Sometimes awkward but sometimes brilliant, Life Is Strange brings a fresh new perspective to episodic, choice-driven storytelling.

With a great voice cast, distinctive visual style, and intricate puzzle design, Unforeseen Incidents delivers a solid if well-worn story of a nobody from nowhere saving the world.

One of the best of the games in the series, Dual Destinies takes a while to build back up from its explosive beginning, but it’s more of the same fun characters, stories, and gameplay fans have come to expect.

While other Telltale series have suffered a bit of a letdown after a promising start, The Devil's Playhouse is shaping up to be a consistently entertaining season, any way you slice the cucumber.

Though it’s over far too soon, Milo and the Magpies is a lovely, fun backyard adventure with a charmingly curious protagonist that’s worth playing to marvel at the gorgeous artistry alone.

I doesn’t exist offers a fresh take on the text-based adventure game with a compelling philosophical narrative that sets out to surprise and delight.

Devotion’s tale of fractured memories and buried secrets provides a dark, compelling look into the depths of human frailty and desperation. It doesn’t quite reach the heights its developer achieved with Detention, but it’s a well-crafted first-person journey to a strange and unexpected place.

Blue Wednesday’s sturdy interface ties together beguiling graphics, outstanding jazz, and challenges that will realistically ground adventure gamers within an intimate, relatable narrative.

The detailed landscapes, engaging plot and intriguing premise of a completely fictional ancient language to decipher make Heaven’s Vault a game for which it’s worth getting lost in translation.

The Perils of Man is a well-constructed, compelling adventure full of mechanical contraptions, scientific hubris, impending disaster, and singular courage.

Though the inclusion of repetitive mini-games is anything but evolutionary, this game is well worth a look for those who can handle some reflex action in their adventures.

At least I can say something that I haven't yet said to date—the ending makes me extremely interested to know where the story is going now, and with only thirty days between episodes, it won't be a long wait to find out.

Traditional adventure fans should go in expecting a highly streamlined game style, and hidden object fans should brace themselves for a whole new kind of casual adventure.

Substantially improving on the previous two installments in almost every way, the AR-K series finally finds its way in its penultimate episode.

Dark Train takes you on a singular, confusing, marvellous journey into a seemingly grey industrial world that proves to be full of exuberant imagination. All in the company of a mechanical squid called Ann.

Metal Dead is an impressive first outing by a new developer that hits all the right notes and delivers a funny, touching, and well-made take on the zombie apocalypse.

Interactivity is a short but well-executed meta-story adventure that stands on the shoulders of games like The Stanley Parable but has enough of its own identity to make it worth checking out.

Although far from a traditional adventure, Valiant Hearts has a strong setting and story that exposes the worst aspects of war and the best of human relationships.

Her Story’s searchable video database is a unique and compelling way of telling its interactive story, making it worth the fairly short trip to the police station.

The freedom of choice is more illusory this time around, but Long Road Ahead still delivers tremendous emotional blows throughout its increasingly compelling story.

Although light in puzzle complexity and narrative depth, the side-scrolling Lupus in Fabula delivers a memorable experience that has much to delight. Its characters, panoramas and irreverent, absurdist comedy come together to create a farcical adventure that is quite distinct and helps it stand apart from other offerings in the marketplace.

A good game with beautiful graphics, well animated characters that puts a unique spin on a mysterious American legend. A humorous story that’s occasionally slowed down by its minigames.

The Plane Effect is a well-crafted surreal and atmospheric experience with philosophical undertones. While not perfect (though not too far from it), it is heartily recommended.

Sherlock Holmes The Awakened (2023) is a phenomenal remake and addition to Frogwares’ long list of adventures, leaning more towards the supernatural but still fitting snuggly into the Arthur Conan Doyle-style of the mystery genre. While there are minor issues with presentation and gameplay, those who are Sherlock Holmes fans (or H.P. Lovecraft fans) should definitely experience this—even those who have played the 2006 original or the 2008 remaster.

In the end, the leap forward in the story helps a lot to counter any disappointment with the gameplay, though the latter won't change the minds of anyone let down by it in the series so far.

This basic story unfolds in less than three hours, not including the bonus chapter, which clocks in with a little over another half hour. Despite its brevity, Drawn: Trail Of Shadows is a gorgeous game that raises casual adventures to new artistic heights, and feels quite unlike any other game available (except its own predecessors). Its world of imagination is wondrous, filled with equal parts hidden dangers and flights of fancy, and with a variety of fun puzzling to solve, you'll easily be drawn into its charms.

Yorkshire Gubbins is a short and easy but hilarious escapade through a small town filled with memorable characters and quirky puzzles. It won’t pose much in the way of difficulty, but its biting British humour makes it hard not to keep playing, just to see how it all turns out.

If you aren’t afraid of emotional darkness, terrifying images, and deep moral quandaries, you’ll want to check into the revamped Downfall’s Quiet Haven Hotel to explore the bloody landscape of the human psyche.

It's an auspicious debut that should appeal to sci-fi adventure fans, even if you’re not familiar with the American astronaut and his “Perryverse”.

Mundaun is a gripping and unique horror adventure with an immersive portrayal of rural Switzerland and a distinctive visual presentation that only gets more uncanny the longer you look at it.

Superfluous Returnz is a game that combines stunning graphics and immersive sound to present a hilarious and captivating parody of the superhero genre.

Justin Wack and the Big Time Hack is a must-play for any fan of adventure games. An engaging story brought to life by beautiful graphics, sound, and animation, it immerses the player in a world of humor and fun.

Amnesia: The Bunker is another Frictional Games classic, pitting players against a truly terrifying foe while providing immersive elements that are constantly engaging. While the AI can leave a bit to be desired, the atmosphere and story will keep players on their toes.

Though it’s over far too soon, Repressed offers a satisfying series of challenging yet fair puzzles throughout a unique visual journey that tells a heartbreaking but surprisingly hopeful story of a wounded soul.

Sherlock has never looked better, and Crimes & Punishments is an enjoyable anthology that should bring in new fans, but there’s little challenge for a seasoned adventurer.

As you wander Firmament’s splendid landscapes, the narrative builds to a heartening finale—but be prepared to strenuously exercise your brain along the way.

While lighter on adventure elements than earlier games in the series, the gameplay is as innovative and fun as ever (with one or two exceptions), and the story of The Craftsman is advanced in an interesting way. If you have the proper hardware and enjoy puzzles, The Room VR is a must-have for your collection.

Marlon’s Mystery: The Dark Side of Crime is a captivating cozy mystery that delves into the aftermath of injustice and exploitation.

While The Inner World certainly doesn’t push the envelope, neither does it cut any corners in delivering top-notch fun for the family.

An uncompromisingly methodical and detailed survival adventure, Miasmata is a tense, slow-burning gem.

A little mechanical clunkiness can’t hide the heart beneath Tales, which shines with a love of stories, puzzles and humanity.

TOHU serves up a charming little sci-fi narrative in a lovely cartoon style, but outside of one particularly egregious arcade sequence, its true strength is in its variety of interesting puzzles.

Insomnis on the PlayStation 5 isn’t quite a next-generation experience but is nonetheless a thrilling haunted house adventure worth playing should you have missed out on the original release.

Shapik: The Moon Quest ticks almost every checkbox for lovers of charming, atmospheric puzzle adventures. What it lacks in narrative depth it more than makes up for with fun gameplay and impressive production values.

Falling just a little short of instant classic status, Primordia is still a gorgeous, clever, and melancholy science-fiction parable.

The genre-bending Nauticrawl successfully turns intentionally confusing submarine controls into an immersive journey of discovery where understanding leads to incremental progression and exploration is key to your survival. It’s by no means perfect, and feels like it could have been more, but it’s nevertheless an unforgettable experience.

Nelly Cootalot’s latest voyage is overflowing with charm and heart – and puns, oh the puns! It may not be the stiffest challenge out there, but it’ll leave you with a warm feeling inside.

Enypnion Redreamed, a brainteasing adventure, uses creative, surreal visuals and sound to bring dreams to life.

Once the momentum picks up, the three-part Bear With Me is a funny, well-written point-and-click adventure, with memorable characters that will stick with you for a long time.

While the storytelling is not as tight as in the base Cloudpunk game, the dual narrative, new characters, and quality-of-life improvements make City of Ghosts a worthy DLC expansion that is substantial enough to be a full-fledged sequel.

Though padded somewhat by a repetitive combination of puzzles, strategy and RPG elements, Doctor Lautrec and the Forgotten Knights finally gives gamers an adventure of substance on the Nintendo 3DS.

P.O.L.L.E.N is a slick, atmospheric and unnerving experience that is let down by its short length, confused plot and tired storytelling devices.

Though certainly not a conventional adventure game, Caravan SandWitch is fortified by interesting characters and an overarching, quest-driven tale. Puzzles involving navigation may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s no combat, no death, and no timed challenges; frustrating at moments, but pretty chill. You will find it intriguing if you’re up for exploring and navigating landscapes with chunks of story on the side.

Whilst Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged is a great visual improvement on the original, an unequivocal recommendation for what is essentially a graphical update doesn’t really fit our rating system – especially not when certain other areas of the game could have been improved upon.

The surreal presentation may draw a lot of the attention, but Maggie’s Apartment proves equal parts strange, artistic, and entertaining as you slowly peel back the quirky layers of a mystery that proves deceptively deep.

It's a solid puzzler that atones for a few rough edges with homegrown charm, but your mileage with MacGuffin's Curse will ultimately depend on whether you enjoy block puzzles.

Wayward Strand is an intriguing game; a gripping story brought to life by well-executed graphics, music, interface, and voice acting.

Oniria Crimes introduces a welcome variation on mystery adventure conventions in an intriguing, attractive futuristic noir world with a rich backstory to be discovered. While some aspects could be improved, it’s definitely worth a look for players seeking out something different from the usual kind of detective game.

GrandMa Badass - a crazy point-and-click adventure is an amusing tale brought to life by well-executed graphics, music, and interface. However, the lack of dialog prevents the narrative from reaching its full potential.

A different kind of casual game from the norm, My Brother Rabbit is a charming, beautiful fantasy adventure whose scavenger hunting gameplay successfully dangles the proverbial carrot on a stick for the short time it lasts.

The combination of realistic architecture, history, surrealistic gods and magic will draw you in, but the been-there-done-that take on the puzzles and the journey's short length might not be enough to hold your interest.

Although still lacking much challenge beyond working through its more confusing story, Dead Secret Circle is a longer and more diverse game than its predecessor with the same creepy, immersive atmosphere introduced in the series debut.

If you’re looking for a creepy mystery adventure game with less emphasis on traditional point-and-click mechanics, Children of Silentown could be for you. However, some bland characters hinder it, and most of the storyline is confined too long in one play area.

Though not as polished as its famed inspirations, Krabat and the Secret of the Sorbian King does a good job of evoking the spirit of LucasArts and Sierra classics.

Despite a few arbitrary cracks, Dire Grove is another (frozen) solid entry in the growing casual adventure library, and a worthy addition to the Mystery Case Files series.

All told, the second episode of Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People includes a little more talking and lot more collecting than Homestar Ruiner, with the same marginal amount of small-scale puzzling in between.

Despite a poorly conceived save system and a sense of aimlessness in seeking out multiple endings, the debut installment of Pamali: Indonesian Folklore Horror is a unique choice-driven horror experience with an impressive amount of educational and replay value and an unexpectedly strong narrative core.

A very entertaining game that successfully transcends its edu-tainment leanings.

Another entertaining game for those who can't get enough of the wacky blue plush rabbit, Harvey's New Eyes simplifies the Edna & Harvey experience but is slightly less fun to play as a result.

Despite some maddening mini-games and a finicky autosave feature, Loretta delivers a gripping tale and chilling atmosphere with stunning graphics and music. Horror fans should check it out, but be prepared for some frustration along the way.

Discolored is a surreal and atmospheric experience that is less a well-rounded adventure than puzzle game, yet it is very satisfying and enjoyable to play. Just be prepared for it to raise a lot of questions and leave you to supply your own answers about the strange events unfolding around you.

Even though a disjointed visual style and overly no-frills approach holds Zof back from greatness, fans of Myst-like puzzle adventures will find much to enjoy about the wide variety of surreal environments and enigmatic machinery that make up its difficult but fair puzzles.

Reveling in its own eccentricity, Trüberbrook’s quirky characters, stunningly vivid backdrops and engaging dialogue for the most part make up for some flaws in its ambitious but rushed narrative.

A surprisingly moody piece about esoteric organizations and human nature that never takes itself too seriously. Brendel’s low-budget adventure game will permeate players minds and have them contemplating the existence of the Lifestream even as they shower at six a.m. in the morning.

The new directions the game goes in dilute the qualities that made the first Dark Fall so great, and it ends up being much less immediate, real and frightening than its predecessor.

A hybrid role-playing adventure game with high replayability and stunning 3D environments. In Betrayal At Club Low, players can customize their character and approach missions differently, using a dice mechanic that adds (not always welcome) randomness.

To play, or not to play? If you like Shakespeare, definitely. But even if you dozed through high school English, the clever premise and time-loop puzzling make Elsinore a world worth exploring.

While it has a few design decisions holding it back, the time-traveling joys of Wanderer promise a bright future for adventure games within the VR space.

If you are looking for a brain-teasing experience full of complex puzzles to blow your mind, Memento Mori has little to offer along those lines. But if you are fan of story-driven adventures, you'll find a promising new adventure to fill your needs in this gripping psychological drama (albeit disguised as a conspiracy thriller) with one of the most shocking and memorable endings the genre has seen in a long time.

Tales from Candleforth is a solid, although brief, Room Escape-like adventure, with a few nightmarish scenes you may never forget.

I should also point out that The Scorpio Ritual is a short game—six to eight hours of play spread across four main locations—and it culminates with an unusually abrupt ending.

MIND is a great-looking first-person puzzler with a nice atmosphere and promising but flawed gameplay that’s often held hostage to a narrative that falls flat on its face.

Frog Detective 3: Corruption at Cowboy County will appeal to both series veterans and those looking to try out the mystery genre experience. The characters are quirky enough to be funny, and the lively changes in the environments and soundtrack are welcome. However, certain gameplay loops and drawn-out dialogues may drive impatient players away.

You shouldn’t play with your food, but it’s necessary when dealing with the creatures of Snaktooth Island. While the creative design and catchy music are tasty side dishes, Bugsnax‘s main course of monster-catching gets a tad stale before the end.

The second Initiate outing replicates much of what made the first game so enjoyable, this time with three playable protagonists sharing the spotlight. But the vague nuggets of narrative still fail to deliver, and are once again easily eclipsed by the satisfaction you’ll get instead from cracking the many puzzles.

FixFox is a fun romp through an alien planet as a furry MacGyver, although the long playtime does make proceedings repetitive.

You may not want to live there, but the return trip to Ravenhearst offers a little something for casual gamers, puzzle lovers, and adventurers alike.

Kentucky Route Zero‘s second act keeps things weird, but feels a tad slight and uneventful compared to the first.

While the story is anything but deep, underneath Pan-Pan’s pretty face beats the heart of a solid puzzle-adventure that provides a couple hours of light-hearted entertainment.

Though its gameplay isn’t very deep, Sea of Solitude is a beautiful, at times poignant adventure that will linger with you long after you’ve left it in your wake.

Shrug Island is a short but scenic getaway with a tropical sorbet-flavored design that provides a relaxing experience of gentle puzzling fun.

This is a solid sequel in the franchise and while it doesn't really break any new ground, it does make some minor but important improvements that make it the best game in the series.

Perhaps the Codex will finally bring an unheralded series the attention it deserves. There's no new content, but those unfamiliar with the series should definitely give this release a closer look.

Whilst not performing any great new feats, The Miracle Mask is a solid first 3DS addition to the Layton franchise.

Though it never really rises above its simple premise, the gorgeously immersive Beyond Blue may just be as close to deep-sea diving as you can get without a wetsuit (or the stress).

A lush, expansive, genre-bending adventure, Golden Treasure is worth seeking out for a fresh new experience, even if not all of the game’s ambitious elements fit together snugly.

Uniquely enigmatic but occasionally tedious, Path to Mnemosyne creates a dizzying world of alluring visuals to fill with a generally gratifying collection of puzzles based on observation, memorization and timing.