The Best Indiana Jones Games Of All Time, Ranked

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 modern systems. 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 December 10, 2024, by Gerardo Molina: The Indiana Jones franchise has been around for more than four decades, spanning various generations and giving players of all ages different titles to enjoy. While some have not been well received by critics or players, others are timeless classics that are still beloved by many.

One of the greatest things about the Indiana Jones video game universe is that it doesn’t always rely on the movies, and occasionally dares to explore new, untold stories for players to unravel. With the release of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, this proud tradition of video games continues, and hopefully, this will be the case for years to come.

11 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

The Latest Installment Of The Franchise

Being the latest installment of the Indiana Jones gaming franchise, fans have had high hopes for this title from the moment it was announced, and thus far, it has delivered wonderfully. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is played mostly from a first-person perspective, although some puzzles allow players to have a third-person view to solve them.

Throughout the game, players will have to solve the various puzzles they’ll encounter in order to progress through the story. While it’s only been out for a day at the time of writing this article, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle looks and plays great so far, and many players worldwide agree.

10 Raiders of the Lost Ark

The First Indiana Jones Game, And A Fine Addition To The Atari Catalog

• Platform(s): Atari 2600
• Released: 11-01-1982
• Developer: Atari
• Publisher: Atari

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. Backlash over E.T. soured people on not just movie tie-in games but the home console industry altogether, subsequently hurting Raiders of the Lost Ark‘s sales.

9 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

A Great Game That Suffered From Its Short Duration

• Platform(s): Arcade, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, MSX, ZX Spectrum
• Released: 09-01-1985
• Developer: Atari
• Publisher: Atari, U.S. Gold, Mindscape

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.

8 Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb

An Outstanding Title With A Few Bugs To Iron Out

Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb was released on PC, PS2, and Xbox in 2003. The game was ambitious, with numerous changes in its environment across historical and fantasy settings. The game also boasts countless enemy types and memorable boss fights that all contribute to making players feel like they have been on a true 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 end up with Indy leaping off buildings, forcing players to restart levels from scratch, as there are no checkpoints and no mid-level save feature.

7 LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues

A Great Sequel To The Massive LEGO Hit

• Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360
• Released: 11-17-2009
• Developer: Traveller’s Tales
• Publisher: LucasArts, Feral Interactive

Following 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.

LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues hit shelves just over a year after the first game and introduced numerous new gameplay mechanics and features, such as characters having special abilities – something that went on to become a mainstay in the series, as well as open hub worlds, and even a level creator.

6 Indiana Jones’ Greatest Adventures

A Fun Side-scroller Featuring The Best Moments From The Original Trilogy

• Platform(s): SNES
• Released: 10-11-1994
• Developer: Factor 5, LucasArts
• Publisher: JVC Musical Industries, LucasArts

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 for a SNES game, the platformer featured several impressive vehicle sections. Players could ride down snowy mountains on a raft and shoot down Nazis in a plane. The game’s platforming sections were also separated by solid sequences, with players being able to use Indy’s whip and fists, as well as guns and grenades.

5 Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine

The Story Revolves Around The Cold War And World War 2 Nazis

• Platform(s): PC, N64, Game Boy Color
• Released: 11-15-1999
• Developer: LucasArts, Factor 5
• Publisher: LucasArts, THQ

Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine was released on PC in 1999 before coming to the N64 the following year as a Blockbuster Video rental exclusive, making it 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 that pit the archaeologist against WWI-era Nazis.

4 LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures

One Of The Best LEGO Games Of All Time

LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures was scrutinized when it was announced, as the LEGO Star Wars games are beloved for their huge collection of playable characters while Indiana Jones is the only iconic character from the franchise, so many people questioned whether it was the right choice to adapt to LEGO next. Thankfully, the game surpassed expectations, and The Original Adventures is still considered one of the best LEGO games of all time.

LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures didn’t bring much new to the table, but re-visiting iconic scenes from the first three movies in LEGO form is an undeniably fun time, and it featured some of the most well-designed stages in LEGO history.

3 Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure

Tons Of Replay Value

• Platform(s): Amiga, Atari ST, CDTV, FM Towns, Mac, MS-DOS
• Released: 07-01-1989
• Developer: Lucasfilm Games
• Publisher: Lucasfilm Games

Lucasfilm Games had the difficult task of releasing Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: 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, 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.

2 Indiana Jones in the Lost Kingdom

A Game Packed With Puzzles That Can Only Be Solved By Thinking Like Indy

• Platform(s): Commodore 64
• Released: 12-01-1984
• Developer: Michael J. Hanson
• Publisher: Mindscape

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 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.

1 Indiana Jones and the Fate Of Atlantis

A Point-and-click Adventure That Fans Loved

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 the most charismatic dialog in the genre.

The game’s original story about the lost city of Atlantis was extremely well received, and there was some expectation at the time that it would be adapted into a film. The memorable story, along with the intelligent puzzle design, is why Fate of Atlantis earns its status among the top point-and-click games of all time, along with classics like The Secret of Monkey Island and Grim Fandango.