6 Best Point-and-Click Adventure Games to Learn Spanish
Image by: Marcus Penna
A while ago, I made a blog post about how I use my nerdiest interests to learn Spanish. One of these interests is playing Point-and-Click Adventure Games.
If you’re learning Spanish (or languages like French, German, Italian, or Portuguese - each available language will be shown for each game in the post), and are a fan of 90’s classic point-and-click games, then look no further.
This is the post for you.
The games on this list are not only the best (in my biased opinion), but they all have Spanish-speaking dialogue + text available. This makes them a great source of Spanish input.
There are many games that have Spanish subtitles with English audio. This list ONLY contains games that have Spanish audio along with the text.
So just follow the captivating story, solve the (sometimes crazy) puzzles, and enjoy the oftentimes funny dialogues, and quirky characters. You’ll be having a lot of fun, improving your language skills, as well as exercising your brain through puzzle-solving.
Here are the top 6 best Point-and-Click Adventure Games that will be sure to improve your Spanish comprehension.
All titles can be found on Steam (click on each individual title in this post to take you to the specific game in Steam) to purchase and download instantly.
Grim Fandango
What better game to start off with than a game like Grim Fandango? This game just oozes Mexican references.
Set in a world inspired by the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead, you play Manny Cavalera. A quick-witted, sarcastic, but good-natured travel agent at the Department of death (he is actually the grim reaper). Follow him on an adventure through the Land of the Dead as he tries to figure out the corruption in his own business. The game is broken up into 4 acts split up into 4 years. Each act takes place on the Day of the Dead Festival.
Using art deco designs with a 1930s film noir vibe and Mexican folklore makes for some beautiful settings.
The lore and settings make it a natural game to play in Spanish. Besides, Manny already has a Mexican accent in English.
Originally released in 1998, a remastered version was released in 2015, updating the graphics and music quality. Definitely check that version out.
It has all the characteristics that you would want in a point-and-click game: lots of humor, funny characters and dialogue, challenging (sometimes quite difficult) puzzles, interesting settings to explore, and a captivating ambiance.
Grim Fandango was the last point-and-click game of the 90s era (until the rebirth in later years). Definitely a must-play!
Also available in:
English, French, Italian, German, Brazilian Portuguese
Deponia
The world is a dumpster. Finding clean water is as rare as a unicorn.
Deponia is an adventure following the main protagonist Rufus. He has a girlfriend that he is scared of, name Toni, and he’s not necessarily the most charming guy himself. Being a bit of an anti-hero he aims to escape his miserable life on Deponia and go to the floating city called Elysium, where people in the world have moved. They now treat Deponia as a dumping ground. Rufus soon discovers and becomes entangled in a plot that threatens his home planet.
While being relatively new compared to the other games on this list, it still has that old-school vibe with its humor and bizarre characters. It contains sometimes very challenging puzzles, with the pixel-hunting we’ve all gotten used to in these games.
There is a lot of detail in the cartoonish animations, made in a hand-drawn style.
It’s a nice throwback to the 90s, which was an era where point-and-click games were popular and abundant.
Some of the puzzles are simple while others will put your nerves to the test. So if you like that type of challenge then you might like this one. Not as charming as some of the other games on this list, but definitely worth picking up.
Note:
“Deponia” is the first game of a 4-game series. The first one “Deponia” and the 2nd one “Chaos on Deponia” are the only ones in the series with Spanish audio.
Also available in:
English, German, Italian
Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars
I remember getting this game on PlayStation back in 1996 when it was released. Me and one of my best friends had a blast playing it. It felt a lot like being in the middle of an exciting movie.
The main character is the American tourist George Stobbart. While on vacation in Paris, and enjoying a cappuccino outside a local café, he witnesses an assassin dressed as a clown blowing up the café. Teaming up with photojournalist Nicole Collard, and following the clues the clown left, they discover that the assassination is related to something much deeper called the Knights Templar.
The tone in this game is serious when it comes to the story, but the cheesiness of George’s humor and some of the humorous interactions balances the tone, making it lighter. You never know when it’s going to be funny or when it’s going to be serious and exciting.
This balance keeps you on your toes and keeps the game interesting from beginning to end. It has a sense of mystery throughout.
One of the best parts is that the story is based on real history. It makes the whole experience feel more real, even in a cartoon-like game. It’s a murder mystery packaged in a globetrotting adventure.
If you’re someone who loves traveling then this one is for you. You will find yourself constantly going to different countries and locations. The curiosity of wondering where you’re going next keeps the excitement high. It makes it especially rewarding when solving puzzles as you have that sense of adventure throughout.
Some of the riddles are quite tricky (the infamous goat puzzle - hola), but pretty much all of them are quite logical.
The slow pace, hand-drawn backgrounds and characters, pleasant atmosphere, and fitting music sets the tone. The pacing is perfect and the puzzles are well-made. It’s a timeless classic that very much holds up to this day. It’s one of those games that just draws you in. One with a high replay value just because of the story (I have played through it several times over the years. My wife loved it too).
Definitely the most captivating story on this list, and probably my favorite one if I would have to pick one.
Note:
There are 4 sequels in the Broken Sword series. 1, 2 & 5 are the only ones that have Spanish audio available (which is okay, since 3 & 4 move away from the point-and-click format).
Both 2 & 5 are definitely worth playing, with the 5th being the much stronger one story-wise out of the two.
Tip:
The director’s cut version cut some of the puzzles out and uses zoomed-in portraits of the characters during dialogues. Avoid this one and stick to the original version! It’s way better.
When buying it on Steam, you will buy the director’s cut version, but with the option to play the original as well.
Also available in:
French, Italian, German
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The only game on the list that is completely devoid of humor. The Dig focuses on sci-fi elements and questions about life and where we come from. It was originally made to be a movie by Steven Spielberg but was decided to be made into a game instead.
It came out in 1995 and has quite dated graphics (because of the 6 years it was stuck in development). But those actually only help create the atmosphere.
The story is about 3 astronauts who are part of an astronaut team. The astronaut team finds themselves on an alien planet, trying to figure out how to get home.
Although the English version features esteemed actors such as Robert Patrick (T-1000) and Steve Blum, the Spanish voice actors do a fine job.
The puzzles are very challenging and one can’t rely on shall we say “earthly logic” to solve them. This is, in a way, understandable, since you’re on an alien asteroid with no knowledge of the culture or language they use. This is either going to be frustrating or intriguing for you, depending on your personality and interests.
The cinematic story and “out of this world” themes are interesting and unique to the genre. I wouldn’t recommend it as a starting place for point-and-click games, or if you’re looking for something more light-hearted.
It’s one of those games that seem to divide people to either love it or hate it. But if you like 80’s Sci-fi and stranger subjects and things like “mystery of the unknown”, then “The Dig” might be right up your alley.
Also available in:
English, French, Italian, German
The Curse of Monkey Island
For many, the previous game The Secret of Monkey Island is their favorite. For me, it’s always been the 3rd installation - The Curse of Monkey Island.
It’s the only one in the franchise/series, (except the less popular 4th installment Escape from Monkey Island) that has Spanish audio.
You play Guybrush Threepwood, a self-confident dorkish pirate. He has just proposed to his girlfriend Elaine, not knowing that the ring is cursed. It turns her into a big golden statue that is then stolen. Guybrush must find Elaine and find a way to lift the curse which starts him on an adventure on different Caribbean Islands.
Originally came out in 1997. The artwork is great. Curvy lines with hand-drawn animation look like the Saturday morning cartoon you grew up with. The world it creates is one of its strengths. The Caribbean, reggae-type music fits really well.
Very much a feel-good game. Perfect to play when you want to be cheered up.
Great dialogues and truly hilarious puzzles. No real weak moments. Definitely for those of you who like something innocent and light. It will put a smile on your face.
Lighter and more kid-like in its atmosphere than the other games on the list, but entertaining from beginning to end. One of my favorites for sure (also one that I’ve played through several times and that my wife loves).
Also available in:
English, French, Italian, German
Pedro's Adventures in Spanish
Are you new to playing games to learn Spanish? Is your level not quite there yet? Then Pedro’s Adventure in Spanish is a great game to start with.
The storyline is simple. You play a young boy named Pedro who is trying to find and bring back a princess who has been kidnapped.
Sounds familiar?
It’s a classic adventure game plot. What makes this game unique is that it’s specifically made for language learners. It offers an immersion world in Spanish and the Spanish level is much simpler than the other games on this list. It’s best suited for someone at an A1/A2 level. As long as you have at least some basics in Spanish you can play this game.
It’s a great introduction to playing games in Spanish (any many other languages - it’s available in a whopping 29 different languages!)
Hope you like the list! Is there any game you found yourself missing from it? Let me know!
If you’re wondering why classics like Sam & Max: Hit the Road, Full Throttle, or Day of the Tentacle are absent from this list, it’s because they lack the Spanish audio (they are however available in some other languages - I highly recommend those 3 games).
If you wanna learn more about HOW to use these types of games to learn Spanish then check out my blog post The Blueprint to Spanish Fluency (Part 4) - Permission to Nerd Out.
Have you ever played any of these games in any language? Which one is your favorite?
Let me know in the comments below!
