Some would say that Out on the Deck is really in natural minor with an occasional lowered 5th, but I think the 5th and 7th (although the 7th is common to both scales) establish such a strong a tonality it can’t be put down to being just an embellishment.

I went back and listened inside the restaurant, and oh yeah, I remember that! In addition to the twiddly keyboard, the slower tempo and “lounge” percussion, the very odd chords you change to now and then are quite disconcerting. I’ll have to study those chords sometime when I’m feeling brave. I remember my first time through TGTTPOACS I took the quickest path out of the restaurant I could—in fact it was a relief to be in the bathroom, in spite of everything. I think it does reflect Gert’s mood. It’s fun that for all Gert feels entitled to go where she pleases, including the hoity-toity restaurant, she isn’t very formal or fancy and ends up feeling twiddly.

In the case of Out on the Deck, it was written after the Passenger Deck theme and meant to be a sort of variation on it… brassier and louder, and like you said, kind of wobbly and unstable. The feeling was definitely intentional, in retrospect, though I wasn’t conscious of the specific modes I was using. (There’s a third variation, Inside Chez Pierre, which plays in the fancy restaurant. It’s a slightly impatient, bored, and twiddly piano line, which now that I think about it really does reflect the kind of mood Gert is in when she’s sitting at that table with all the rich people.)

Myst!! – How I loved it! I don’t think I left my computer for three days when I discovered it. And when I finally emerged, every manhole cover I passed prompted the game’s music in my brain.

No wonder there’s nothing useful in my brain; it’s a jukebox.

McDonald’s, cj? I’m impressed you had the courage to report this! Chariots of Fire music is really wonderful and uplifting. I have the CD. If you like TGTTPOACS, you might also try Out of Order, if you haven’t played that yet. Since you like science fiction, adventure games, and quirkiness, it seems like it might be right up your alley. And it has the best AG music I’ve heard anywhere.

I’ve listened to some of the music; very impressive, particularly for a free game. I can see how it would get stuck in your head! That’s always happening to me. Usually it’s just a partial fragment and I can’t work out what it is. Just the other day I was humming something and spent an hour trying to work out what it was. Turned out to be the jingle from a McDonald’s commercial. Subliminal advertising, anyone?

I don’t hum music while I’m walking but I use background music while writing and that stays with me for hours. It’s good if it’s Chariots of Fire or something like that but not if it’s an unknown piece; suddenly it becomes very embarrassing!