And what they are, are open to your own viewpoint after taking into consideration Flotsam's opening comments! :

".....It isn't meant to be a list of the 20 best games of all time. It isn't meant to be Adventure Game 101. It might end up being both those things, but first and foremost it is a list of games that you would recommend to someone else to play.
For that reason, you might not include something that is notoriously difficult to get to run, or which has clunky graphics by today's standard, or has no sound apart from a tinny midi soundtrack. You might not recommend a game that you found awesomely wonderful on the basis that no one else has your particularly strange sense of appreciation. You might not recommend every Myst clone you have ever played because even though they are your passion, a whole list of them might be, well, a little dull.
Or you might - many players have old game rigs and there are numerous programmes that help get old games to run on new machines, who said you need flashy graphics to tell a good story, and perhaps elaborate soundtracks simply cover up the flaws in a bad script. There might be someone out there just like you who doesn't know about your awesome game, and too many Myst games is actually never enough.
The point is its up to you - if you think a game you have played is worth recommending to someone else to play, you can put it on your list......"

My question was WHY put those old games on the list and orchgamer gave a very good answer.
However, I'm not sure that a creative mind can use past games as a guide to what makes a game a favorite among many gamers, while other games don't even get a mention. Sometimes it is more a matter of luck than anything else, methinks. Like being in the right place at the right time or whatever. People have a way of jumping on the bandwagon of anything (movies, books, TV series) that gets a lot of publicity or word of mouth attention. They want to be "in the know" and go with the latest trend, regardless of its worth, that's immaterial. In other words, the media makes the choice and people copy it and think it is their own idea. Group think never is! However, it is safe and people do like that, nobody wants to stick their own neck out and be thought a fool. Not counting me, of course.
For those who are not even playing the new games, or have them in their "to be played" pile, the list is nothing but nostalgia for the good old days they so fondly remember.

Before this thread might get closed because the same old arguments seem to be starting up again ....

I just want to say that I, personally, don't choose ANY of the games on my list with developers in mind AT ALL.
And I don't understand why "developers" keep being dragged up in relation to it anyway.
The List was surely not conceived and instigated as a "message to developers"

With that in mind, I make a list which recommends particular games because I enjoyed playing them myself and feel that others might also.

[And whether the game is old or new, easily available or not, isn't a consideration because if a person really wants to play a game they will search for and somehow find a version and play it !! ]

Nor are my old games just pure nostalgia. I replay them constantly - between the newer and new games which may or may not in time also become treasured oldies themselves

And I certainly don't "jump on bandwagons"
I have a mind of my own and I have always used it to make my own decisions

There are over a thousand old games and, ehh, less newer ones.
A reason for recommending could also be to direct attention to a game that might stay unnoticed between all the famous ones.
I never thought of trying Return to Zork, but it appeared a few times already, so I might check it out (if I ever find it).
Personally I hope to find recommendations like that in the list.

I'm not sure yet if I will compile my list that way though. Somehow it feels better if it's just the 20 games I enjoyed most.
On the other hand, my taste in games is not shared by most, so maybe I should recommend the very few games I disliked (Gabriel Knight 3, Syberia)? I'm the one that thinks Escape from Monkey Island is the best in the series and The Sacred Rings surpassed Aura...
Decisions.

Anyway, to (not really) answer the original question: if I could list only one game it would be a tie between The Pandora Directive and Gabriel Knight 2.

Everybody's list is a personal and subjective group of games that they enjoyed enough to recommend to others. Trying to defend a list is like trying to defend a review. It is an opinion, and as such has as much value as everybody elses opinion. What criteria the list makers use is personal too. Nostalgia, technical issues, best puzzles, good voice acting, new games. etc. - it doesn't matter. The end result is having a say in this compilation that Flotsam generously donates time to. We are the one of the few (if not the only) adventure forum to do this. Let's be happy that we all have our say our way.

I agree colpet

And I am very happy too

So you still have a lot of bandwagons there in merry old England Mad?

A surprise for me is the amount of Syberia 2 votes. I found the first Syberia to be a very good game but I found number two a little dull. I also was thinking that Tunguska would get more votes.

"So you still have a lot of bandwagons there in merry old England Mad? "

Geo !!!!

There's at least another 2 weeks to go yet Gandalf!, so more votes for Tunguska may turn up or if not I think it's done okay in previous lists?

The best adventure games for is either TLJ or Overclocked.

Both games have the courage and the audacity to demand something of the gamers that play them; they're also somewhat creative, daring to try new things in adventure game genre. I like that

Well, that was fun reading, but jeepers, I thought all along that we gamers were of one mind in trying to get more people interested in adventure games and helping developers to put out the best games possible. That was a given, I thought, with everything else being ideas, opinions, and personal experiences which by its nature would have a lot of variety snd differences. I see no value in going backwards and frankly, I'm getting tired of good old Gabriel Knight. I even think that Jane Jensen would be happier if gamers moved on and let Gabe rest in peace. I'm sure if she was as crazy about making another GK game as some gamers are to play one, it would have been made already. Please, think about that for a few minutes anyway.

Gandolf

If others are like me I view Syberia and Syberia II as one game. Due to the rules of the list they had to be listed as 2 games. I don't see Syberia II as a stand alone game if you didn't play the first one. Can't really see it as a series but a climax to an epic journey.

sierramindy, if the lists contain many older games (and I do not know), there must be a reason. Could it be that many newer games do not measure up to the mark compared to older games as far as Boomers are concerned? The fact that Boomers are enthusiastic about the "Tex Murphy" games being available for XP makes a statement. There are probably a dozen recent games that Boomers have already forgotten. I do not believe that you will attract many new adventure gamers to second-rate games just because they are new. If you wish me to support studios that produce "Moment," "Overclocked," "Experiment," "Lost Crown," I will do so with enthusiasm, but do not expect me to encourage the studio that developed the boring puzzle game "Nikopol."

Right on, Gobobby, nobody should list second rate (in their opinion) games as that would not be in the spirit of the list. All of the games on my list are top-notch games! I enjoyed each and every one wholeheartedly, every bit as much as I enjoyed Gabe, Guybrush, Rosella, King Graham, and last but not least Indy!
BTW, the lists have helped me to find a game that I had meant to play but never found it at Amazon at the time and then forgot about it. Belief and Betrayal and it was mentioned on several lists. I checked out Becky's review and it sounds like a game I will like, which is what I remember thinking way back when it was first released.

sierramindy,

Every year I look at the results of the list and I never fail to find a game that garnered many votes that I had missed somehow. One year it was Sanitarium, and another year it was Amber. I remember I had never heard of AmerZone until I saw the list one year. I think I first heard of Moment of Silence and Black Dahlia from the list too. I am looking forward to finding another hidden gem on this years list.

Every year I always pay special attention to other Boomers lists who seem to share the same gaming interests as I do. I seem to like the third person games the best. The one thing I do know when the list is complete is that I am going to some extra cash for dealing with my serious case of baags.

I never did vote on the list, how do you place your votes?

Trinny, check the stickied topic near the top of the page - "2009 - The List Returns".

Thanks Rushes
I just now found it myself, I started at the bottom of the page and was working my way up. So I didn't see it at first.

I must say that I am surprised that Dreamfall does not seem to be getting many votes this year. I left it off my list this year but now I wish I would of voted for it.

I loved Dreamfall, Space Quest Fan, but have never included it in Flotsam's list because the interface is difficult & there are timed sequences. My view is that if The Longest Journey does well then perhaps players will be tempted to try!

I've been looking with interest at some of the older games that have been mentioned quite a few times in the lists! But I'm so far disappointed at the lack of enthusiasm for a lot of newer games - I can see that quite a few have been included in lists so far but not enough in comparison to the number that have been released over the last couple of years!

I had just as much difficulty in "leaving out" newer games as I did older ones - and I'm sure others did too ??

But I enjoyed more older ones so that's why there are more of them on my particular list

Gotta stay true to one's feelings

I like the older games for some reason. It also seems to me that the original game in a series is usually the best. I loved Syberia and Runaway but the sequels to these games were not very good at all. The one game I really wish that I had room on my list for was Secret Files 2.

chrissie,

I loved Dreamfall too but your right the keyboard and timed sequences did detract from the enjoyment of an otherwise excellent game.

Dreamfall's interface was not very good but the game was so good I had to include it on my list. I really am surprised that Syberia 2 is getting so many votes and that Gabriel Knight is getting so few. I would of guessed that Runaway would be more popular in the voting. What I really like about the list is that I find alot of games that I can read about in the reviews section of this website.