Adventure games have made a comeback over the last few years and have evolved past the frustrating and obtuse point-and-click games of the past. While those still have their appeal the genre has evolved into more gameplay innovations and ideas for the genre. Rich stories, great characters, fun gameplay loops, and puzzles that test your knowledge. This year was one of the best in both quality and design. We saw some truly great titles this year and it’s just so wonderful to see a once dead genre come back to life.

Dispatch

Dispatch may seem like a generic super hero strategy game at first glance. But this is a nuanced and fun adventure title that breaks free of the constraints of licensed superheroes. This allows true creation and innovation to flow freely from the developers and it shows here. With a fantastic story, fun gameplay, and so many interesting characters there’s not much here that you can’t like. If you love super heroes this is a must play this year. Don’t let the lack of a license deter you.

Runner-Ups

The Seance of Blake Manor

---

Luto

---

Blue Prince

---

s.p.l.i.t.