Top 10 Point and Click Adventure Games

Let’s kick things off by getting this heavyweight out of the way! For most people, the genre is divided into two categories: before and after Myst. A benchmark, this mystical quest put you in the role of “The Stranger”, a visitor with a special book marooned on a mysterious island, tasked with solving puzzles in alternate dimensions called “Ages”. Myst is unique for not featuring any obvious goals, inventory, death or dialogue.

A game credited with re-inventing how video game stories are told, Funcom’s Norwegian classic brought us a memorable female hero, a complex storyline and cutting edge production values. It focused on an art student with the ability to shift between parallel worlds who has to restore the balance of a realm that blends magical and industrial elements. This one is notable for its edgy mature content and the deep sense of wonder it invoked.

The first installment in the series, it followed a wisecracking and hard drinking author and bookstore owner. Haunted by nightmares, Knight investigates local murders with voodoo undertones as a means to inspire his next novel. Featuring a Hollywood caliber voice cast and gripping story, it unfolded over a series of “days”, and raised the genre’s standard for storytelling and gameplay by abandoning the use of text phrases.

Starring a goofy protagonist that gets caught up in an equally goofy adventure, this game is filled with humor and romance. Oddly enough, it takes place on a garbage planet, and focuses on Rufus’ quest for a better life. Harkening back to the special something that made us love “The Monkey Island” series, its puzzles rely more on a comedic mindset than sensible logic, which is awesome!

This Tim Schafer-made cult classic brought us a cinematic experience filled with asphalt and leather! Taking place within a dystopian world, its tale centered on a biker gang leader named Ben, and his attempts to stop a deadly plot from ending the motorcycle era. As badass as a game can get, this one featured an unparalleled voice cast, memorable dialogue, and puzzles that flowed naturally within its fast-paced story.

The pseudo-sequel to the classic “Maniac Mansion”, this game followed Bernard as he attempted to stop an evil purple tentacle from taking over the world! A brilliant experience, it upped its predecessor in several ways: It improved upon the controls, provided an major graphical and auditory leap, and removed all those annoying dead-end scenarios and character deaths!

Created by German developer King Art, this stellar fantasy game has players take on the alternating roles of a technology-loving gnome, human adventurer and elven princess. Spoofing the works by J.R.R. Tolkein, this wildly fun game pokes fun at the standard tropes of the RPG and Adventures genres. This is a special experience that impresses with intelligence, humor and heart. Plus, it’s a joy just to look at!

This 3D rendered cult neo-noir adventure game set in the Land of the Dead remains one of Lucas Arts’ crowning achievements. With a story divided into four acts, you play the dead travel agent Manny who has decided to help a newly arrived wayward soul relocate to the better part of the underworld. Shockingly, despite its overall excellence, the title didn’t rejuvenate the genre, but instead became its 90s swan song.

Signaling the genre’s return to mainstream recognition, this incredible game presented a tight and compelling zombie narrative consisting of five chapters. Featuring a gripping story and memorable characters, timed responses affected your relationships, and you are frequently forced to make difficult long-lasting moral choices. More often than not, you must choose who will live and who will die. This game is a game that will have you second guessing your humanity, leaving you haunted and disturbed by the choices you made.

Taking the top spot on our list is the Lucas Arts’ hysterical franchise that landed us in misadventures as the hapless pirate Guybrush Threepwood. If we had to pick a favorite, it would be the third entry, “The Curse of Monkey Island”, which combined the popular SCUMM engine with gorgeous 2D cartoon graphics, incredible music, hilarious voice acting and introduced us to Murray the Demonic skull!

With so many excellent adventure titles out there, we would need a much longer list to do the genre justice! What’s your favorite Point and Click Adventure? For more entertaining Top 10s, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.