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The oldest question on identify-this-game-like questions that I found here is 7 years old. So my introduction question is whether this class of questions are or are not allowed here as of today (2021)?

If they're allowed, then currently the tag's wiki states (emphasis mine):

USE WITH CAUTION: Only ask if you have a screenshot, video, or audio clip from the game you want to identify. The only game identification questions allowed on this site are those asking to identify games in movies, pictures, videos, advertisements or otherwise where an unknown game appears - not from a description of what you can recall from memory, or from a picture you drew yourself.

Am I allowed to ask such a question based on a:

  • Keyboard combination used to play the game (quite very non-typical)
  • Approximate year the game was released (before XXX)
  • Most likely hardware it was released to
  • Probable game type (based on first point, i.e. key combinations)

Or is this not enough, there's a strong possibility that this will produce too many possible matches and the question becomes guessing-game-type question, which is prohibited here, if I am not mistaken.

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I still believe it would be off-topic.

My reasoning is:

  • If we go by the tags definition, we only allow these questions when they contain a screenshot, video, or audio clip, none of which you will be able to provide it sounds.
  • Your four bullet points would all be based off of a "description of what you can recall from memory", to quote the tag.

Your strongest point from what it seems is the keyboard combination in question. I am guessing you would like to make a post akin to "What game had this keyboard combination?" Even if you are 100% positive of the keyboard combination being used specifically in that game, it still would be from memory.

Take a look at this answer on the meta post Why does Game Identification require pictures, audio or screenshots? (which are linked in the tag wiki for ):

The thing is, "Game Identification" as a topic area is broad enough to stand for two separate types of questions:

  • Memory-based - which are off topic:
    Example: "I remember a game with a duck. What game is it?"
  • Evidence-based - which are on topic:
    Example: "Here is an <image / video / soundbyte> of a game, which game is it?"

The example for off-topic "I remember a game with a duck. What game is it?" can be replaced with "I remember a game with this key combination. What game is it?" in your case.

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    That all being said, there are plenty of other sites that do allow game identification by any criteria. I think we often recommend people to r/tipofmyjoystick in many of these cases.
    – Timmy Jim Mod
    Sep 16, 2021 at 10:43
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    For me, the limit is 'Can a game, and only one game, be identified as the answer here'. So very general details like 'its a car game from the 90s' is not in limits, but things like character names or major story beats could be in bounds for me.
    – Fredy31 Mod
    Sep 16, 2021 at 12:56
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    Also to note. The bounds change in time on Arqade. Some old questions would probably be considered off topic, but when those general rule changes happen, we don't just take a look at every question on the site to see 'is it now inbounds?'
    – Fredy31 Mod
    Sep 16, 2021 at 12:59
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    @Fredy31 That is not our policy on game identification. We have no exceptions based on notabilty or anything like that. Sep 16, 2021 at 16:51
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    All I can say is that this is a perfect answer and explanation for me. I wish I could have this kind or class of answer on my every meta-related question in SE. Thank you.
    – trejder
    Sep 17, 2021 at 13:21

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