Given that more than a decade had passed since the previous Monkey Island game and more than three since the last one that was directed by series creator Ron Gilbert, to say that point-and-click adventure game fans were excited for the release of Return to Monkey Island would be a bit of an understatement. Thankfully, the long-awaited threequel did not disappoint.
Reviews for Return to Monkey Island have been incredibly positive, helping it to become one of the highest-rated games of 2022. This critical acclaim will no doubt lead to a lot of new players deciding to check it out, which they absolutely should do. Compared to its predecessors, Return to Monkey Island is very beginner-friendly, though new players will still benefit from the following tips and tricks.
Avoid Using the Hint Book Where Possible
Early on during Part 1 of Return to Monkey Island, players will be given a hint book by the Voodoo Lady. This book can make completing the game considerably easier, though using it should be seen as a last resort rather than a go-to strategy. Having to take a bit of time to figure something out is all part of the experience and is a lot more rewarding than constantly using hints.
Given the moon logic employed by some of the previous Monkey Island games, Return to Monkey Island is actually a relatively straightforward title, with players rarely having to think too much about what they're supposed to do next. It's a fairly short game too, so players shouldn't worry too much about spending a few minutes here and there to figure things out for themselves.
Talk to Everyone
There are plenty of reasons why many consider the Monkey Island games to be among the best that the point-and-click genre has to offer, from their excellent puzzles to their singular and ever-changing art styles. It's perhaps the writing that really sets the series apart though, with its signature style of humor providing plenty of hilarious and memorable moments over the years.
Like all of the other Monkey Island games, there are some great lines of dialog in Return to Monkey Island, not to mention some excellent voice-acting performances from the game's talented cast. Having Guybrush talk to supporting characters can often provide clues as to what to do next as well, so doing so may also be useful for those struggling to solve a particular puzzle.
Use the Tab Button to Highlight Objects
Figuring out which items can and can't be interacted with is arguably one of the biggest challenges with many classic point-and-click adventure games. A lot of the genre's more modern examples have sought to rectify this by having the cursor change while it's hovering over points of interest, and while this does improve the experience quite a bit, having to move their cursor over every pixel of the screen may not be to everybody's tastes.
Thankfully, Return to Monkey Island has the perfect solution to this problem, with players able to press and hold the tab button on their keyboard to highlight everything that's clickable onscreen with a small circle. This is particularly useful when searching for trivia cards, as they're often hidden away in hard-to-find locations and can therefore be easily missed, particularly if players are in a hurry to complete their next objective.
Answer Trivia Cards ASAP
While on the subject of trivia cards, players should keep in mind that they'll only be able to carry a certain number of unanswered cards in their inventory at any given time. New cards will stop spawning in once players have ten of them that have not yet been answered, so it's a good idea to make a point of doing so as soon as possible to avoid them piling up and missing out on getting new ones.
Those worried about answering a trivia card incorrectly can rest easy, as although the card will disappear from their inventory upon doing so, they'll have a chance to find it again later on. Though there are fixed spawns for trivia cards, the card that players will get upon picking one of them up is completely random, with cards generally respawning after five minutes or so. As a result, there's no real punishment for getting one of the trivia card questions wrong.
Play the First Two Games First
Though Return to Monkey Island can still be enjoyed by those who are new to the series, there's an awful lot of fan service crammed into the game. As a result, many of its jokes and references may end up flying over new players' heads, which, given the quality of the writing, would be a real shame. Thankfully, however, there are a few very simple solutions to this potential problem.
The first is to play the first two Monkey Island games, both of which still hold up very well today. There are actually three other Monkey Island games as well, though Return to Monkey Island takes place immediately after Monkey Island 2, making Curse, Escape, and Tales somewhat redundant. Alternatively, players can check out the scrapbook from the main menu for a general overview of the series.
Return to Monkey Island is available now on PC and Nintendo Switch.