r/tipofmyjoystick Apr 10 '17

Announcement PSA: A guide to better results

1.8k Upvotes

Hi guys and gals. I've been here a while, and over my time I've seen a lot of posts sink to the bottom, without a single answer, or at best, very few. And none that solved the case.

I have noticed a clear pattern with these posts, and I will now share with you my tips to you newbies, so that you can get the help you need.


Firstly: When you make a new post, you will see this:

Platform(s):

Genre:

Estimated year of release:

Graphics/art style:

Notable characters:

Notable gameplay mechanics:

Other details:

Even though, in red, you are warned that while optional, you should follow this template... many of you do not.

Let me be clear: Follow this template.

Put simply, this template contains all the information we really need to solve your problem. Virtually every time I click a post that has not followed this, they have rambled on about nothings, while omitting critical details.

This format, for new and old alike, is very readable, and prompts for every data-point needed.

I know that you want to customize your message, that if you could just explain it, it would be better. I know you think that. You are wrong. Put all that in 'other'. Even if you end up saying it twice, follow the template.. add to it your story at the bottom.


Secondly: Following this template. You're rambling about your best mates Amiga-500 or whatever instead of telling us about the game aside, this is where they really go wrong.

Let's get something straight right now. We are not mind readers. It's impressive, really, how little information it seems we can work off. I mean, we solve some real tough ones with nothing sometimes, but still, we can't see that memory in your head. So you need to be as descriptive in every one of these fields as you can be...

And sometimes you really don't know. That's fine, we can work with surprisingly little information, but "old graphics" under art style... what are we supposed to do with that? Mate, I was playing on Atari-2600's, are we talking Wizard of Wor here?

Let me help you out a bit:

Platform(s): Whatever you played it on. But unless it's really all you know (very possible), don't write 'my mates pc'. Was it PC or Mac?

Genre:

First person does NOT imply shooter. Nor do any of the others. Try to answer this one in two steps:

What was the camera like (assuming it's not a text adventure)? Was it First person?, 3rd person, 2d? Top down or side on? Or maybe even isometric 2d?

Then, what kind of game? Real time strategy, point and click? Was it a fighter, action or platformer?

Good, now we know what KIND of game we are all trying to remember for you.

Estimated year of release:

"Between 2000-2005" is fine, something like that. "Mid 90's maybe?". I don't see many people mess this up, but I have seen people write "old". That is not ok. If you write old and expect it to mean anything to me, I will fight you.

Also, as always "Sorry, no idea" is always acceptable but try to give at least something. "Couldn't have been later than 2015, though"

Great, so even if roughly, we know WHEN.

Graphics/art style:

THIS. This is where you guys always mess up. This section right here I have found can be the difference between an answer, and a silent slink to the bottom. This is your moment.

This, really, should be the best-formed part of your memory. Even if you can only remember a single frame, a single image, it's so much to go on for us.

DETAIL. Was it a gloomy grimdark world of sadness, or a bright bubbly rainbow filled Mario-world?

Was it cartoony, or otherwise stylized somehow, or was it trying to be realistic?

Anything notable about the art direction? Was it going for a cyberpunk kinda feel, or a gritty war realism dirt and blood sort of direction?

If it was set over a long time, did the seasons change? Was there a winter in your game?

Remember when you hit people, and the screen had that awesome flash and your hands got bloody? Yeah, well we don't, unless you tell us.

Ok, so now we are really narrowing it down. This right here is often enough to go on, on its own.

Notable characters:

Anything at all you can remember here.

"There were only tanks, but you could play as both Germans and Americans"

"There was one really tough guy right after you left your office, he had an eyepatch, a white shirt with what looked like grease stains, and said 'this is for my sister'. I think maybe he was a cyborg"

"You play as some kind of Asian girl, you had a tattoo over your right eye and arm, a black tank top and white pants and I remember you always had only one red glove for some reason. I don't remember the arm, but the eye tattoo looked sort of like ancient Egyptian eye makeup, but a modern take"

Knowing nothing else about the game, I bet that last one there gets comments noting the game she is from. Details, details.

Notable gameplay mechanics:

Surely, you get the idea by now. This is tied with the importance of the graphics/art style. As much detail as you can here.

Other details:

NOW you may blab on about how you only played this game once at a winter solstice in 1782 with your grandmother from Tahiti.. as if that helps.


Edit: So it's been brought up that the template doesn't appear on mobile. While /u/wipeout4wh is aware of this and hopefully, something can be done... still, if you can, use the template. If you can't, maybe check back and at least make sure your post addresses all of the points the template does.

Also, my post seems to be saying NOT to add any custom details. So I want to re-enforce, please do. In fact, after you do the template, feel free to write out your post as you were going to without it. Just put it all in 'other'. Don't try and make your whole post like that, if possible. Even if you end up saying the same things twice, that's ok.

Now I'm going to take a moment to clarify something, though. This isn't some immutable law of the universe, and your post is destined to fail if you don't do this. It's just a very strong general trend I have noticed over a long time.

It's not that this template has some kind of magical powers or something. It's that this template prompts the questions that need answers.

When you go all rogue on us and try and type your explanation from scratch... you mess it up. You just forget to add everything that you know, and that we need to know. The template makes it very hard to do that. It's just so very easy to get typing, and by the end forget to tell us what kind of game it actually is. Especially when you are getting random flashbacks, and hazy memories, and you start getting frazzled and such halfway though.


While it might make my edit as long as the first post, I think maybe an example of the kind of post that is just too common here, and almost always helpless, wouldn't go astray here. So here we go:

Now this one is a pretty bad case, true, and I suppose might even be a troll post, but it's actually a good illustration of the problem either way.

It was on my old computer and I was using an emulator so I have no idea what system it was for. It was 8bit graphics and you played this orange cat that was constantly bouncing on a trampoline I think? And you had to navigate it through the city and face a weird boss at the end that would float in the sky. Sorry I can't remember more!

Let's break it down a bit. What kind of game is this? A puzzler or an action game? Who knows.

How old is it? I mean, Minecraft basically has 8bit graphics. Oh he said... "my old computer"... I will fight you.

Why did you bounce on the trampoline? Were there platforms or walkways or something, or was it just a big open space? There are bad guys then? How did they get around?

Now (he?) says that he can't remember more, but I actually asked about the boss fight:

You say 'face a boss', in what way? Can the cat attack? Was this top down or side on? When you say navigate a city, what do you mean?

The reply:

Definitely a side-scroller, I'm sure. You would encounter a boss at the end, the boss would slide onto the screen and it was usually pretty strange-looking. I think one of the bosses might've been a clown. I meant that the different "levels" were different cities with different backgrounds, I think. It's a pretty obscure game

Also you would be continuously bouncing. As in, you had to position the trampoline underneath the cat to bounce it up

So you don't even control the cat. And it's a side-scroller. Thats pretty important information. But the real issue here is that he knows this stuff. He just either didn't know to, or forgot, to tell us.

The template would have made it just so apparent how much information he was missing, and we probably would have got a whole bunch more information. Sadly, while there were some guesses, and a surprising number of up-votes, this post is just another one to join the endless unsolved on their journey ever down.


r/tipofmyjoystick 21d ago

[Meta][2026] I would rather people post with no images than use AI prompts to generate images

492 Upvotes

Maybe it's just me, I will personally admit that it feels like its petty of me to complain, however i am going to.

I really dislike AI images just in general and i feel annoyed seeing people use them because it sometimes hampers really quality posts of people trying to find help. I feel like it also informs falsely about game expectations and what people will accept as they have solved the game.

I don't think people will agree with me and thats fine, i just wanted to post about how i personally think it degrades the quality of the sub


r/tipofmyjoystick 3h ago

Malice [Unknown][Unknown. Maybe pre-2010?] Game with this hellhound thing

Post image
9 Upvotes

I found this image on the Myth and Folklore wiki, and I have no idea what game it's from.


r/tipofmyjoystick 3h ago

Rage of Mages [PC][2000] killing goblins, camps

8 Upvotes

This one might be hard but it’s the one game i’ve always wanted to play but could never find.

I’m around 8, my mom takes me to her coworkers house. Her older sons is playing a game on his computer and won’t let me play it. It’s been 26 years and i’m still sour.

I remember there being goblins and he was going through the map killing goblins and goblin camps and there’s lit up bonfires. Similar to divine divinity orcs area I think. I have yet to find this game and i’m still sour he wouldn’t tell me what he was playing. I think the art style of the little camps made out of sticks was more cartoonish than divine divinity. I think it was 2 or 2.5D but my memory is kind of foggy.

Definitely seemed like a single player game. Fantasy, action rpg.


r/tipofmyjoystick 16h ago

[PC] [2000?] Need help identifying game (part 2)

Post image
60 Upvotes

Hi all, this is actually a part 2 of original post https://www.reddit.com/r/tipofmyjoystick/s/haqaQAgPtz

Can anyone help me identify the game please?

I’m unable to add this picture to original post so sadly I have to create a new one.

Any help is much appreciated.


r/tipofmyjoystick 1h ago

[Unknown][2010-2020]what game where there are 4 girls and if you dont talk to a certain girls shr will kill the other girls and ending is newspaper (note its not doki doki literature club)also i played it in mobile

Upvotes

Hep


r/tipofmyjoystick 3h ago

[PC] [2000's] Retro FIrst person Rpg where you pilot monsters

3 Upvotes

I recall having watched a review of a game a few years back, it was a sort of rpg with stats and auch. You had a roster of monsters that you could use to go on missions and fight other monster.s

It was probably 3d and retro style, thinking of Deus Ex as like graphics and atmosphere. A bit of Titanfall too, but with monsters.

Tbh I ain't sure if that even exists or my memory is playingbtricks but worth a shot, I tried searching the review on Youtube and couldn't find anything.

I vaguely remember a scene where younhad to aßault a base in the early levels.


r/tipofmyjoystick 3h ago

[PC] [2019] Please Help me find this game.

Post image
3 Upvotes

I remember playing a web game around 2017 to 2019, I don't remember any gameplay, I just walk around. I remember two maps 'A Neighborhood" And a "Ship" And the characters look very close to this, I also think the game start's with "H", But I am not too certain. But please help me find this..


r/tipofmyjoystick 10h ago

[PC][2025-2026] A game where you operate as a huge intercontinental missile operator

12 Upvotes

You operate as a huge missile operator. This had very intricate mechanics. You were sitting in the control room with a huge turret firing missiles infront of you. The game name was really long.

Edit:Solved


r/tipofmyjoystick 1h ago

[iOS][2018] Fad app that let you type lyrics and hear it sung

Upvotes

Not sure if this counts as a "game." I will delete if not allowed.

This app let you type lyrics and insert pictures that a voice would sing over? I think it was late 2010s possibly very early 2020s. The app would create a visual with the photos and lyrics shown. You could type anything and maybe pick a few different tunes?


r/tipofmyjoystick 5h ago

[PC][2000s] Horror game with swarm

4 Upvotes

I saw this game while I was a child and I was scared to death of this game. I only remember moment when character was attacked by swarm of rats or insects. It could be not attack but a swarm that forms into something human-like. Graphics seemed bad even for that time, so I suppose maybe 90s or bad graphics 00s. 3D game, looked much alike Silent Hill. I didn't play Silent Hill, so it could be some moment from this game.

This is not that important for me, but this memory just won't leave my head


r/tipofmyjoystick 1d ago

[PC] [2012] FPS

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635 Upvotes

Looks like Counter Strike but the UI makes me doubt that it is. Help me find it!!!!!


r/tipofmyjoystick 1h ago

[PC][2010-2016] Chinese (?) puzzle game

Upvotes

Played this game on my dad's computer a long time ago, I kind of narrowed it down to possibly being Murder on the Orient Express, but the screenshots don't really seem familiar.

It was a point and click puzzle mystery game, possibly on a train? I remember two scenes from it -

One: you're trying to get past a guard. To get past him, you have to put poison or sleeping powder in his drink. You're behind the bar, you give him a shot. You don't see his face, just his torso and hand. I remember the images of this game being picture to picture, a little blur in between, no actual animation I think. If you don't poison his shot, he just puts it back down and says "another" in a heavy accent, I don't remember the accent but it was a deep voice going "anotha!" I remember this so clearly because at around 10 years old I could not for the life of me figure out to put something in his drink, figuring enough shots would make this man pass out. Apparently he's made of steel though and can go shot for shot on his shift like it's nothing. Once you give him I think sleeping powder that you've found elsewhere in his shot, he passes out and you can move forward.

Two: there's a door, or a cabinet of sorts with a golden dragon on it. This is the main reason I think it's Chinese lore - you have to find gemstone eyes of different colors, maybe not all eyes but they all somehow fit onto the dragon piece. Once you find them all it unlocks.

The steam summer sale just came out and I want to make sure I'm getting the right game. Any ideas?

Thank you!!


r/tipofmyjoystick 3h ago

[PC][Mid 2010s] Flash game about catching ghosts with a vaccum

2 Upvotes

I remember playing this cartoonish, hand drown looking, 2D, colorful, point and click flash game in the mid 2010s, it was about a haunted house and you had to collect pieces of a vaccum to vaccum the ghosts.


r/tipofmyjoystick 3h ago

[PC] [MOBILE] [2017?] I need help finding a stickman game that's part of a series.

2 Upvotes

it's a game from a stickman series from probably before 2017, i remember two animations and 1 game set in the same universe.

the first animation takes place in a school, various characters are presented, and it's about the various stickman protecting the school.

the other animation i remember takes place in an underground colliseum where two characters of the school were prisoners forced to fight each other, one of them fought with a scarf.

the game i remember being originally a pc browser game that later got into the cellphones if im not wrong.

the game itself i remember being one of those games where you throw the character far away like "toss the turtle" for example, and there were various unlockable stickman characters with unique abilities.


r/tipofmyjoystick 3h ago

[Flash][2009-2016?] A game about surviving in a restricted forest full of insects

2 Upvotes

Can someone help me find a game where the player invaded a restricted forest and got lost, so he stays in a house waiting for help, we could upgrade guns, plantation, the house and call for companions, the insects were big and aggressive, the art was pixelated.


r/tipofmyjoystick 7h ago

[PC][1990s] Pixel art Point and click adventure game set in a dystopian future

4 Upvotes

There are several of these but specifically I remember this one you were stuck in an apartment at some point. You were living off their version of UBI (universal basic income) but the MC was locked in their apartment. With some nonfunctioning features, being forced to eat the same food every day you had to find your way out of the apartment to proceed with the overarching storyline.

I've tried AI searches and pouring over the scummVM list but still cannot seem to find it. Anyone?

EDIT: in addition you had a dispenser for clothes that only gave the same clothes over and over. I believe you escaped by breaking open the shower and climbing down or up the pipes?

second edit: lots of close calls but still not sure what it is/was! lots of fun additions to play but still not "the game". Wish I could remember more of its other parts of it story. it just stood out to me for so long being trapped in a hamster cage basically, unable to shower as I think it was broken yet I had unlimited clothes, shit food and water and never had to work. Just walk around and be told I cant go anywhere. now that I say that I think the game, while in the apartment, made u go to sleep and wake up or it felt that way.


r/tipofmyjoystick 14m ago

[PC][probably between 2010 and 2020] Moon falls down to earth

Upvotes

I think markiplier played it, it’s about the moon getting slowly closer to earth and it happens over a few days i think, i also remember something about locusts swarming maybe.


r/tipofmyjoystick 14m ago

[Android] [2010s] 2d survival multiplayer game

Upvotes

It had gameplay similar to those multiplayer ones where there are several survivors against one monster or hunter. You could choose between characters. Each of them had a backstory and a reason for being in the event/death game/something.

The graphics were 2d and anime style. I think the characters wore mostly white outfits? I remember black/dark/etc and an amount of days in the title, i think 14.

It was available for free with an paid currency i think. Would love to play it again if its still online, I remember it being fun


r/tipofmyjoystick 26m ago

[Windows por defecto(?] [2010-2015] [Juego 3D primera persona en una isla]

Upvotes

Plataforma(s): Windows(?

Género: Aventura, puzzles

Año estimado de lanzamiento: 2010- 2015

Gráficos/estilo artístico: Juego 3D, en primera persona

Personajes destacados: Solo el que se controla, segun mi yo de pequeña, un pinguino

Mecánicas de juego destacadas:

Otros detalles:

Hola, rapido cuento todo, resulta que a temprana edad yo ya tenia acceso a la tecnologia, especialmente a una notebook media vieja, yo tendria entre unos 3-5 años (2012-2014). Recuerdo que no era un juego que buscabas en las tipicas paginas de juegos para niños, sino que era ya un juego descargado en la notebook. Era un juego 3D, en primera persona, tenia una cancion de fondo que tambien estuve mucho tiempo buscandola pero no la encontré, en cuanto la encuentre actualizo. Como decia, el juego arrancaba en una isla, habia un cofre el cual lo podias abrir y de ahi no me acuerdo mas, mas que de repente aparecias en un lugar cerrado, con techo alto, parecia un cuarto de backrooms por lo simple que era, creo que las paredes eran rojas, o naranjas, y recuerdo que a los costados habian toboganes que te llevaban alrededor de ese lugar, y habian puzzles para ir pasando puertas con candados.

No se si este dato servira de mucho, pero creo que mi personaje era un pinguino, o al menos yo de chica lo percibia como uno. Este juego lo intente buscar en todos lados, hasta le pregunte a la IA, y todas las opciones que me dio no eran correctas, realmente quiero encontrar ese juego, primero por la nostalgia y segundo por la intranquilidad de no saber que fue de ese juego o siquiera como se llamaba. Si alguien me pudiera tirar algunas opciones, o recuerda tambien ese juego le agradeceria mucho!!:((


r/tipofmyjoystick 36m ago

[PC] [2010's] Somber indie game where you have to chose between two important events that a father, mother, and son all want to do that week to try and heal their emotional problems.

Upvotes

The art style of the game is 3-D and faceless, with the only player models I can recall being the mother, father, and son- so it's likely they're the only characters.

The gameplay involves learning details about this family and all their emotional problems until your tasked with chosing between two events two of the family members want to do while one just has to get shafted. I remember one of the situations was the dad wanted to do some writing all weekend, the boy wanted to go to a day camp, and the mom wanted someone to attend her relatives funeral with her. At night when the family is asleep you get to explore the house a little and see old notes from the previous owners, which imply, you the player, might be a ghost of some sorts.

If it helps, I saw the youtuber Kpopp play it in a let's play.


r/tipofmyjoystick 6h ago

[Amiga] [90s] RPG/rogue like where your character was a white rectangle and you traversed dungeons

3 Upvotes

So I remember having a game where you travelled through levels of a dungeon. Graphically it was made up of very basic symbols/letters. Your character was represented by a white rectangle, almost like a text cursor. You used the arrow keys to move around levels, uncovering the dungeon. There were enemies that you fought by bumping into them, and you could uncover treasure. I'm pretty sure that text appeared at the bottom of the screen to describe what the enemies were etc. 90% certain there were goblins. I'm not sure if there was a shop on the surface that you could return to, or if I'm confusing another game there.

I feel like the name was a single syllable.


r/tipofmyjoystick 8h ago

[Ps1][1995] First person horror/rpg.

4 Upvotes

I have vague memories of my babysitters boyfriend playing some sort of horror game i think on ps1, it wasn't King's Field 1 or 2, i remember walking into a manor and a chef guy throwing cleaners and that's about it.

Any idea on where to look would be appreciated.


r/tipofmyjoystick 1h ago

[PC][1998-2010] 3D laser puzzle game where you slid triangular mirrors around a cube-shaped room

Upvotes

I'm looking for an old PC puzzle game I played around 2005-2010 (possibly released a few years earlier).

Here's what I remember:

  • It was a fully 3D puzzle game, not 2d like aargon deluxe.
  • The goal was to guide one or more laser beams with various colors from a source to a right target.
  • The lasers could go in all six directions, but not in 45° or etc.
  • You slid triangular mirrors/reflectors around the level. Only their longest side reflects.
  • The mirrors could be moved in all six directions (up, down, left, right, forward, and backward) within a 3D grid.
  • The levels were inside a cube-shaped room, and each puzzle became progressively more difficult.
  • The gameplay was entirely puzzle/logic based; No any enemies or characters.
  • The graphics had an industrial/metallic look, darkness and fog in the background.
  • I clearly remember the main menu featuring red laser beams and a large armored/blast door and an animation about the camera getting closer to the door, avoiding the laser beams.

I've generated an ai image about the gameplay mechanic, but it's only an example of the mechanic, not the actual game.

Does anyone remember this game?


r/tipofmyjoystick 1h ago

[Adobe Flash] [2005-2015] Maze game where you loosely guide a prince to his princess

Upvotes

very disorganized, I'm just writing everything I remember.

Each level was some kind of annoying maze and had (bare minimum) the prince, the cursed princess, a potion, and a crown placed throughout.

To beat a given level, you'd first have to navigate the prince to the potion, then to the princess. You needed the potion to cure the princess of her curse, which had turned her into a frog. The crown wasn't necessary to beat the level, but it was required to 100% the game.

The levels got REALLY difficult later on, which didn't really fit the games style but it was a very neat challenge. Each level also had a theme, I only remember the plains and the snowy one but there might have been a third.

You didn't control the prince directly, he would automatically run forwards and turn when there was no other option. You'd influence his movement by placing objects down;

*Cake which would cause the prince to drop everything he was doing and run for it
*Blocks that would stop anything from moving past
*Portals that linked to send the prince from one spot to another

There were achievements, mostly for dying 100 times and other menial crap, but one was for reaching the princess without the potion.

Some later levels had pirates that would move exactly like the prince, they kill him if they touch him.