Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden 2018
Why it still holds upYou still choose where a fight begins, which makes every encounter a planned one.
Adventure games that still hold up
Somewhere to get to, and plenty in the way
Games
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden 2018
Why it still holds upYou still choose where a fight begins, which makes every encounter a planned one.
Wild Guns 1994
Why it still holds upYou still keep moving every second, dodging in the foreground while you shoot into the background.
Maximo vs. Army of Zin 2003
Why it still holds upThe shield meter is gone, so blocking is unlimited, and the original's pay to save system was removed.
Zork: Grand Inquisitor 1997
Why it still holds upThe jokes still make it a Zork that laughs, with supporting characters to step into.
Tenchu: Stealth Assassins 1998
Why it still holds upAnyone who likes to creep up on a guard can still do that here.
NieR 2010
Why it still holds upA game that changes its camera between styles still has a surprise for a player today.
This War of Mine 2014
Why it still holds upHard choices about who to help keep a player's attention today, and that has not worn off.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero 2016
Why it still holds upStages that hold more each time you return with a new form still give a reason to replay them today.
Gears 5 2019
Why it still holds upWith every mode built for playing together, it is still a game for company today.
The Blackwell Legacy 2006
Why it still holds upA small, character driven mystery is still a good way to spend an evening.
Whispers of a Machine 2019
Why it still holds upThe game can be finished in two to three hours, with little challenge, and it is still worth a second run today to see what another trait would have changed.
Puppeteer 2013
Why it still holds upHeads with abilities of their own, and scissors that cut through the scenery, still keep each curtain varied today.
Xenoblade Chronicles X 2015
Why it still holds upA planet this big has plenty to find, and a player has to explore it to see it all, which still draws players today.
Dreamfall Chapters 2014
Why it still holds upA story that spans two worlds is still worth following to its end today.
Hyper Light Drifter 2016
Why it still holds upA world told without words still asks you to piece it together as you go.
Contra III: The Alien Wars 1992
Why it still holds upIf you come to it now, expect two guns to choose between, and an easy setting with seven lives that makes the stages learnable.
Breath of Fire II 1994
Why it still holds upToday, a Monster Meter that warns you of fights lets you decide how far to push on.
Pirates of the Caribbean 2003
Why it still holds upRunning your own ship and crew across those islands is still an appealing way to spend time at sea today.
The Oregon Trail 1971
Why it still holds upPlanning a trip that can go wrong is a lesson that still holds today.
Kirby: Triple Deluxe 2014
Why it still holds upEvery enemy is still worth swallowing, since copy abilities change how Kirby moves.
Hitman 2016
Why it still holds upBig levels with room for improvised kills are what keep it replayable today.
Legacy of Kain: Defiance 2003
Why it still holds upTwo heroes who fight in different ways still give a reason to play it through again today.
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen 2013
Why it still holds upClimbing onto a giant monster to hit its weak spot still makes every big fight feel like scaling a mountain.
Mole Mania 1996
Why it still holds upPlanning where to dig on each screen still takes real thought today.
Yakuza 5 2012
Why it still holds upEach of the five characters has their own side activities, which still spread the game out.
Salt and Sanctuary 2016
Why it still holds upWith so many ways to build a character, a second run can feel new now.
Ys Origin 2006
Why it still holds upA run takes roughly six to eight hours, short enough to fit all three characters in now.
Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned 1999
Why it still holds upChapters that let you do the required actions in any order still leave room to look around.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2010
Why it still holds upAlternating healing and attack magic mid fight still makes every combat a balance you choose.
Yakuza Kiwami 2016
Why it still holds upSide stories that take up most of the play still make the neighborhood feel worth walking.
King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow 1992
Why it still holds upWith several routes through so much of it, a return trip now can turn up something missed the first time.
Monster Hunter Rise 2021
Why it still holds upThe loop is why it is worth playing now: every monster is a fight of its own, and its parts make the gear for the next one.
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse 2014
Why it still holds upEach new item still opens up parts of the map you could not reach before.
Condemned: Criminal Origins 2005
Why it still holds upEach fight is still decided by what the place hands you.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Full Burst 2013
Why it still holds upBoss fights that play out as events give the story set pieces.
Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma 2016
Why it still holds upThe fragments are still a mystery whose order you choose, about people who have lost theirs.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice 2016
Why it still holds upCatching a witness in a contradiction is still the heart of each trial today.
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1999
Why it still holds upSwitching between two worlds to find a way forward is a puzzle idea that works as well now as ever.
The Book of Unwritten Tales 2009
Why it still holds upAnyone after a long adventure built on traditional puzzles will find a full one here today.
Blaster Master Zero II 2019
Why it still holds upSwitching between tank and on foot levels still keeps each planet from repeating itself.
Saboteur! 1986
Why it still holds upA ninja sneaking through a warehouse is a premise that still carries.
Dawn of Discovery 2009
Also known as Anno 1404
Why it still holds upTwo halves of a world that depend on each other's goods still make every new street part of a longer chain.
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West 2010
Why it still holds upA road trip across a ruined world has a pull that is still strong for anyone who likes a journey with company.
Prehistorik 2 1993
Why it still holds upTen levels full of things to hit and find still reward a second look today.
Evoland 2 2015
Why it still holds upJumping through time to change styles is the idea at its heart, today as when it launched.
SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech 2019
Why it still holds upBuilding a deck of your own cards makes each fight a small puzzle.
Gravity Rush 2012
Why it still holds upFlipping gravity to cross an open city is the hook, and it is still worth trying.
Lunar: The Silver Star 1992
Why it still holds upBattles where characters walk to their targets and spells hit whole zones still reward positioning today.