Time for an adventure to 2023! 2022’s fantastic adventure games got us through the year, and now it is time to crown our favourite. Some notable mentions this year include Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, Stray and Immortality, but this list will give you our top nominees and winner of Best Adventure Game 2022.
Whether we were exploring games with our young ones or keeping the subjects a little more adult, there were adventure games for everyone this year. Storytelling is always key in a good adventure, but action never hurts either. Games big and small made the list for Best Adventure Game 2022 this year, and we are glad to see it!
Here are the nominees for Best Adventure Game 2022:
Return to Monkey Island
Writer: William Lockwood
Console: PC
Score: 9
Price: $27.99
The story in Return to Monkey Island begins rather simply but soon spirals into an intricate web of intrigue, adventure, and double-crosses. Series protagonist Guybrush Threepwood has recommitted himself to finding the fabled Secret of Monkey Island, something he never actually found out, despite the original game’s title. However, his arch-nemesis, the evil zombie ghost pirate LeChuck is also after the secret, and he’s allied himself with dark forces that threaten the entire Caribbean should they get their grubby hands on it before Guybrush. Things only get more bonkers from there.
Return to Monkey Island is a game that any fan of the series should love (regardless of its initially unorthodox art style) and one that players can tailor to their particular skill level. Having spent many hours navigating its treacherous islands, sailing its high seas, and matching wits (and swords) with an endearingly quirky cast of characters, I can easily say that this is one adventure you won’t want to miss the boat on.
Tinykin
Writer: Jordan Biordi
Console: Nintendo Switch
Score: 9
Price: $28.99
Tinykin has very clearly been inspired by games like Pikmin and Banjo & Kazooie, and yet it feels so distinctly different from both of those games—it’s definitely a lot more chill than either of them. Players take on the role of Milodane, a little scientific explorer, seemingly searching for planets with similar life forms. When he finally discovers one, he travels through a bubble transporter which damages his equipment and renders him unconscious.
Each area is full of interesting ideas—the way books, VHS tapes, or ordinary cans are stacked like platforms or how cupboards and shelves become little villages or cantinas. Stacks of sponges (the one with the green Brillo side) become farmland, and each area’s unique theme makes it feel so distinct and alive, considering they’re just average rooms in a house. Furthermore, being so tiny opens so many nooks and crannies to explore, adding a lot of fun and a great sense of adventure to the game.
As Dusk Falls
Writer: Khari Taylor
Console: Xbox Series X
Score: 9
Price: $39.99
Perhaps what’s most intriguing however is that while As Dusk Falls aims to tell its own unique story, it’s also deliberately designed to be a game for anyone and everyone, allowing up to eight players to play the game together offline in couch co-op, online, or a mix of both, along with the option for each player to use an app on one’s smartphone as an input device instead of a controller.
As Dusk Falls is a thriller that doesn’t mind leaving some ends untied and some questions unanswered and is even bold enough to hint that there might be more stories in its universe to be told. I’m puzzled as to how that might be achieved, but nevertheless, I intend to follow this developer’s next project with great interest.
The Oregon Trail
Writer: Jordan Biordi
Console: Nintendo Switch
Score: 9
Price: $36.99
Before there was Ninja Gaiden, Dark Souls, or any other game known for being notoriously difficult, there was The Oregon Trail. Originally released in 1971—though most people know the enhanced version from 1985—for the Commodore-64 and other home computers, this game was so notoriously difficult, American Dad was able to centre an entire episode around it. It’s amazing that a game with such a storied position in the halls of gaming history has never received a modern remake.
I had an immense amount of fun playing The Oregon Trail and I would still highly recommend it. It’s a faithful recreation of one of the all-time classics in gaming, made fresh and original, and highly enjoyable. Even as a partial educational venture for young gamers, there is a lot to enjoy and experience here. Definitely worth a look.
Pentiment
Writer: Hayes Madsen
Console: Xbox Series X
Score: 9.5
Price: $24.99
There’s nothing quite like a good murder mystery, a story that manages to pull you along a string while delightfully sprinkling in intrigue and mystery. Video games are certainly no stranger to the genre, but Pentiment feels like it really gets what makes a murder-mystery tick, more than any other video game I’ve ever played.
Pentiment’s writing is utterly charming and really adds a lot to the overall feel of the story. Many of the townspeople have fascinating stories to tell, and the way they all weave together across time is something that kept me hooked throughout the entire experience.
WINNER: Best Adventure Game 2022 God of War Ragnarök
Writer: David Walters
Console: PlayStation 5
Score: 9.5
Price: $89.96
Picking up a few years from where we left off at the end of God of War, Kratos and Atreus have been in hiding as the fabled Fimbulwinter has arrived, trying to keep away from Freya after the goings-on in the previous game. Before long, the Ghost of Sparta and Atreus have a couple of unexpected visitors who set them on a path that will take them across the Nine Realms, visiting some truly incredible environments and meeting some very interesting characters indeed.
There aren’t many games that I have been unable to stop playing, but this one tops the list. It has everything I need in a title: an incredible story, interesting characters, vivid environments, and, above all, replayability. God of War Ragnarök is an absolute monument to the action-adventure genre and weaves a beautiful story that spans entire worlds. It is a must-play for fans and newcomers alike.
