The Monkey Island series is one of the most iconic and beloved graphic adventure series in gaming history. Conceived by Ron Gilbert during his days at LucasArts, The Secret of Monkey Island was acclaimed by critics for foregoing the usual frustrations seen in the genre and its wonderful story bolstered by lovable characters and sidesplitting humor.
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From there, the franchise would see six installments developed by a wide range of teams, artists, and writers. Each game is well worth a look, with creative puzzles that seamlessly blend the game's mechanics with the narrative. Spanning over three decades, the series boasts several delightfully offbeat brain teasers.
10 The Curse Of Monkey Island: Outwitting The Singing Pirates
While not as challenging as the other puzzles, it makes for a great storytelling moment as Guybrush's quest to Blood Island is hindered by the nefarious Captain Rottingham. After emerging victorious in an insult sword-fighting duel, the French corsair makes off with Guybrush's map. Guybrush lambasts his crew for not helping out, who then proceed to sing a musical number.
Players are then given several dialogue options to plead with the pirates to stop singing, but every command is met with a rhyming lyric. Players will eventually get to the solution by exhausting every option, which is to say, "We'll surely avoid scurvy if we all eat an orange."
9 Return To Monkey Island, Becoming A Fellow Chum
In Guybrush's quest to uncover the secret, he has to gather several pieces of a map that'll lead him to one of the keys. The bait ship has one of the flags on display for all the Chum Fisher members to enjoy. In order for Guybrush to acquire the piece, he must become a member of the club.
Anyone who wants to join must prove their ability to weave a compelling fishing story. Guybrush can recall the time he was swallowed by a giant manatee with several other members. However, each member tells him to alter it a bit by embellishing certain events and weaving in colorful vernacular.
8 The Secret Of Monkey Island: Cooking Up A Potion
Once Guybrush gets his ship and his crew, they get cold feet about rescuing the governor and perform a mutiny. Guybrush is then left to wander the ship by himself when he comes across what appears to be a recipe, but is actually a magical potion.
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In what becomes a common theme throughout the series, Guybrush must work with what he has to craft the potion that'll lead him to the fabled Monkey Island. For example, Guybrush may not have a skull lying around, but he does have a Jolly Roger flag above the crow's nest.
7 Curse Of Monkey Island: Battling Van Helgen With The Banjo
In order to free Elaine from the cursed ring, Guybrush must set sail to Blood Island. To do that, he'll need to gather a crew on Puerto Pollo – home of the pirate barbershop, The Barbary Coast. One of the hairdressing buccaneers Guybrush must enlist is a man named Edward Van Helgen. After delivering the proper insult, the two meet at the field of honor to choose their weapon and duel.
If players choose the pistol, they'll find themselves outgunned by the mustachioed pirate. Instead, they must choose the banjo and copy Van Helgen's notes exactly. However, his skills eventually prove too much for Guybrush, who must shoot his banjo.
6 The Secret Of Monkey Island: Buying A Used Ship From Stan
To set sail to Monkey Island and rescue the governor, Guybrush must acquire a crew and a ship. At Stan's Used Ship Emporium, players have to haggle with the eponymous salesman and talk him down to an affordable price. Guybrush can get Stan to talk about the ship's numerous features and gradually get him to sweeten the deal.
It is a great showcase for the game's dialogue tree mechanics and witty writing. After playing this game, it became hard to go back to other graphic adventure games that didn't feature dialogue options.
5 Tales Of Monkey Island: Wooing A Manatee
Guybrush's quest for La Esponja Grande leads him to the sacred manatee mating grounds. With a special horn and a translation manual at his side, he comes across a lonely male manatee who's desperately trying to woo an even bigger lady manatee. Guybrush agrees to act as the creature's wingman, but the manatee translation manual is only comprised of stock phrases such as "Which way to the bathroom?"
Players must somehow win the affections of this behemoth with elementary-level manatee sentences. If Guybrush gets stumped, bounty hunter Morgan LeFlay offers some advice, giving subtle hints as to her unrequited feelings towards the well-meaning pirate.
4 The Secret Of Monkey Island: Finding The Legendary Treasure Of Melee Island
Deep within Melee Island is the legendary treasure that all wanna-be pirates must uncover in order to prove their worth. There's a salesman on the street who offers a map to the treasure for a few pieces of eight. At first examination, it looks like Guybrush has been scammed because they appear to be dance lessons rather than an actual map.
However, if players examine the instructions closely, they'll realize that they're actually directions in navigating the labyrinthian Melee Forest. By following the instructions through the jungle, they'll eventually find the X.
3 Monkey Island 2 LeChuck's Revenge: Winning The Spitting Contest
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Winning the spitting contest is one of the many tasks Guybrush must complete in order to get enough money to buy the map piece for the fabled Big Whoop at the Booty Island pawn shop. However, Guybrush's first attempt isn't so successful, as his saliva barely escapes his mouth.
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Players who pay attention to the woman's scarf may notice that the wind occasionally blows, but that's not quite enough. Players can also mix their yellow and blue grog to form a green grog that makes their spit thick, but that's still not enough. Guybrush must proceed to distract the spectators while he moves the goalposts.
2 Monkey Island 2 LeChuck's Revenge: Escaping LeChuck's Fortress
At the end of the second game's third chapter, Guybrush unwittingly falls into the clutches of the evil LeChuck, who places the wanna-be buccaneer and Wally in a twisted death trap. The zombie pirate explains that once the candle burns the rope, and Guybrush is lowered into the pit of acid, he aims to make a chair out of his screaming bones.
All seems lost as the Guyrbush's hands are restrained, preventing him from accessing most of his inventory. However, if players reach for their straw, they can drink some of the grog Guybrush has in his coat, and spit out the candle before they meet a grisly demise.
1 The Secret Of Monkey Island: Insult Sword Fighting
The insult sword fighting section is a notable highlight, appearing in several iterations throughout the series. Under the tutelage of Captain Smirk, players may be surprised to learn that a sharp wit is more important than a sharp blade. Throughout Melee Island, players will come across several buccaneers who will toss cutting jabs during each duel. It's up to players to respond with the correct comeback and then dish out enough barbs to win.
However, the swordmaster throws a few curveballs with insults that are completely different from the ones they've learned. Fortunately, savvy players will realize that the comebacks they've accumulated are still suited for the situation.
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