Adventure games are one of the oldest genres of computer games. For decades, the genre has made players part of the story, putting the narrative above all else. Adventure games let the story unfold as the player makes choices, solves puzzles, uncovers twists, and unlocks new areas.

Adventure games are mysteries that the player must solve, allowing them to be immersed within the story itself as the protagonist. This means that the overall story or direction might not be clear to the player at the outset, but something they must uncover as the game progresses. For example, a basic adventure game story could present the player with a murder that the player must investigate. The player might need to find out the victim’s backstory, the cause of death, and the killer’s identity and motives. The game will obfuscate that information until the player can uncover it all.

Though there are several third-person and first-person adventure games, the classic adventure game will be viewed side-on, in 2D, with a lot of detail for the player to explore. They will have an avatar, and the player will control where they go and what they do. Often, the player is presented information via the avatar’s inner voice, immersing the clues or deductions within the narrative.

Mouse-driven controls let the player point and click ("point and click" is another term for adventure games), directing the character. Retro adventure games would require the player to select the action the character will take, such as ‘look at…’ or ‘pick up…’, but modern adventure games usually understand the context of the actions.

Each level is often packed with hidden details. Part of the appeal of adventure games is the challenge of discovering what’s hidden in plain sight. The best games offer eureka moments, where the player has combined clues, items, and elements discovered in the level to advance the story.

Yes. There are adventure games that can be played online. These will more often be puzzle-based and in 3D rather than 2D.

Yes. There are a number of puzzle-based adventure games that can be played online, allowing players to solve problems together.

Not really. The characters in an adventure game are part of the world and narrative designed by the developer. That means that players won’t find many adventure games that have character creation and customization.

Yes. There are adventure games that are puzzles without any narrative. Most adventure game stories deal with danger, violence, and sometimes death, but you can find some that will allow you to play through a story that has no violence or death or doesn’t show it occurring.

Not really. Base building is often not a required element of an adventure game. Puzzles and narrative won’t require the player to create a safe house. If you’re looking for base building, survival games are what you should be playing.

Any game of any genre can be free. Though most free games are usually action games, there are adventure games that can be played for free.

The main method of controlling a character and searching a level for clues in 2D adventure games is via a mouse. Point-and-click games use the mouse cursor to guide the player, and if you move the cursor over the level, the cursor will change shape to highlight an interactive element within the scene.

Quite a few adventure games focus on puzzles. They can be abstract, asking the player to discover the rules of the game in order to decode the puzzles. They can be in 2D or 3D. They can be physics-based, so the narrative and clues have little impact on the solutions. Or they can be classic adventure games, where everything works together to create a puzzle that relies on the player understanding the narrative and story to progress.

Sign up to the Epic Games Store and download the launcher. From the launcher, you can browse categories of games, including adventure games.