Steam your own hams, LucasArts style in this fan-made Simpsons adventure game
Look at: Aurora Borealis.
It might be a little behind the curve, but a free indie adventure game has proven there's still plenty life to be found in 2018's hottest meme.
Developed by neodement and inspired by games like Day of the Tentacle, Steamed Hams: The Graphic Adventure reimagines the classic Simpsons short as a LucasArts-style adventure. Answer the door, ruin your roast, and perform isometric exercises in period-appropriate low-res stylings. It's a loving rendition, too, compressing the show's dialogue and tweaking the pacing to give it that perfect, stilted, early-90s feel.
As Skinner, you're guided through the skit using an arsenal of classic adventure game commands. Use "Open" on the door to let Chalmers in, "Look" out the window to eye up some fast food. You'll also occasionally get dialogue choices, though sadly you can't pull Skinner very far off course.
Really, that's the thing that would have cemented this daft wee game's period accuracy—the ability to unfairly or cruelly fail the skit by, say, putting Skinner's head in the oven or failing to adequately convince Chalmers that "steamed hams" really is an Albany expression.
That said, Steamed Hams: The Graphic Adventure is a loving wee rendition of a timeless comedy moment, and well worth a quick download over on gamejolt.
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20 years ago, Nat played Jet Set Radio Future for the first time, and she's not stopped thinking about games since. Joining PC Gamer in 2020, she comes from three years of freelance reporting at Rock Paper Shotgun, Waypoint, VG247 and more. Embedded in the European indie scene and a part-time game developer herself, Nat is always looking for a new curiosity to scream about—whether it's the next best indie darling, or simply someone modding a Scotmid into Black Mesa. She also unofficially appears in Apex Legends under the pseudonym Horizon.