Every Indiana Jones Video Game, Ranked From Worst to Best

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has racked up more positive reviews than you can shake a bullwhip at – but how does it compare to Indy’s other interactive exploits? See for yourself with our below round-up of every major Indiana Jones video game, ranked from worst to best.

Note: We’ve only included games that are widely available on this list. So, don’t expect to see the Czech Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom text adventure game (or its sequels), the Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull LeapFrog Didj tie-in, or any now-defunct mobile/social games.

18. Indiana Jones and His Desktop Adventures

In fairness, 1996 LucasArts adventure game Indiana Jones and His Desktop Adventures is upfront about its relatively low creative ambition. Heck, Desktop Adventures signposts its simple, windowed gameplay in its title. But neither that honesty nor a boulder-sized amount of randomly generated missions is enough to compensate for the game’s repetitive level design, clunky combat, and underwhelming presentation.

17. Instruments of Chaos starring Young Indiana Jones

Early 90s TV series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles failed to reach the same heights as its cinematic predecessors. So, it’s kinda fitting that Instruments of Chaos starring Young Indiana Jones likewise falls far short of the video games based on (or inspired by) the movies. Developed by short-lived studio Brian A. Rice, Inc. for the Sega Genesis, Instruments of Chaos is a subpar action game plagued by unresponsive controls, dull level design, and frustrating combat.

16. The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles

1992 NES outing The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles is the TV spinoff’s other ill-fated foray into the world of video games. Co-developed by Chris Gray Enterprises and Jaleco, it’s better than its Genesis counterpart Instruments of Chaos – but only marginally. The level design here is a bit more exciting and the storytelling is stronger, however, the controls are just as rage-inducing. And given how much of Indy’s appeal lies in his athletic prowess, that’s downright unforgivable.

15. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

Atari Games’ Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is the first of several games on this list whose quality varies wildly port to port. The action game’s Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, and ZX Spectrum ports scored well with reviewers back in 1985, and the NES port is still fondly remembered by retro gamers today. By contrast, Temple of Doom‘s Commodore 64 release scored worse reviews than a Pankot Palace banquet! As such, we’ve ranked it lower than other, more consistent cross-platform efforts.

14. Raiders of the Lost Ark

We know, we know: Raiders of the Lost Ark on Atari 2600 is practically an ancient relic in 2024. But what is the Indiana Jones franchise if not a testament to the power of such things? Regardless, this 1982 action-adventure game does a terrific job capturing the spirit of Raiders of the Lost Ark with only a fraction of the computing power of most entries on this list. You solve puzzles, traverse temples, and unearth treasure – what’s more Indiana Jones than that?

13. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Action Game

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade wound up with three different video game adaptations. No, we don’t mean it was ported to three different systems; Lucasfilm literally gave the green light to a trio of separate projects based on the then-final entry in the Indiana Jones franchise. Of these, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Action Game – which dropped on pretty much every popular computer, console, and handheld system in 1989 – is the least successful. There’s nothing all that wrong with its combat mechanics or fetch quest level design; it’s just a bit pedestrian.

Related: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Recaptures the Magic of the Original Trilogy [Review]

12. Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings

On paper, Indiana Jones and the Wii are a perfect fit. After all, few iconic weapons are better suited to the Wii remote than our globetrotting hero’s trusty bullwhip. Unfortunately, 2009 Artificial Mind and Movement/LucasArts collaboration Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings fumbles this can’t-miss concept with atrociously clunky motion controls. The PS2 and Nintendo DS ports of Staff of Kings are equally disappointing (although the PSP version is marginally better).

11. Indiana Jones in the Lost Kingdom

While most Indiana Jones games focus on Indy’s brawn, Mindscape’s The Lost Kingdom is all about his brains. So for sheer novelty factor alone, this 1984 Commodore 64 release deserves to outrank other, more same-samey fare. That said, your mileage will vary on just how fun Indiana Jones and the Lost Kingdom actually is. The game is light on hand-holding, and its unforgiving puzzles will leave some players with a bigger headache than a Nazi who’s just opened the Ark of the Covenant!

10. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

The second dedicated Last Crusade adaptation on this list, Software Creations’ 1991 action-oriented effort is one of the slickest-looking games to grace the NES. It sounds great too, and does a bang-up job restaging The Last Crusade‘s blockbuster set pieces and fiendish death traps. Could the gameplay be a bit more polished? Sure. But this is a commendable addition to the franchise’s video game library just the same.

Related: Where Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Takes Place in the Timeline

9. Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues

Traveller’s Tales nailed the brief with their first Lego Indiana Jones title in 2008, so much so that the brick-themed adventure game’s 2009 sequel seems more than a little pointless. True, Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues adds new Kingdom of the Crystal Skull content into the mix. It also iterates on its predecessor in several ways with multiple hub worlds, a level editor, and other enhancements. Yet many of these supposed upgrades suffer from lackluster execution, doing little to justify Lego Indiana Jones 2‘s existence.

8. Indiana Jones’ Greatest Adventures

Indiana Jones’ Greatest Adventures is exactly what it sounds like: a compilation platformer that cherrypicks its levels from the first three movies’ most memorable scenes. So no, this 1994 Factor 5/LucasArts joint isn’t the most ambitious or innovative game on this list. It is, however, one of the most fun, thanks to its challenging (almost to fault!) gameplay, varied levels, and dazzling visuals.

7. Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures

As noted earlier on this list, Traveller’s Tales knocked it out of the park with Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures. This all-ages action-adventure joint’s light-hearted spin on the first three Indiana Jones flicks’ respective stories is incredibly charming, while its gameplay – particularly in co-op mode – is breezy fun across its PC and console versions. There are a few rough edges (the camera, the co-player AI), but all in all, Lego Indiana Jones is a blast.

Related: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Gets Release Date & Release Window on PS5

6. Indiana Jones in Revenge of the Ancients

Another still-potent artifact from a bygone era, Angelsoft’s Indiana Jones in Revenge of the Ancients is a text-based video game set in the jungles of Mexico. What Revenge of the Ancients lacks in flashy visuals it more than makes up for in the story department, tasking players with beating a bunch of goose-stepping morons to the fabled Mazatec Power Key. It’s a rollicking, atmosphere-rich experience that proves a great Indiana Jones game is about more than graphics.

5. Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine

LucasArt’s Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine was something of a disappointment when it arrived in 1999. But then expectations surrounding the title were impossibly high. Not only was it the first 3D Indiana Jones video game, but Hal Barwood – a key creative force behind several beloved 2D Indy games – headed up its design team. Sadly, Infernal Machine‘s controls on N64 and (especially) PC made it hard to fully appreciate. Get past this near-fatal shortcoming, however, and there’s a lot to love here, including a terrific story, brilliant level designs, and a franchise-accurate blend of platforming, combat, and puzzles. Oh, and the 2001 Game Boy Color port? Pretty good, too.

4. Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb

If Infernal Machine is a terrific story let down by clunky controls, then Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb is the opposite. Developed by The Collective and published by LucasArts, this 2003 action-adventure game handles like a dream – but its Temple of Doom prequel plot is more of a nightmare. Yet even though the narrative of Emperor’s Tomb rockets off the rails like a runaway mine cart, it does such a stellar job of putting players in Indy’s shoes that it easily deserves a Top 5 slot.

3. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure

1989’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure is essentially a dry run for LucasArts’ far superior 1992 point-and-click classic Fate of Atlantis. But that game is so good that even a less fully-realized proto-version is still an exceptional bit of interactive entertainment. After all, so much of what makes Fate of Atlantis great debuted in The Graphic Adventure first. Notably, Fate of Atlantis owes some of its most popular systems and mechanics – notably, its multiple puzzle solutions and replayability-boosting “Indy Quotient” scoring system – to The Graphic Adventure.

Related: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Sacred Wounds Puzzle Guide

2. Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis

Until Indiana Jones and the Great Circle came along, Fate of Atlantis was the undisputed “Best Indiana Jones Game of All Time” – and rightly so. Pretty much every key aspect of the franchise is perfectly replicated here. The story is pure movie serial pulp, the puzzles ingenious yet logical, and the fisticuffs tense. That Fate of Atlantis also offers three separate playthrough modes – emphasizing wits, fists, or cooperation, respectively – only adds to its legendary status. Bottom line? Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis belongs in a museum (in a good way!).

1. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Ostensibly, ranking Indiana Jones and the Great Circle as the franchise’s best video game is a tad cheap. It’s the most recent title on this list, so it’s bound to shine brightest purely on a technical level. And yes, The Great Circle does deserve plenty of kudos for its jaw-dropping presentation. But the real reason MachineGames’ first-person adventure effort scored the top slot is that no other game does as a good job of making you feel like the lead in an Indiana Jones movie. The game’s plotting and aesthetic masterfully emulate Steven Spielberg’s classic films, while its blend of stealth, exploration, puzzle-solving, and combat ensure Indy’s scrappiness never overshadows his smarts.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is available on Windows and Xbox Series X/S.

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