How Ron Gilbert would maybe make a new Monkey Island game

IF…. he did. IF

With The Cave released and Ron Gilbert departing Double Fine for pastures new, he’s had some time to reflect on maybe his most cherished legacy, Monkey Island. In a blog post, Ron speculates how he’d design a new Monkey Island game if  it were to happen. I’ll let that sink in for a second; Ron has no plans to make another Monkey Island game. Okay?

In his post, Ron describes this theoretical game as real old-school point-‘n-click, for hardcore adventure fans. “No tutorials or hint systems or pansy-assed puzzles… You’re going to get stuck. You’re going to be frustrated,” writes Ron. “It would be an adventure game for the hardcore.”

Ron also mentions how he would make the game with a small team, use pixel graphics but with some modern visual effects thrown in, and make the game fully voiced. He also mentions the sticky situation of the rights to the IP: “The only way I would or could make another Monkey Island is if I owned the IP. I’ve spent too much of my life creating and making things other people own.”

With the dissolution of LucasArts, maybe the time is right for Ron to reclaim Monkey Island and add a new chapter to the series. Wouldn’t it be cool if Ron signed off his PAX Australia keynote with an announcement?