Image via Respawn Entertainment
Published Aug 14, 2026, 5:35 PM EDT
Lucas Kloberdanz-Dyck is a writer for Collider. He grew up creating lists, stories, and worlds, which led to his love of anime and video games. He attended Sheridan College where he earned an Honours Bachelor of Game Design. Lucas and his group won 1st place for technical innovation at LevelUp Toronto 2023, and he was also an intern for the Oakville Film Festival of Arts.
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Everyone can enjoy an adventure, but for less risk-taking individuals, they can experience that same sense of wonder in the comfort of their homes through video games. Titles such as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt drop players into immersive worlds and set them loose to explore every nook and cranny, fighting monsters beyond their wildest imaginations.
Adventure video games have existed as long as the medium itself, but there is no doubt that the genre has been getting better with age, because with better technology, more money, development time, and ambition, companies can make better worlds, gameplay, and experiences for players. That is why this list will rank the ten greatest adventure video games from the past ten years (2017 to 2026) based on gameplay, design, narrative, visuals, world, lore, sense of adventure, controls, fan opinion, critical acclaim, and overall quality.
10 'Tunic' (2022)
Image via Isometricorp GamesIt is only natural for video games to inspire each other, and the first adventure game on this list is heavily influenced by The Legend of Zelda. Awakening on a mysterious shore, players control a fox on this new island. From translating ruins to fighting monsters, freeing a creature for help, gamers are in for an adventure of a lifetime in Tunic.
There aren't a lot of new 2D Zelda games, but Tunic brings back that feeling in the modern age through its gameplay, puzzles, perspective, and world. However, this singular adventure is much more than just a Zelda clone; it uses language and translation to progress the gameplay. Tunic is a mystery adventure that forces players to learn and adapt on their journey, making it engaging as well as entertaining.
9 'Star Wars Jedi: Survivor' (2023)
Image via EAStar Wars is one of the biggest franchises of all time, meaning they have also expanded into the realm of video games, and one of its most recent expeditions, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, is one of their best. Cal Kestis, played by Cameron Monaghan, has given up hope in his fight against the Empire. However, when he discovers a planet free of the Empire, he bands together with his old team to secure a route there, hoping to make it a haven for others like him.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is known for having some of the best boss fights in video games, and that is a key aspect of an adventure. The scripted moments and unexpected boss battles are surprising treats along the journey, making it unpredictable and engaging. This game uses its blend of open-world adventure and Metroidvania to make exploring even more compelling in the fleshed-out planets, proving why it is one of the best sci-fi adventure video games ever.
Collider Exclusive · Star Wars Quiz
Which Force User
Are You?
Light Side · Dark Side · Or Somewhere Between
The Force is not a binary. It is a spectrum — from the serene halls of the Jedi Temple to the shadowed corridors of Sith space. Ten questions will reveal where you truly fall. The Force has always known. Now you will too.
🔵Jedi Master
🟡Padawan
🔴Sith Lord
⚫Inquisitor
⚪Grey Jedi
IGNITE YOUR SABER →
01
What is the Force to you? Your relationship with the Force defines everything else.
AA living energy I must be worthy of — it is not mine to control. BSomething vast and mysterious I'm only beginning to understand. CNeither light nor dark — just a current I choose to ride. DPower. Pure and simple. The strong take it; the weak don't.
NEXT QUESTION →
02
When you feel strong emotions — anger, grief, love — what do you do? The Jedi suppress. The Sith feed. Others choose differently.
AAcknowledge them, then release them. Attachment leads to suffering. BFeel them fully, then decide what to do — they're not the enemy. CBury them. Emotion is a liability I can't afford to indulge. DUse them. Passion is the engine of the dark side for good reason.
NEXT QUESTION →
03
The Jedi Council gives you an order you disagree with. You: How you handle authority reveals your alignment.
AFollow it. The Council's wisdom surpasses my own perspective. BVoice my objection clearly, then defer to the decision. CComply outwardly while doing what I think is right. DIgnore it. The strong don't answer to committees.
NEXT QUESTION →
04
You are offered forbidden knowledge that could give you enormous power. The cost is crossing a moral line. You: The dark side's pull is never more than a choice away.
ARefuse without hesitation. There is no cost worth that price. BWeigh it carefully — sometimes darkness holds real answers. CFeel the pull but walk away — for now. DAccept it. Power justifies the method used to obtain it.
NEXT QUESTION →
05
Your approach to training and learning is: A student's habits become a master's character.
ADedicated but humble. There is always more to learn from my masters. BRigorous and patient. Mastery is earned through years of discipline. CEclectic — I draw from every tradition, not just one. DRelentless and brutal. Pain accelerates growth. Rest is weakness.
NEXT QUESTION →
06
In a duel, your lightsaber fighting style reflects: Combat is the purest expression of a Force user's philosophy.
ADefense and composure — I wait for my opponent to overcommit. BFast and instinctive — I trust the Force to guide my movements. CUnpredictable — I blend styles to keep enemies off-balance. DOverwhelming aggression — I end fights before they begin.
NEXT QUESTION →
07
A defeated enemy lies at your feet, powerless. You: Mercy — or its absence — is the truest test of alignment.
AStrike them down — compassion toward enemies is naïve and costly. BNeutralize them permanently. I can't afford loose ends. CSpare them if I can — but stay clear-eyed about the risks. DOffer them a chance to surrender. Every being deserves that.
NEXT QUESTION →
08
The Jedi Code forbids attachment. Your honest view on love and bonds: The source of the greatest falls in the galaxy.
AThe Code is right. Attachment clouds judgment and invites suffering. BLove is not a weakness — the Jedi Code got this one wrong. CI have no attachment — only loyalty to my master's mission. DI feel it deeply but struggle to reconcile it with my training.
NEXT QUESTION →
09
Why do you use the Force at all? What's the point? Purpose is the difference between a knight and a weapon.
ATo learn. I'm still figuring out what I'm capable of. BTo protect and serve. The Force is a responsibility, not a gift. CTo survive — and maybe carve out something worth having. DTo dominate. Strength demands to be expressed, not contained.
NEXT QUESTION →
10
At the final moment — light side or dark side pulling at you — what wins? In the end, every Force user faces this moment. What does yours look like?
AThe light. I choose peace, even when darkness would be easier. BNeither fully — I carve my own path through the middle. CWhoever I serve — my loyalty defines me more than my morality. DThe dark. Power is the only thing that's ever actually been real.
REVEAL MY ALIGNMENT →
Your Alignment Has Been Determined Your Place in the Force
The scores below reveal how the Force sees you. Your highest number is your true alignment. Read on to understand what that means — and what it will cost you.
🔵 Jedi Master
🟡 Padawan
🔴 Sith Lord
⚫ Inquisitor
⚪ Grey Jedi
Disciplined, compassionate, and deeply attuned to the living Force, you have walked the path long enough to understand its demands — and accept them. You lead not through authority alone, but through example. You have felt the pull of the dark side and chosen otherwise, every time. That is not certainty. That is courage.
You are earnest, powerful, and brimming with potential — and you know it, which is both your greatest asset and your most dangerous flaw. You act before you think, trust your gut over your training, and sometimes confuse impatience for bravery. The Masters see something in you, though. The question isn't whether you have what it takes — it's whether you'll be patient enough to find out.
You are not simply dangerous — you are certain, and that is worse. You have decided what the galaxy needs, and you have decided you are the one to deliver it. Your power is genuine and formidable, earned through sacrifice that would have broken lesser beings. But examine your victories carefully. Every Sith believed their cause was righteous. The dark side's cruelest trick is that it agrees with you.
You were forged in fire and reshaped by those who found you at your lowest. You serve, because service gave you structure when you had none. Your allegiance is not to an ideology — it is to survival and to the master who gave you purpose. But there is something buried beneath the conditioning. The Jedi you hunt? You recognize them. Because you remember what it felt like before the choice was taken from you.
You have looked at the Jedi Code and the Sith Code and found both of them incomplete. You walk the line not out of indecision but out of conviction — you genuinely believe both extremes miss something essential. The Jedi don't fully trust you. The Sith think you're wasting your potential. They're both partially right. But so are you.
↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ
8 'It Takes Two' (2021)
Image Via Electronic ArtsFans usually think of grand fantasy quests when imagining an adventure video game, but the glory of this genre is that it can be whatever it wants. It Takes Two follows two parents on the verge of divorce who are magically turned into toys by their child. If they want to return to their human bodies, they must work together to solve a series of problems.
This indie video game is best known for winning Game of the Year in 2021, but it is also a fantastic adventure with profound life lessons and remarkable gameplay. It is the pinnacle of co-op gaming, having gamers play together and work to solve problems together, feeding into the core themes of the game. It may not be a typical adventure, but It Takes Two is an emotionally charged journey that is brilliantly designed.
7 'Baldur's Gate 3' (2023)
Image via Larian StudiosBefore video games, fans used tabletop games to have fun, and when looking for a good adventure, they would always choose Dungeons & Dragons. Baldur's Gate 3 is the video game equivalent and is set within the world. After the player character is infected by a Mind Flayer tadpole, they must travel around the world searching for a cure before they become a Mind Flayer themselves. However, a war between mortals and humans is brewing, making the adventure even more difficult.
Adventure games are acclaimed for their sense of freedom, and while Baldur's Gate 3 doesn't allow the player to move around an open world, it achieves agency through unparalleled choice and intricate design. The sheer amount of solutions and possibilities makes this game an expansive masterpiece, with everything altering the journey. Baldur's Gate 3 is a must-play fantasy adventure game that gives unparalleled freedom, embodying the spirit of adventure.
6 'God of War' (2018)
Image via Sony Interactive EntertainmentThe God of War franchise was all about action and rage, but it evolved with its audience, delivering an emotionally mature reboot in 2018. After his wife passes away, Kratos journeys to scatter her ashes at the highest peak alongside his son, Atreus. However, the gods want something from Atreus, making every step of the adventure more difficult than it needs to be.
God of War is mainly renowned for its gorgeous narrative and cathartic combat, but those are portrayed throughout a magnificent adventure. Designed to look like a single shot, this adventure is a seamless experience that makes everything more immersive and authentic. God of War bridges its poignant character study with a timeless adventure that has mellow moments of peace and wonder, and cinematic clashes of life and death.
5 'Indiana Jones and the Great Circle' (2024)
Image via Bethesda SoftworksIndiana Jones might be the greatest adventure of all time, and it has officially made its way to video games with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. When a seemingly minor artifact is stolen from the college, Indy sets out on a globe-trotting adventure in order to retrieve it when it is revealed to be connected to the secret of the Great Circle.
As the most recent video game on this list, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has already established itself as a masterful adventure. No one expected it to be such a great title, but it became an underrated video game that everyone has to play. The clever puzzles add to the intrigue and engagement of the game, not to mention the combat, which makes the adventure even better.
4 'Elden Ring' (2022)
Image via Bandai Namco EntertainmentFromSoftware is a prolific video game studio known for its dark fantasy video games, and that includes its magnum opus, Elden Ring. With the titular object shattered and the demigod children of the queen collecting them, the only hope for the Lands Between is the player. The Tarnished One must travel around the world, defeat the demigods, reclaim the pieces, form the ring, and become the Elden Lord to rule the land.
As one of the best recent adventure games, Elden Ring excels at combat, which may be challenging, but that highlights the difficulty that adventure games propose. By redefining the open-world formula, Elden Ring made exploration based on curiosity, which leads fans to engaging bits of lore, new landmarks, and powerful bosses. It doesn't hold anyone's hand, instead pushing them into a dangerous world that they must fight to survive in.
3 'Outer Wilds' (2019)
Image via Mobius DigitalTunic has already proved that indie games are getting much more impressive over the years, but the best in that regard, in terms of a sense of adventure, is none other than Outer Wilds. Players set out on an adventure, controlling an astronaut in a newly discovered solar system. Their goal is to translate the many ruins and lore of the planets before the sun explodes, but there is a 22-minute loop for players to try again until the final day.
The best part of an adventure is roaming around an unexplored area with unrestricted freedom, but video games need some form of progression, and Outer Wilds does so in a phenomenal way. By using a knowledge-based progression system, players can do everything right away if they know how, but in order to gain this wisdom, they must adventure across the planets. This system feeds into the sense of adventure and makes the journey much more worthwhile. With one of the best video game endings, Outer Wilds is truly one of the greatest sci-fi adventure video games.
2 'Red Dead Redemption 2' (2018)
Rockstar is one of the biggest video game studios of all time, and their best adventure game is still Red Dead Redemption 2. Arthur Morgan is the leader of a cowboy gang, but with the Wild West slowly dying out, he struggles with his place in the new world, especially after his tuberculosis diagnosis. Now seeking redemption, he has one last mission to complete before he dies.
Red Dead Redemption 2 boasts one of the best worlds in video games, using its authentic structure to fully immerse the player in their role. Players can choose their path in the Wild West, and with such freedom come difficult choices in their adventure, all of which determine their fate in the finale. Showcasing a beautiful yet tragic ending, the narrative of Red Dead Redemption 2 highlights just how striking the journey was.
1 'The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild' (2017)
Image via NintendoThis list already mentioned The Legend of Zelda franchise and how its inspiration is felt in adventure games even today, but their best modern game is arguably The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. A hundred years after Zelda sealed Ganondorf away, monsters and nature have taken over the Hyrule Kingdom. With Link finally awake, he sets out on a quest to defeat the Gerudo King once and for all.
Adventures may have a set goal, but the reward isn't the ending—it's the journey along the way, and that is what Breath of the Wild does best. It encourages players to get lost in its lush world with plenty of variety in its environments. The design makes it so players can see three landmarks wherever they are, firing up curiosity and exploration. Traversal and exploration are easier than ever, making the adventure that much more engrossing, proving that it has one of the best video game worlds.
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