sound off, so I don't know if there were any issues with the sound.
  • When Roger gets into the Time Pod near the beginning of the game, the only way to enter the correct values is by looking up the displayed symbols in the Space Quest 4 manual or in a walkthrough. After you enter the correct values, write down the alien code that appears on the Time Pod display (you'll need this later in the game). According to Sierra (the company that made Space Quest), in order to activate the Time Pod you simply need to enter 6 random characters and then 6 more random characters, then left-click the Enter key.
  • My on-screen buttons were mapped to these functions: Button 1 = F5 (brings up the "Save" dialog for saving your progress), Button 2 = LCTRL (brings up the ScummVM menu, which allows you to Quit the game or Save your progress or Load a saved game). My phone's Back button was mapped to ESCAPE (simulates pressing the Escape key).

• Space Quest 5 -

  • I didn't have any problems playing this game on my phone (with the help of a walkthrough). It was easy to move the character (Roger) using the mouse pointer because he automatically walks around most obstacles. I had my sound off, so I don't know if there were any issues with the sound.
  • When Roger needs to set a course in the spaceship, the only way to find the correct numbers is by looking in the Space Quest 5 manual or in a walkthrough.
  • When Cliffy floats away from the spaceship and Roger needs to use a rescue pod to save Cliffy, the pod is a bit tricky to maneuver on a phone. As soon as Roger was piloting the pod, I used the game menu to slide the game speed down to its slowest setting, then I saved the game. Then I practiced using Roger's left hand to control moving the pod forward, backward, left, and right in order to get Cliffy (the red dot on the radar) in front of the pod (I ran out of fuel and died several times). When he was in front of the pod, I practiced turning left and right in order to memorize Cliffy's position at the exact moment when the "locked on" message flashes. With a little luck I was able to stop the pod when it was locked onto Cliffy, then I used Roger's right hand to extend the claw, open the claw, and close the claw with Cliffy in it. Then I needed to fly the pod back to the ship (the green dot on the radar).
  • My on-screen buttons were mapped to these functions: Button 1 = F5 (brings up the "Save" dialog for saving your progress), Button 2 = LCTRL (brings up the ScummVM menu, which allows you to Quit the game or Save your progress or Load a saved game). My phone's Back button was mapped to ESCAPE (simulates pressing the Escape key).

• Space Quest 6 -

  • This game isn't fully supported in ScummVM SDL yet. It's possible to play the game for awhile, but some screens don't render properly, and occasionally a ScummVM error message will pop up.

Tap Play by Gipnetix Games (free) - The goal of each level is to solve the puzzle which will reveal the triangular Play button so you can tap it to advance to the next level. This is similar to the "Single-Wall Room Escape Games" (below). On the Main Menu, tap the large Play button to play the game. The next screen allows you to select a world, although only the first world is unlocked at first. Tap the picture of the world, then select a level to play (the first level is easy, you simply tap the Play button, then tap "next"). The number in the top left corner of the screen indicates how many taps you're allowed to make in order to get three stars. Tap the "curved arrow" icon to reload the current level, and tap the "home" icon to return to the Main Menu.

100 Chimneys 2013 by Amphibius Developers (free) - A basic room escape game. Your inventory is displayed at the bottom of the screen (tap the gray square to open the inventory).

100 Chimneys : Xmas by Amphibius Developers (free) - In room escape games which have a Christmas theme, sometimes the clues relate to special dates such as Christmas Day or New Year's Day. For example, in level 3 the digits "0123" need to be rearranged into the date of the upcoming new year: "2013" (I don't see how anyone will guess this, so I'm giving you the answer). Similarly, in level 20 you must arrange the shapes into "2013." Your inventory is displayed at the bottom of the screen (tap the gray square to open the inventory).

100 Doors by ZENFOX (free) - A basic room escape game. Your inventory is displayed at the bottom of the screen. Tap the "curved arrow" icon at the bottom of the screen to reset the level.

100 Doors 2013 by Gipnetix Games (free) - A basic room escape game.

100 Doors 2014 by Nealo Inc. (free) - A basic room escape game.

100 Doors : Christmas Gifts by The Escape Games (free) - Your inventory is displayed at the bottom of the screen. When the door/window/chimney is unlocked, Santa (or some other character) will appear, and a present will appear in his hand. Tap the present to exit the level. Tap the "curved arrow" icon at the bottom of the screen to reset the level.

100 Doors: Parallel World by ZENFOX (free) - A basic room escape game, but with an "otherworldly" feel to it. Your inventory is displayed at the bottom of the screen.

100 Floors- Can You Escape? by Tobi Apps (free) - Tap the "Levels" button, then rotate the dial and tap "Main Tower" (which has numerous levels) or "Seasons Tower" (which has a number of Valentine's levels and Christmas levels and Halloween levels) or "Annex" (which has more levels, but can only be unlocked after you complete the "Main Tower" levels). Your inventory is displayed at the bottom of the screen. Tap the "curved arrow" icon at the bottom of the screen to reset the level.

DOOORS - room escape game by 58 WORKS (free) - A basic room escape game. Your inventory is displayed at the bottom of the screen.

Endless Escape by Tedven LLC (free) - A basic room escape game. Your inventory is displayed at the right side of the screen.

An Escape: 3 Rooms by putsisgames (free) - Tap the green arrows to move from wall to wall. Your inventory is displayed at the right side of the screen.

Circus Escape by MobiPlay (free) - Tap the arrows to move from wall to wall (since you're inside a circus tent, there are more than four walls). Your inventory is displayed at the right side of the screen.

Escape 3D: The Vault by Bored.com (free) - Tap the blue arrows to move from wall to wall. After you open your inventory (which is labeled "Items"), you must drag items to use them or combine them.

Escape from Cat Cafe by oruoalls (free) - Tap the gray arrows to move from wall to wall, and tap the doorways to go into other rooms. Your inventory is displayed at the bottom of the screen. To zoom in on an item in your inventory, tap it and then tap the "Detail" button (tap the zoomed-in image several times to read the comments about the item). The "notepad" icon at the top right corner of the screen opens up a transparent scratchpad to allow you to make notes about the clues you've found (you don't need to use this feature if you don't want to). To save your progress before leaving the game, tap the "Menu" button, then tap "Save."

Escape from Home Office by funny games (free) - To move around, tap the left or right or bottom sides of the screen. If you can move in that direction then an arrow will appear. Tap the "View Inventory" button at the bottom of the screen to see your inventory. To use an item in your inventory, drag it to the appropriate spot. To dismantle an item in your inventory, tap it to zoom in on it, then tap it while it's zoomed in.

Escape Panda by Ateam Inc. (free) - Tap the white arrows to move from place to place. Your inventory is labeled "Item" at the top of the screen.

Formal Living Room Escape by funny games (free) - To move around, tap the left or right or bottom sides of the screen. If you can move in that direction then an arrow will appear. Tap the "View Inventory" button at the bottom of the screen to see your inventory. To use an item in your inventory, drag it to the appropriate spot. To dismantle an item in your inventory, tap it to zoom in on it, then tap it while it's zoomed in.

Hotel Escape 3 by Coolbuddy.com (free) - Swipe left or right to move around (your movement is sometimes animated like a first-person shooter game), and swipe up to zoom out after you've zoomed in on something. After you open your inventory by tapping the "suitcase" icon at the bottom right corner of the screen, you can inspect items by tapping the "Click Here to Inspect an Item" icon and then tapping an item to inspect it. Tap the "suitcase" icon to close your inventory.

Just Escape by Inertia Software (free) - This is a three-wall room escape game, and it can be quite challenging. In each room, slide your finger up/down/left/right to see more of the room. Tap the icon in the bottom left corner of the screen to see what's in your inventory. In the inventory screen, tap an item to highlight it. Then you can tap the "Use" button to return to the room and use the item, or tap the "Dismantle" button to try to dismantle the item into smaller pieces (most of the time this doesn't do anything), or tap the "Inspect" button to zoom in and see the item up close (tap the item to zoom out). You can also tap two items in your inventory to highlight them, then tap the "Combine" button to combine them (most of the time this doesn't do anything). Tap the "home" icon at the top right side of the inventory screen to return to the Main Menu.

old room -Escape from book- by IzumiArtisan (free) - Tap the black arrows to move from place to place. Your inventory is labeled "Item" at the bottom right corner of the screen. In the Items List, select an item by tapping it and then tapping the "Select" button, or combine two items by tapping the "Combine" button and then tapping two items.

Quick Escape - Office by Tedven LLC (free) - Tap the white arrows to move from wall to wall. Your inventory is displayed at the right side of the screen.

Santa Escape by Amphibius Developers (free) - Your inventory is displayed at the bottom of the screen (tap the gray square to open the inventory). When the chimney is unlocked, tap the red arrow to exit the level.

Sitting Room Escape by putsisgames (free) - Tap the green arrows to move from wall to wall. Your inventory is displayed at the right side of the screen.

100 Escapers by Gipnetix Games (free) - Tap the green arrows to move from wall to wall. Your inventory is displayed at the bottom of the screen. To combine two items in your inventory, double-tap one item to zoom in on it, then tap the second item to select it, then tap the zoomed image to combine the two items. Each time you open a door, you advance to the next level.

100 Missions by ZENFOX (free) - In most of the games on this page (except for the ScummVM games), the goal is to open a door and escape the room. In this game you're a secret agent, and each level has a mission that you need to complete (such as infiltrating an enemy hideout and stealing back some documents). Tap the blue arrows to move from place to place. Tap the square icon at the bottom right corner of the screen to see your inventory. In your inventory, double-tap an item to zoom in on it. To hide the ads for a few moments, tap the "AD" icon at the top left corner of the screen.

Can You Escape? by MobiGrow (free) - Each time you open a door, you advance to the next level. Your inventory is displayed at the right side of the screen. To combine two items in your inventory, tap one item to select it and then tap the second item.

Dr. Stanley's House 1 by James Li (free) - You're a detective who has been summoned to the house of Dr. Stanley, and you must search all of the rooms of the house to find Dr. Stanley and learn why he summoned you. Occasionally you'll see a shadowy figure lurking around, but this isn't a scary or sinister game. At one point you'll find what appears to be a dead body, but it's drawn in a cartoony way. Later you'll learn that he's only unconscious. When you pick up a key, it's color-coded for the door it fits. When you have a key in your inventory, you can simply tap the appropriate door to unlock it (you don't need to select the key in your inventory). To get started, tap all around the car and garage until you find the hook (it's hidden pretty well). Tap the "satchel" icon at the bottom left corner of the screen to see your inventory. Part 2 (free) picks up where Part 1 left off, and it's quite difficult. My family and I were able to complete Part 1, but we needed to use an online walkthrough to find out how to complete Part 2. Both parts were a lot of fun to play.

Floors Escape by MobiPlay (free) - Each time you open a door, you advance to the next level. Your inventory is displayed at the right side of the screen.

Inverse Universe (LITE) by FireRabbit Inc. (free) - Tap the white arrows to move from wall to wall. Tap the mirror to be transported to the same room but in a different universe. Tap the "blue map" icon at the bottom of the screen to quickly jump to places that you've visited before. Tap the "white pointing hand" icon at the bottom right corner of the screen to see the items in your inventory. When you tap an item in your inventory, that item will be displayed as the icon at the bottom right corner of the screen (instead of the white pointing hand). Tapping that inventory icon will open up your inventory, and you can tap the "white pointing hand" icon so that you're no longer using an inventory item. Halfway through the game you'll be prompted to pay for the second half of the game.

Purple Planet by Coolbuddy.com (free) - I haven't gotten very far in this game, but it appears to have multiple locations on a cartoon alien planet.

The Silent Age by House on Fire (free) - This game is similar to the old point-and-click adventure games (such as Space Quest, King's Quest, etc.), and it's one of the best games on this page. Tap the screen to make the character walk in that direction, or double-tap to make him jog. The items in your inventory are displayed at the bottom of the screen. To use an item in your inventory, tap it and then tap the place on the screen where you want to use the item. In several places you'll encounter a skeleton, which might bother some young children if they're sensitive to skeletons.

Tesla's Electric Mist - 1 by iCOOLgeeks (free) - In this game your great-great-grandfather worked for Nikola Tesla, who invented the radio and other electrical devices. Your goal is to search your Aunt's house and barn and shed for objects and clues in order to build a time machine that Tesla invented. Then you need to use this time machine to go back to 1899 and help Tesla in some way. Tap the "backpack" icon at the bottom right corner of the screen to see your inventory. Part 1 of this game is free (and fun to play), but parts 2 and 3 currently cost $1 each.

• People's Republic of Interactive Fiction
• How to play Interactive Fiction and Text Adventure Games
• the Interactive Fiction Database

Text Fiction by Onyxbits (free) - This is my favorite IF app out of all the ones I've tried. First download some IF files from the Internet (look for files which have an extension of .z3 or .z5 or .z8), then copy them to the Download folder on your Android device. In the Text Fiction app, tap the "plus sign" icon at the top right corner of the screen and you should see all of the IF games that are in your Download folder. Tap the games that you want to import into the app, then tap OK. In the app, tap a game to play it. Scroll the story up and down to read everything. In the text entry field (which says "What's Next?") there's a blinking cursor where you type your commands. Tap the "right arrow" icon to execute the command. Tap any word in the story, and the word will be copied to the text entry field. Double-tap any text in the story to clear out the words in the text entry field. Tap an edge or a corner of the story area to move in that direction (in other words, instead of typing "east," simply tap the far right side of the story area). Below the text entry field there are usually some icons which are shortcuts for common commands (scroll the list to the left or right to see more icons). You can change the icons and commands for a particular game by typing in a command and then long-pressing an icon. To save or restore your progress in a game, use the app's menu rather than typing "Save" or "Restore" in the text entry field.

Tiny Text Adventure by Julian Churchill (free) - An IF game which doesn't require any typing. In the story area, tap any words which are underlined. Action buttons are at the bottom of the screen.

• January 14, 2015 - Added 100 Doors : Christmas Gifts, Santa Escape, Text Fiction, and Tiny Text Adventure.
• June 29, 2014 - Added Just Escape.
• March 27, 2014 - Described some issues I've encountered while playing these adventure games in ScummVM SDL: Conquests of the Longbow - The Legend of Robin Hood, King's Quest 1 (VGA remake), and King's Quest 2.
• October 21, 2013 - Described some issues I've encountered while playing these adventure games in ScummVM SDL: Freddy Pharkas Frontier Pharmacist, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Space Quest 5, and Space Quest 6.
• October 08, 2013 - Described some issues I've encountered while playing these adventure games in ScummVM SDL: Beneath A Steel Sky, Flight of the Amazon Queen, Humongous Entertainment adventure games (Freddi Fish, Putt Putt, Spy Fox, etc.), Space Quest 1 (the original EGA version), Space Quest 1 (the VGA remake), Space Quest 2, Space Quest 3, and Space Quest 4.
• September 01, 2013 - Added 100 Escapers, Can You Escape, Floors Escape, Inverse Universe, and ScummVM SDL.
• August 08, 2013 - Added The Silent Age.
• March 23, 2013 - Added Tesla's Electric Mist.
• February 11, 2013 - Added 100 Chimneys 2013 and 100 Floors.
• February 05, 2013 - Added Mysterious Village, 100 Doors: Parallel World, Escape from Home Office, and Formal Living Room Escape.
• January 30, 2013 - Added Escape Games Frog Prince, Escape Game Panda w/ Cheese, Tap Play, 100 Chimneys : Xmas, 100 Doors 2013, 100 Doors 2014, Endless Escape, An Escape: 3 Rooms, Circus Escape, Escape 3D: The Vault, Escape from Cat Cafe, Escape Panda, Floors Escape, Hotel Escape 3, old room, Quick Escape - Office, Sitting Room Escape, Dr. Stanley's House 1, and Purple Planet.
• January 17, 2013 - New page.