Adventure games can be either third-person or first-person and in rare cases, the second-person. The third-person is played looking towards the character, usually from behind, hence the old gamer jokes about looking at the back of an avatar's head for hours. Another common way to view a game is in the first person, which is preferable for combat or close-up examination.
First-person adventure games are known for their immersive settings and realism. They give players an uncanny feeling as if they were in the game. The following are the best first-person adventure games of all time.
Updated on September 8, 2023, by Kristy Ambrose: They have their own permanent and lofty place in the world of contemporary video games, but once upon a time, first-person adventure games dominated the market. 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. These include the first-person puzzle and exploration games that dominated the CD-ROM era of the 1990s. That's partly why 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.
16 Gone Home
- 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 was the winner of numerous awards. Although it has a simple premise, the game is fascinating.
Exploring a house to uncover clues as to 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.
15 Amnesia: The Dark Descent
- 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.
14 Myst
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
- 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.
13 Dishonored 2
- Launch Date: November 11th, 2016
- Developer: Arkane Studios
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One
The sequel to Dishonored comes back with more advanced combat mechanics and a more intriguing story. As a first-person action-adventure game, Dishonored 2 excels on so many levels. It takes place in a fictional city named Karnaca that may allude to London during the Industrial Revolution.
Playing the game, you'll notice that there are multiple ways to complete missions. This gives the game tremendous replay value and shock appeal. First-person exploration has hardly looked as good as in Dishonored 2.
12 Everybody's Gone To The Rapture
- 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. Taking place in 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 this 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 right for you.
11 Dying Light
- 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.
Dying Light is an exceptional open-world survival title, which is also a 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.
10 Grand Theft Auto 5
- Launch Date: September 17th, 2013
- Developer: Rockstar North
- Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Unless you've been hiding under a rock for the past while, chances are you've heard of Grand Theft Auto 5. Rockstar Games' bold and ambitious action-adventure game can be played in both the third and first person.
Using weapons such as shotguns and rifles, as well as melee weapons, hasn't looked as impressive in the first person. Both the single-player and online of Grand Theft Auto 5 are rousing. The game has a little something for everyone.
9 Skyrim
- Launch Date: November 11th, 2011
- Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
- Platforms: Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5
Still one of the most popular adventure games ever made, it's easy to forget that Skyrim is actually Elder Scrolls 5. It's the last title Bethesda released before the world of Tamriel went MMORPG with Elder Scrolls Online.
This is the game that made crafting, in particular Alchemy and Blacksmithing, essential features in any adventure RPG. The ability to buy and furnish a variety of homes was also a concept that exploded with the options available in Skyrim.
8 Tomb Raider Classic
- Launch Date: October 25th, 1996
- Developer: Core Design
- Platforms: Android, Arcade, Dreamcast, Game Boy Color and Advance, GameCube, iOS, Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, MS-DOS, Nintendo DS, PlayStation (2, 3, and 4) Sega Saturn, Stadia, Wii, Xbox (360 and One)
Some readers might be perplexed to discover that classic Tomb Raider. This refers to the 1996 original Tomb Raider released for the PlayStation. Tomb Raider 1996 was later ported to a variety of other consoles and is playable on an array of consoles and computers.
The popularity of Lara Croft during this era of gaming is undeniable, and she appeared in commercials and on all kinds of fan merchandise that were inspired by this influential title.
7 Beyond The Labyrinth
- 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.
6 BioShock Infinite
- Launch Date: March 26th, 2013
- Developer: Irrational Games
- Platforms: PS3, Windows, Xbox 360, OS X, Linux
First-person adventure games are not always open-world. BioShock Infinite's gameplay is more linear than other adventure games, but it's an adventure game nevertheless. It won The Game Critics award for Best Action/Adventure Game at E3 2011, as well as several other awards.
BioShock Infinite combines an exhilarating story that twists and turns with sensational gameplay. The story is profound in more ways than one. You'll hope this first-person adventure never ends. As a deeply engaging game, BioShock Infinite is a game that you can't miss.
5 Tex Murphy: Under A Killing Moon
- 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.
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.
4 Metroid Prime Trilogy
- Launch Date: August 24th, 2009
- Developer: Retro Studios
- Platforms: Nintendo Wii
Try imagining a first-person version of the original NES Metroid game with more exploration, and you'll get Metroid Prime. The Metroid Prime Trilogy is a first-party exclusive for Nintendo consoles, specifically the Wii.
The puzzle-solving, combined with circumstantial navigation, separates Metroid Prime from other first-person adventure games. The updates that were included with the Metroid Prime compilation included new controls and a better currency system along with polished graphics and gameplay.
3 The 7th Guest
- 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.
2 Firewatch
- 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.
1 Red Dead Redemption 2
- Launch Date: October 26th, 2018
- Developer: Rockstar Studios
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, Stadia
As a prequel to Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption 2 could be the most thrilling first-person adventure game ever made. Its open world is more massive than any player would expect, and it would take hundreds of hours to explore every nook and cranny.
With the option to play the game in both the first and third person, it offers more than the conventional adventure game. It has a first-person mode comparable to Grand Theft Auto 5 that provides a tremendous amount of detail. The immersive setting of Red Dead Redemption 2 improves tenfold while playing in the first person.