Adventure games can be either third-person or first-person and in rare cases, the second-person. The first person is preferable for combat, solving puzzles, or close-up examination, so it's used frequently in the design of a variety of adventure games.
First-person adventure games are known for their immersive settings, narrative structure, and versatility. First-person adventure games can be everything from crime-solving puzzles to walking simulators, and some of history's most popular games represent the first-person adventure genre.
Updated on July 24, 2024, by Kristy Ambrose: Go back in time far enough, and the earliest games on the first home computers were text-based point-and-click first-person adventure games. First-person puzzle and exploration games dominated the CD-ROM era of the 1990s. Some entries on this list are much older games that blazed a trail for the future of first-person adventure games, while others are new games that include both first and third-person options as part of the design.
18 Zork: Grand Inquisitor
Metacritic Score: tbd
- Launch Date: November 4, 1997
- Developer: Activision
- Platforms: Windows, Macintosh
The history of Zork extends far back into history, to the very first text-based adventure games of the 1970s. The franchise was already more than 20 years old when Zork: Grand Inquisitor was released and it was the 17th installment in the series.
The story takes place in the kingdom of Quendor and the Great Underground Empire and is set 120 years after the previous one, but all magic has mysteriously left the world of Zork and has been replaced by technology. The player uses "Z vision" or the first-person viewpoint to closely examine and interact with their environment.
17 Tex Murphy: Under A Killing Moon
Metacritic Score: tbd
- Launch Date: October 31st, 1994
- Developer: Access Software
- Platforms: DOS, MacOs
This was the third in a series of games that took not only first-person games to the next level but also adventure and detective games, which had their own niche genres. Despite the old-timey private investigator aesthetic, the setting is a unique post-WW3 world in the year 2042, and Tex Murphy lives in the mean streets of New San Francisco.
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The money, time, and skill that produced Tex Murphy: Under A Killing Moon was exponentially more than the previous titles and included features like cut scenes and 3D images, which are now mainstream fare in virtually all video games.
16 Beyond The Labyrinth
Metacritic Score: tbd
- Launch Date: January 19th, 2012
- Developer: tri-Ace
- Platforms: Nintendo 3DS
Beyond the Labyrinth is played from a first-person POV, but it also combines RPG and dungeon-crawler elements into the game. The graphics are also stellar, so there's something in this game for everyone.
The main character controls a group of four players. The story is that they met while playing an MMO, even though this is a single-player game, and their goal is to find a way out. It's a popular first-person adventure and exploration game that's received some critical acclaim, but the catch is that it's only available on the Nintendo 3DS.
15 The 7th Guest
Metacritic Score: 68
- Launch Date: April 1st, 1993
- Developer: Trilobyte
- Platforms: DOS, CD-i, Mac OS, Windows, iOS, OS X, Linux, Nintendo Switch
Part of the CD-ROM puzzle and adventure game trend that was popular in the 1990s, The 7th Guest also introduced the concept of Lovecraftian horror to first-person games. Like Myst, it uses 3D graphics and video cut scenes to progress through the story.
The difference is in the setting. Instead of multiple worlds, or searching for a way to return home, the whole game takes place inside the mansion of a mysterious antagonist, the toymaker named Stauf. The protagonist finds themselves in the mansion with no recollection of how they got there. Discover the host's horrible secret, recover your memory, and win the game.
14 Dying Light
Metacritic Score: 74
- Launch Date: January 27th, 2015
- Developer: Techland
- Platforms: Linux, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
After the lackluster release of Dead Island, it appeared as if the first-person zombie adventure genre took a tumble for the worse. With few developers willing to give it another try, developer Techland picked up the torch.
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Dying Light is an exceptional open-world survival title and first-person adventure game. Players engage in parkour to complete objectives as they stave off an attack of zombies. A sequel to Dying Light has been available since 2022.
13 Everybody's Gone To The Rapture
Metacritic Score: 78
- Launch Date: August 11th, 2015
- Developer: The Chinese Room
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Windows
Another first-person POV adventure title, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture is a story-based art-directed game. The setting is a small English village, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture tasks players with finding out what happened to the village's inhabitants.
The first-person adventure aspect of the game is phenomenal, making it one of the best games in its class. If you like the exploration aspect of a first-person adventure game but aren't looking for combat, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture might be the ideal choice.
12 Myst
Metacritic Score: 78
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- Launch Date: September 24th, 1993
- Developer: Cyan
- Platforms: Mac OS, Windows 3.1, 3DO, Sega Saturn, Atari Jaguar, PlayStation
A new era of gaming began when Myst was released in 1993. All of a sudden, because of this first-person puzzle and adventure game, Macs were viable gaming machines, and music and visuals were not only important, they were a make-or-break feature. The age of dot-matrix graphics was officially coming to an end, but the FP adventure and exploration games were still going strong.
Myst tells the story of two estranged brothers and their father, a man named Atreus, who discovers or creates worlds using books. As players travel the island of Myst and the other islands, they uncover more of the mystery as they look for a way to return to their own world.
11 Firewatch
Metacritic Score: 81
- Launch Date: February 9th, 2016
- Developer: Campo Santo
- Platforms: Linux, OS X, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Firewatch was released in 2018, but it takes place in Wyoming in 1988, specifically, the section of Yellowstone National Park known as Shoshone National Forest where many wildfires really did take place. The player is Henry, the protagonist, and fire lookout, and the game follows him through some survivalist and investigative drama.
Henry uses a walkie-talkie to speak to his supervisor, Delilah, and his daily routine includes investigating fireworks, searching for lost rock climbers, fishing, and other activities. Like other FP games, there's a storyline to follow until Henry can successfully evacuate.
10 Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Metacritic Score: 85
- Launch Date: September 8th, 2010
- Developer: Frictional Games
- Platforms: Linux, Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android
Widely regarded as one of the scariest games of all time, Amnesia: The Dark Descent induces feelings of terror and agony as you delve further into the game. The amount of exploration contained in Amnesia: The Dark Descent makes it a first-person adventure game and a horror game.
Played in the first-person, players dive into a world filled with mystery. The fact you have to solve a series of puzzles while under duress does not help the situation. It's not the most conventional adventure game, but it is one worth playing.
9 Gone Home
Metacritic Score: 86
- Launch Date: August 15th, 2013
- Developer: The Fullbright Company, BlitWorks for Switch
- Platforms: Linux, Microsoft Windows, OS X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS
It's an indie game that encourages exploration in the safety of your home. Gone Home is a first-person exploration game that won numerous awards. Although it has a simple premise, the game is fascinating.
Exploring a house to uncover clues about what happened makes the plot thicken as you progress. A twist at the end of Gone Home keeps you on the edge of your seat. As a first-person adventure game, Gone Home is phenomenal.