The games in the Monkey Island series are classified as adventure games. The games chronicle the comedic escapades of Guybrush Threepwood as he strives to become the most infamous pirate in the Caribbean, foil the schemes of the nefarious undead pirate LeChuck, and earn Governor Elaine Marley’s affection. The narrative of each game often centers on the enigmatic Monkey Island and the mysteries that cannot be uncovered there. Our Monkey Island Games Tier List provides a ranking for each of the six games that have been published so far, ranging from the early 1990s to 2022.
- Monkey Island has swelled its dominance in the comedy gaming realm through its total 6 number of titles.
- Since we are ranking games and not in-game elements, our deciding factors will be how thrilling each game’s overall experience is and whether or not the fun is accessible to players of all styles and levels.
- Monkey Island Games that make up the most remarkable part of the entire series, given their welcoming nature for newbies and veterans, include Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge and The Curse Of Monkey Island.
- Both games are highly recommended for players who want to enjoy the crux of the Monkey Island excitement in its best form.
- Constralingly, the Monkey Island game that doesn’t seem as complete as the top choices includes Escape From Monkey Island. This is perhaps because of its slightly challenging nature that doesn’t make it fit for all types of gamers.
| Monkey Island Games Tier List Table | |
| Tiers | Titles |
| S-Tier | Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge, The Curse Of Monkey Island |
| A-Tier | The Secret Of Monkey Island, Return To The Monkey Island |
| B-Tier | Escape From Monkey Island, Tales Of Monkey Island |
The comedy and player-friendly aspects of the Monkey Island series have made it famous throughout the years. It is impossible for the player to make the game permanently unwinnable or for Guybrush to pass away without going to a significant amount of trouble.
In the style of a theme park, each of the games is set on fictitious islands in the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy, which occurred between the 17th and 18th centuries.
LucasArts, which was formerly known as Lucasfilm Games, was the company that was responsible for producing and publishing the first four games in the series. Telltale Games and LucasArts worked together to produce the fifth episode in the series of video games that make up the franchise. Terrible Toybox, in conjunction with Lucasfilm Games and Devolver Digital, worked on the development of a sixth game.
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S-Tier
All the game from the series we have listed in our S-tier is absolutely the best. If you have never played the game, and when you do decide to play, you will understand the amount of care and love developers put into these two titles.
If you want to play the recent Return to The Monkey Island game, we highly recommend playing these S-tier ones so that you can get the most of the story of the latest released title.
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge
The Monkey Island series is highly regarded for its comedic elements, original and difficult puzzles, and endearing protagonists and antagonists. For those who aren’t familiar with them, the Monkey Island games are a combination of puzzle and adventure games that follow the narrative of the daring would-be pirate Guybrush Threepwood.
This game takes an old-school adventure and updates it for the current period, much in the same way as its reimagined predecessor, The Secret of Monkey Island, did. Once again, it is up to you to lead Guybrush through several typical pirate pursuits, such as the quest for hidden riches, the creation of dolls, and the participation in spitting competitions.
At the beginning of LeChuck‘s Revenge, Guybrush is placed in a precarious situation in which he is hanging in midair with a treasure box in one hand and a lifeline in the other.
Dealing with the pirate bully who runs the extortion rackets is the first big step in an adventure that takes place across numerous islands. The adventure takes place on multiple islands. In addition to this, it has a plethora of characters and events that will stick with you.
In LeChuck’s Revenge, you will chat to everyone you come across, look at every labeled item, and seize whatever you can get your hands on. Additionally, you will be on the lookout for chances to get into mischief. It’s possible that, at the moment, you don’t have a solid cause to cut someone else’s pet alligator free, but you’ll be thankful that you did it sooner or later.
The presentation of the story in The Secret of Monkey Island and its sequel, Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge, are both quite smart.
Depending on how often you use the hint button, Guybrush’s treasure-hunting adventures might keep you busy for quite some time; thus, individuals searching for an exciting journey will find what they’re looking for in this section.
The Curse Of Monkey Island
In the second installment of the Monkey Island series, titled The Curse of Monkey Island, you will be tasked with assisting our would-be pirate protagonist, Guybrush Threepwood, in an intense fight against the nefarious zombie pirate LeChuck, who simply won’t die.
Guybrush finds across a diamond engagement ring that is cursed when he drifts into the tale just in time to foil LeChuck’s plot. The jewelry was kept in LeChuck’s keep. Unfortunately, our hero accidentally puts the ring on Elaine’s finger, which causes her to turn into a statue made of gold. Therefore, it is now up to Guybrush to locate his true love and figure out how to break the spell.
The visual style of The Curse of Monkey Island is really comical and appealing. Throughout the whole of the game, you will be blown away by the incredible animation that is on par with that of a movie. This is a game that is just as entertaining to watch as it is to participate in. In terms of the soundtrack, you will be exposed to modernized renditions of a couple of the recognizable melodies from the first two Monkey Island games.
The many riddles included inside the game are not only well crafted and difficult but also far from being unsolvable. The majority of the time, the riddles are incorporated into the narrative in a satisfactory manner. When you encounter a problem, you will often be required to solve it by using one of the items that you have in your inventory. You won’t have to wait long to find out whether it works.
In order to complete a puzzle successfully, you will often have to mix a number of different elements first. Make sure you check and double-check your inventory to ensure there are no goods in there that you haven’t used yet.
You will eventually have the opportunity to engage in ship-to-ship battle, so prepare yourself. This section is similar to a combo of the iconic insult sword bouts that were included in the first Monkey Island game.
After more than 15 hours of gaming, the conclusion of the game seemed a little rushed and underwhelming, which is perhaps the only thing that could be considered a negative aspect of the experience. Nevertheless, The Curse of Monkey Island ought to more than satiate the desires of Monkey Island fans who have been waiting for a sequel.
A-Tier
The games we have listed in the A-tier are second to none. The graphics, audio, and series of jokes you find in these two games are top-notch. There are a few quirks or issues attached to these two games that stop them from becoming the ultimate or the best Monkey Island games ever. Still, this is just our opinion, and yours may be completely opposite.
Return To The Monkey Island
Return to Monkey Island is a typical 2D adventure game centered on narration and puzzle-solving, much like the other games in the series. The game takes place on Monkey Island. Any gamer who enjoys a good adventure should play this game since it is humorous, gorgeous, well-polished, and has a plot that moves at a nice pace and is filled with lots of riddles that are both amusing and tough.
A large number of previously seen characters will also make appearances alongside the daring pirate. Nevertheless, the fact that it takes up exactly where LeChuck’s Revenge left off is maybe the most exciting feature of LeChuck’s Revenge and Return to Monkey Island.
The visual aesthetic of Return to Monkey Island is notably distinct from that of its two forerunners. This is the distinction that is most readily apparent. It is a radical departure from the games that came before it, but then again, The Curse of Monkey Island was also a radical departure.
The key to eventually solving the mystery of Monkey Island is at the center of the story’s progression from beginning to end. At the beginning of the game, Guybrush is unable to do so because he is not in a position to. Whether it’s a parody on old jokes, a nod to contemporary topics, or just plain wit, the trademark absurdist comedy that Monkey Island is known for has been preserved in its entirety.
The events of Return to Monkey Island take place not long after the conclusion of Monkey Island 2, but they are presented in a manner that most players weren’t anticipating. The game revealed a previously unseen facet of Monkey Island.
The other half of the equation for a successful classic puzzle game is an engaging narrative and memorable cast of characters. Return to the Monkey Island provides a generous serving of them here, and it does so in a manner that always incorporates a comedic element into the more conventional questions.
The Monkey Island series has always had a strong feeling of place, and Return to Monkey Island is no exception, but newcomers won’t have the same instant connection to it that existing fans would. The evocative graphic design of the game, which has been an unpleasant topic of dispute in the lead-up to the release of the game, is largely responsible for this phenomenon.
At the beginning of each new game, you will be offered the opportunity to choose one of two different difficulty settings. The Casual option makes the problems easier, while the Hard mode contains a greater number of puzzles that are of higher difficulty.
The narrative of the game is intricately entwined with each and every one of the puzzles. The resolution of several problems may frequently set off a chain reaction, in which the revelation of answers for one character will unlock solutions for others.
The lovers of the Monkey Island series will enjoy Return to Monkey Island. The fan service and comforting feeling of familiarity that infuses the whole experience will be much appreciated by returning players. Despite this, it makes an effort to seem less intimidating to those who are just starting out.
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The Secret Of Monkey Island
The convoluted storyline of The Secret of Monkey Island sends our naïve protagonist on an amusing adventure as he looks for the legendary secret of Monkey Island. He arrives at the port of Mêlée with high hopes, little money, and an insatiable curiosity in search of the pirate treasure that he has heard about.
If he is cunning enough, he will earn the trust of Mêlée’s pirates, and then he will find himself being carried by the currents of destiny toward the dreadful and famous Monkey Island.
The adventure game Secret of Monkey Island is an approachable point-and-click game with real comedic elements. The video game is filled to the brim with cheesy comedy and has more than a few tricky conundrums. You play the role of Guybrush Threepwood, a naive individual who embarks on a journey to develop into a powerful pirate in this game.
The plot of the video game begins very simply, but it rapidly escalates into an epic journey as Guybrush becomes caught in Elaine Marley’s web and comes into conflict with the nefarious pirate LeChuck.
Most players agree that dueling with swords is their favorite element of the game. Instead of designing straightforward combat mechanisms, the game has a clever insult system in which players are required to memorize not only amusing insults but also the appropriate answers to each individual insult.
When you begin a new act, you should already have some of the required items, and the rest of them should be placed inside the act in which you are now working. The puzzles, particularly the ones that use puns, might provide a challenge to the player.
On the other hand, if you use some trial and error to figure out how to solve them, you shouldn’t have too many problems. This is due to the fact that it is physically impossible to be caught in a scenario in which you are unable to search previous areas for an item that is required for further progression.
During conversations, players have the option to choose from a variety of replies that may vary from mundane to humorous. This is one of the features that was one of the first to be included in this game. It adds some variety to the experience and makes it possible to go through the game more than once since most players switch around their answers on successive runs of the game in order to see the various replies from the game’s cast of characters.
The first two acts may not seem to have a lot of color to them, and the reason for this is that they take place in the dark. The remainder of the game, on the other hand, is much more vibrant beyond the first two acts. The game’s soundtrack is another one of its many outstanding features.
B-Tier
Don’t get us wrong when we put the following two games into B-tier as they are still excellent Monkey Island games of story, jokes, characters’ personalities, and more. However, there are a few issues that are the primary reason why these two titles are ranked in B-tier instead of A or S-tier. Once again, this is just our opinion, and you may not agree with our tier or video game hierarchy.
Tales Of Monkey Island
Guybrush Threepwood unwittingly poisons the whole Caribbean with the sorcery that is released while he is in the process of rapidly removing the evil voodoo that the villainous pirate LeChuck has. This also poses the risk of transforming buccaneers into rogue pirates who are unable to be controlled.
Relationships between the main characters are the most interesting aspect of the plot, but the supporting cast and crazy settings provide plenty of opportunities for hilarity.
In Tales of Monkey Island, Guybrush Threepwood continues his exploits as he searches for his wife, Elaine, and works toward defeating his archenemy, LeChuck. The story is told in chronological order. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a seasoned veteran or just getting started with insult sword fighting; Tales of Monkey Island is a long journey that’s simple to enjoy for everybody.
The game does not adhere to any norms that are easily guessed, and it does not settle for just turning these traditions on their heads either. It gives everything a whole new perspective, resulting in circumstances that are exciting and unusual in a welcome way.
The main storyline of Tales of Monkey Island moves at a brisk enough clip to keep you engaged and entertained over the whole of the game’s campaign, which clocks in at a minimum of 22 hours.
These puzzles are crafted in a number of inventive ways by the game, and although you will note that certain quest patterns are repeated, this repetition does not occur often enough to make the experience seem tedious. The solutions are, on the whole, not that difficult to figure out, but figuring out some of the more obscure ones may be quite a challenge.
Tales of Monkey Island is reminiscent of the golden age of adventure video games because it has a fantastic tale, a cast of interesting characters, and a multitude of challenging but fun puzzles. You explore a variety of locations in the Caribbean over the course of these five episodes, which span a total of one hour.
In spite of the fact that this first episode seems to move at a snail’s pace in comparison to the following episodes, you will soon go to a number of different islands both above and below the water as you explore the ocean.
As you make your way through this game using your brain, you will undoubtedly experience a pleasant feeling of fulfillment. You will notice various visual abnormalities from time to time, despite the fact that the game has a cartoony visual style, which helps add to the game’s joyful vibe.
Escape From Monkey Island
The fourth game in the series, Escape from Monkey Island, has some humorous moments, despite the fact that most of it are not. After returning from their honeymoon, the self-proclaimed Mighty Pirate and his new wife, Elaine Marley, were shocked to learn that Elaine had been reported missing and presumed dead.
On top of everything else, it seems that everyone is seeking for a voodoo relic that is referred to as the Ultimate Insult. This kind of comedy makes up a significant portion of Escape from Monkey Island. There are a lot of jokes that go back to prior parts of the series, and the only way you’ll find them humorous is if you’ve seen those parts.
The game does have a large number of brand-new characters and jokes, many of which are hilariously hilarious. However, some of the newly introduced characters aren’t quite as engaging as the others. The comedy is elevated by the consistently superb performance of the voice actors.
The game engine and user interface of Escape from Monkey Island are heavily based on a modified version of the one seen in Grim Fandango. This is the most significant difference between Escape from Monkey Island and the previous versions.
Characters in the game are rendered in 3D, while the surroundings are rendered in 2D. The fact that the game was able to both recall and expand upon the surreal pirate world of Curse of Monkey Island is a credit to the excellent visual design that went into making the game.
The majority of the puzzles in Escape from Monkey Island involve making inventive use of the items in your inventory, and a large number of these riddles are challenging and enjoyable. It is a terrific game; however, there are moments when it may be really annoying.
The humor and riddles are both hit or miss, especially the puzzles. In spite of this, playing the game may be a genuine treat on occasion since a sufficient number of riddles and a sufficient number of jokes are entertaining.
The process of moving through the available options at any given point may be a little difficult. However, there are points throughout the game when it looks like a mouse cursor would have made the gameplay a lot simpler to operate.
Despite this, long-time fans of the Monkey Island series are almost certain to have pleasure in the game, despite the fact that it has several bugs.
If you are a fan of the other games in the series, then playing Escape from Monkey Island is a pleasant experience in the series that you should not miss out on. However, novice players should approach the game with care since it may be challenging.
Monkey Island Games Tier List Criteria
We have curated the tier list after experiencing all the Monkey Island games listed above. Similar to most tier lists that we come up with, for this one, too, our staff sat, discussed, and shared some of the best puns about the game.
After all that, we came up with the tier ranking of each game and came to the conclusion of proceeding with the hierarchy that you see above.
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