Adventure games
Built on exploration, curiosity and story; a genre that invites you to work out a world without rushing you.
What is the adventure genre?
At the heart of an adventure game is curiosity rather than reaction. The player is dropped into a world and figures out, step by step, how it works, what is there and who is hiding what. The way forward usually comes from finding the right place, picking up the right object or asking the right question, not from reflexes.
The genre was born in text-based games, grew up in the point and click era and today lives on in big-budget action-adventure games and story-driven indie titles. The common thread has not changed: An adventure game encourages you to learn, not just to win.
What defines it?
The next step is rarely marked on the map; you find it by reading the world.
Mechanics serve the narrative, and the plot unfolds as you progress.
Objects, dialogue and clues in the environment are the real keys to progress.
Most adventure games apply no time pressure and leave room to think.
Landmark games
Well-known examples often used to explain the genre. For the list on our site, see the games section below.
At a glance
Adventure games (284)
Reclaim! Azhe-giiwewining TR
Adventurers Shop TR
Darwin’s Paradox TR
Starfield TR
Artificial Detective TR
Bluey’s Happy Snaps TR
Stranger Than Heaven TR
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas TR
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City TR
RoboCop: Rogue City TR
Hunter: The Reckoning - Deathwish TR
DokeV TR
Black Desert Mobile TR
Minecraft Dungeons 2 TR
Echoes of Mora TR
Sea of Thieves TR
Cat Parents TR
Outbound TR
We Gotta Go TR
The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu TR
Hoa TR
Hoa 2 TR
Legacy of Kain Ascendance TR
Planet of Lana 2: Children of the Leaf TR
Latest stories on adventure games
Frequently asked questions
What does action-adventure mean?
It is the name for games that combine exploration and storytelling with sections that need skill, such as fighting, climbing and jumping. Uncharted and Zelda are the best-known examples of the mix.
Are adventure games hard?
The difficulty is usually about seeing the solution, not about reflexes. Getting stuck is normal in classic adventure games; modern titles tend to soften this with hint systems.