Adventure games have their roots in PC gaming, with classic adventures from LucasArts being the prime example of this, such as Day Of The Tentacle. However, nowadays, even these old classics are being ported to consoles.
20 Classic Point & Click Games That Still Hold Up Well Today
Point and click adventures may have fallen out of favor recently, but these genre-defining classics still hold up surprisingly well despite their age.
This is by no means a bad thing; with point-and-click adventure games rarely being released in the modern day, injecting these classics further into the mainstream can only be good for the dying genre. Unfortunately, many modern adventure games, especially the lesser-known indies, are still exclusive to the PC.
Special Mention: Duck Detective: The Secret Salami
Set to release on Steam in 2024, Duck Detective: The Secret Salami is looking to be a promising detective adventure. In the game, players take on the role of the titular Duck Detective, investigating his latest case.
The game features a charming aesthetic that combines colorful 2D sprites with 3D environments in a way that’s not dissimilar to Paper Mario. With a demo currently available on Steam that puts Duck Detective’s charm on full display, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about this upcoming adventure game.
6 Sunday Gold – A Slick, Dystopian Adventure
Steam User Rating: 79%
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Platform(s):
PC -
Released:
2022 -
Developer(s):
BKOM Studios -
Genre:
Adventure
Set in a grim dystopia, Sunday Gold is a point-and-click adventure game that features tactical turn-based combat. Sunday Gold’s greatest strength is its palpable atmosphere, slick tone, and superb character designs. However, while its combat attempts to break up the gameplay, it does ultimately – arguably – bring the overall experience down.
Taking place in the grim future of the City of London, Sunday Gold puts players in the shoes of a small gang of criminals. The game’s story is narrated by a handful of talented voice actors, and the game’s visuals are consistently impressive, making Sunday Gold an adventure worth having despite its lackluster combat.
5 The Blackwell Legacy – An Old-School Indie
Steam User Rating: 89%
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Platform(s):
PC -
Released:
2012 -
Developer(s):
Wadjet Eye Games -
Genre:
Point-And-Click, Adventure
This initial entry in the Blackwell series is a point-and-click adventure brimming with old-school charm. Despite The Blackwell Legacy’s uneven visuals, there has been a clear attempt at replicating the classic pixelated adventures of the 90s.
The Blackwell Legacy, like many adventure games, is a detective story. The narrative follows a young woman named Rosa Blackwell and her spirit guide, Joey Mallone, a ghost from the 1930s. However silly it may sound, The Blackwell Legacy tells a captivating story, and the latter entries in the series only improve on its formula.
4 Pony Island – A One-Of-A-Kind Puzzler
Steam User Rating: 95%
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Platform(s):
PC -
Released:
2016 -
Developer(s):
Daniel Mullins Games -
Genre:
Puzzle, Adventure
This pixelated puzzle game was developed by Daniel Mullins, who would later go on to create the hit escape-room deck-builder, Inscryption. Pony Island is nothing like Inscryption, but it’s a well-written adventure that’s full of clever puzzles.
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Pony Island takes place inside a malfunctioning arcade machine, where it tasks players with solving a variety of puzzles which are often surprising. Much like Mullins’ latter game, Inscryption, Pony Island is best played with little prior knowledge. Furthermore, for those who enjoy Pony Island, an upcoming sequel was recently announced in the form of Pony Island 2: Panda Circus.
3 STASIS – A Truly Dark Isometric Adventure
Steam User Rating: 79%
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Platform(s):
PC -
Released:
2015 -
Developer(s):
THE BROTHERHOOD -
Genre:
Adventure, Horror
This horror-infused sci-fi adventure game is an isometric point-and-clicker set on an abandoned spaceship. STASIS uses an isometric perspective that’s relatively uncommon among adventure games and combines its horror narrative with retro gameplay seamlessly.
STASIS features a dark and grimy aesthetic that matches its gruesome tone, and the soundtrack by Mark Morgan (of Fallout fame) is tremendously fitting. The dark story, gloomy visuals, and downtrodden tone won’t be for everyone, but the atmosphere it provides is tangible.
2 Hyperbolica – A Mind-Bending Puzzle Adventure
Steam User Rating: 84%
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Platform(s):
PC -
Released:
2022 -
Developer(s):
CodeParade -
Genre:
Adventure
Developed by YouTuber, CodeParade, Hyberbolica is a labor of love adventure game set in a mind-bending, whimsical world. Hyberbolica is packed with quirky characters to meet, strange environments to explore, and interesting puzzles to solve.
Hyperbolica does some tremendously unique things with its perspective, using hyperbolic space to create mind-bending puzzles. The game’s visuals are cute and colorful, adding to the whimsical atmosphere of the experience and managing to keep the game grounded despite its heavy ideas.
1 Through The Fragmentation
Steam User Rating: 97%
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Platform(s):
PC -
Released:
2021 -
Developer(s):
Mate Pribelszky -
Genre:
Adventure
This wildly underrated first-person adventure game takes place in a unique world populated by strange, bird-like characters. The game’s flat color, 3D aesthetic, and well-designed environments make Through The Fragmentation a joy to explore, furthered by its immersive soundscapes.
12 Indie Games With Fantastic Stories
Plenty of indie games have compelling narratives that are hard to forget. The following examples are some of the genre’s best.
Through The Fragmentation is an immersive indie adventure, and one that is clearly under-looked (judging by its mere 146 reviews on Steam, at the time of writing). With a relatively low price point and a dreamy soundtrack, Through The Fragmentation is worth a try for any fan of exploratory, contemplative experiences.
Special Mention: Fragmented City
Through The Fragmentation is set to receive a spiritual successor in the form of Fragmented City, which currently has a demo available on Steam. Players can also enjoy The Hidden Fragmentation, currently available on Itch.
Fragmented City looks and feels similar to Through The Fragmentation, continuing developer Mate Pribelszky’s trend of wonderfully strange characters and immersive urban environments. Fans of Through The Fragmentation should certainly keep an eye on this promising successor.
10 Best Adventure Games Of All Time, According To Metacritic
Adventure games are timeless and appealing to gamers at a base level. Today, we’ll examine the best of all time according to Metacritic.
