Every Telltale Games Series, Ranked

For several years following the debut of their first season of The Walking Dead, Telltale Games established itself as one of the most popular video game developers. This newfound success opened up opportunities to work on numerous esteemed franchises, enabling them to delve deep into extensive properties and create their own narratives. However, it’s worth noting that Telltale had a history before The Walking Dead, where they gained experience with slightly less renowned franchises. In the following list, I have ranked every series developed by Telltale Games throughout their illustrious career. When compiling this ranking, I took into account every franchise, including those where Telltale only produced a single game, allowing us to explore the full extent of their extensive library.

Here’s a breakdown of the list:

1. The Walking Dead (Seasons 1-4)
2. Game of Thrones
3. Batman: The Telltale Series
4. Minecraft: Story Mode
5. Guardians of the Galaxy
6. Tales from the Borderlands
7. The Wolf Among Us
8. Jurassic Park
9. The Walking Dead: Michonne
10. Bone: Out From Boneville
11. Sam & Max: Season 1-2
12. Back to the Future
13. Wallace & Gromit’s Frightful Five
14. Puzzle Agent 1-2
15. Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People (Episodes 1-8)
16. Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge
17. Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse
18. The Expanse
19. Hector: Badge of Carnage
20. Poker Night at the Inventory
21. Tales from Monkey Island (Episodes 1-3)
22. CSI: Hard Evidence
23. Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People: Baddest of the Bands
24. A Wolf Among Us: Episode 2
25. Hector: Past Mysteries
26. Puzzle Agent: Season 1
27. Wallace & Gromit and the Curse of the Were-Rabbit
28. Sherlock Holmes: The Mystery of the Mummy
29. A Wolf Among Us: Episode 1
30. Poker Night at the Inventory 2
31. Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People: Homestar Ruiner
32. Wallace & Gromit and Fowl Fleecing
33. Sam & Max: The Mole, the Mob, and the Meatball of Doom
34. A Wolf Among Us: Episode 3
35. Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People: Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Career of Billy Goat Guy
36. Wallace & Gromit and the Wrath of the Ancients (Part 1-2)
37. Sam & Max: The Tomb of the Cybernetic Brain Spawn of the Temple of Marrow
38. A Wolf Among Us: Episode 4
39. Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People: An Important Day (Part 1-2)
40. Wallace & Gromit and Fright of the Skies
41. Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space: Kenzinger is Missing!
42. A Wolf Among Us: Episode 5
43. Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People: It Came from the Desert
44. Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo (Part 1-2)

With that in mind, here is every Telltale Games series ranked from worst to best.

19) Law & Order

Legacies,” which was handled by Telltale, did not follow a single season’s plot. Instead, it brought together characters from various “Law & Order” shows, such as Lennie Briscoe and Olivia Benson. Unfortunately, this joint venture didn’t lead to anything significant, and soon after, Telltale shifted its focus to its more renowned series.

18) CSI

3 Dimensions of Murder, Hard Evidence, Deadly Intent, and Fatal Conspiracy. These games played a significant role in shaping Telltale’s episodic format, although they were initially sold as standalone products. While these games were average in quality, it is clear that Telltale was still refining its skills at the time. However, having Laurence Fishburne in Deadly Intent and Fatal Conspiracy was always a delightful addition to the games!

17) Bone

In simpler terms, Telltale Games attempted to bring Jeff Smith’s renowned “Bone” comic books to life as one of their early projects. Unlike the series of four CSI games, Bone was released as a series of episodes instead of all at once. However, they only managed to produce two episodes before halting further development on the project. While you can see elements that would become characteristic of future Telltale games in this one, it’s clear that, similar to CSI, the team was still refining their skills in creating episodic games with player choices playing a significant role.

16) Game of Thrones

Telltale’s “Game of Thrones” was not advantageous due to the studio being in its initial phase, as it seems this game came out when the developer held peak potential. Specifically, “Game of Thrones” launched between “Tales from the Borderlands” and “Minecraft: Story Mode.” However, the game is hindered by the very source material it aims to replicate.

The Game of Thrones game might not allow you to play as the well-known characters from the books and show, instead focusing on members of House Forrester. While you may encounter your favorite characters, this spin-off story falls short in comparison to the main narrative. It’s less about being a bad game and more about experiencing tedious and dull gameplay.

15) Jurassic Park

In a more straightforward phrasing, here’s how you might rephrase: Telltale Games’ adaptation of Jurassic Park leans heavily on Quick Time Events (QTEs), leading to rather uneventful gameplay. However, the narrative is the main focus, delving into the fate of the dinosaur embryos that were stolen by Dennis Nedry in the initial film. Unfortunately, this is an example of Telltale’s strict storytelling at its most pronounced. The studio excels when it allows players to feel like they have choices, but Jurassic Park disappointingly misses the mark even with that aspect.

14) Wallace & Gromit

In a single instance, Telltale Games created a game centered around the beloved characters, Wallace & Gromit. Notably, they collaborated closely with Aardman Animations to create an original narrative for this standalone title. Unfortunately, the main voice actor for Wallace, Peter Sallis, was absent from this project. Instead, Ben Whitehead, the official understudy for Wallace, stepped into the role. This marked the first time that Sallis did not lend his voice to the character.

13) Strong Bad

I’m considering boosting Strong Bad’s game’s rating to indicate my fondness for games catered towards stylish folks. However, it’s important to note that this is a moderately solid attempt from Telltale. While Strong Bad’s only game isn’t poor at all, it’s somewhat inconsistent. Certain mini-games are enjoyable, but others could use some improvement. On the plus side, each episode improves as the series progresses, which is not easy to maintain consistently in subsequent projects.

12) Tales of Monkey Island

Watching Telltale revisit the beloved Monkey Island adventure series was a delightful experience. Although Tales of Monkey Island doesn’t quite match the brilliance of the LucasArts classics, it successfully maintains the essence of the original series. This is not surprising given that the creator of Monkey Island, Ron Gilbert, was involved in plotting the storyline. In some ways, Tales of Monkey Island parallels Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People. Like its counterpart, it struggles with inconsistent puzzle difficulty levels. Some puzzles are frustratingly easy, while others are maddeningly complex, leaving players confused for extended periods.

11) Back to the Future

In simpler terms, “Back to the Future” by Telltale Games marked a significant step in their storytelling capabilities, though it didn’t pioneer any new concepts (that would come later). It’s a fun adventure that references the original film series often. While the gameplay is limited and some puzzles are overly simple, as a form of interactive cinema, it’s not bad at all.

It’s noteworthy that A.J. LoCasio’s portrayal of Michael J. Fox is remarkably spot-on. In fact, the whole voice cast excels, but LoCasio captures the essence of Marty McFly with remarkable precision.

10) Puzzle Agent

As a devoted fan, I’m thrilled to share that the Puzzle Agent games are truly unique creations within Telltale’s repertoire, with Telltale Texas Hold’em being the only exception. In these engaging titles, I find myself slipping into the role of FBI Agent Nelson Tethers, venturing through a series of linear adventure games. The intriguing title certainly lives up to its promise, as it challenges me continually to solve an abundance of puzzles while working on FBI cases.

While it’s not their greatest work, I thoroughly enjoyed the unique spin that the developers gave on a puzzle-adventure game reminiscent of Professor Layton. Moreover, the visual appeal is quite stunning, thanks to the artistic touch of Graham Annable, a LucasArts veteran who contributed significantly to the design of the visual style in Puzzle Agent.

9) The Expanse

The Expanse is Telltale’s newest release, marking it as the sole game that the revamped studio launched since its reopening in 2018. Notable among the high-quality acting in this game is Cara Gee’s portrayal of Camina Drummer.

Similar to many outstanding games by Telltale, the game is primarily about character development, placing it front and center. The developers attempted to incorporate zero-gravity movement and a collectible system, but The Expanse shines brightest when Telltale concentrates on storytelling. It’s great to see you expanding, Telltale, but we could do without any more zero-gravity challenges.

8) Minecraft: Story Mode

Currently, there’s even a full movie based on Minecraft, but back in 2015, it seemed unlikely that a game with a narrative would be set in the expansive, blocky world of Minecraft. However, Telltale Games managed to make this happen and secured well-known voice actors like Patton Oswalt, Corey Feldman, and Paul Reubens, along with numerous others.

Telltale invited several popular Minecraft YouTubers as a playful acknowledgment of the game’s popularity on YouTube. While Minecraft: Story Mode doesn’t significantly innovate the Telltale format, it offers family-friendly entertainment that can be enjoyed on consoles, mobile devices, or even Netflix.

7) Guardians of the Galaxy

In the typical fashion of Telltale, the voice actors delivered outstanding performances, making an otherwise unmemorable entry more compelling. Notably, Scott Porter’s portrayal of Peter Quill was particularly noteworthy, earning him accolades towards the end of the year.

The primary reason that “Guardians of the Galaxy” isn’t advancing further is its perceived formulaic nature compared to Telltale’s usual standards. This issue was growing increasingly problematic for the studio prior to its temporary closure in 2018, and the game felt overly predictable or following a standard recipe from the team.

6) Sam & Max

The creation of Telltale was largely driven by the popular demand for the adventure series featuring Sam & Max. A team of LucasArts developers felt dissatisfied when projects like “Full Throttle 2” and “Sam & Max: Freelance Police” were abandoned, so they decided to start their own studio with a focus on developing an episodic game centered around Sam & Max.

In a fitting move, Telltale Games launched three installments of the Sam & Max series: Save the World, Beyond Time and Space, and The Devil’s Playhouse. Each one stood on its own merit, but Save the World stands out as a significant achievement due to its success in establishing the viability of episodic games. The appeal of the Sam & Max series was so strong that when Telltale temporarily closed their doors in 2024, Skunkape Games seized the opportunity to acquire and remaster all three titles.

5) Poker Night

The two games titled “Poker Night” are essentially Texas Hold ’em card games that have characters from Telltale Games loosely involved, correct. However, they’re excellent renditions of Texas Hold ’em and offer hilarious character interactions and witty table dialogue. To be honest, not a lot happens in either game, but Telltale does an outstanding job of replicating the experience of being at a poker table with friends. It’s precisely what it sets out to be, and that makes it great.

4) Tales from the Borderlands

In this rephrased version, I’ve aimed to make the text more conversational and easier to understand:

Telltale didn’t receive any credit (either positive or negative) for New Tales from the Borderlands because it was developed by Gearbox instead. However, the first game in this series does an impressive job of capturing the essence of the Borderlands franchise. Since this is primarily a story-driven game, the main narrative is engaging and enjoyable to experience.

As a diehard fan of the Borderlands series, I must admit my love lies in the action and treasure hunting, not the humor from the mid-2010s internet era. Yet, Tales from the Borderlands demonstrates remarkable self-control in this regard, which only highlights Telltale’s ability to judiciously employ humor. In fact, they excel at knowing when and how to insert it, creating a narrative-driven game that any Borderlands enthusiast shouldn’t miss out on.

3) Batman

The initial Batman game spins an intense, intricate narrative that reveals the sinister elements lurking in Gotham City. Unfortunately, this game also had numerous technical issues, which persisted even after release. Thankfully, most of these problems have been addressed since then, but they did leave a bitter impression on many gamers at the outset, including myself.

Conversely, one could argue that “The Enemy Within” may represent Telltale’s finest work. A year following the initial game’s events, it delves into the backstory of the Joker. Your decisions shape the kind of antagonist Joker becomes by the story’s conclusion, beautifully embodying Batman’s persistent conundrum: Would these villains be as malevolent without him? While it can’t definitively answer that question, Telltale skillfully examines how Bruce Wayne’s dual identity affects the city.

2) The Wolf Among Us

As a devoted fan, I must say that The Wolf Among Us has left me utterly captivated! It’s led to an unintended yet joyous spending spree, buying every single Fables comic that exists. If Bill Willingham himself were here, I imagine he would deem it an outstanding adaptation – truly a testament to the source material’s brilliance!

The primary motivation for me spending several hundred dollars on a comic book series I wasn’t familiar with prior to playing “The Wolf Among Us” was that Telltale Games demonstrated an exceptional ability to create a captivating, story-focused game in

1) The Walking Dead

In a more simplified form, “The Walking Dead Season 1” by Telltale wasn’t their initial triumph, but it’s undoubtedly their most significant accomplishment. The game features outstanding performances from Dave Fennoy and Melissa Hutchison that catapulted them to stardom. It masterfully created the sense of choice, which is crucial for making the story feel interactive, although your choices primarily influence the side dishes rather than the main course. In 2012, it was a commercial and critical powerhouse, earning numerous Game of the Year awards.

Subsequently, Telltale continued to produce “The Walking Dead” games. Among “Season Two,” “Michonne,” “A New Frontier,” and “The Final Season,” players have been treated to a considerable amount of “The Walking Dead.” Although none have matched the initial game’s impact, they all contain memorable episodes that demonstrate Telltale’s ability to compete with the best in the industry.

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2025-08-31 01:46