Are We There Yet?

Are We There Yet?, released in 1991 by Manley & Associates (and published by Electronic Arts), is a unique title that sits somewhere between a travel simulation, an educational game, and a collection of mini-games. If the name sounds familiar, it's because it captures that classic, impatient phrase every kid has shouted from the backseat of a car. The game simulates a family road trip across the United States. You play as a child in the backseat of a minivan, and your goal is to survive the long journey from one coast to the other without dying of boredom or driving your parents crazy. The game is essentially a "travel kit" converted into a digital format. Here is what you actually do:
- The Map: You choose a route across the USA. As you "drive," you see your progress on a map, passing through different states and landmarks.
- Educational Trivia: To pass the time, you engage in geography lessons. You learn facts about the states you are passing through—their capitals, nicknames, bird, flowers, and historical facts.
- The Mini-Games: The "meat" of the game consists of digital versions of classic car games:
* License Plate Game: Spotting and collecting plates from different states.
* Hangman: The classic word-guessing game.
* Scavenger Hunt: Looking for specific objects outside the window (simulated on screen).
* The "Annoyance" Factor: You have to manage your "boredom" and "comfort" levels. If you get too bored, the "Are we there yet?" meter rises.
It featured VGA graphics (256 colors), which were quite decent for 1991. The art style was cartoony and aimed at capturing the "messy family car" aesthetic. It supported AdLib and Sound Blaster, featuring MIDI-style road trip music and digitized sound effects of car engines and family chatter.

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