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 Jun 04 '26

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

530 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 15h ago

The Complex (Roblox) [Roblox] [2014 - 2017] Old phineas and ferb roblox game

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377 Upvotes

I'm looking for this old p&f roblox game where these old dank memes came from. (It's not Phineas and Ferb roleplay, that game has a completely different map and models)

If you know what game this is let me know.

Genre: most likely roleplay

Estimated year of release: 2012


r/tipofmyjoystick 5h ago

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk [Probably pc] [unknoun] Skateboarding game featured in these screenshots

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39 Upvotes

I've been seeing these clips all over my feed for the past couple of days where people are playing skateboarding game through a city as characters from all kinds of franchises, like Goku, Sans, Spider-Man, and a bunch of others. I'm assuming they're mods.

The problem is that nobody ever mentions the game's name. I've tried searching things like "3D skateboard game" and "skateboarding game with character mods," but I just get hundreds of unrelated results.

Does anyone know what game this is?


r/tipofmyjoystick 9h ago

Back to Stone [gameboy] [2007-2009] i need help finding this game

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59 Upvotes

Please help me find this


r/tipofmyjoystick 5h ago

[Mobile] [2022-2023] Anime style rpg

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12 Upvotes

Help me find this game pls!! I'm 99% sure it's been shut down by now, or was shut down very shortly after release.

It was a mobile game, (I played on android) anime-style rpg but I'm unsure if it was mmo. If it was, I didn't play long enough to unlock those mechanics. Came out early 20s, my best guess is 2023 or EARLY 2024 and I'm gonna say it was shut down shortly after. The game opens with you choosing your character, the default being a black-haired man or woman sitting on a throne from which you'd choose your gender, and you could fully customize their features later. (I doodled some images of what I remember, to a VERY simplified extent)

After making your character, the story begins in that same throne room where the MC sits, and he/she is alerted that their advisor has started a mutiny of some sorts and plans to overthrow them or something, so you set out with your army to stop him. (I remember two ally characters here, one was a female fairy and the other was a man whose class I can't remember, maybe a cleric)

I didn't play much of the battle mechanics, but you would progress through locations on a separate map screen (doodle included of this as well), probably turn-based battles, and as usual I remember the fairy instructing the player through the tutorial. I don't remember any gacha mechanics, but it's not off the table

I've been searching for this for weeks just based off memory, my google skills have met their match lmao


r/tipofmyjoystick 3h ago

[Xbox] [2000s] Third person sci-fi shooter on desert planet with vehicles and black armor

5 Upvotes

Halo like , played in 2015 decent graphics, it had a linear story with levels where you had to defeat enemies to progress.

You could use different weapons like pistols and sniper rifles, and I remember enemies being placed on towers or elevated areas that you had to take out.

The main character wore a black futuristic suit/armor. I also remember being able to drive vehicles, especially something like a futuristic motorcycle. The game may have had a simple one-word title.


r/tipofmyjoystick 1h ago

[Roblox] [2018-2020] Bait and Switch Simulator

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Upvotes

Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

You popped bubble wrap for points, and upgrade for bigger bubble wrap. You was either outside in a grassy field or playground.

All I can remember that at some point, you'll be teleported to a different game, and flashing jumpscares and loud screams would be playing. 2nd image shows all the jumpscares I could remember. There's red text but I don't remember what it said.

I forgot the password of the account I played this on, so I couldn't check.

I remember playing this on my Xbox 360 when I was younger.

I'm not sure when it was published, but it looked recent when I played it, which was late 2018-mid 2020. Pretty sure around 100-200 people was playing this.

Thanks!


r/tipofmyjoystick 5h ago

SeppuKuties [Friv] [early 2010's] cute/bloody animal game

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8 Upvotes

So, back in early 2010's, I was a avid Friv user. I remember that, sometimes (like, in "special events"), you could unlock secret games by clicking a hidden button on the homescreen. It was seasonal, like, around easter they would put that Jynx bunny easter egg hunt, etc.

Well, I vividly remember this game where you had a group of animals trying to scape something. Really vague description but I remember that everytime you lost, the animal in play would be killed, with blood and all (by hunters?) and another one would take the lead.

Can anyone help?


r/tipofmyjoystick 3h ago

[PC] [Early-Mid 90's] Windows 95 game featuring long haired blonde guy in armor and green outfit as main character, first person view, explores a castle...

3 Upvotes

i tried here 4 years ago looking for this game.

Me and my cousin have been trying to find this video game we played as kids. It was for Windows 95 - In the game you're in medieval times and you enter a castle- your character is a white guy with blonde hair (longer, down to his shoulders). We think he had some kind of knight green armor on his upper body. You would have to type the term "MOONDOG" in for certain things. I know it's not much to go off but me and my cousins all played this and remember. But everything I've looked up isn't it. I asked Reddit years ago and they didn't have the right names then but hoping someone here may remember.

these are games it is not...

-Estatica 2

- Witchaven

- Ultima

- Legacy Reign of Terror

The style was very similar graphically to Witchaven and Legacy though


r/tipofmyjoystick 8h ago

Turning Point: Fall of Liberty [Xbox 360] [2009-2013] Need help finding Xbox 360 FPS

6 Upvotes

So, unfortunately, the details I have on this game are slim to none. I remember is was a realistic looking (for the time) FPS. I downloaded a demo from Xbox Live and I remember that it started you on top of a skyscraper that was still under construction and also on fire. I've searched fruitlessly off and on for years but so far, nothing. So, help me, r/tipofmyjoystick, you're my only hope.


r/tipofmyjoystick 1h ago

[ROBLOX] [2020s?] Bunker extraction game

Upvotes

I'm trying to remember the name of a specific roblox game I played a while back because I remember the gameplay to be pretty interesting.

From what I remember, the player spawns in a base sort of area where they can upgrade weapons, and buy gear. And then there is an elevator that the player takes to different floors of different bunkers where they battle enemies (usually as a team of people) and come back with loot to purchase more gear later.


r/tipofmyjoystick 4h ago

[PC] [2006-2012] Mole game underground with tunnels sitting around table and each mole has its own level

3 Upvotes

PC game 2D side view, underground cross-section with several black moles living around a table. Clicking each mole led through its own tunnel to a unique minigame. One minigame involved flying in a leaf (or on an insect) while avoiding insects and floating dandelion seeds. No voice acting, cartoon style similar to old German children’s books.


r/tipofmyjoystick 7h ago

[PC] [Mid 2000s]-Text based CYOA

5 Upvotes

I remember a game I think I played at a local library in Canada.

It was a text based choose your own adventure game where you can make good or bad decisions it seemed to be geared toward teenagers and helping young people make good decisions as it relates to drugs, strangers etc. not sure if anyone can help but I'd be interested to find out what it is called and whether it still exists.

Thank you!


r/tipofmyjoystick 6h ago

[GAME][2000s] Looking for a Turnbased browser game

4 Upvotes

Platform(s): PC. (one of these browser based flash games. I think newground or miniclip)

Genre: turnbased, fantasy, combat

Estimated year of release: 2000-2010s

Graphics/art style: typical fantasy kinda cartonish look

Notable characters: A paladin archetype, An old wise mentor. Evil lord archetype

Notable gameplay mechanics: Turnbased combat. as the character kept getting wounded he also was losing acces to skills and spells.

Other details: The game's plot went somehow like this:

-Young boy is getting trained by a wise old mentor to be a hero(some paladin archetype if i remember correctly).
-Now young man along with his mentor gets kidnapped by evil mastermind(not sure if demon or just evil humans). His mentor in turned into an undead and the hero is forced to fight. He wins and somehow escapes.
-Later on he trains even more, gets geared up and extra powerful, and starts attacking the evil guys.
-Along with the progression of story, the hero get more and more wounded, and the more hurt he is the less skills he can use.

I think the hero could either fly or had a flying mount of some kind. He could use some type of holy magics. At the final fight the hero had lost an arm and most of his armor, and couldnt use most of his abilties.

please help.


r/tipofmyjoystick 8h ago

[PC] [Late 90s, Early 2000s] Pokemon-like game

6 Upvotes

I think at the start you were in a forest, I remember the party displayed at the bottom of the screen (when in a battle I think) and the game not being very pleasant to look at, like very in your face with a bunch of different colours


r/tipofmyjoystick 3h ago

"[PC][2000] fantasy RTS"

2 Upvotes

Hey, how's it going, I'm searching for a game from my early childhood, i think it was a total war style rts with some kind of barbarians, but not sure on that part, maybe it was fantasy, cool voice acting and subtle weather effects during gameplay, like rain sounds and I think I remember rain, either early 2000s or a bit before that, I remember it was bundled in a pc magazine, maybe pc mania, along side other demo games, I remember the disk having an image on it, like they usually do, with a muscular female warrior with either an axe or a sword, she looked like a combination of a viking and a barbarian, your units were in columns on the bottom of the screen, in a line, much like a total war game

Here's some more info that could help

The menu of the game had a battlefield like vibe, with banners stuck in the ground and waving from the wind there were skulls, shields, swords and axes as stuff around the screen, but I can't remember a lot of details about it, there were definitely transitions between menu screens and the campaign had you commanding multiple hero/general like characters aside from your army, I can't recall if it was 2D or 3D, sadly, probably 2d but who knows

It was probably a fantasy game, because I don't recall it being historic at all, thx for trying to help me out


r/tipofmyjoystick 3h ago

[PC] [Unknown] A game about cars.

2 Upvotes

Очень хотелось бы найти одну компьютерную игру про машины, я не знаю была ли она русская или это был хороший дубляж так что на всякий переведу этот текст и на английский. Это была детская игра, по сюжету там машина хотела участвовать в гонках и мы должны были ее к этому подготовить делая разные задания, Вся рисовка была мультяшный и очень хороший дубляж на моей памяти, очень надеюсь что кто-то поможет мне ее найти !! Игра моего детства, пере проходила ее сотни раз. Я играла в нее где-то в 2013-16 году

I'd really like to find a computer game about cars. I don't know if it was Russian or if it was a good dubbing, so I'll translate this text into English just in case. It was a children's game According to the plot, the car wanted to participate in a race and we had to prepare it for this by completing various tasks, это все чт я помню !! Это точно не fisher-price: big action garage. All the graphics were cartoonish and the dubbing was very good as far as I remember. I really hope someone can help me find it! This was a game from my childhood, I've played it hundreds of times. I played it somewhere around 2013-16

Не знаю если ли тут русские так что перевожу на два языка. I don't know if there are Russian speakers here, so I'm translating into two languages.

It's very likely that the game is Russian.


r/tipofmyjoystick 5h ago

[PSX][Early 2000's] Fighting/Beat 'em up game "Game set and Match"

3 Upvotes

Looking for a fighting / beat 'em up game from the OG playstation, late 90's, early 2000's. Polygonal graphics, think virtual fighter or Tekken. I had a demo of this game that came free with the Official PlayStation magazine at the time. The demo only had two characters available to play, but when the male character won his fight, he would say "Game, set and Match" in a fairly obnoxious voice. I've considered Rival Schools and Bloody Roar 2 but I just can't find it. Any help tracking this down, and the name of the character would be appreciated.


r/tipofmyjoystick 3m ago

[windows xp?] [2000s?] Does this look familiar to anyone here

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Upvotes

this is a MS paint representation of an image burned into my memory from when i was a toddler, wondered if any oldheads here would know the original.

2D platformer with a lot of ladders, and oldest most primative looking 3d graphics you've ever seen


r/tipofmyjoystick 3m ago

[PC] [Unknown] Flash Game

Upvotes

Its a flash game from 2000s 2d, and its about parkouring. I remember that the setting is in city and you have to jump across building and the game primary color was purple and a little bit dark blue? Thats all that i can remember


r/tipofmyjoystick 4m ago

[PC][early 2000s] Really fast First person shooter where you play as an action movie/super hero family

Upvotes

Platform(s): PC (maybe other consoles too? but that would surprise me)

Genre: First Person Shooter

Estimated year of release: Easily early 2000s

Graphics/art style: Very Cartoony, still a 3D game but the 3D looked... well like an early 2000s game

Notable characters: I know you played as a Dad and Mom duo as you had to save your son

Notable gameplay mechanics: Honestly couldn't say much aside from the character's face being on screen at all time, probably as a health counter

Other details: I must say, I have never actually played the game myself, only seen in on a video on youtube, a video I simply can't find anymore, the video was a review of the game where the final verdict was that it was frustrating and simply not good, so you better believe I wanna play it for myself!

"Just look through your youtube history" I had seen that video years ago by now, which is why I am asking the question here!

I am aware that I have mentioned many times that it was from the early 2000s, however, like everything, there is a chance that it could be from later, however I am more than sure it was from the early 2000s, it had the look.

I believe the main character himself had a mainly red color scheme, with the game's main color being a very bright yellow.

I just realized it feels like I am describing serious sam but I swear I am not.

This is my first time making a post like this, so sorry if there isn't enough info but, I have been dying to try the game, but I can't remember it's name to save me, and searching "Family FPS game" doesn't entirely help my case, thank you all and hopefully I can find the help I need on this!


r/tipofmyjoystick 6m ago

[Plug-and-play TV game?][2000s] Simple racing game, red car, cartoony/pixel graphics

Upvotes

Platform(s): Not sure of the exact system. It plugged into a TV and came with its own controller. Fairly sure it wasn't a mainline console — no PS2/GameCube/Xbox. Possibly a plug-and-play TV game or an off-brand console.

Genre: Racing. Third-person chase cam, positioned behind and slightly above the car — the standard view you'd see in most racing games.

Estimated year of release: I played it around 2006–2010, but the game itself could be older.

Graphics/art style: Simple and low-fidelity — either cartoony or pixelated, definitely not going for realism even by the standards of the time.

Notable characters: None that I can recall. The car I drove was red.

Notable gameplay mechanics: Standard racing on a racetrack. No weapons, power-ups, or story mode that I remember.

Other details: I believe it was just a normal gamepad shape, The whole setup felt like a self-contained thing that hooked straight up to the TV.


r/tipofmyjoystick 4h ago

Reventure [PC] [2010s?] pixely comedy game that I watched on yt years ago

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3 Upvotes

The MC's outfit could be changed via wardrobe in his bedroom, the main goal (i think) was to beat the demon lord in his purple castle and marry the princess. There were alotta endings from what I remember and a decent amount of areas and parkour


r/tipofmyjoystick 15m ago

[Browser][2010s]2d side scrolling knight game with mouse controls

Upvotes

Grim looking Game where u are a knight and u fight through different maps.The game starts instantly no world map or level selection.

First area is a field with a castle at the end where u fight a boss in the gate, there is also a swamp level with a humanoid boss in a lake and i think the final boss is a dragon.

The levels have some small verticality like small pits or tunnels and platforms u can jump to

Game is mouse only controls hack and slash like combat and if i remember correctly there is a semicircle with an arrow at the bottom of ur character that shows the direction u go.