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10 Greatest Historical Adventure Video Games of All Time
This Collider feature ranks the ten greatest historical adventure video games of all time, judging entries on gameplay, narrative, visuals, originality and critical reception. The author distinguishes these titles from strategy or RPG-based historical games, arguing that grounding players directly in a historical era on the ground, rather than commanding armies, delivers a stronger sense of adventure and immersion.
The excerpt covers three of the ten entries. Ranked tenth is The Oregon Trail (2021), a remake of the classic 1840s settler-journey survival game with added historically accurate narrative depth. Ninth is Return of the Obra Dinn (2018), an indie mystery set in 1807 aboard a ship whose 60 crew are found dead or missing, praised for its striking shadow-and-light art style. Eighth is L.A. Noire (2011), Rockstar's post-World War II detective game following Cole Phelps as he investigates murders and a morphine-smuggling ring in Los Angeles.
In short
- Collider ranks the ten best historical adventure video games ever made.
- Oregon Trail (2021), Return of the Obra Dinn (2018) and L.A. Noire (2011) placed 10th–8th.
- List judges games on gameplay, narrative, visuals and immersion.
Explained simply
Historical adventure games place players inside a past era and let them experience events through characters and exploration. They differ from strategy games, which focus on managing armies or shaping events from above, and from role-playing games, which often centre on character development and invented worlds.
The genre spans very different settings and stories, from an 1840s journey across North America to a mystery aboard a ship in 1807 and police investigations in post-war Los Angeles. Games such as The Oregon Trail, Return of the Obra Dinn and L.A. Noire show how historical detail can shape survival, detective work and atmosphere.
These games can introduce players to unfamiliar periods through interactive stories, while also taking creative liberties. Assessments of the genre often consider how well each game combines its setting with gameplay, storytelling and visual design.