The ULTIMATE Monkey Island and Lucasarts Tier List

Ranking EVERY Monkey Island and Lucasarts game is my biggest challenge yet. And just for good measure, I added a few games created by Lucasarts alumni, including Telltale Games, Double Fine, and Bill Tiller's Autumn Moon.
These rankings are only my personal opinion and are by no means a definitive list. I reserve the right to change my mind about the ordering at any time and cannot be held responsible for being flaky.
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#monkeyisland #lucasarts #telltalegames

[@wadematthews5605]

The Curse of Monkey Island will always be my favorite. I adore that game and hold so many good memories of playing it.

[@UweKeim]

Soon "Return to Monkey Island" will be the favorite 🙂

[@MavDillain]

Its the first real game I ever played on CD back in 1998. Instantly fell in love with it and have played it many times throught the last couple of decades

[@Flamesof24]

@@UweKeim Curse >>>> Return

[@scaccu]

Grim Fandango is absolutely top tier.

[@Nooraksi]

In bizarre puzzle yes...

[@micahbrae]

Definitely GF and Curse of MI for me!

[@greatwesternsky]

The Curse of Monkey Island was the most beautiful in terms of visuals, music and a sense of place.

[@chrisidema]

Nothing beats the hand drawn backgrounds.

[@bstar777777]

How is Loom missing from this list?

[@Consequencesarts]

I can't believe I straight up forgot about Loom :|

[@ninjagamer1359]

You clearly did not ask Cobb about it

[@19Marc79]

@@Consequencesarts => EPIC BRAIN FAILURE ;_)

[@OLIV3R_YT]

@@ninjagamer1359 brilliant 🤣

[@natewilson111]

@@Consequencesarts I'm guessing you'd put it at "Very Good"?

[@lecolintube]

Nostalgia is the hardest thing for me in how to rate games. Games I played in my youth hold such a high sentimentality for me. Thanks again.

[@yousefalabhoul1967]

Day of the Tentacle is a little better than Grim Fandango (I'm a fan of both). Actually, I'd consider Day of the Tentacle top three adventure game. The three characters manipulating time with extremely smart puzzles and probably the funniest adventure game. Everything was perfect about that game. I'd list my top three as 1) Monkey Island 2, 2) Day of the Tentacle and 3) Curse of Monkey Island - Monkey Island 3.

[@baccy81]

I was introduced to point and click games with monkey island 2, I was in middle school and I was so blown away, I kept having dreams about it at night. The sense of tranquillity and peace that those fantastic graphics gave me are embedded in my brain

[@Cuzjudd]

Lol DoTT needs to be in amazing

[@ftc3000]

While I think you were quite harsh on Zak McKracken, I will concede that several of the puzzles might seem nonsensical to anyone playing it today. Part of the problem is that the original game came with a physical copy of the National Inquisitor (the newspaper that Zak works for), which had clues for various puzzles in the game. Playing it now without those clues would probably make the game feel impenetrable. Then again, maybe I just feel extra nostalgia for it since it was one of the first games I ever owned back in 1989, and at the time, I loved the concept of travelling the world and finding ancient alien technology.

[@StockdeFerry]

I couldn't agree more with you! Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis is the BEST point and click game EVER!

[@ChrisAurora]

To be honest, Fate of Atlantis might even be the best Indiana Jones story on any medium.

[@games-dan]

@@ChrisAuroraIt’s at least third best, well ahead of Temple of Doom, but maybe just behind Raiders and Last Crusade. But I always think of Sophia as the second best female lead from any Indiana Jones story.

[@rephlax]

Played curse around the age of eleven and the atmosphere I felt back then never got reached by any other gaming experiene. It was fantastic, clever and felt so warm and joyful. Those were the days!

[@guybrushrodriguez2007]

tales of monkey island is way better than escape. Not as good as the other 3. But great moments. the face pulling contest was incredible

[@tj71520]

Tales is amazing

[@christhornton6105]

I was about to rage from the thumbnail, but you came good in the end 🤣

[@dontworry7440]

To each their own. IMO Full Throttle is easily the best out of all of these and Grim would be top 3.

[@vincenttremblay5266]

The only bad thing about full throttle is how the game is too short.. Wish there was a sequel

[@Mahoromatic]

@@vincenttremblay5266 Agreed. I miss the characters and sometimes I think about the fate of the Polecats.

[@andy2069]

Yes but it's perfect in its arc. It's definitely on the easy side too but it flows so well it doesn't matter

[@herrov]

Gracias por este video. Muy bueno tu canal! Estamos esperando ansiosamente Return to Monkey Island, acá, en el fin del mundo. ¡ Greetings from Argentina !

[@underjordiskproduktion3645]

As an oldskool fan of Lucasfilm games (That was the Name before it gets Lucasarts) I am shocked, you droped Zak Mc Kracken in the "very bad" ranking. I was playing in the late 1980ies first Maniac Mansion and loved it pretty much. As Zack Mc Kracken, komes out it was my absolute Favorite Game for a while which made me a livetime Lucasarts fan. Even its quiete a while since I play it, i remember some iconic moments. The funy storry I remember not so much since I play it last about 1989 but for me it was giving all perfect sense. I managed to get it done with logik and a lot of time to try out things, but when i had success in it, it was mostly satisfying . Dont get me wrong, I am not seriously offended about the ranking. I know, if i would be from a younger generation, i would propperly not playing such an old game ....In the praemonkeyisland time in which Zak Mckracken come out it was a fantastic game for a 10 years old me. Monkey Island of course was phenomenal....but i will not start to rank all by myselve now. Maniac Mansion and Zak Mc Kracken is the foundation Indy and Monkey was build on. They deserve to be in an special place of honor, ... Greetings from Denmark

[@Consequencesarts]

I played it for the first only month ago and that's a big reason for my ranking I feel. The game was overall very frustrating and I found that the puzzles had little logic to them. I'll freely admit that I do not have the patience required for older adventure games like Zak McKraken. I think the story is promising and its a property they should consider bringing back!

[@krugos1978]

I was also shocked to see Zak getting a "very bad" raniking, though I can understand how playing it nowadays for the first time may not be that great an experience. I played both Zak and Maniac Mansion back in the 80s too, on the Commodore 64, and I still love both games very much. :) I started learning English thanks to those games, I used to play with an English-Spanish dictionary at hand, lol.

[@Dave.esposito]

thanks for explaining what "okay," and "bad" means.

[@Consequencesarts]

Thats what i’m here for!

[@nateryan3610]

NGL, I saw your thumbnail and I was going to excoriate you for your low ranking of Fate of Atlantis. But you are surprisingly spot on on your ranking. Thank you!

[@moonchild666]

Any download links for the Secret of Monkey Island and Le Chuck's revenge remakes?

[@JM.TheComposer]

They're on GOG and Steam, and they're cheap.

[@the_swordman1]

I still remember that Escape made me love Monkey island, then i came across Sam and max's games and loved them to death xD

[@raphaelcandello1632]

Loved your chart! The only thing I kinda disagree is that Tales of Monkey Island is obviously nothing compared to the other Monkey Island games, but I would go for "okay" just because imho the ending puzzle and ending to the story was great.

[@tj71520]

Tales is my favorite in the series. It is more wacky pirate that any other monkey island games and it introduces morgan. I still enjoy the first two monkey island games and their pixelart but for me tales is amazing just like the first two games are... also all other monkey island games have horrible graphics

[@bigbuffguy9589]

Tales of Monkey Island is maybe my favorite adventure game of all time. It's a shame we never got a sequel.

[@cinemaniadeayeryhoy]

Full Throttle its not just Ok. Its f....ing amazing

[@JM.TheComposer]

Agreed! It's a wild ride, full of attitude, with an amazing soundtrack performed by a real biker band.

[@thomasboisse605]

Maniac Mansion not in AMAZING ???? Lol, its the best of em all.

[@jonbeddoes]

Mostly agree but The Dig has to be classed as very good or even amazing; I think you forgot the sensational soundtrack it wielded.

[@jonbeddoes]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmnOc3aFbd1lgKc

[@Consequencesarts]

It's been a long time since I've played it, perhaps its overdue a replay!

[@daddywhogames6601]

Ugh, the putting the "turtle" back together with a bomb puzzle still gives me nightmares to this day

[@SebaBuenoHaceMusiquitaJijiji]

Some of the puzzles doesnt have much sense, thats why its a game I wouldnt recommend to someone who is not a fan of this kind of games

[@sombra1111]

@@SebaBuenoHaceMusiquitaJijiji To be honest, I don't remember a puzzle that doesn't make sense in The Dig, but maybe I'm forgetting something. I agree with the OP, I think it's an amazing game. It's easily one of my favorite Lucas Arts game, along with Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Day of the Tentacle and the first 3 Monkey Island games

[@NDCanton]

IMO Devil's Playhouse was a peak for storytelling in adventure games, maybe only behind Grim Fandango. I've played it a couple times and not only does it elevate these goofy "stakes don't matter" characters into a plot full of lore and genuinely intriguing mystery, not only does it do it while honing the humor beyond the previous season, but the gameplay and logic (introducing max's psychic powers) is just more fun than most point and clicks. Graphics were also a huge upgrade from S2. In terms of Tales of MI, I remember thinking that was a fantastic story and a return to form after Escape, but trying to replay it, I couldn't get past how ugly and stuck in its era it was, moreso than the S&M games for some reason. As someone who played in 2009 and failed to replay recently, I think TOMI needed to be experienced when it came out.

[@ellenn6246]

Would like to hear you do a proper review of Tales of Monkey Island. Oh and poor Loom got left out :-D

[@ajmosutra7667]

He doesn't know anything about tales, he put them in a bad category. That game is nowhere NEAR bad!

[@WhoIsCalli]

Great list indeed. Not played all of them, but tend to agree with your list here 😄

[@krux02]

Zak McKracken comes with a print of the newspaper Zak works it. Is filled with hints to the puzzles in the game. You probably tried to play without it.

[@kroooassant9899]

Neat, these have a warm and cozy place in lot of people's heart all over the word. People from all age were playing this kids and adults, in the 90's...Just Unforgettable.

[@ajmosutra7667]

You have no idea... Putting Tales in the bad category like theyre trash... I dont understand? I personally lovelovelove the game, even as an adult. The art direction is INSANE - visually it still holds up, the character designs is the best yet, music is pretty good, playability in 3d makes the point and click have a palatable dimension to its bite and the story is pretty fun, challenging the character of our... Well, characters. Full of well articulated dialogue that promises a lot of quippy lines, mixed up with just enough conflict, drama and curiosity which guide you right up until the end with an overarching mystery and oulandish characters... That is a delicious video game with a lot of style and love ,i say

[@thomasjanssen9124]

DIG and ZakMcKracken are both too low on that list. Zak was amazing for its time with so many places on earth and even Mars and multiple characters that were needed to solve puzzles. The Dig had an amazing story and soundtrack and is the most cinematic of them. I agree with Indy4, which is my overall favorite as well!

[@bepd]

I think Zak McKracken didn't have its age properly considered in the tier list, it was basically the stepping stone between Maniac Mansion and Monkey Island. For its time it was great.

[@BiAir75]

This! Zak is really underrated.

[@Widderic]

Was worried about the thumbnail then sighed in relief. Fate of Atlantis will always hold a special place in my heart. I play it every 5 years.

[@chrtravels]

I got to go to Telltale Games, with my friend Eriq and test out Sam and Max when it was in production. Fun times. Definitely a great game.

[@Calculon1712]

I've just noticed, wheres Loom on the list?

[@Consequencesarts]

Oh my god I forgot Loom! Dammit, okay, i would rank it very good but after thimbleweed park

[@Calculon1712]

@@Consequencesarts Both Loom, Zak McKracken and Last Crusade are my least played LucasArts games, either too difficult or some of the gameplay elements dont work for me. Zak Mckracken especially, as it has dead ends and your on a timer and can die in it

[@Str0b0]

How would you have rated Loom?

[@imlost19]

grim fandago is an amazing story and world but the puzzles really didn't even make sense half the time. it was so confusing and I ended up just reading guides for the second half of it. I just got too frustrated and bored not progressing without hours of trial and error

[@Consequencesarts]

I got stuck a lot as well and had to rely on guides but the story always kept me hooked

[@optimaximal]

Which of the puzzles don't make sense? I felt that moving to pseudo-3D forced them to think about the puzzle logic more!

[@TwilightZone13]

The Secret Of Monkey Island might be my favorite. It's the first classic adventure game I ever played. When i first played it 8 years ago I thought it was too hard so I gave up. I went back to the game about 6 months ago and played through the whole game. Currently playing through Monkey Island 2. Just started playing it.

[@bstar777777]

I was so ready to downvote this video when I saw the thumbnail.

[@Hiasl3000]

A very nice Video, enjoyed it a lot. I would have put IJ-The Last Crusade on very good. But this is my only complaint ☺️

[@19Marc79]

You were way too hard on Zak ! I´d put it in GOOD because I have childhood memories connected with it and I like the weirdness of the story and puzzles :) For me it is quite similar to Maniac Mansion.

[@Consequencesarts]

Honestly the only difference between them is that I played Maniac Mansion in the 90s and I didn’t play Zak McKracken until about a month ago. My patience for those style of adventures is unfortunately not what it used to be

[@HaquinusDeGothia]

*cough*..... "Ask me about Loom(tm)"....

[@martin5692]

Nice video. I think Tales of Monkey Island is a great game, much better than Escape from Monkey Island

[@Nikioko]

The game which saved the adventure game genre, was The Longest Journey.

[@tomaszpastuszak9597]

Indy 3 should be higher - there are different ways to end it and play etc - its great

[@DanielMartinez81]

I agree in everything except for: - Maniac Mansion --> I rate it as "Very good" - Day of the tentacle --> I rate it as "Amazing"

[@ChokeslamToHell]

Given MM was the first SCUMM game, I have it near the top. It basically created the genre, and was obviously improved upon, but for its time it’s an all time great imo.

[@tomrijpert646]

Can I just ask you about Loom, though...

[@salexa171]

Loved MI3. Played 1+2 when I was around 7 years old and got MI3 Christmas Day 1997. After the hour long installation process played it ALL day.

[@teparadox]

Fate of Atlantis was awesome.

[@ArcadeReplay]

ok WHERE IS LOOM

[@tj71520]

Thimbleweed park is amazing and so is escape from monkey island.. only problem with thimbleweed is that its ending prevents a sequal... interesting idea though and it could have been explored even deeper

[@gonzalocanas8335]

Same for me with Zak and maniac mansion.I think they need to remake them with the thimbleweed park gameplay ,for make theses games enjoyable.

[@MrSnaetch]

Try Maniac Mansion Deluxe.

[@TimMer1981]

Return to Monkey Island can be added to the "Amazing" list: just as good as the original two MI games. :)

[@CoolGobyFish]

no. it's so bad that Ron Gilber is getting death threats))

[@TimMer1981]

@@CoolGobyFish By morons, which will always be around. Hopefully they'll get arrested for it.

[@creationzikaz4836]

Why is it that in the preview 'Day of the Tentacle' is rated as bad but actually 'very good' in the actual ratings?

[@ninjagamer1359]

People genuinely complaining about the thumbnail? Lol, why would he give away the ending in the front cover?

[@ninjagamer1359]

@@yoyo-td6ey Ditto what I said above. And in addition, learn how to internet.

[@wilsoncabron2]

If we até talking about pointand click games, we MUST put broken Sword in the list! Other than that, the dig was mu first expirience with really Hard puzzles, i was like 12 years old and i love it, its not just an okay game! Great vid

[@duncanmoore3623]

Good list - really glad to see someone else agrees MI2 is the best one. I've not played everything on here (to my shame) but my list would be pretty similar. Grim Fandango a little lower down (for tank controls, plot is top shelf), DotT and Thimbleweed bumped into amazing, swap MI4 and MI5. Otherwise nearly identical - though I've not played Zak McKraken so no comment on that either way!

[@tj71520]

Thimbleweed park is amazing yes

[@AcidGubba]

Awesome I've played every game of it.

[@GlenCocoon]

i mostly agree except nuances, eg i liked indy 3 much better than monkey 4, i think i would put it on first spot of okay or last spot of very good! i really enjoyed the library for some reason. i am very happy with how you evaluated grim fandango, its really SO good but because of graphics and gameplay it can't beat monkey island 2 or indy 4 i am sad you didnt include stacking. in my opinion its an amazing adventure game

[@bigbuffguy9589]

Monkey Island game rankings: 1. The Secret of Monkey Island 1a. Tales of Monkey Island 3. The Curse of Monkey Island 4. Monkey Island II: LeChuck's Revenge 5. Escape from Monkey Island. I haven't gotten around to playing the new one yet. I appreciate the effort you took to put this list together, but Tales of Monkey Island is not bad. It's up there with Secret as the best game in the series.

[@Consequencesarts]

I loved Tales when it came out but upon a recent replay it just didn’t do much for me. Still, i’d rather have it than not have it!

[@double-helix-22x22y]

Never played Loom?

[@richmahogany1710]

surprised you did this right before return came out

[@Consequencesarts]

Capatilizing on the boost in search interest!

[@richmahogany1710]

@@Consequencesarts So where would you place it? What were your general opinions? I just finished it a couple days ago. I came to like the art style.

[@Consequencesarts]

@@richmahogany1710 I think I'd be tempted to put it in Amazing behind the Curse of Monkey Island. There's so much to love about the game including the art style, but also technical things like the dynamic camera, hint system, and puzzle design. Overall I enjoyed the story, particularly the prologue but not so much the ending. I've drawn my own conclusions which I'm happy with but it would have been nice to get some proper answers. What let's it down is the obvious cut content in places, not following up with Morgan LeFlay (one of my favourites!), and the utter way they handled the final showdown with LeChuck. Ask me again in a few years and I could see it slipping down the rankings into very good

[@SubZeroFrost]

the curse was my favorite. cuz it was the most unique in my opinion

[@UnderTheBridge96]

No LOOM ?! 🥺🙁 Definitely gotta include that one. Great review list Bro, agreed with all of these !!

[@UnderTheBridge96]

No joke though, Loom will make it to your amazing list of LucasArts games. It's Brilliant.

[@tj71520]

I dont see the appeal of loom. I never played it back in the day but I watched a playthrough of it

[@barbadoskado2769]

sam and max absolute A tier

[@myoss]

How is the lechuck revenge is better than The escape from monkey island?😡

[@TizerisT.]

MI2 rated above MI4? Has to be nostalgia

[@daddywhogames6601]

Usual like and comment to help the TY algorithm 👍

[@OLIV3R_YT]

Mostly agree on the list. Thumbnail was a bit cheap, though ;)

[@WeiderMystic]

my list: 1. Secret of Monkey Island 2. Indy: Fate of Atlantis 3. Zack McKracken and the alien Mind Benders 4. Indy: Last Crusade 5. Monkey Island 2: LeChucks Rev. 6. LOOM. Honorable Mention... Star Wars :TIE Fighter

[@natewilson111]

Your thumbnail is a troll 😆

[@tj71520]

Tales of monkey island is by far my favorite and not just because of morgan

[@fridtjofsvinddal6526]

Escape from monkey Island is so underrated.. curse is the best imo.

[@HankAstral]

Where's Loom? This is the best IMO

[@Mike-rc4cz]

I have it, but never beat Grim Fandango. Personally, I'm not a fan of GrimE gaming engine, always seemed like a big step backwards from SCUMM. Beat Escape, but have only done it twice with the annoying Monkey Kombat Sequence.

[@s47industries]

Nice list overall. I’d actually drop escape from MI as bad. I along with many I imagine, associate it with the death of traditional Monkey Island games. May not be fair, but it’s Star Trek Nemesis level bad in my book. Better to watch a play through video than actually play it. I’m gonna have to fill in the gaps in my GOG library for the Lucasarts adventure games.lol

[@allypezz]

Grim Fandango is top tier in my opinion

[@Dariet88]

That fucking thumbnail

[@Planetdune]

Clickbait thumbnail.

[@kosefix]

In a good way. I knew immediately there was something fishy when I saw Indy 4 on the bottom. I would in any case switch Tales and Escape, and rank Curse one lower. Great list.

[@eyeball226]

MI2 and Curse are the best ones. Secret is good, Escape is ok.

[@wurstwasser6567]

A good list I would change place 1 and 2 to Monkey Island 1+2 and then Indy 4. If, like me, you played monkey island on the amiga as a child, there's no other way. Monkey island 1+2 are the best games of all time for me. No Mario or Zelda

[@avoidconfusion]

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and the original Maniac Mansion were amazing in my opinion - not just ok. And to rate Zak McKracken so low... I don't know man... different tastes I guess.

[@AllSeeing_I]

Maniac Mansion NES and the curse of monkey island are my favorites out of the ones ive played. To me they are top tier. This whole thing is just opinion anyway but TCOMI should not be on the bottom. Its better than the dynamic of most point and click

[@xmackdaddy69]

None PixelStyle games feels like a rip-off. That was always the tricky part to fix all that in such low-res (GENius) Maniac Mansion, Monkey island 1 & 2, Loom, The Dig, Indy 1 & 2, Zak McKracken, Sam & Max Hit the Road, Thimbleweed Park are all 10 out of 10's imo.

[@DuraheLL]

Respect

[@red9639]

Сurse of monkey Island , best game of all time

[@Flamesof24]

Wut. Tales is 999 times better than Escape… I might even put it ahead of Return, Return was good but not great like I had hoped.

[@06elrodro]

broken sword???????

[@mrmaxaxl]

It's not a LucasArts game.

[@olcsohigany]

Zak Mackraken very bad? :o I’m really surprised. It is a really hard game, but the payoff is huge. You should give it a try again. It is a cult classic. And you played the NES version of Maniac Mansion? That is garbage :) the PC, Amiga or C64 version are masterpieces though. The platform you’ re playing a few classic games are really important. One day you should try these again.

[@TimHaga]

Zak is one of the best games of LucasArts. Considering, it's one of the earliest games with all the flaws in graphics and controls. And the puzzles were hard, but you could get hints how to solve them in the game. Just don't try to speedrun it!

[@krugos1978]

Zak is one of my favorites. :) To add a little to what you said about the puzzles, there was a newspaper included in the game's box with lots of hints, so people playing it nowadays for the first time may not read the newspaper or even know of it.

[@Theycallmetomu]

Devil's Playhouse just okay?! All credibility instantly lost!

[@Consequencesarts]

I just remember it being a lot messier than beyond space and time was, maybe I was a bit harsher than I needed to be though

[@Theycallmetomu]

@@Consequencesarts Obviously to each their own. But it's my favorite Sam and Max game by far. But then again, I really like high concept games, and it definitely went deeper than any of the other games in terms of concept.

[@arnefogge8502]

Good boi

[@simonpoortz5298]

Were you on drugs while doing the commentary? Man that was hard to watch

[@Consequencesarts]

I appreciate the effort!

[@PapaCharlieist]

Curse of monkey island best game

[@Squic83]

Disagree for most of the titles. Missing loom and so on. Fortunately it's a subjective tier

[@buttknuckles8590]

Ok i kiss u okay?

[@nikolatorgross]

Zak very bad... lol...youre trolling or what :-)))

[@gohargoharlaw3334]

Loom is the ggoat

[@k.b.7718]

sorry, but imo your list is total bonkers. But then again, to each their own I guess.

[@elrincondelukas]

Hello. I suscribe your chanel. Like

[@gabeparker1485]

thumbs down for the clickbait thumbnail. dude youre better than that. also how in the hell can you say monkey island 4 is better than 5 that game is unplayable 💀

[@johns4651]

Hahaha since when is Broken Age a Lucasarts game? Same with Telltale Games or Thimbleweed Park etc. Is this a windup? sorry, but it makes zeros sense to put it on the list. Other than that very nice and enjoyable video!

[@mrmaxaxl]

Maybe because some of those people worked for Lucasarts in the past?