The 10 Most Hilarious Games Ever

Games often showcase their humor in unintentional ways. Take for instance the Skyrim NPC who remains completely focused on delivering their scripted line while a dragon wreaks havoc just behind him. Or imagine your customized character intruding on a serious cutscene, towering at eight feet and dressed in a banana costume. The way games maintain a facade of reality, even as chaos unfolds, is pure comedic gold. However, there are also games that intentionally strive to be funny, though they are less common. Comedy relies heavily on timing, while video games give players the freedom to act at their own pace – therein lies the challenge. Yet, some daring titles manage to successfully blend humor with gameplay. We have compiled a list of ten standout games, spanning from classic point-and-click adventures to contemporary hits, encompassing both indie creations and major releases. Creating a ranked list of comedic games seemed too serious for such a subjective topic – comedy varies greatly from person to person. With that consideration, here are some selected titles that may tickle your funny bone. Prepare to add a few of these to your wishlist to balance out any serious gaming experiences you may have had, like playing through The Last of Us Part 2. **Promise Mascot Agency** At first glance, you might mistake Promise Mascot Agency for yet another standard open-world mascot management game. However, this title, crafted by Kaizen Game Works, the team behind Paradise Killer, reveals a bizarre town filled with eccentricities, a gas-fueled van, and a plot so absurd that simply attempting to explain it feels like gazing into madness. Picture kittens in roles at a railway office, mascots shedding tears as they try to uplift bookstore patrons, and the ever-looming threat of organized crime while you soar through the air in your van, which, inexplicably, grows wings. Essentially, you take on the role of a former Yakuza attempting to keep a low profile by running a mascot business in a suburban area, all while managing the typical time and financial pressures of such a venture. The game is narrative-driven yet utterly nonsensical, creating a sense of engaging improvisation in an expansive world. Yes, and... give it a try. **Frog Detective: The Entire Mystery** In this quirky narrative, a small sloth is troubled by a haunting, a welcome sign for an invisible wizard has been defaced, and Cowboy County is riddled with corruption. These serious matters fall upon you, a frog detective equipped with a magnifying glass. Despite the premise, Frog Detective finds its way onto this list of humorous games. It’s unusual to see a detective bursting with laughter while on the case, but there’s an undeniable charm in observing a crime suspect through a giant magnifying glass, only to find a sheep in a short-sleeved shirt smiling innocently. It’s irresistibly funny. The mysteries are brief and straightforward, designed more for amusement than challenge. Grace Bruxner and Thomas Bowker’s trio of Frog Detective stories serve as setups for delightful farce, accompanied by catchy lo-fi jazz, all set in a world brimming with positivity and enthusiasm. Even if you’re the second-best detective, you’re guaranteed to have a blast. **South Park: The Stick Of Truth** Creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker have a knack for testing the limits of taste and decency, much like how Nathan Drake excels at climbing. In South Park: The Stick of Truth, there are entire sequences that are simply too outrageous to describe without breaking into laughter. Collaborating closely with the role-playing experts at Obsidian, Stone and Parker crafted this sharp 2014 RPG about a new kid trying to make friends through an elaborate fantasy LARPing adventure. Their involvement infuses the game with the same level of keen observational humor that made the episode Make Love, Not Warcraft a classic. Why does it resonate? Consider the use of farting as a combat mechanic. If you’re older than seven, you might not find it side-splitting, but The Stick of Truth fully commits to the idea, transforming it into a surprisingly intricate mechanic where you unlock new fart techniques just like you would dragon shouts in Skyrim. Given this, it’s hard not to appreciate South Park’s unapologetically juvenile humor. **Editor Picks** As previously noted, humor is highly personal, and no single list can encapsulate every editor’s unique sense of comedy. To highlight the range of humor in games, we consulted several staff members about their top picks. Their choices might surprise you: while many games are crafted around jokes, some editors find humor in the absurdities that gameplay itself allows. **Max Scoville's Selections:** Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, Jazzpunk, Accounting 101, High on Life, Postal 2, Untitled Goose Game, Saints Row: The Third, Deadpool (2013), Happy Wheels, Drawful. **Simon Cardy's Selections:** Grim Fandango, Disco Elysium, Red Dead Redemption 2, Thank Goodness You're Here, Hitman: World of Assassination, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. **Matt Purslow's Selections:** Gunpoint, Tactical Breach Wizards, Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge, Helldivers 2, Worms, Disco Elysium, Fable 2, Skin Deep. **Octodad: Dadliest Catch** “Nobody suspects a thing.” The delightful soundtrack of Octodad: Dadliest Catch constantly reassures you as you strive to keep up the charade of being an ordinary husband and father rather than an octopus in a suit. This premise is hard to top. The genre of physics-based slapstick lends itself well to humor, with games like Baby Steps, Goat Simulator, and Surgeon Simulator earning their recognition. Yet, no game has intertwined physical comedy with a genuinely heartfelt story quite like Young Horses did in 2017. As you clumsily navigate through charming suburban environments like grocery stores and your own tastefully decorated home, trying to move as humanly as possible while minimizing chaos caused by your flailing tentacles, the real draw lies in your desire to protect Octodad’s secret. **The Stanley Parable** If not executed with such precision, The Stanley Parable could easily become overly meta, confusing, or too self-satisfied to enjoy. However, it skillfully avoids these pitfalls, transforming repetitive actions like walking the same corridor into a delightful experience, with each new line from Kevan Brighting’s smooth narration akin to discovering a hidden treasure in Dark Souls. The essence of the eponymous parable varies based on your choices throughout the game. Stanley finds himself in a sort of Groundhog Day scenario where he awakens at his office desk, only to find his coworkers have vanished. Depending on your decisions—seemingly arbitrary choices like which door to open—you may find yourself living for eons in some scenarios, while in others, your journey may conclude in mere minutes without leaving your desk. The writing is consistently playful and self-aware, deconstructing the very nature of interactive media, but the ultimate joke lies in its premise. It simply illustrates how much gaming can be.