Best Adventure Games: Exploration-Driven Experiences Worth Your Time
The best adventure games — from classic point-and-click to modern open-world adventures, narrative exploration, and puzzle-driven journeys.
"Adventure game" is one of those overloaded genre terms. In the 1990s it meant point-and-click puzzle games from LucasArts and Sierra. Today it means everything from exploration narratives to action-adventure hybrids to open-world epics. Here's the actual spectrum — the best games with "adventure" in their DNA, spanning every modern interpretation of the term.
The open-world adventure titans
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom redefined what open-world adventure can mean. Physics playground meets Zelda tradition. The games like Tears of the Kingdom post has more.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is the open-world adventure masterwork. The rdr2 tips post has more.
Elden Ring marries open-world adventure with FromSoftware's soulslike design. The games like Elden Ring post has more.
Ghost of Tsushima is Sucker Punch's polished samurai adventure.
Horizon Forbidden West is post-apocalyptic robot-dinosaur adventure.
The narrative-driven adventures
What Remains of Edith Finch is emotional anthology about a cursed family.
Firewatch is Wyoming wilderness narrative thriller. The games like Firewatch post has more.
Gone Home is exploration-based family mystery.
Kentucky Route Zero is surreal magical realism adventure.
Life is Strange is time-manipulation teen drama adventure.
The puzzle-driven adventures
Outer Wilds is cosmic exploration mystery where understanding is the mechanic. The games like Outer Wilds post has more.
The Witness is puzzle-focused exploration on a beautiful island.
Myst and Obduction are classic Cyan puzzle-adventures.
Return of the Obra Dinn is deduction-based mystery adventure.
Tunic is isometric Zelda-inspired puzzle adventure with deep secrets.
The classic point-and-click era
Grim Fandango Remastered — LucasArts classic Mexican afterlife noir. The best point and click games post has more.
Day of the Tentacle Remastered is time-travel comedy adventure.
The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition — pirate comedy perfection.
Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars — hand-animated mystery adventure.
The action-adventure hybrids
The Last of Us Part I and Part II are narrative-heavy action adventures.
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is Indiana Jones-style cinematic adventure.
Tomb Raider Definitive Edition — the Lara Croft reboot trilogy.
God of War (2018) and Ragnarok are modern action adventures.
The meditative exploration adventures
Journey is thatgamecompany's 90-minute emotional masterwork. The games like Journey post has more.
Sable is meditative desert exploration.
Abzu is underwater Journey-like from the same design circle.
A Short Hike is 60-90 minute cozy adventure.
Firewatch — mentioned twice because it's quintessential modern adventure.
The 2D adventure masterworks
Hollow Knight is metroidvania adventure with exquisite design. The games like Hollow Knight post has more.
Celeste is precision-platformer adventure with emotional core. The games like Celeste post has more.
Undertale is subversive JRPG adventure. The games like Undertale post has more.
Hyper Light Drifter is atmospheric pixel-art action adventure.
The horror-adventure crossovers
Silent Hill 2 Remake is psychological horror adventure. The games like Silent Hill post has more.
Resident Evil 4 Remake is the horror action-adventure that defined the genre. The games like Resident Evil post has more.
Alan Wake 2 is literary horror adventure. The games like Alan Wake post has more.
SIGNALIS is retro-styled survival horror adventure.
The classics that still hold up
Beyond Good and Evil is the cult-classic sci-fi adventure.
Psychonauts 2 is psychedelic platformer adventure with heart.
Chrono Trigger is the JRPG adventure masterpiece. The games like Chrono Trigger post has more.
ICO and Shadow of the Colossus are Fumito Ueda's atmospheric masterworks.
What we make at Choost
We don't make open-world or pure adventure games — the scope is enormous. Granny's Rampage is tight bullet heaven action, and Granny's Gambit is focused deckbuilder. Different design philosophies entirely. But we respect the adventure genre for its commitment to exploration and atmosphere. For more recommendations, the best indie games of all time, best narrative games, and best open world games posts have more.
The short answer
For the biggest modern adventure: Tears of the Kingdom or Elden Ring.
For emotional storytelling: What Remains of Edith Finch or Journey.
For puzzle-driven exploration: Outer Wilds or Return of the Obra Dinn.
For horror-adventure: Silent Hill 2 Remake or Alan Wake 2.
For classic point-and-click: Grim Fandango Remastered.
For indie 2D masterworks: Hollow Knight or Celeste.
For action-adventure polish: The Last of Us Part II or God of War Ragnarok.
Adventure games span an enormous range now. Don't limit yourself to one definition. The genre is strongest when you embrace its variety — a weekend with Journey is as "adventure" as 100 hours in Elden Ring. Pick what matches the mood you want.