Awesome Adultish Adventure Games for iPhone/iPod Touch?

August 23, 2011 11:41 AM

Seriously awesome adventure games for the iphone/ipod touch?

Looking for any neat/engrossing adventure games for the iphone/ipod touch. I'd love it to be adultish and philosophical, moving, atmospheric, dark and/or funny.

Do they even make games like this?

It doesn't HAVE to be adventure. I mean, I've loved Plants vs. Zombies and Game Dev Story, but those are more strategy-based games (and I'll take secondary recommendations for that genre as well.). I'm seeking games more in line of what Infocom games were to PC/Apple users eons ago. Not necessarily text based, but thoughtful and engrossing. (Never liked Myst though....)

Thanks!

posted by The ____ of Justice to sports, hobbies, & recreation (19 answers total)

Have you tried Sword and Sworcery? that's pretty fun.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 11:44 AM on August 23, 2011

The Monkey Island games have been ported over by LucasArts.
posted by griphus at 11:45 AM on August 23, 2011

Beneath a Steel Sky and Broken Sword: Director’s Cut are both pretty good. If you like games with lots of little puzzles, Dream Chronicles is very entertaining.

BigFish games make a lot of different hidden object/puzzle/adventure games, some of which are excellent if you like that sort of thing.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 11:48 AM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]

for what it's worth, Frotz has been ported to the iphone and is available through itunes.
posted by radiosilents at 11:49 AM on August 23, 2011 [5 favorites]

as a secondary rec, i've been enjoying the heck out of Battleheart recently. it's so good that i posted my first game review on the marketplace last night to praise it.
posted by radiosilents at 11:50 AM on August 23, 2011 [2 favorites]

When I think of adventure games, I think of zelda. Here are some of my favourite IOS games that made me think of zelda. (these games are not at all "zelda clones" or even games that bear much real resemblance to zelda at all - but playing them reminded me of zelda for their sense of adventure and superb design)

Swords and Sworcery "postmodern zelda" totally exactly the game you are looking for its absolutely adultish and philosophical, moving, atmospheric, dark and funny. Its also probably the most beautiful "game" on IOS (intact the best looking game I have played all year) Highly highly recommended. This is the only game on my list that is really story driven, but the others are still great adventure games.

100 Rogues "infinite dungeons zelda" is a honed, accesible rogue-like adventure game. great simple fun.

Hookchamp & Super Quickhook "zelda meets indiana jones" both by the same developer and basically involve you as an indiana jones figure swinging your way with a grappling hook across either caves (hook champ) or mountainsides and volcanoes (superquickhook) very tight level design and a brilliant art style (hook champ is simulated 8bit - super quick hook inspired but 16 bit)

Rolando 2 Rolling ball zelda - The original rolando (which I never got into) was one of the first classics of the app store, is sequel has better mechanics, much better level design and a cute story. If you love it you can then play the first one, but the second is much better.

There are also plenty of excellent ports of old point and click adventure games like broken sword and monkey island, but I am sure others will recommend them so I picked only original iOS games you won't have played on other platforms
posted by Another Fine Product From The Nonsense Factory at 12:26 PM on August 23, 2011 [2 favorites]

I came in to say Frotz. Ah well.

On the graphic adventure front, things skew more to the tongue-in-cheek or outright humorous than you sound as if you're after. But in case that appeals: As well as the games already listed, Simon the Sorcerer I and II have been ported, and so has Flight of the Amazon Queen. Then there's Puzzle Agent 1 and 2, new games from Telltale. They're more linear and rather easier than the others, but try the free version (Puzzle Agent 1.1) and see if the atmosphere and humour work for you.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 12:29 PM on August 23, 2011 [2 favorites]

I just started playing Across Age on iphone because reviews compared it to A Link to the Past on SNES. Sold!
posted by brozek at 1:14 PM on August 23, 2011

I enjoyed Back to the Future.
posted by Static Vagabond at 1:33 PM on August 23, 2011

Sorry, ignore me-- I read iTouch as iPad for some reason. As far as I know Telltale games are only available on the iPad.
posted by Static Vagabond at 1:50 PM on August 23, 2011

Yep, the only Telltale games for the iPhone/iPod Touch are the two Puzzle Agent ones. Which are fun on the iPad, and I assume they work well enough on the smaller screen to still be fun.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 2:03 PM on August 23, 2011 [1 favorite]

King of Dragon Pass isn't out quite yet, but it's not far away.

It's sort of halfway between an adventure, a CYOA book and a bronze age village management sim - but it's completely brilliant, and the iOS conversion is superb.
posted by Sebmojo at 4:04 PM on August 23, 2011

Legend's of Yore Is pretty fun. It's an expansive world you can explore. It has hundreds of monsters and dungeons. You can play a couple of character classes. Fighter, wizard etc. It's free for the first 20 levels, after that you have to pay to get gold and more experience. No pay, and you just stay at lvl 20 with all your same equipment.

I would recommend getting a stylus for this game. It requires some precision and it's tough if you have even remotely chunky fingers.
posted by hot_monster at 4:55 PM on August 23, 2011

I wouldn't call City of Secrets dark or philosophical, but it is a hoot to play. Probably the closest thing to an old-school adventure game made especially for the iPhone.
posted by Georgina at 5:11 PM on August 23, 2011

I also highly recommend The Secret of Monkey Island.
posted by Daddio at 10:31 PM on August 23, 2011

Thanks everyone! Going to check these out over the next few weeks. If I find something super awesome I'll report back!
posted by The ____ of Justice at 10:44 PM on August 24, 2011 [1 favorite]

Scarlett and the Spark of Life was pretty funny.
posted by monkeys with typewriters at 12:22 PM on August 28, 2011

So far I've downloaded Frotz.

Oh my.

Oh my oh my.
posted by The ____ of Justice at 12:04 PM on September 4, 2011 [2 favorites]

FYI: A game I picked up recently after it was mentioned on Metafilter: King of Dragon Pass.

AMAZING.
posted by The ____ of Justice at 11:26 AM on September 13, 2011