Best PC gamesBest Adventure Games

There were moments early on when I began to feel a sense of missed opportunity from VirtuaVerse, but as with any good slow burn sci-fi, the stakes ramp up with the action in a much more satisfying second half to complete a beautiful, challenging point-and-click adventure.

Short but very sweet, A Fold Apart is a hug in game form that’s sure to warm even the hardest of hearts.

Arise uses creative level design, gorgeous visuals and challenging environmental puzzles to explore the length and breadth of a full lifetime. A few presentation issues aside, it’s a moving, thought-provoking experience that tells a complete story with scarcely a word.

A murder mystery set in a rich, fictional setting, Disco Elysium is told with sweeping profundity and hilarious absurdity. With no combat to impede story progression, this is a choice-driven role-playing adventure that deftly raises the bar of quality for the medium.

Though definitely not aimed at impatient or directionally challenged gamers, Woven’s splendidly fashioned locales, likeable heroes and amusing transformations are tailor-made for a unique experience.

Once The Complex enters full-on thriller mode, this compelling choice-driven tale of a trapped scientist facing terrorists and moral decisions doesn’t let up and even provides enough prompting and interesting options to weather multiple plays.

The Brotherhood had a tall mountain to scale when delivering their follow-up effort to STASIS, but Beautiful Desolation succeeds admirably on most fronts. It may be a little too big for its own good, but an intriguing new world beckons, ready to amaze even as it provides lots of choice in shaping its stories.

Lair of Clockwork God blends adventure and platforming to mixed effect, but it’s a very accomplished game overall, bursting with enough variety, style and humour to keep you surprised and entertained throughout its surprisingly generous play time.

Kentucky Route Zero’s short, elegiac coda sweetly and sadly puts a pin on this drawn-out but richly rewarding magical realist episodic series.

Although scouring Dark Fall: Ghost Vigil’s haunted Harwood House for supernatural signs can be tedious at times, the puzzles that lurk within its genuinely dark and spooky walls are anything but.

LUNA: The Shadow Dust is an audio-visual delight, with charming hand-drawn animation accompanied by a stellar soundtrack, though its gameplay isn’t very inventive and is ultimately more a case of style over substance.

It’s sometimes too convoluted for its own good, and its macabre take on certain subjects might turn some players off, but the complete five-part Sally Face is a worthwhile and wholly unique gaming experience that has to be played to be believed.

Mosaic will be a worthwhile experience for that certain type of gamer who can appreciate style over substance in the service of an artistic statement. Without much in the way of gameplay, it’s more of an experimental atmospheric experience than a traditional piece of interactive entertainment.

If you can get past all the timed events and repetition from multiple deaths, the slick-looking Deliver Us the Moon will reward you with an an evolving story and interesting characters in an evocative sci-fi setting filled with challenging obstacles to overcome.

Although marred by some technical issues at launch, as well as some poorly-implemented action sequences, the charm of this world and pull of its story are enough to make Blacksad: Under The Skin an engaging adaptation of the popular graphic novel series.

Life Is Strange 2 explores a touching, special relationship between two brothers that will make your heart hurt in the best possible way.

We Were Here Together provides a great assortment of co-op challenges that will test your ability to communicate vocally as well as to solve them together.

Argonus and the Gods of Stone takes elements of real Greek mythology and shuffles them about to create a fantastic, engrossing new experience that feels like it fits in antiquity.

Rather than treating Mary Shelley’s creation as the monster of so many horror movies, The Wanderer: Frankenstein’s Creature is true to the spirit of the original novel and is a treat for the eyes and ears.

Moons of Madness ditches the cold New England setting of Lovecraft’s eldritch tales for the dry, arid wastelands of Mars, and what results is a textbook example of how “cosmic” cosmic horror truly can be.

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.

A variety of engrossing “choose-your-own” quests based on real-life travel memoirs, Wanderlust Travel Stories’ vividly written text will have you longing to start your own exotic adventure.

An intriguing, beautiful mystery with a deep and memorable lead character, Jenny LeClue – Detectivú delivers in just about every way.

Balanced firmly between satisfying puzzles, survival horror gameplay, and an amusing story that satirizes the grind of corporate life, the odd but thoroughly engaging Yuppie Psycho has all the makings of a cult classic.

A slapstick romp through a stylish kingdom of loons and beasties, Pilgrims’ simple but inventive card-based inventory system and replay opportunities turn a slight game into a journey you’ll want to complete again and again.

While intentionally vague on backstory, The Sojourn provides a solitary journey through relaxing vistas littered with enjoyably mind-bending navigational puzzles.

Don’t be fooled by the glitter and sparkles: Little Misfortune is a surprisingly dark but very engaging grown-up tale about a little girl trying to find beauty in life’s ugliness.

While predictably light on actual gameplay, Supermassive’s kick-off to their Dark Pictures Anthology is a welcome return to form that ticks all the right boxes for a scarily good time. Whether alone or with friends, raise the sails and weigh anchor aboard Man of Medan’s ghost ship if you dare.

A grander take on Her Story‘s FMV database search idea, Telling Lies proves Sam Barlow is still the master of the carefully crafted reveal, even if at times this particular web of deceit unravels a little too slowly.

Another quality addition to the stable of games in the Black Watchmen universe, NITE Team 4 puts players on the hot seat of an elite hacker of a clandestine organization. Although some elements could have been executed better, the main game’s 25-plus hours of cyberwarfare goodness alone make this a must-have for existing Alice & Smith fans, and a great way for genre newbies to try their hand at some pretend hacking.

Though it lacks the strong narrative underpinning of its better inspirations, there is a lot to like in Epitasis for those who enjoy the gameplay of The Talos Principle, The Witness and similar exploratory puzzle games.

It ends way too soon and could really use a better backstory, but Alt-Frequencies is a simple and fun game that is totally worth playing for a unique new experience, and even more so if you have affection for FM radio.

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.

For those who won’t be deterred by the endless deaths and time-looped backtracking in Outer Wilds, its intriguing mystery and non-linear exploration of an entire solar system will be a novel and deeply engaging experience.

An ambitious story with real, complex characters makes BEYOND: Two Souls one of the year’s most memorable adventures, as long as you’re willing to look past some constrained and awkward gameplay.

Once you have mastered the interface and navigation challenges, Observation will sweep you up in a compelling story of human and machine interaction that offers a refreshing spin on a familiar sci-fi formula.

Although light on actual gameplay, ZED is a quirky, beguiling exploration of character where fragments of memory spawn an imaginative journey through the haunts and grottos of the mind.

Easy on both the eyes and ears, Chook & Sosig: Walk the Plank uses its clever meta premise to provide a great time hanging out with an eclectic group of anthropomorphic friends – some alive, some not, but all of them delightfully fun.

Golem is fun little puzzle-platformer with a top-notch presentation both in sound and art direction. It’s not particularly challenging, but it’s an extremely well-made side-scrolling adventure about an unlikely but delightful friendship.

An ethereal, innovative, emotional cooperative experience, thatgamecompany’s Journey is one that any PlayStation 3 owner should take.

Nupixo’s debut offering Detective Di: The Silk Rose Murders is a brilliant introduction to one of ancient China’s most famous investigators that does just about everything right.

It’s a little rougher around the edges than Michalski’s previous masterpiece, but if you’re looking for a coming-of-age story with an edge that laces the banalities of a troubled life with pure elements of horror, then don’t be afraid to enter Lorelai’s nightmare.

Chock-full of gorgeous, great-sounding set pieces and characters, the hilarious Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka with Love presents a witty commentary on Cold War era politics within a story and gameplay that anyone can enjoy.

The Mystery of Woolley Mountain is a heaping helping of quirky farce, whose occasional foibles are easily atoned for by the eccentric puzzles and general good humour.

Though it takes a while to find its own identity and the puzzles are all too simple, Guard Duty is a nostalgia-laden charmer that shows nothing but love and respect for the classic point-and-click titles it most resembles.

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.

Clifftop Games and Faravid Interactive show no sign of a sophomore slump with Whispers of a Machine. This futuristic murder mystery with some innovative gameplay, flexible puzzles, and built-in replayability should be enough to pique any adventure gamer’s interest.

If you’ve followed The Walking Dead all the way through, this tight and powerfully executed finale will be sure to satisfy. Get those tissues ready.

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 polished, immersive trek through a world so alluring it’s a shame it doesn’t actually exist, Eastshade is a must-play for anyone with the heart and mind to devote to this art- and craft-themed adventure.