Every South Park Video Game Ranked

Of all the video games based on animated shows, “Chef’s Luv Shack” was uninspiring in the most effortless and mundane way possible. Players must answer trivia questions ranging from general questions to prompts referencing the show. At the end of every round, players will then be subjected to a bland minigame for additional points. What really makes it the worst “South Park” video game is how it completely ignores what made the show such a hit in the late 90’s. The crass humor is almost completely absent, and the formula doesn’t integrate any of the show’s DNA into its gameplay. Considering there were other hit trivia video games like “You Don’t Know Jack” dominating the genre’s market, there simply wasn’t any reason to own “Chef’s Luv Shack”, even if you’re a “South Park” fan.

A first-person shooter set in the world of “South Park” could definitely work today, but when the very first “South Park” game tried it, well… it wasn’t even decent. As Stan, Kyle, Cartman, or Kenny, you must venture through the town, fending off various enemies using an assortment of weapons. While the multiplayer was entertaining enough for a party or two, it doesn’t do enough to give the game any real value. The jokes rarely land, enemies don’t do much to fight back, and the levels don’t do anything to complement the gameplay. After seeing the innovations made by other 90’s FPS games like “Doom 64”, “Turok”, and “GoldenEye”, it’s shocking to see “South Park” not take a chance to learn from said titles and make something unique.

There was a short period of time where “South Park” seemed like it was dipping its toes into the water again with video games after a near-decade long absence. During these brief few years, two games were developed, and between the two, “Tenorman’s Revenge” was the worst. Set in a future where Scott Tenorman rules the world, the boys must fight through robots and collect energy orbs to change the future and make their way back home. Granted, “Tenorman’s Revenge” isn’t as awful as our previous entries, but it’s painfully mediocre. There simply aren’t any mechanics to make the game distinguishable from other platformers. You jump, you avoid obstacles, fight enemies, occasionally use basic special powers, and that’s it. Not even the humor made this feel like a “South Park” video game.

It might seem weird to put something like “South Park Rally” anywhere close to the middle of the list. After all, the physics in this kart racer are what can make the game so frustrating to play. One crash can throw you off course in some wild direction! However, its wack controls are arguably what redeem the title. It almost fits the erratic behavior of the show’s early years and is loaded with references from its most popular episodes at the time. On top of that, it boasts a surprisingly meaty roster of racers, featuring not just the main characters, but supporting characters as well as one-offs. That said, with this much tribute to the show at such a young age, “South Park Rally” is much more of a “South Park” game than our previous entries.

Very rarely do mobile games come out good, and very rarely are they games with monetization and gacha elements. “Phone Destroyer”, however, does manage to defy expectations. Customize your own New Kid in town and lead the charge with various “South Park” characters donning their various personas from the show’s extensive run. The trick is that every character belongs to different classes, meaning the moments you play certain characters can determine whether you emerge victorious. And shockingly enough, “Phone Destroyer” never feels like it’s trying to weasel money out of you. You’re given plenty of opportunities to use in-game currency to earn new cards, materials for upgrades, and more. So, if you’re looking for a good strategy game on the go, “Phone Destroyer” might be a solid treat for you.

Before the disappointing “Tenorman’s Revenge”, “Let’s Go Tower Defense Play” was a window into a more competent gaming career for “South Park”. As the name implies, this was a tower defense game that incorporated the show’s humor into its narrative. Place the kids around and pray that the old people, bullies, or hobos don’t make it past your units. It isn’t super complicated, but for what it was, “Let’s Go Tower Defense Play” was a solid title, and it was much more promising than most “South Park” games had been before. It’s just a shame it could never find a bigger audience due to it being forever stranded on Xbox 360.

After the monumental success of our now-obvious number one pick (which we’ll get to in a minute), many of us were curious to see whether “South Park” was about to spawn a massive AAA video game franchise of its own. What we got was not another turn-based RPG, but instead a turn-based tactics game. In addition to the sense of humor and ridiculous plot we’ve come to expect from South Park Studios, we also experienced a title that excelled in making its battles somewhat of a challenge. Positioning was crucial in defense and could potentially allow you to deal bonus damage on one target or attack multiple targets in one move. The only problem “Fractured But Whole” had was that the game kind of breaks itself in the end once it allows you to multi-class and switch classes in and out at your leisure. Even so, this was a fantastic game on its own.

We’ll be honest - there isn’t anything particularly revolutionary about “The Stick of Truth”. It’s a turn-based RPG that borrows many cues from other turn-based RPGs, and to its credit, it uses them really well. What makes it the best “South Park” game is how it honors the show’s lengthy history in more ways than one. It wasn’t just through Easter eggs and references - this was the game where you could live out your own episode of the show, discovering side quests, meeting familiar friends and enemies, exploring the town to find new equipment, and much, much more. “Stick of Truth” also gives you plenty of reasons to replay the game with each of its four character classes having their own unique focuses in combat. For fans, this was the “South Park” game we had been waiting for, and you could feel the love that was poured into it by the dev team.