LucasArts Adventure Games of the 90s: Where to Start
LucasArts built its 90s adventure games around a specific philosophy: you generally couldn't die or get permanently stuck, which put the focus on humor and puzzle logic rather than trial and error.
Release timeline
- Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge (1991)
- Day of the Tentacle (1993)
- Sam & Max Hit the Road (1993)
- Full Throttle (1995)
- The Curse of Monkey Island (1997)
- Grim Fandango (1998)
Play Grim Fandango, remastered
Grim Fandango Remastered is Double Fine's official update of the 1998 original, discussed above, for modern hardware.
Check price on Amazon →Humor and puzzle styles
Unlike Sierra's adventures, which could kill you or leave you stuck, LucasArts games from this era were designed so you couldn't put yourself in an unwinnable position. That shifted the challenge toward finding the right (often absurd) combination of items and dialogue rather than guessing what might kill you.
Beginner-friendly entries
Day of the Tentacle and Sam & Max Hit the Road, both from 1993, are frequently recommended starting points: short, self-contained stories with the studio's signature humor and no-death design.
Edition differences
Double Fine released remastered versions of several of these games between 2015 and 2017, including Day of the Tentacle Remastered and Grim Fandango Remastered, with updated resolution and, in some cases, reworked controls. The remasters preserve the original game design rather than changing the story or puzzles.
Frequently asked questions
Could you actually die in LucasArts adventure games?
Generally no. LucasArts built its 90s adventure games around the idea that you couldn't die or get permanently stuck, in contrast to Sierra's adventures from the same period.
What's a good first LucasArts adventure game to play?
Day of the Tentacle and Sam & Max Hit the Road, both from 1993, are frequently recommended as accessible starting points.
Are the remastered versions different games?
The Double Fine remasters (2015 to 2017) update the resolution and sometimes the controls, but preserve the original story and puzzles rather than changing the design.
Sourcing and corrections
Release years for Monkey Island 2, Day of the Tentacle, Sam & Max Hit the Road, Full Throttle, The Curse of Monkey Island, and Grim Fandango, along with the 2015 to 2017 remaster timeline, were checked via web search against sources including Wikipedia in September 2026.