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Best Adventure Games of All Time

November 16th, 2008

Being an old timer and a geeking / gaming veteran, it is about time that I share my personal view of the best 10 adventure games of all time.

In case you are a new timer and you have no clue, you should know that it is the best genre of games ever created. If you are wondering why it is extinct, that is simply because of the new generation’s impatience and inability to spend more time to think and less time to punch/shoot.

Many of the current gaming industry gurus started off doing adventure games ever since DOS days. Games were really simple and command driven; hence you move your character with keyboard arrows and enter commands as actions: Talk, Pick up, Look, etc. Mouse was not invented then yet

My favorite gaming company was definitely LucasArts, these guys used to cater best adventure games on all scales: Graphics, plots, puzzles, humor and what have you! You will see this reflected in my top ten list below.

Don’t get me wrong, one can still find adventure games nowadays, but they have completely gone underground and their audience is mainly mature players and old timers. You can keep up to date with those (many of my friends switched to action, RPG, and shoot em up because they thought no body makes adventure games anymore) by checking those two sites constantly:

1. Adventure Gamers
2. Just Adventure

One more reason why the genre has become less popular is lack of support from gaming consoles like PS and Xbox. Obviously being joypad controlled, point and click won’t make much sense. That is why adventure games are heavily found for PC platform.

For more information about adventure games in general, check the entry on Wikipedia here.

Now back to my top ten; one thing you need to know is that one of the reasons I haven’t made this entry long time ago is simply because it is hard as hell for me to choose my personal top 10. I mean do not take this as guide, it is strictly based on my personal taste and titles I enjoyed most, it is not based on which games are better than others head to head.

I played literally hundreds of adventure games through the years (started in 1988) and these are the ones that stuck. So you can imagine.

P.S. I do not really like adventure games where your character can die, so that might be a good factor of the order of my personal favorites

P.S.2. I try to keep a clear definition between adventure games and puzzle games. So do not be surprised if you find big titles which are normally categorized under Adventure not included below, because to me they are puzzle games. (e.g. Myst, Lost in Time, etc)

Here we go:

10. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Series

The series are 4 games so far, and they are just getting better with each release. Super strong plots based on the original stories by Doyle (if you read them), very nicely done, great game play and controls, and just the right length for each title. If you like Sherlock Holmes you would love these games, if you do not they would still be great fun to play for sure. It is worth mentioning that the games are new and were developed in the 2000’s. Thank you Forgwares for keeping them coming in times of adventure games scarcity.

Developer: Frogwares
Full Details: Wikipedia

9. Broken Sword Series

Again 4 games in the series; An American tourist, a french journalist, and myths in cartoon style graphics. If you think the combination is lame, then that is exactly what the game is based on, they do not try to make them look like real heroes. The boring George Stobbart (the main character) keeps getting himself into trouble time after time. The developers never compromised on quality for these games, always a strong plot touching ever tempting subjects (Templar knights, ancient powers, mystery civilizations, etc), and always taking their time to release the next title. Again these are new series and they are a must play for every adventure lover. On a side note, I really respect Revolution Software, I loved every single game I played for them. The guys are persistent and are boutique-like, they only have a few titles under their belt although they have been around for a while now. This implies true dedication. Their stories are so well thought that the first title is being made into a movie already.

Developer: Revolution Software
Full Details: Wikipedia

8. Simon the Sorcerer Series

Magic, adventure, and comedy The tales of a boy who becomes a magician out of the blue, taken from our times into ancient times of magic and combining the old and the new. That is actually what makes the game fun, the guy who uses modern logic to live in ancient times and practice what he does not understand. I have not played 3 and 4 but the first two alone make these series on my all time favorites. The games go back to the 90’s and continue into the 2000’s.

Developer: Adventure Soft
Full Details: Wikipedia

7. Leisure Suit Larry Series

Many people’s favorite, no other than Larry Laffer, the short, bald, golden necklace wearing, extremely pimp looking, loser hero. Extremely funny and sex based adventure game series. Larry’s objective in each title is to simply sleep with all the women he meets in the game. Given his seductive-NOT character and looks, it is never an easy task. These gamers were also getting better with each release, too bad they stopped at 7 only. They go all the way back to the 80’s and continue until the mid 90’s (too titles were released in 2000’s but they were not by Al Lowe, the original story writer, so they don’t count really). The first couple were remade with VGA graphics, point and click style and speech.  The real count is 6 titles because the 4th one was never made (or canceled, no one really knows). I love the game’s main musical theme, I keep whistling it until today. A must play indeed.

Developer: Sierra
Full Details: Wikipedia

6. Full Throttle

OK, the first non series title in my top 10, I still I wish they made a real sequel to it. This is one of the best games of all times in the genre. It appeals to almost any gamer. It is basically a Heavy Metal, Harley Davidson (or Corely as it is named in the game) adventure game, with a very appealing hero. Ben is an arrogant biker gang leader who tries to save his gang and the motorcycle industry from a murder frame. A story so good that it is worth being made into a movie, and a production so great that it would still stand out even in today’s standards.  The game has an original soundtrack by the band The Gone Jackals. The only con of the game is that it’s relatively short, especially for the amount of fun you get playing it. Sequels were planned and canceled which I do not mind since they were not going to be adventure games, but action ones.

Developer: LucasArts
Full Details: Wikipedia

5. The Dig

This game is so great that I played it at one session for 36 hours start to finish. I could not leave my chair basically. You play a team of astronuts who try to plant nuclear explosives on a huge astroid to save the eath from its collision, and instead they find out it is a starship which takes them to a non discovered planet. The new planet is highly advanced technologically, but it is in a very decay status. The goal is to explore the planer and try to find a way back home. This game was meant to be a movie by Spielberg, but since the production costs were so high it was made into a game instead. Need I say more? It is the only fully serious LucasArts game I played, and the only one I liked under science fiction. The game has an original orchestra score!

Developer: LucasArts
Full Details: Wikipedia

4. Indiana Jones & the Fate of Atlantis

Although that game is part of series, this specific title stands out and deserves to be rated on its own. The longest and most versatile adventure game I played, and it is based on a true hero: Indiana Jones. In the middle of the game, the story spreads into three depending on a choice you have to make; either carry on in the game with the use of his assistant, carry on in the game with use of Indy’s wits, or carry on in the game with the use of Indy’s muscle. That answer will change the gameplay and puzzles until the end of it. I finished each one 3 times – Yes, that is how great the game is. If this game was remade with modern graphics and speech, it would be a true nominee for the best game of all times. The game has alternate endings as well.

Developer: LucasArts
Full Details: Wikipedia

3. Maniac Mansion Series

Two masterpieces indeed. The first Maniac Mansion was the game that revolutionized adventure games in every way; Its gameplay, length, complexity, plot, and multiple endings! You play a hero who tries to save his girlfriend who was abducted by a crazy professor: Dr Edison. The storyline might sound cheesy but it is nothing close to that. You select the characters you want to play out of 6 possible and the game ends in a different way with each combination. I still however like the sequel more: Day of the Tentacle which is by far the funniest and best structured adventure game ever. Very different from the first, almost independent even when referred to (only as Day of the Tentacle), what both share is the set of characters and the great experience! In the sequel, you will actually try to help Dr Edison prevent his tentacles from taking over the world. A time machine is built, and the three characters you play spread: one stays in present, one travels to the past (the funniest parts), and the last travels to the future. They combine their efforts (and inventory!) to save the world. You really need your brains full capacity to finish this game without help. It is so massive and so well thought about. Sometimes I wonder why it isn’t my favorite game of all time The best part is that it was developed in 1993, it is definitely the game that is most ahead of its time.

Developer: LucasArts
Full Details (DOTT): Wikipedia

2. Grim Fandango

One of the most sticking plots and characters ever. Again as good as a movie, Grim Fandango is a total experience on its own. Basically, the game is in the land of the dead, the world between life and death, where people are already dead and their souls need to travel to the ultimate underworld where real death is. For sinners it is a very long journey, long enough that they need to take jobs and make a living until they complete it. For good people it is swift and easy. You play Manny Calavera, a reaper (or a travel agent as they like to call in the game ) who competes with another fierce agent. The story is about Manny trying to save a girl which he loved. Amazing gameplay, super strong plot and great length of adventure and fun. Undisputed sense of humor in the game really. It is a late 90’s game, but is again way ahead of its time. Unfortunately though, it was the last real adventure game from LucasArts, the genre leader. The less-than-predicted sales performance of this game lead to almost shutting down the adventure gaming unit in LucasArts keeping Monkey Island as the only exception.

Developer: LucasArts
Full Details Wikipedia

1. Monkey Island Series

My ultimate all time favorite! I have the whole collection box and I still play them every now and then, it never gets boring. Everything about Monkey Island is my favorite in adventure games really. I grew up with this game. Do not be surprised if you found clubs and fan sites for it! It is a true cult classic. From the soundtrack to the characters looks and names to the humor to the mini games to the dialogues or to the plots, Monkey Island rules! Very simple, a guy called Guybrush Threepwood strives to achieve his dream of becoming a mighty pirate! The dude is too sweet and clean to be taken any seriously, yet he managed to kick Le Chuck’s ass 4 consecutive times (the real most fearsome pirate ever)! Everytime in a more bizarre way than the previous. I have friends who seldom played adventure games, and some who do not even know the genre’s name, that played and loved Monkey Island series (or some of them).  You have to play all 4 titles to get the maximum experience. I wish LucasArts would ever come back to their senses and launch a concluding 5th sequel. I can write about this game forever really, so I better stop here.

Developer: LucasArts
Full Details: Wikipedia

So that’s it for me really. There are so many other adventure games which are great and I enjoyed playing, namely:

- Space Quest series (extremely hilarious)
- Blade Runner (as dark as the movie, hence great)
- Touche (very funny game)
- Discworld (great game)
- Sam & Max (one of the best)
- Syberia Series (great game)
- Overclocked (amazing game)
- Ankh Series (moderately fun)

However, at the end of the day I had to choose 10. Yet to be fair, as I said, it is not about rating, some of the games which aren’t on my top 10 get my 5 stars as well, it is just they did not stick as much Especially the news ones, where despite their great production, they still did not introduce anything new in gameplay, characters, or plots.

Kudos to Telltale Games though, it is an adventure games company established by the guys who used to work in LucasArts and who are still loyal to the genre and the fans. Keep it up folks!