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After a couple weeks, we're finally onto Round 2! All the winning puzzle from the previous round are moving on, so once again, cast your votes. In a week, I'll count them all up and continue to Round 3, unless there's only a couple votes again, in which case we wait again. We'll see what happens. I've rambled enough. Here's the new battles:

1. "QFG2: The WIT Trials" vs. "GK3: Le Serpent Rouge"
2. "GK2: Wagner's Lost Opera" vs. "Shivers: The Pinball Puzzle"
3. "KQ6: The Cliffs of Logic" vs. "KQ6: The Five Gnomes"
4. "GK1: 12 and 3 and Turn the Key" vs. "PQ2: The Time Bomb"
5. "QFG2: Julanar" vs. "KQ6: The Catacombs"
6. "KQ6: Death's Challenge" vs. "SQ5: Roger vs. WD-40"
7. "KQ3: Defeating Manannan" vs. "SQ2: HOLD BREATH"
8. "QFG2: Trial by Fire" vs. "GK1: The Schattenjager Rituals"

The voting begins when Gabriel dons the cat mustache...



...and go!

I'm digging the slightly sarcastic theme for the round start puzzles!

I love Gabe's moustache. It's so bizarre!
Anyway, not a tough battle in the bunch for me, so:
1. "GK3: Le Serpent Rouge"
Best Puzzle Ever.

2. "Shivers: The Pinball Puzzle"
Okay, it's a slider, but I did spend quite a bit of time solving it. Unlike collecting the scrolls, which, as poetic as it was, was just a case of "follow the leader".

3. "KQ6: The Five Gnomes"
Funny! And solvable with a touchpad!

4. "GK1: 12 and 3 and Turn the Key"
Took me some time to figure this one out, it's nice and sneaky and atmospheric and easy once you know how.

5. "KQ6: The Catacombs"
Lovely atmospheric maze. But still a maze.

6. "KQ6: Death's Challenge"
Besides the strength of the idea of beating Death himself, I love how many things you can show to Death and provoke a reaction. Though the scythe is a bit disappointing: would've loved a Battle Of The Scythes à la Domino vs Manny in Grim Fandango there. Oh well...

7. "KQ3: Defeating Manannan"
Wins because it has kittens.

8. "GK1: The Schattenjager Rituals"

1. GK3: Le Serpent Rouge (Best puzzle ever, I agree.)

2. GK2: Wagner's Lost Opera

3. KQ6: The Cliffs of Logic

4. PQ2: The Time Bomb

5. QFG2: Julanar

6. KQ6: Death's Challenge

7. KQ3: Defeating Manannan

8. GK1: The Schattenjager Rituals

All right! Again, sorry for only voting on a few of these. I really need to keep going into Gabriel Knight, it seems to have a lot of great puzzles!

3. "KQ6: The Cliffs of Logic" vs. "KQ6: The Five Gnomes"

The five gnomes by a landslide. Their puzzles were awesome, funny, and logical. The cliffs, on the other hand... They are very good for copy protection. I'll give them that. They still annoy me though, because they are copy protection, with some not even being more than looking up the answer in the manual.

5. "QFG2: Julanar" vs. "KQ6: The Catacombs"

These are both great, but I'll pick Julanar. That series of puzzles had such an interesting story behind them, and fulfilling each task genuinely felt like an accomplishment.

7. "KQ3: Defeating Manannan" vs. "SQ2: HOLD BREATH"

Manannan for sure. This is another hard-fought and incredibly satisfying puzzles to complete, while I don't really like the idea behind 'hold breath'.

1. "GK3: Le Serpent Rouge"
2. "GK2: Wagner's Lost Opera"
3. "KQ6: The Cliffs of Logic"
4. "PQ2: The Time Bomb"
5. "QFG2: Julanar"
6. "KQ6: Death's Challenge"
7. "KQ3: Defeating Manannan"
8. "GK1: The Schattenjager Rituals"

1. "GK3: Le Serpent Rouge": I really like the WIT Trials for their creativity, but I think I'll give this one to Le Serpent Rouge just for the scope of the puzzle itself. It's not often that a single puzzle encompasses an entire game and requires you to get off your computer and drive around the countryside for clues on solving it.

2. "GK2: Wagner's Lost Opera": Again, I'll side with GK on this, since finding the Lost Opera is a story-based puzzle and the pinball puzzle is more like casual gaming.

3. "KQ6: The Five Gnomes": Ouch. I love both of these. The Cliffs of Logic has a great style to it, but the Gnomes is again, a perfect introductory puzzle for non-adventure gamers. It's not too hard or easy, and I love letting newbies solve it when we play KQ6 together since they don't rage quit every time they get it wrong.

4. "PQ2: The Time Bomb": I'll give this to PQ2. On one hand, you could learn a few German words. On the other, you could save a plane from an unrelated terrorist plot on your way to L.A. to save your wife...fiancee? Girlfriend? ...Marie! Dang. I need to play these games again.

5. "KQ6: The Catacombs": Julunar is a lovely puzzle, but I'm a hardcore fan-boy of the catacombs. It's mapped out in my head, and the atmosphere for solving it is so tense and suspenseful that it's almost my favorite part of any adventure game ever. It's in my Top 5 moments at least. I just need to make a Top 5 list now.

6. "KQ6: Death's Challenge": Sorry, but Roger vs. Death is pretty much a one-sided battle. Just like the catacombs, this is a puzzle that keeps my eyes glued to the screen with my mouth agape. Once you've made Death cry, every other puzzle almost pales by comparison.

7. "SQ2: HOLD BREATH": I'm sure Manannan will win this one, so I'll just root for my personal underdog. Holding your breath before diving is a fantastic piece of puzzle-solving satire.

8. "GK1: The Schattenjager Rituals": Guess I'll go with GK! I like the idea of solving puzzles for the bad guy, but GK1 got you solving the puzzle by taunting you with the Schattenjager mythos so that when you saw the pictures in the chapel, you just HAD to solve it.

Oh... this is becoming tough!

1. "QFG2: The WIT Trials" vs. "GK3: Le Serpent Rouge"

GK3 Le Serpent Rouge. I'm going to be replaying GK3 soon just to re-experience this baby again!

2. "GK2: Wagner's Lost Opera" vs. "Shivers: The Pinball Puzzle"


GK2 Wagner's Lost Opera. Didn't vote for this one last time, but it's definitely a great one and better than Shiver's

3. "KQ6: The Cliffs of Logic" vs. "KQ6: The Five Gnomes"

The Five Gnomes, absolutely.

4. "GK1: 12 and 3 and Turn the Key" vs. "PQ2: The Time Bomb"

A bit unfair, but I'll go with the Turn the Key. I don't remember the Time Bomb much.

5. "QFG2: Julanar" vs. "KQ6: The Catacombs"

Oh man tough choice. I'll go with King's Quest VI here.

6. "KQ6: Death's Challenge" vs. "SQ5: Roger vs. WD-40"

Definitely KQ6 on this one. Death's Challenge is and always will be awesome.

7. "KQ3: Defeating Manannan" vs. "SQ2: HOLD BREATH"

I'll go with defeating Manannan here, just because it's so awesome.

8. "QFG2: Trial by Fire" vs. "GK1: The Schattenjager Rituals"

The Schattenjagger Rituals, definitely.


Is this just becoming a "What is Jane Jensen's best puzzle" game?

Is this just becoming a "What is Jane Jensen's best puzzle" game?

If the winners from previous tournaments are any indication.... maybe!

1. "QFG2: The WIT Trials"
2. "GK2: Wagner's Lost Opera"
3. "KQ6: The Five Gnomes"
4. "PQ2: The Time Bomb"
5. "QFG2: Julanar"
6. "KQ6: Death's Challenge"
7. "KQ3: Defeating Manannan"
8. "QFG2: Trial by Fire"

It's been too long, so I'll wrap it up here! Tallying it up...

THE RESULTS ARE:

1. Gabriel Knight 3 - Le Serpent Rouge
2. Gabriel Knight 2 - Wagner's Lost Opera
3. King's Quest 6 - The Five Gnomes
4. Police Quest 2 - The Time Bomb
5. Quest for Glory 2 - Julanar
6. King's Quest 6 - Death's Challenge
7. King's Quest 3 - Defeating Manannan
8. Gabriel Knight 1 - The Schattenjäger Rituals

There were a couple close battles in there. Both the Time Bomb and the Julanar puzzles barely squeezed by, but the rest were practically landslides. So now, only three non-Jane Jensen puzzles remain! New tournament up shortly.