Suikoden 1995
Why it still holds upToday, a cast you can gather one warrior at a time gives the journey a goal beyond the main story.
Adventure games that still hold up
Somewhere to get to, and plenty in the way
Games
Suikoden 1995
Why it still holds upToday, a cast you can gather one warrior at a time gives the journey a goal beyond the main story.
Primordia 2012
Why it still holds upBecause choices change the ending, a replay today turns up things the first run left behind.
Fez 2012
Why it still holds upEvery room is still a puzzle about perspective, with a view you can turn to realign the world.
Shadow Complex 2009
Why it still holds upEach return to an old room still has a new purpose, in a world that opens as new tools arrive.
The Night of the Rabbit 2013
Why it still holds upA coin that shows what can be clicked still keeps the search for the next clue easy to follow today.
The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery 1995
Why it still holds upToday, two playable characters who each take half the chapters give the investigation two angles.
Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood 2002
Why it still holds upToday, controlling several characters at once with limited resources makes each mission a matter of planning.
Space Quest IV: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers 1991
Why it still holds upIt still has a lively look, from hand painted scenes and a click that tastes or smells things.
Bully 2006
Why it still holds upEven now, groups that treat you differently according to what you do give the school a social map to learn.
Breath of Fire IV 2000
Why it still holds upEvery party member is still useful outside combat, with field skills that clear a path.
Metroid: Samus Returns 2017
Why it still holds upCounters to time and hidden paths to uncover still make exploring the planet a matter of watching closely today.
428: Shibuya Scramble 2008
Why it still holds upEach choice is still a clue for another character's chapter, across stories that run in the same timeframe.
StarTropics 1990
Why it still holds upEach chapter ends on a solved local trouble, which still keeps the quest easy to follow.
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire 2018
Why it still holds upA party that can be built and fought in many ways, at sea and on land, still makes it worth playing today.
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate 2011
Why it still holds upEquipment made from the monsters you hunt, and a village that grows from the same spoils, still give every hunt a use beyond itself.
Infamous 2 2011
Why it still holds upMoving through the city with the same powers you fight with ties traversal and combat together, as it still does.
Pokémon Ruby Version 2002
Why it still holds upEven now, choosing among a move, an item and a switch gives every turn a small decision.
Blackwood Crossing 2017
Why it still holds upPuzzles that reveal the siblings' past make each solution a piece of the story, which is how the game tells it today.
BioShock 2 2010
Why it still holds upA weapon and a power held at once still make each encounter a mix of shooting and plasmids today.
Valiant Hearts: The Great War 2014
Why it still holds upToday, a war story told through puzzles and a few short action sections gives each chapter its own mix.
The Blackwell Deception 2011
Why it still holds upAn investigation you assemble yourself, clue by clue, still draws you in today.
Flashback: The Quest for Identity 1992
Why it still holds upEven now, a hero with human limits and a shield for health makes every drop and jump a measured risk.
Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark 2019
Why it still holds upYou decide how forgiving the game is today, because a difficulty setting lets you choose how much a defeat costs, from nothing to permadeath.
Syberia 2002
Why it still holds upChoosing which place or person to try first still gives each chapter an order of your own.
Prince of Persia 1989
Why it still holds upA fixed clock that keeps running through your deaths, and traps that kill at once, still reward careful, repeated attempts today.
Sid Meier's Colonization 1994
Why it still holds upColonists you can train into specialists, and prices in Europe that keep moving, still turn every colony into a small economy to tune on the road to independence.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons 2013
Why it still holds upControlling both brothers at once makes every puzzle a matter of cooperation, as it still does.
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath 2005
Why it still holds upWhat you fire is still a choice in every fight, since the ammunition is made of living creatures.
Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor 1999
Why it still holds upToday, classes that cap each skill make the party you choose shape what it can become.
Yoku's Island Express 2018
Why it still holds upGetting around the island is still fun, because a hero who cannot jump has to use flippers, bumpers and ramps, and every route is worked out with the ball.
Kenshi 2018
Why it still holds upEvery outing across a map this large is a story you write yourself, and it absorbs you today.
Muramasa: The Demon Blade 2009
Why it still holds upThe journey still has a look of its own, drawn by hand and inspired by Japanese art.
Pokémon White Version 2 2012
Why it still holds upA steady loop of exploring and battling, with new places that hold new Pokémon, still gives it its pull.
The Battle of Polytopia 2016
Why it still holds upA short turn limit and a single resource to spend suit a short session today, since each game is a quick set of choices about what to unlock first.
Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land 2002
Why it still holds upCopy abilities that turn each enemy into a possible power still keep every stage open to a different way of playing.
Ratchet & Clank 2002
Why it still holds upA pile of strange weapons to buy and find still gives every fight a new toy to try today.
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom 2018
Why it still holds upExploring is still a matter of trying each form: five forms each open a different path and dying costs nothing.
The End Is Nigh 2017
Why it still holds upWith each screen a small, separate problem, it still suits playing in short bursts today.
Tex Murphy: Under a Killing Moon 1994
Why it still holds upYou are still the one searching a 3D world for clues, at your own pace.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time 2020
Why it still holds upPlayed today, the platforming is the draw, with the masks and the other characters changing what each jump asks of you.
Metal Slug 2 1998
Why it still holds upA fight that never stops, in scenery you can blow apart, still makes each level a rush toward the boss.
Steins;Gate 0 2015
Why it still holds upToday, a story that turns on whether you answer a call gives small choices weight.
Last Window: The Secret of Cape West 2010
Why it still holds upQuestioning you can choose to skip, and a novel that fills in each chapter, still reward patience.
Pokémon Black Version 2010
Why it still holds upCollecting a team and growing it battle by battle is a simple loop that works now as well as it did.
Yakuza 4 2010
Why it still holds upToday, a city full of side activities gives the story somewhere to stop and play.
Gris 2018
Why it still holds upThere is nothing to fail at, since there is no combat or game over and abilities arrive as the story goes on, so it plays relaxed today.
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia 2008
Why it still holds upYou still assemble your powers yourself, equipping and swapping glyphs.