Life is a funny thing. You know what else is funny? Video games. Creating an enjoyable or informative gaming experience is difficult enough. But how do you make a fun game? It’s an admirable feat of design and writing.
If you need a good laugh, we’ve got a list for you. We’ve put together the best video games that are actually fun. From amnesiac disaster cops to flying suitcases and more, here are 10 games (and series) that feature some of the best comedic writing the medium has to offer.
Image: ZA/UM
Where you can play: Mac, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series
Disco Elysium It is considered by many to be one of the best written RPGs of the last decade, so it’s no surprise that it’s also considered one of the most entertaining. No matter how players customize their starting statistics Disco Elysium A living human embodiment of a train wreck, stumbling from one perversely perplexing encounter to the next in his existential mission to not only uncover the culprit of the murders, but to establish an ideological framework within which to judge them. Most of the time, there’s nothing to stop a character from putting an entire foot (or worse) in their mouth. All you can do is roll with the punches, smile, and get through it. —Toussaint Egan
Image: IO Interactive
Where you can play: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series
The Homing Briefcase alone is enough to earn the Hitman series a spot on this list. But that’s just one example of the many ways IO Interactive’s immersive assassination simulator allows players to play around with the game’s impressively crafted stages. Rather than attempting to create a massive open-world environment, the game acts like the best city block simulator you’ve ever played, with each simulator having its own complex patterns, paths, and goofy characters. The game’s winking tone, silly weapons, and penchant for hijinks means that every attempt at a level is an opportunity for something funny to happen. —Pete Volk
Image: Terrible Toy Box/Devolver Digital
Where you can play: Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox Series
Start with The Secret of Monkey Island It started in 1990 and continues to run to this day. Return to Monkey Island As of 2022 (it ranked #16 on Polygon’s Top 50 Games of the Year list), the series has set the standard for comedy in point-and-click adventure games. This is a credit to Ron Gilbert, the master of wordplay and interactive story design who helmed each game in the series. Few games have made me laugh out loud while playing, but all six Monkey Island games did. But you have to love puns. — Maddie Myers
Image: Inkle
Where you can play: Android, iOS, Mac, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC
in Overboard!You are not motivated by righteousness. Unless you think it’s righteous to push your husband off the cruise ship because he’s holding you back in life. This point-and-click murder mystery begins with a gruesome murder like no other. But in this colorful scene, we’re not trying to solve the problem, we’re trying to run away from it. It should be inherently fun. Otherwise it will become morally corrupt and the game succeeds there. The protagonist is sexy and witty, and you might find yourself ordering him to seduce the captain by complimenting his hat, or smothering a nasty old woman who knows too much. Whether you end up in jail or not, at the end of your 20 minutes of play you can start over with new information and some new objectives. —Joey Hanna
Paper Mario: Color Splash
Image: Intelligent Systems/Nintendo
Nintendo’s writers like to liberally reference humor and real-life references from the Paper Mario series. The entire franchise has varying degrees of fun, but the series may have peaked in 2016. Paper Mario: Color Splash For the Wii U — unfortunately, it’s a game that’s still stuck on that platform.
Paper Mario: Color Splash The heroic plumber sends Mario to Prism Island after receiving a letter in the mail. In reality, the letters turn out to be colorless paper toads that met their fate thanks to the paint-slurping and straw-wielding Shy Guys. On Prism Island, they meet Huey, a sentient paint bucket who delivers most of the game’s jokes and meta-commentary. color splash It’s also full of clever Toads (this game has way too many Toads) and Bowser’s minions who harass anything and everything. There are some great paper-based sight gags, fourth wall-breaking jabs at the Mario franchise, cleverly disguised gun control jokes, and even a joke about the Watergate scandal. Some of the game’s real-world references may have gotten a little too heated for Nintendo’s tastes.
If you don’t have a Wii U handy, let’s hope Nintendo sees fit to take it. color splash Pass it to the switch. But Switch owners have another great option. Paper Mario: The King of OrigamiIt’s also very funny. color splash. —Michael McWetter
Image: Valve
Where you can play: Android, Linux, Mac, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, Windows PC, Xbox 360
first door A masterpiece of puzzle design, it’s an irrepressible gem that lands on almost every reviewer’s personal list of the best video games of all time. But another reason it stands out is the dialogue. You play as Chell, a silent protagonist trapped in a maze-like series of puzzle rooms that turns out to be a testing center run by a sentient robot called GLaDOS. For whatever reason, this robot has been programmed to be a master of shit talk, and she’ll make you laugh even as you question what the heck is going on in every puzzle room. She keeps talking nonsense portal 2But her jokes get much meaner and (in my opinion) less funny. text door It has perfect balance. — Maddie Myers
Thank you for being here!
Image: Coal Feast/Panic
Where you can play: Mac, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC
Do you enjoy Monty Python? Fawlty Towersor Mitchell and Webb? So, have I prepared a game for you? If not, consider this your introduction (or indoctrination) into the world of outrageous British humor. Developed by Coal Supper and published by Panic Inc. (the latter untitled goose game), fortunately you are here A comedy-adventure game about a little fellow who runs errands for the locals of Barnsworth, a small fictional town in Northern England. You interact with everything – everything – through punches, which proves to be a very effective strategy. The writing is lively and lively, supported by a stellar cast including: What we do in the shadows Star Matt Berry. —Chris Plante
Yakuza/Like a Dragon series
Image: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio/Sega via Polygon
Where to watch: Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Wii U, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series
Consider the Yakuza series (recently rebranded as Like a Dragon in Western markets) as a collision of: godfather and the simpsons. Each entry tells the life and death story of a former Yakuza member navigating the gray space between crime, law enforcement, and civilian life. But these dramatic narrative threads are intertwined with hundreds of secondary characters and their comedic and heartfelt ambitions. For example, the most recent release: Like a dragon: infinite wealth. The protagonist’s desire to save Hawaii from a megalomaniacal cult leader turns to ice when he helps a struggling musician rediscover his passion for environmentalist death metal. For nearly two decades, game designers have chosen fun above all else, whether it’s a Pokémon parody that brings together local perverts, an Animal Crossing replica set on Garbage Island, or a boss fight that pits your team against construction. Vehicle equipped with clean office furniture collection. —CP
No Game: Wrong Dimension
Image: Draw a pixel
Where to watch: Android, iOS, Mac, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC
It’s a shame I can’t say anything about what to do. No Game: Wrong Dimension This is because watching the confusing narrative unfold in each chapter is a pleasure in itself. It feels like it’s inspired by point-and-click browser games of old. the hardest game in the worldThis is where the game itself conspires against the player. This version is animated to fit the current moment and is full of decisions and puzzles that will make you stop playing, but motivate you to start again a few minutes later. The game isn’t fair, but it’s a lot of fun. It’s the perfect antidote to the present moment. also I think the dimensions are wrong. —ZH
Image: Holly Wow Studio
Where you can play: Mac, Nintendo Switch, Windows PC
trombone champion It might have been a one-note joke. The note was an exaggerated sound from a trombone. Rhythm parody games have been able to effectively mock the genre with nothing more than wacky, farty imitations of instruments. Ironically, had they chosen public domain hits like “The Blue Danube” and “The Old Gray Mare,” they would have sealed the deal as instant hits on Twitch streams. But the more I play, the more trombone championThe more fun you discover about the bizarre “Trombonner” cards and the deeper lore associated with inexplicable baboons. If you want to play your trombone through fire and flames, the community has created hundreds of custom tracks for you. But if that’s too satirical for you, it’s still ultimately a fart noise game and that’s always going to be fun. Perfect! —Clayton Ashley
