Escape from Monkey Island™
Escape from Monkey Island™
Game
Game2022
Return to Monkey Island
Developer Terrible Toybox
Return to Monkey Island is a 2022 point-and-click adventure game developed by Terrible Toybox and published by Devolver Digital in association with Lucasfilm Games. It is the sixth installment in the Monkey Island series, and was first released for macOS, Nintendo Switch, and Windows on September 19, 2022. Ports were later released for Linux, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, iOS, and Android. The story follows series… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
340 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 3, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
80
LovedLoved
163 positive · 40 negative
95% range 74–85%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 163 | 40 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 34 | 5 | 50 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 30 |
| Lemmy * | 3 | 0 | 15 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
4,722 of 5,280 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
81% recommend · 162 yes, 37 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 199 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (8,309 of 9,123 positive).
Players praise the game's nostalgic charm and emotional depth. [1][2][3] Some reviewers criticize the art style and ending. [4][5][6] Many find it a worthy return to the series. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [4]
I tried, but I couldn't get past the artwork - it's just actively unpleasant to look at. The story/gameplay may well be delightful, but I'll never know because just looking at this game makes me unhappy. I understand they were trying to go for something unusual to make the new game feel fresh, but it's just hideous.
- [7]
Let’s start with the positives. I’ve heard a lot of complaints about the new graphic style, but personally, I like it. Especially when you compare it to the rather rough 3D experience in Escape from Monkey Island. I still think the cartoonish visuals of The Curse of Monkey Island are the best in the series, but this new style is definitely not bad at all. So that’s the first big plus. Now, let’s talk about the …
- [1]
I started the game today again. I just can't play it. Finished it on PS5 but PC is where it belongs to. This isn't a game, it is more. I just don't want to see the ending again. This game has the saddest ending of anything I've seen in my life. It describes exactly what happened probably to all of the people who played all of the Monkey Island games in their youth. Return to is a well deserved farewell. Like a …
- [3]
We spent weeks solving one puzzle. Not because it was impossible. Because it was the late '90s and there was no Google. My best friend and I would spend afternoons after school and weekends sitting in front of his PC trying every ridiculous combination we could think of. Somehow, those memories became just as important as the game itself. Return to Monkey Island felt like opening a time capsule. The humor is still …
- [2]
The end literally made me cry. An amazing and so emotional closure after decades was necessary! Loved it
Summarised from 34 of the 321 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 11, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
81% of the 199 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Return to Monkey Island. The complaint that keeps coming up: art style is off-putting to some. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Critics, per Wikipedia
In May 2022, after the first teaser video and a few screenshots of Return to Monkey Island were released, the art style drew criticism from fans online. Gilbert wrote a post on his blog explaining why the style was chosen and expressing his disappointment in the response. A gameplay trailer was released on June 28 as part of a Nintendo Direct event. This reignited the backlash, leading some people to insult and harass Gilbert on social media and his blog. As a result, Gilbert disabled comments in the blog and said that he would not talk further about Return to Monkey Island. Several developers publicly criticized the user behavior and supported Gilbert and his team, including Cory Barlog of…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 340 · most liked firstChristmas Key Giveaway - complete. It's that time of the year again with giving away extra keys. Just leave a comment of the game you'd like and I'll roll some dice if there's multiple people asking for the same key. Here's the list Gog: - ~~Old World~~ - ~~Fort Solis~~ - ~~Fallout~~ - ~~Fallout 2~~ Steam: - ~~Another Crab's Treasure~~ - ~~Shogun Showdown~~ - Hotel Renovator - ~~WWE 2K25~~ - ~~Return to Monkey Island~~ - ~~Destiny 2: Legacy Collection (2025)~~ - ~~My Time at Sandrock~~ -…
neutral · AI labelView post →Remembering this lovely Return to #MonkeyIsland Review | @thexboxhub.bsky.social #xbox #xboxseriesx buff.ly/3TLERMA "Return to Monkey Island feels every bit the continuation of the series. This... is constructed with a stupendous amount of love for the characters and series." #indiegames #gamedev
neutral · AI labelView post →Arghhh! Happy anniversary to #ReturnToMonkeyIsland! Released three years ago today on #InternationalTalkLikeAPirsteDay @terribletoybox.com @grumpygamer.com @thatdave.bsky.social @rexbox.bsky.social @jenn and so many other fantastic dev team members!
neutral · AI labelView post →Just finished playing #ThimbleweedPark for the first time. What a nostalgic masterpiece. I can see how #ReturnToMonkeyIsland was influenced. Really really good game with some great puzzles. Thanks @grumpygamer @DavidBFox @octavinavarro and team!
neutral · AI labelView post →Return to Monkey Island Panel Two years ago five members of the #ReturnToMonkeyIsland dev team were on a panel at the 2023 @devcom_global in Cologne, Germany. The video was never publicly available, until now… Panelists are the game’s designers @grumpygamer & @thatdave Art director @rexbox Artist Zoé Nguyen Thanh Me (Lead game programmer @DavidBFox Moderator Paul Toderas @terribletoybox @devolverdigital https://youtu.be/gXqOx_fjzx0
neutral · AI labelView post →It's #TalkLikeAPirateDay and "Return to Monkey Island" is 70% off! I recently did an achievements playthrough on the game, and it's quite a bit of fun. A really return to what made the first two titles classics! @darmato.bsky.social would agree! store.steampowered.com/app/2060130/...
positive · AI labelView post →"On come on, headshot again?! Dang Fortnite kids!!!" Got this amazing lineless experimental piece from @yolhi.bsky.social! This style sends me back to video games, reminding me a bit of Day of the Tentacle, Another World, or more recently, Return to Monkey Island. I love it! It works really well.
neutral · AI labelView post →I tried, but I couldn't get past the artwork - it's just actively unpleasant to look at. The story/gameplay may well be delightful, but I'll never know because just looking at this game makes me unhappy. I understand they were trying to go for something unusual to make the new game feel fresh, but it's just hideous.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Android Port Of Return To Monkey Island Arrives - Droid Gamers.
neutral · AI labelView post →It is September! That means It is Return to Monkey Island month ❤️ This gem of a game came out in September 19, 2022 and this month we get to celebrate two whole years since we got to revisit Melee Island all over again
positive · AI labelView post →Weekend PC Game Deals: Winter Sales 2023 Edition. Big Deals - Microsoft Flight Simulator 40th Anniversary Edition – $35.99 on Steam - Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - GOTY Edition – $29.99 on Steam - Dying Light 2 Stay Human – $29.99 on Epic Store - Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty – $28.19 on Fanatical - Total War: WARHAMMER III – $25.64 on Gamebillet - Persona 5 Royal – $25.64 on Gamebillet - Halo Infinite (Campaign) – $23.99 on Steam - Dead Space – $23.99 on Epic Store - The Callisto Protocol – $23.99 on…
neutral · AI labelView post →Happy anniversary, Return to Monkey Island (2022) 🥳 I was on holiday when it was released so I played it on the Steamdeck in a hot tub which was different. I loved it. The ending was beautifully melancholic, relatable, and will stay with me for a long time. #monkeyisland
positive · AI labelView post →Humble Choice games for September 2025. WWE2k25 Destiny 2: Legacy Collection The Plucky Squire Spellforce: Conquest of Eo Return to Monkey Island Eastern Exorcist Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks Grapple Dog
neutral · AI labelView post →The art style, while technically proficient, is just incredibly off-putting to me.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Unfortunately it fails to create memorable and fun characters and locations. The story is an unmotivated mess that serves only to string old set pieces together. Relies on creepyness and malice for humour. Where it introduces new locations, it feels empty and uninspired. The game is full of locations that offer no gameplay or fun interactions. Completely misses out on (or delivers a sorry excuse for) insult sword fighting. Will not play again. Do not recommend to fans of 1-3.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Return to Monkey Island is $9.99 on US PS+ buff.ly/KgXzLUw (Steam) $9.99 Newegg buff.ly/WQDsC3M $12.49 GOG buff.ly/MCXVVpd $28.87 XSX/Switch on VGP buff.ly/Medd24E also on PS+ Extra/Game Pass Standard
neutral · AI labelView post →Monkey Island was the defining adventure series of my childhood. The first game is, to me, as close to a perfect point-and-click adventure as it gets. The second even managed to be even better in parts,...right up until that ending, which I already hated as a kid. Sadly, this has become a bit of a Ron Gilbert tradition. There has been a lot of discussion about the art style. For me, it mostly works. With one big exception: Guybrush himself. I never warmed up to his design. That said, this is…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Need some good feels, so replaying Return to Monkey Island As a life-long fan of the series this game really did a beautiful job of bringing back all those wonderful feelings of exploration & imagination of the originals, but did so in its own way that didn't rely on nostalgia I love this game
positive · AI labelView post →So #ICYMI, Return to Monkey Island has a cool recap feature! This is designed to show up when it has been a certain amount of time since you played your saved game. You can also disable it in options! #MonkeyIsland #gaming
neutral · AI labelView post →I've created a template for games journalists for whenever they want to use next year, delete as appropriate: Good news / bad news everyone! The adventure game genre is back / dead. Games like Return to Monkey Island / Escape from Monkey Island showed that people love / hate adventure games now!
neutral · AI labelView post →Weekend PC Game Deals: Bundled VR and narrative ventures, Xbox PC hits, and more. Big Deals - Cyberpunk 2077 – $35.99 on Steam - Resident Evil 4 – $33.59 on Fanatical - Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - GOTY Edition – $29.99 on Steam - Grounded – $26.79 on Steam - The Expanse - A Telltale Series – $23.99 on Epic Store - Stray – $22.49 on Steam - EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 5 – $20.99 on Steam - Gloomhaven – $20.99 on Steam - Hi-Fi RUSH – $20.39 on GreenManGaming - Sea of Thieves 2023 Edition – $19.99 on…
neutral · AI labelView post →Done with Return to Monkey Island. The art style and animation was absolutely inspired. Puzzles were enjoyable, but having in-game hints for a point-and-click is wonderful. Loved it. Next Xenoblade Chronicles 3 💀
positive · AI labelView post →Here's my #NintendoSwitch #indiegame highlight for today! 🎮👍🏼 Game - Return to Monkey Island Developer - @terribletoybox.com Publisher - @devolverdigital.com Release date - September 19, 2022
neutral · AI labelView post →Let’s start with the positives. I’ve heard a lot of complaints about the new graphic style, but personally, I like it. Especially when you compare it to the rather rough 3D experience in Escape from Monkey Island. I still think the cartoonish visuals of The Curse of Monkey Island are the best in the series, but this new style is definitely not bad at all. So that’s the first big plus. Now, let’s talk about the gameplay. I can confidently say this is the most comfortable point-and-click game…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →oh dang I never skeeted this week's video and now it's almost next week. Return to Monkey Island! I talked about it!!! Ron Gilbert's fourth appearance on the tier list; can tell you now that's the most of and dev. nebula.tv/videos/innue...
neutral · AI labelView post →Return to monkey island finished. 🐒🏝️ Loved replaying it. Peak charm Puzzles. Artstyle. Humour. Voice cast. One more monkey island game then I ever thought we'd get. 11/10. Also This note got me again. 😭😭 #Returntomonkeyisland
positive · AI labelView post →Anniversary month is over and I saved the most special doodle for last! The one thing I love the most about Return to Monkey Island is the big heart it has from all the lovely people that made the game possible Thank you for everything ❤️ Monkey Island Shenanigans ~☆
positive · AI labelView post →This was an idea I had while watching a friend play Return to Monkey Island (great game btw). One of the characters from the game was very Claude-coded, so I decided to make an animatic of it. @talesofannualia.bsky.social #TalesofAnnualia #animatic #MonkeyIsland
neutral · AI labelView post →The best offline games on PC are: - Slay the Spire - Return to Monkey Island - Vampire Survivors - Elden Ring - Hitman 3 - Monster Hunter Rise - Baldur's Gate 3 - The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky - Crusader Kings 3 - Disco Elysium - Psychonauts 2 - Red Dead Redemption 2 - Tales of Arise Saved you a click
neutral · AI labelView post →While my wife thought this game was too easy and a bit too long, I enjoyed it quite a lot. This is a fully voiced point and click adventure game that plays similar to Lost in Play, just a bit easier. You can also understand what they are saying and the story is a lot better. So we haven’t played any of the other games in this series, but it turned out not to be a problem. It was easy to follow along with the story regardless. In short, without spoiling anything, you play as this pirate who…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Let's talk about one of my favorite Return to Monkey Island game achievements tonight This fine gentleman was declared a historical landmark, and goading him to tell you about Loom is how you get to unlock 'Fan Service Achievement' ❤️ "Aye, Cobb!" Monkey Island Shenanigans ~☆
neutral · AI labelView post →Day 05 of celebrating all sorts of things I love about Return to Monkey Island, and tonight Imma mention Murray as one of the lovely surprises of the game Love they brought back this mofo, and I absolutely loved that musical skull puzzle too haha Monkey Island Shenanigans ~☆
positive · AI labelView post →I always loved LucasArts references, so as a big Zak McKracken fan, Sushi making a cameo in Return to Monkey Island is something I absolutely loved so much This is one of the many reasons why I love the game and also Terrible Toybox dev team ❤️ Monkey Island Shenanigans ~☆
positive · AI labelView post →This is the physical distribution form of 2022's Return to Monkey Island PC game btw
neutral · AI labelView post →The ending is actually as bad as people say. Generally, the game felt a little tainted by the same attitude that made the ending bad. Maybe I was just younger, but the earlier games of Monkey Island just felt wittier. Don't buy it full price. You can even get this game for free on other platforms. And even then, only play it if you have a weak spot for Monkey Island.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Return to Monkey Island is on sale this week ʕ•ᴥ•ʔﾉ☆ 30% OFF on GOG gog.com/en/game/retu... 40% OFF on Steam store.steampowered.com/.../Return_t... There is no excuse to miss out on 'em Monkey Island Shenanigans! I need more besties to talk RtMI with Get it. Play it. Love it ~☆
positive · AI labelView post →Return to Monkey Island is the one game where Sushi appears and she is safe from being electrocuted, throw into a plant, or flushed down the drain haha As a big Zak McKracken fan, this is obviously something I can appreciate very much ❤️ Monkey Island Shenanigans ~☆
positive · AI labelView post →Return To Monkey Island was a real bright light of 2022 for me I've been a fan of the game series since I was a tiny monster, they are part of who I am RtMI was a return to the whimsy & delight that is deeply important to me, and it did it in new ways that show how storytelling evolves I love it 💜
positive · AI labelView post →PlayStation Plus Game Catalog October 2024 announced • Dead Island 2 • Two Point Campus • Dark Pictures: The Devil in Me • Gris • Return to Monkey Island • Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed • Firefighting Simulator The Squad • Overpass 2 • Tour de France 2023 • Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands
neutral · AI labelView post →Recommended action: read this article, and then go play Return to Monkey Island, which is a game about older people in a changing industry. (Made by older people in a changing industry.)
positive · AI labelView post →I really dislike the artstyle of faces, and the overall elongated disproportional look of most objects and perspectives.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Return to Monkey Island is a modernization of a classic adventure game series from the golden age of the genre. If you're not at all familiar with Guybrush Threepwood at this point, there's a big question whether this entry in the series is worth it as your first foray, or whether it is only for those with rose-tinted glasses and a longing of nostalgia for days bygone. At its core, it's Monkey Island, but in a modern dressing. Complete with all the old silly humor and gags of old, alongside…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Finished Golf Story. So much to do, and amazing how varied the gameplay is given that it’s still fundamentally a golf game. Humor everywhere. Enjoyed my time with it. Next: Return to Monkey Island
neutral · AI labelView post →I love everything Monkey Island, even the dreaded Monkey Kombat of Escape from Monkey Island is memorable to me (so many graphs) So when Return to Monkey Island released, following on from the second game's ending and giving me the closure I needed? I cried so hard It's such a beautiful game
positive · AI labelView post →Long time fan of the series. Started with Monkey Island 3, I got it from my Cousin as a present and she got it cheap with a computer magazine. Played and replayed all the rest a few times over the years. I even like the Telltale version. The one I didn't like was Monkey Island 4, and Return to Monkey Island only ranks just above that one. So in my opinion it's the 2nd worst of the series, and to sum it up in one word: Unfulfilling. The art style is meh - I can live with it, but still just,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Monkey Island: The Made-For-TV Cast Reunion Special Have you ever watched one of those made-for-TV specials where they reunite the cast from a popular TV show many decades after the show ended? You know how some of those specials feel like they are just an excuse to get the original cast in the same room again, don't have a meaningful script, and just end up being a melancholy "callback to better days" where the cast members are constantly winking into the camera, reminiscing about things…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →More recently, I developed my own game, Rube Works: The Official Rube Goldberg Invention Game, and worked on both Thimbleweed Park and Return to Monkey Island. Now working on Rube Works VR.
neutral · AI labelView post →that’s what happens when writers lose their cojones right before the finale after 30 years of lore.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As a long-time fan of the series who considers the original Monkey Island one of the best games of all time, this latest instalment is unfortunately not it. Nothing but a cheap nostalgia trip instead of a genuinely compelling new chapter, without the Monkey Island name this game would have come and gone unnoticed. The puzzles were fine and I enjoyed the voice acting, but everything else was mediocre at best. The ultimate irony is that playing Thimbleweed Park (also developed byt Terrible…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →10 cozy hand-drawn games ⤷ # 8 ⋮ Return to Monkey Island 🐒 ∘ Price: $24.99 USD ∘ Platforms: itch.io, Steam (PC & Mac), Playstation 4/5, Android & iOS, Xbox One & X|S, Nintendo Switch ∘ Dev: Infinite Fall ∘ Publisher: Finji ∘ Genre: Adventure ⭑.ᐟ #cozygaming | #cozy | #indiegame | #indiedev
neutral · AI labelView post →And yet _Return to Monkey Island_ is $25 on Steam. Those bastards! Seriously though, it's a worthy sequel. Worth checking it out if you haven't already.
positive · AI labelView post →The game's humor is not as fresh as it used to be, and the style is getting tiresome. I cannot honestly recommend this as the game's story feels forced and a lot of times gets even more nonsense through than a normal Monkey Island game. I guess it would still be worth a playthrough if you are a fan of the franchise, but otherwise not worth your time. I wanted this game to end after about 2 hours and then it went on for another 5. Get it on sale if you want the experience, but don't bother if…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The idea was to make a fake PC game box with this idea, and I drew it before they announced Return to Monkey Island !
neutral · AI labelView post →Change of plan and I do apologize. I'm just not feeling Veilguard right now so we'll do it Monday or Tuesday. Everyone's voting right now on which game we switch to: Nin No Kuni Wrath of the White Witch, Fallout New Vegas, or Return To Monkey Island. Thanks for understanding everyone. ❤️
neutral · AI labelView post →I think my favorite spoof of the horse armor was in Return to Monkey Island. If you preordered the game you got a horse armor item in your inventory. There are no horses in the game and the item is completely useless.
positive · AI labelView post →My top ten puzzlers: Battleblock Theater Broken Age part 1 (I treat part 2 as a different, uniquely terrible game) Portal 1 & 2 Botanicula Silent Age Trine 2 Return to Monkey Island Abe's Oddysee Maize
neutral · AI labelView post →Return to Monkey Island is now available on PlayStation Plus if that’s your jam. https://blog.playstation.com/2024/10/09/playstation-plus-game-catalog-for-october-dead-island-2-two-point-campus-gris-return-to-monkey-island-and-more/
neutral · AI labelView post →Return to Monkey Island has a very nice version of this, where a player can choose a recap on loading a game. It also has a scrapbook so players can familiarize themselves with the events of the earlier games. Awesome bits of cognitive accessibility.
positive · AI labelView post →296. Return to Monkey Island I know people who complained about the art style for this game, and they're all cowards. Amazing game. Exactly what I wanted from a third Monkey Island by Ron Gilbert.
positive · AI labelView post →I'd like to say I enjoyed Return to Monkey Island and for a decent portion of it, I did. However the game is built upon two assumptions: 1. You're a Monkey Island fan. 2. You want to see the series come to a satisfying conclusion. As such, a lot of the game is built around old tropes of the series and continuously makes references back to old jokes and events from previous titles. This is fine in and of itself but something that I found made Monkey Island 1-3 continuously interesting and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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