The top 10 best AGS games series ever!

For more top 10s, see Celebrity AGSers Top Games and Dualnames' top 10

Well, there's lots of top 10 lists out there and I thought I'd try and compile my own, but I narrowed down my list of AGS games to about 60... so it was going to be hard work to throw out 50 of those. So, to make things easier, and also to be able to sneak loads more actual games in, I'm going to list the top 10 AGS games serieses ever. I'm not including series that only ever had one game made, because there are loads of them and non-adventures don't count, either. I'm also excluding remake series, but I'll give them an honourable mention (along with some others, so its not even a top 10, really!)

Anyway, here goes:

10. Robotragedy

Pijin Pastrana's grammar-challenged games are great fun and beautifully drawn. These 2 games may have some puzzling puzzles, but they are otherwise fab. Robotragedy, Robotragedy 2: Countdown to Doomsday.

9. Principles of Evil

Ola's Rogi is on a quest to locate babayaga in this pair of witchin' games. Again, great graphics but a few wee issues with the puzzles. Principles of Evil, Principles of Evil II.

8. Earl Bobby

First his shoes, then his Balls: can the Scottish aristo not keep track of anything? A unique art style and sense of humour pervade these surprisingly long games. Earl Bobby is looking for his Shoes, Earl Bobby is looking for his Balls.

7. Frank the Farmhand

This farm boy ends up embroiled in conspiracies, secret societies and ends up saving the world. Twice! Despite the name, involves little farming... Frank the Farmhand Part 1, Frank the Farmhand part 2.

6. Sydney

A homeless man, Sydney Claywood, from Ivan Dixon's comics, takes on getting a job, the world of fashion and will soon take over the woooorld! Sydney Finds Employment, Sydney Treads the Catwalk.

5. Reality on the Norm

Possibly the most eclectic bunch of games ever to be called a series. This is where such titans as Yahtzee and Dave Gilbert cut their adventure gaming teeth. There are classics such as Purity of the Surf, Lunchtime of the Damned, Apocalypse Meow and III Spy. Then there are weird, surreal ones too. Take your pick!

4. Ben Jordan, Paranormal Investigator

AGS's answer to the Harry Potter Septilogy is Grundislav's Octilogy. Who ya gonna call? Nope, not Ghostbusters, but globe-trotting troubleshooter Ben. Best of the series is Case 4 and Case 1 (Deluxe), Case 3 and Case 6 are also fab. Not that Case 2 and Case 5 are not good, but just not quite up there with the others. The last two cases are yet to be released.

3. Apprentice

These two games are the greatest pair of games, especially now the original has been Deluxified. Help sorcerer's apprentice Pib in his quest to become a fully fleged magician. The second game holds the record for most AGS Awards won by a single game. There is tell of a third instalment, but it's not yet been forthcoming. Apprentice 1 Deluxe, Apprentice II: The Knight's Move.

2. Trilby

Whether you count non-adventure The Art of Theft or not, Yahtzee's Trilby character has won many fans over the years and his games have many plaudits. Beginning with 5 Days a Stranger where cat burgalar Trilby gets trapped with ghosts in the DeFoe Mansion he is trying to rob, to the sci-fi 7 Days a Skeptic where the ghost returns to haunt a spaceship and then later slotted in between these come Trilby's Notes and 6 Days a Sacrifice bringing the whole supernatural happenings under one "Chzo Mythos".

1. Blackwell

Joey Mallone, sardonic sanguine spirit guide steals the show in the Blackwell series. Initially incarnated as freeware Bestowers of Eternity, the Blackwell series was reinvented as Dave Gilbert's money-spinning and critically acclaimed Blackwell Legacy and Blackwell Unbound. A free demo for the third part: Blackwell Convergence is available, too, and there will be further parts after that. These games have been so successful that they have won Dave a big contract with casual gaming portal Playfirst to create a whole set of Adventure games with their own SDK.


Honourable Mentions

Also well worth a look are the Barn Runner games, Lone Case, two Magsic games, Larry Vales adventures and Yahtzee's Rob Blanc series. Maniac Mansion Mania has a RoN feel to it, but too many are in German for me to be able to play. Kings Quest 1, 2 and 3 remakes exist and are all very good, but obviously, they are just remakes. Yahtzee also make the fun 1213 series with AGS, but they are not adventures and finally, I couldn't pass by this opportunity to mention the largest series of AGS games made by a single author, Princess Marian I-XI!