Steven Spielberg’s Raiders of the Lost Ark was released in 1981 to huge critical and commercial success, making a corresponding game inevitable. The tie-in game hit the Atari 2600 a year later, and the whip-cracking archeology teacher has had over 20 gaming adventures since.
The Indiana Jones games have been spread over an impressive array of consoles, from tie-in games on the Atari 2600 and Commodore CDTV to newer adventures on the Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, and PC. The release of the divisive Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in 2008 inspired a new wave of games, as three titles were released in 2009, including a second LEGO game for the franchise, turning Lucasfilm MVP Harrison Ford into brick form once more.
Updated February 26, 2021, by Jack Pursey: Everyone’s favorite college teacher is set to make a grand return in the near future, as the fifth Indiana Jones film is set to release in 2022 with hopes of improving upon the lackluster fourth film. The archaeologist isn’t just returning to the big screen, as Lucasfilm Games and Bethesda have announced that a new Indiana Jones video game is in the works. The game is being developed by MachineGames, who certainly aren’t strangers to creating Nazi-killing titles.
The announcement has understandably shone a spotlight on the IP’s catalog of games, possibly inspiring a new generation of gamers to explore some of the franchise’s many titles.
11 Indiana Jones And The Staff of Kings
Indiana Jones And The Staff of Kings was released on the PlayStation 2, PSP, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo Wii in 2009, making it the most recent non-LEGO main console title. Staff of Kings only narrowly makes it onto this list as it’s fair to say the game didn’t blow critics away, exemplified by its Metascores that ranged between 50 and 63.
However, the game shouldn’t be dismissed too quickly, as its range of console releases and the fact that it’s one of the most recent Indiana Jones games makes it a decent option for those looking for something to play while waiting for the upcoming title. Although the gameplay isn’t likely to blow anyone away, there is a lot to like about Staff of Kings, particularly the variety in playstyle. Moreover, the Wii version of Staff of Kings lets players unlock Indiana Jones and the Fate Of Atlantis, which (spoiler alert) is considered by many to be the best game in the franchise.
10 Indiana Jones And The Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was the second Indiana Jones movie and game. It was first released as an Atari arcade machine before being ported to the NES, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, and other home consoles shortly after.
The action game required players to fight enemies with Indy’s whip while completing other objectives, like freeing imprisoned children or riding a minecart to safety. Temple of Doom was praised for its excellent soundtrack and impressive console port but criticized for being too short.
9 Indiana Jones In The Lost Kingdom
Indiana Jones in the Lost Kingdom was released on the Commodore 64 home computer in 1985. Unlike Temple of Doom, Lost Kingdom was a puzzle game intent on making players think like Dr. Jones. The idea that was driven home by the wording on the front of the box: “The ultimate challenge. Nobody told Indiana Jones the rules. And no one will tell you.”
Consequently, players are given no guidance on how to complete any of the game’s tricky puzzles. Given that players couldn’t just hop onto YouTube for a guide at the time, Lost Kingdom was one of the toughest adventures of the mid-’80s.
8 Raiders Of The Lost Ark
The Raiders of the Lost Ark tie-in game was released in 1982, making it the first Indiana Jones game. The graphics were far from the Atari 2600’s best, but developers Atari impressively managed to implement action, adventure, and puzzle-solving despite the console’s limitations.
Unfortunately, Raiders of the Lost Ark was released on the Atari 2600 just a few weeks after the disastrous E.T. game. Howard Scott Warshaw’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, is infamously known for almost eradicating the home console industry altogether and is considered one of the worst games ever made. The game’s backlash soured people on not just movie tie-in games but the home console industry altogether, subsequently hurting Raiders of the Lost Ark‘s sales.
7 Indiana Jones And The Infernal Machine
Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine is the first 3D game on this list and in the series. It was released on PC in 1999 before coming to the N64 the following year as a Blockbuster Video rental exclusive, making it extremely difficult to come by these days. The game differentiates itself from others in the series by supplementing the standard combat and puzzle-solving gameplay with numerous platforming sections.
The game’s original story took place over an impressive 17 levels. It focused on the Cold War, a significant change from the majority of Indiana Jones adventures which pit the archeologist against WWII Nazis.
6 Indiana Jones’ Greatest Adventures
As the name suggests, Indiana Jones’ Greatest Adventures replicates the original trilogy’s most iconic scenes. The SNES side-scroller is similar to Infernal Machine in the sense that it’s one of the few Indiana Jones games to focus on platforming.
Commendably, the platformer had several impressive vehicle sections. Players could ride down snowy mountains on a raft and shoot down Nazis in a plane. Furthermore, the game separated the platforming with combat sections. Along with Indy’s iconic whip, players could dispatch enemies with fists, guns, and/or grenades.
5 LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
Considering Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventure‘s impressive sales figures of over 10 million, it was only a matter of time before a second game was released.
The game hit shelves just over a year after the first game and added significantly more features to the Lego formula than its predecessor. However, the game was destined to struggle from the offset due to its corresponding film, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, disappointing audiences. Still, the game sold well, meaning that a warm response to the upcoming film and video game could see Indiana return to brick form for the third time.
4 Indiana Jones And The Emperor’s Tomb
Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb released on PC, PS2, and Xbox in 2003; the game was very ambitious with many environments to explore and enemy types to defeat, making players truly feel like they had been on an adventure when the final credits roll.
Emperor’s Tomb is the best modern Indiana Jones game that isn’t LEGO, though it had the potential to be far better. The game had a buggy port to consoles from PC and featured odd jumping physics. Seemingly simple jumps could cause Indy to leap off buildings, forcing players to restart levels as there are no checkpoints or a mid-level save feature. Still, if players are looking for an Indiana Jones game to play that is likely to be the most similar to the upcoming title, then Emperor’s Tomb is their best bet.
3 LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
LEGO Indiana Jones was always fighting an uphill battle, as the Star Wars games were beloved for their huge collection of playable characters, whereas Indiana Jones is the only iconic character from his movies; even fans of the original trilogy would likely struggle to name more than a handful of characters.
Despite this, The Original Adventures is still considered one of the best modern LEGO games. It may not have brought much new to the table, but re-visiting iconic scenes from the first three movies in LEGO form is an undeniably fun time.
2 Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure
Lucasfilm Games’ developers had the difficult task of releasing The Graphic Adventure just two months after its corresponding film was released. This was a major red flag for fans, as movie tie-in games with tight schedules are known for producing poor products, best exemplified by the aforementioned E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
However, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure was released with some of the most well-designed and rewarding puzzles available in gaming at the time. Furthermore, Last Crusade was revolutionary for its replay value, as puzzles could be solved in multiple ways, earning players various point scores. These points were an ingenious way of tempting players to boot the game back up and find alternative solutions.
1 Indiana Jones And The Fate Of Atlantis
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis is not just the best Indiana Jones game, but one of the best graphic adventures of all time. The point-and-click adventure features an original story with some of the smartest puzzle designs and most charismatic dialog in the genre.
The game’s original story about the lost city of Atlantis was extremely well received, and many fans have questioned why it hasn’t been used for a corresponding movie. The memorable story, along with the intelligent puzzle design, is why Fate of Atlantis earns its status atop the point-and-click genre with classics like The Secret of Monkey Island and Grim Fandango.
Although fans still have no idea what direction the upcoming Indiana Jones game is taking, it’s fair to say that it won’t have too many similarities to Fate of Atlantis. However, fans will be hoping that MachineGames’ title can emulate the quality of the classic point-and-click game, as it will be a game of the year contender if it does.
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