Return to Monkey Island has a favorable critical reception, but its Metacritic score depends on platform: the PC page shows an 87/100 Metascore, while the Nintendo Switch page shows 85/100. These are platform-specific snapshots, not one all-platform score.
Current Metacritic scores by platform
Metacritic’s pages, accessed in 2026, classify both scores as Generally Favorable. The PC page lists 59 critic reviews; the Nintendo Switch page lists 29. Aggregator scores and review counts can change as pages are updated.
| Platform | Metascore | Listed critic reviews |
|---|---|---|
| PC | 87/100 | 59 |
| Nintendo Switch | 85/100 | 29 |
Metacritic also displays PC sentiment counts of 50 positive, 4 mixed and 0 negative, but those categories do not account for all 59 listed reviews. They should not be read as a complete breakdown of the page’s review list. Its platform navigation also includes Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5 and iOS, but the cited figures above are for PC and Switch only. See Metacritic’s platform-specific review pages.
What critics have highlighted
The available publication excerpts point to a conversation about how the game balances series identity with an update for modern players. GamesHub’s September 19, 2022 excerpt describes it as “quite literally, a return,” while NME’s September 20, 2022 excerpt says nostalgia is present without feeling fleeting. Those are individual publication perspectives, not evidence that every critic agreed.
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#1 Best Overall
- The unexpected and thrilling return of series creator Ron Gilbert
- Return to point & click swashbuckling in a legendary archipelago adventure
- Continues the story from The Secret of Monkey Island and its sequel Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge
- Banter with old friends and new faces in this award-winning experience
- Solve puzzles and explore the islands with a clever evolution of classic adventure game controls
GamesHub’s excerpt emphasizes familiar characters and unusual puzzles rather than a grand reinvention. Adventure Gamers called the game a strong addition to the series and a good game in its own right. The Games Machine singled out difficult mode for players seeking more cerebral puzzle-solving. Together, these comments suggest useful questions for readers: whether the return to the series’ identity feels rewarding, how challenging the puzzles are, and whether the humor and characters work for newcomers as well as longtime fans.
The excerpts available here are predominantly positive, but they do not establish a representative, recurring criticism across full reviews. It would be misleading to claim a settled critical consensus about the game’s shortcomings from these selections alone.
Rank #2
- Physical copy of Return to Monkey Island for Nintendo Switch
- Return to Monkey Island Collector's Edition Box
- Return to Monkey Island Original Soundtrack
- Lechuck's Onboarding Pamphlet
- Letter from Ron Gilbert and Dave Grossman
What kind of game is it?
Return to Monkey Island is a single-player point-and-click adventure developed by Terrible Toybox and published by Devolver Digital. Steam lists its release date as September 19, 2022, and describes it as continuing the series created by Ron Gilbert, in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. Its play centers on exploration, puzzles, contextual interactions, reactive dialogue trees and an inventory system. Steam: Return to Monkey Island.
That format helps explain why reviews may differ in emphasis: puzzle design, difficulty, dialogue and the handling of a long-running series’ legacy are central parts of the experience, rather than peripheral details.
Critic scores are not player ratings
Steam’s page showed 89% positive among 4,858 English-language user reviews in its 2026 snapshot. That is a storefront user-review measure, not a critic score, and it should not be compared directly with Metacritic’s 100-point critic aggregate. User totals and percentages can change over time.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Platforms and release dates
Metacritic lists PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5 and iOS (iPhone and iPad) as platform filters. The PlayStation US store lists a PS5 version published by Devolver Digital with a November 8, 2022 release date. Store availability and purchasing options can vary by region, so check the relevant local storefront for current details. PlayStation Store (US): Return to Monkey Island.
Rank #4
- Join the family - Experience the kooky world of the addams family in an original story based on the hit animated movie!
- save the mansion - piece together the horrifically exciting history of the addams family mansion in a 3D platforming adventure!
- competitive minigames - Jump, bump and slash your way to victory! Solo or together - Explore the addams mansion alone, or with up to 4 players on the same screen!
The PC and Switch scores are the platform-specific Metacritic figures cited above; they do not establish separate scores for Xbox, PS5 or iOS.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- STEALTH horror
- Neighbors AI learns your tactics and evolves
- Interactive environment
- Extremely tense, but family-friendly gameplay
- Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) Content Description: Mild violence
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