Desert/Pyramids Expedition Management Isometric-Sidescroller-Puzzle 1990-95ish PC [Dark Secrets of Africa]

Help locating old / Pre year 2000 games you used to play.
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stranded_fox
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Desert/Pyramids Expedition Management Isometric-Sidescroller-Puzzle 1990-95ish PC [Dark Secrets of Africa]

Post by stranded_fox »

Hello!
I was wondering if anyone can help me remember this old (dos?) game.

2.
I distinctly remember playing on the PC (windows 95... possibly 98?), but that doesn't mean it wasn't a DOS game.

3.
Year is about 1990 to maybe 1995. Graphics are pixel art-ish, but the perspective is blurry in my head. It might have been isometric, thou I doubt it.
Better yet maybe sidescroller once you entered a pyramid? Not super sure about the pyramid part, but then again, what could you explore else in the desert...
Let's say it was something close to Spellcraft aspects of valor. From a quality/detail level perspective, maybe even a bit better. Not meant to imply that the perspective was the same as in Spellcraft.



4.
The game seemed to be some sort of expedition simulation, where you first would stack up on maybe ropes, water (i remember this clearly), and torches(!) to see in the dark?... some item uses were a bit enigmatic I think. But I do recall there was a lot of items to pick from...
You were some sort of explorer for pyramids. I think you were searching for..... treasures(?) thou I'm not sure. It wasn't really story driven, felt a bit sandboxy(?)...
I think you collected gems of some sort. (?)

Transition stages: I think first you would be at some sort of simple shop interface, then... I think I recall going through the desert(?) and finally start the search inside of a pyramid. It's really a bit fuzzy.... not sure if perspectives changed during these stages.

I think it was pretty much real-time from what I recall. I think you also had to deal with traps? I can't recall actual enemies.... but that doesn't mean they didn't exist. I somehow feel it was a more realistic take on the game.

Main character was your average Indiana Jones-like explorer. Not much as action oriented as more as an archeologist sort of type.

EDIT: Now I know this only complicates matters, but ... I think there was even some puzzles involved of some sort - matching images. But I don't think that was the only part of the game, I do think there was some sort of "moving" thou I can't remember in what fashion.


I'd gladly give more info if needed and thank you for your help in advance! Hope we can solve this.
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Rwolf
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Desert(!)/Pyramids(?) Expedition: Water, Torches, etc Management Isometric(?)-Sidescroller(?)-(Puzzle?) 1990-1995ish PC

Post by Rwolf »

Nothing immediately comes to mind, but there is a list of Egyptian setting in games:
https://www.mobygames.com/game-group/setting-egyptian-
stranded_fox
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Desert(!)/Pyramids(?) Expedition: Water, Torches, etc Management Isometric(?)-Sidescroller(?)-(Puzzle?) 1990-1995ish PC

Post by stranded_fox »

Thank you for the reply Rwolf!

I actually went through the wikipedia page with Egypt themed games, but I'll check this one as well and see what I can get out of it.

If in the mean time, anyone else has an idea, even vague ones - hit me up! I'll be around to answer :)
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Desert(!)/Pyramids(?) Expedition: Water, Torches, etc Management Isometric(?)-Sidescroller(?)-(Puzzle?) 1990-1995ish PC

Post by MrFlibble »

stranded_fox wrote: Year is about 1990 to maybe 1995. Graphics are pixel art-ish, but the perspective is blurry in my head. It might have been isometric, thou I doubt it.
Better yet maybe sidescroller once you entered a pyramid? Not super sure about the pyramid part, but then again, what could you explore else in the desert...
Let's say it was something close to Spellcraft aspects of valor. From a quality/detail level perspective, maybe even a bit better. Not meant to imply that the perspective was the same as in Spellcraft.
Let's try this as the starting point, since I have no better ideas for now. Here are lists of DOS and Windows isometric action and adventure games:
https://www.mobygames.com/browse/games/ ... ames/x,25/
https://www.mobygames.com/browse/games/ ... ames/x,25/
https://www.mobygames.com/browse/games/ ... ames/x,25/
https://www.mobygames.com/browse/games/ ... ames/x,25/

I know these lists are kinda big, but at least here we have a more or less concrete feature to cling to.
stranded_fox
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Desert(!)/Pyramids(?) Expedition: Water, Torches, etc Management Isometric(?)-Sidescroller(?)-(Puzzle?) 1990-1995ish PC

Post by stranded_fox »

YES - I FOUND IT.

I took the lists you posted and went through them. Lucky for me you didn't apply a year filter, because the game is from 1999

It's called Dark Secrets of Africa


68747470733a2f2f7777772e796f75747562652e636f6d2f77617463683f763d477141367a563472464241
-> above youtube video

68747470733a2f2f7777772e6d6f627967616d65732e636f6d2f67616d652f77696e646f77732f6461726b2d736563726574732d6f662d6166726963612f73637265656e73686f7473
-> this is the link to moby games with the game

just search for an online hex to text string and clear white-spaces before and after the hex.
(I couldn't post the links because my account is too new)


Man... it's so interesting how the mind plays tricks on you. At first I wasn't even sure it was this one. But then the water, the torches, the helpers, the desert.... only inconsistency is that I thought when you travel, you go in a map-travel mode of some sort. But there doesn't seem to be a transition in this sense. You just transition from world to tomb map.
Strangely enough, the title did give me a hint that this could be it - it resonated.

And the graphics - they look way better than I remembered them! No wonder my mind kept on the game, it most of created a great impression on me back then. And it's got some interesting mechanics with helpers and such. But on a weird note, I can't recollect much of the game; it's like seeing it for the first time somehow. But I'm very very sure this was the one I was talking about.


I must tell you, this was a very long shot - I'm surprised I found it. I was actually close to giving up. Thank you, you two for your help, and I hope in turn this too will give you a sort of satisfaction. It's now interesting to read my initial description of what I thought and match it with the real thing.


Again, thanks and I wish you guys best of luck on your own endeavours!
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Desert(!)/Pyramids(?) Expedition: Water, Torches, etc Management Isometric(?)-Sidescroller(?)-(Puzzle?) 1990-1995ish PC

Post by Rwolf »

Good that you found it; and we can usually add a link to Mobygames if you cannot, so no need for complex hex-ascii conversions.

https://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/ ... -of-africa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqA6zV4rFBA
stranded_fox
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Desert(!)/Pyramids(?) Expedition: Water, Torches, etc Management Isometric(?)-Sidescroller(?)-(Puzzle?) 1990-1995ish PC

Post by stranded_fox »

I wanted to add the links, but I can't - said my account was too new.
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Desert/Pyramids Expedition Management Isometric-Sidescroller-Puzzle 1990-95ish PC [Dark Secrets of Africa]

Post by MrFlibble »

I'm glad that MobyGames once again helps to identify a game :)

That's one fine-looking game I should say. Some visuals remind me of Albion and Entomorph, but the developers behind this are actually the same people who made Clif Danger. Who knew!
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Rwolf
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Desert/Pyramids Expedition Management Isometric-Sidescroller-Puzzle 1990-95ish PC [Dark Secrets of Africa]

Post by Rwolf »

Yeah, I started looking at the youtube video, but it was 6hrs, so I had to skip a bit, what I saw was very nice I say.

The web link posting limitation for new users is just to avoid some of the spam that gets through.
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