D-List Diva: An A-List Point and Click Adventure
In their heyday, point-and-click adventure games were often associated with grandiose adventures through strange worlds, as seen in the popular King’s Quest and Monkey Island game series. However, at the same time, there was also a burgeoning market for an adventure game of a different kind. These games explored raunchy urban settings and employed humor to tell a convoluted yet endearing story. Titles such as Leisure Suit Larry and Grim Fandango popularized this style, and the indie developers at Kini Games have continued it by releasing the charming and hilarious D-List Diva.
From the moment the player is dropped into a broken-down dressing room and introduced to Bill, the game’s unsavory protagonist, it’s clear that this point-and-click adventure is not concerned with glitz and glamour. Throughout the story, we follow a jaded stage manager as he attempts to satisfy the ridiculous requests of Davina Diamondes, a washed-up superstar who delusionally thinks she’s still got it. Along the way, we meet several other quirky characters that practically burst off the screen with personality. Each one feels fully fleshed out like they’ve existed in this world their whole lives, and we’re just eavesdropping on a single moment from their day.
As with many Sierra point-and-click adventures before it, D-List Diva is a mix of puzzle-solving and being a conversationalist. Davina’s requests may seem difficult at the start, but as you point and click around, you start to realize which items will get you closer to your ultimate goal. Striking a balance between difficult and impossible is always a challenge for developers in the point-and-click genre, but Kini Games finds a solid middle-ground here. The dialogue plays a big role as what initially seem like throwaway jokes become crucial hints for puzzle solving.
D-List Diva isn’t a particularly long game, but in its allotted time, it manages to shine thanks to its charming visuals and humor. The characters already pop on their own, but the pixel art style that is so reminiscent of many point-and-click adventure games of the ‘90s, make them feel that much more animated. Whether it’s the cheery bartender or the burnt-out autograph hunter, everybody feels like they belong, and they don’t overstay their welcome. That’s not even mentioning Davina herself, whose pompous attitude is a joy to witness. The graphics, music, and writing are all firing on full-cylinders here, and it makes for a hilarious and immersive point-and-click experience.
Despite their massive popularity in the ‘90s and ‘80s, point-and-click games have certainly taken a backseat to other genres in more modern times. Thanks to modern graphical improvements and more competitive gameplay, it’s definitely hard to blame gamers themselves for this shift. Sometimes, things simply fade away. However, games such as D-List Diva serve as both a fresh take on the genre and a reminder of why they were so popular in the first place. There’s still a place in gaming for the raunchy humor and simple point-and-click gameplay that was once so beloved. D-List Diva not only exemplifies why that is, but it also gives us an answer as to what the genre might look like if it, like Davina Diamondes, had never left the spotlight.