Top 100 all-time adventure games: Our definitive ranking of what to play

15. Syberia (2025)

Microïds’ Syberia introduced gamers to a stark wonderland of mechanized beings and childlike wonder in the 2002 release from acclaimed designer Benoît Sokal. Representing her employer’s takeover of a toy factory in a remote French village, corporate lawyer Kate Walker discovers the person she was sent to find has passed away and that only a single heir can sign off on the deal. The simple task of locating him is in the class of the best adventure games by opening up epic proportions when she discovers the man she’s after has abandoned his former life in order to seek out the titular realm where mammoths are rumoured to still exist. As Kate follows the eccentric but brilliant inventor’s obsession, she enters a magical world of talking robots, an elaborate wind-up train, an oppressed opera singer, and a slew of fantastic creations. The most important discovery on her journey through a world of wonder and dreams, however, is herself.

Noted for its lush visuals, colourfully eccentric characters, and immersive character-driven story – all of which are qualities that stand up to be one of the best adventure video games to this day – the game’s lasting impression was ensured right out of the gate. Everything from the jaw-dropping art direction to the rich sound design bring the world of Syberia to life, building a sense of wonder and hand-painted beauty that hadn’t been seen before, and arguably hasn’t been matched to this day, (until the 2025 remaster). Though criticized for its ease and lack of interactivity, the melancholic atmosphere enveloping these living postcards was almost palpable for those who took the time to absorb it. Syberia is a true masterpiece, showing the emotional power adventure games can have, setting the bar so high that few (including its own sequel) will ever be able to equal.

14. The Secret of Monkey Island (2009)

LucasArts’ Monkey Island franchise is perhaps part of the most influential adventure games of the comic adventure genre, with Guybrush Threepwood its poster pin-up. Many players’ love of adventure games began with The Secret of Monkey Island, though it’s hard to believe the original released way back in 1990 when the SCUMM engine was in its infancy. Ron Gilbert’s brainchild helped kick-start the Golden Age of adventure games that would happily continue until the late ‘90s, including several sequels of its own. The public lapped up the hapless Guybrush’s bumbling attempts to become a mighty pirate and oppose the ghostly villain LeChuck, which set the mould for other LucasArts adventures to come and gave the Monkey Island franchise a rock-solid foundation to build on.

What resonates most with players even in today’s remaster is the hilarity of the game – who can forget insult swordfighting, Stan the used-ship salesman or the piranha poodles? It is near the top of our best adventures games list, so much more than that. Its puzzles are challenging, the tale is a surprisingly touching love story across the high seas, and Guybrush is an eminently likeable dreamer that we all relate to inside. And that’s not even probing the game’s technical prowess, like the revolutionary facial art implemented during conversation or the complete overhaul of the SCUMM engine from its clunky beginnings to something far more intuitive and user-friendly. Everything felt like a breath of fresh sea air for the genre at the time, and even two decades later, the recent Special Edition makeover and episodic revival prove there’s still life in the old sea dog yet.

13. Detroit: Become Human (2020)

Putting the fate of humanity and the future of androids in your hands, Detroit: Become Human is deservingly one of the best choose your own adventure games in recent times. Every choice you make as you control the three playable characters, Markus, Connor, and Kara, impacts the outcome of the game, with one of the most detailed branching narratives in gaming overall. Each of these androids has a unique story to tell and represents a moral dilemma when it comes to androids integrating into society alongside humans in this futuristic take on Detroit. Every decision you make, no matter how big or small, plays a role in shaping the narrative, so much so that Detroit: Become Human has countless endings.

12. Zork Grand Inquisitor (1997)

While Zork may be best known for being one of the most influential adventure games, the franchise’s best actual game was saved for last. After a brief foray into darker themes in Nemesis, the series wisely returned to its more oddball Zorkian roots for its swan song. And this 1997 adventure is a treat from start to finish. And by “start” we mean even the creative Frobozz Electric Installer that delightfully sets the stage for the zaniness to come. As you attempt to topple the megalomaniac Grand Inquisitor, who has forbidden all use of magic in his iron-fisted rule, you’ll see classic locations in living colour for the first time, from the little white house to GUE Tech to Flood Control Dam #3. Along the way, you’ll encounter a bearded fish with a unicorn horn, a be-bop-singing home security vine, flickering and bickering torches, and an inflatable sea captain. And you can always count on being eaten by a Grue. It’s a rich, imaginative fantasy world unlike any other, the likes of which we arguably haven’t seen since.

Although played in first-person as the infamous AFGNCAAP, the Ageless, Faceless, Gender-Neutral, Culturally Ambiguous Adventure Person, Grand Inquisitor is anything but a lonely game. You’re accompanied throughout by the wisecracking former Dungeon Master Dalboz, now trapped inside a lantern, and you’ll briefly get to control three helpers with unique gifts: Griff, the harmless pint-sized green dragon; Brog, the dim-witted but lovable blue troll-thing; and Lucy Flathead, a human female with lots of spunk, a funky hairdo, and an impressive heritage. Despite being outlawed, magic plays a major role in the puzzle design, as you must master a variety of off-the-wall spells like turning purple things invisible and making yourself more attractive. It may have marked the tragic end of Zork when it was done, but with the finale’s combination of superb artistic design, whimsical humor, memorable characters, creative gameplay, and some of the best puzzle adventure game features, the venerable series certainly went out on top.

11. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (2024)

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is by far the best entry in the Indiana Jones series, and stands up as one of the greatest adventure games of all time. Taking place between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, the Great Circle is a first-person experience. The year is 1937, tensions are high as sinister organizations around the world hunt for the secret to an ancient power connected to the Great Circle. All the whip-cracking action takes place at various locations, from the Vatican to the iconic pyramids of Egypt, the temples of Sukhothai, and beyond. This thrilling action-adventure has open-area maps with plenty of secrets to discover and all kinds of tests to your puzzle-solving skills. There’s a reason why Indiana Jones and the Great Circle won the Adventure Game of the Year award at the D.I.C.E. Awards, and Indiana Jones continues to shine in the adventure video games category, decades after his initial debut as a legendary archaeologist.

Next up: #10-6…