# Monkey Island Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/monkey-island/ 21 people recommended Monkey Island in Hacker News comments, 8 had mixed feelings and 2 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 8 of 12 months, in 16 threads. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule. **Verdict:** Recommended for its rich, atmospheric island worlds, humor and classic point-and-click play; critics say the writing is weak and the puzzles too easy. Summary written by Claude from 29 comments. ## Why people recommend it - Among the best point-and-click games (6 comments in the sample): "Monkey Island is (in my opinion) one of the pinnacles of gaming" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47410053)) "for me the best point and click ever made." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46159940)) "Monkey Island is the best adventure game." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49832131)) - Nostalgic childhood favorite (3 comments in the sample): "I fondly remember Myst, Monkey Island and other puzzle games like that." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49514856)) "good old times of monkey island or leisure suit larry" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50029866)) "Such a big part of my childhood and teen years." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49743046)) - Rich, atmospheric island worlds (3 comments in the sample): "These games definitely felt magical as a kid but I think the feeling of it being this whole rich interactive little world full of characters…" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49111477)) "the best thing about it was always the atmosphere and world, less so the writing" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47410674)) "But I loved how each island was like a unique mini world onto itself" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47410139)) - Gorgeous art and music (3 comments in the sample): "The EGA version is the original version of the game, and is gorgeous." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47408931)) "the sprites look much better and more colourful in VGA" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47409176)) "music is just much richer" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47410628)) ## What people warn about - Puzzles too simple or easy (2 comments in the sample): "The puzzles are either too simple or just nonsensical try-and-error, I find the story boring and shallow" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46052390)) "The last game was still a game, but the challenge wasn't there." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46262460)) - Weak writing and jokes (1 comment in the sample): "The writing and puzzles--not so much." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49118685)) - Remake or EGA looks weaker (1 comment in the sample): "It is a remarkable feat what they achieved despite the limits of EGA, but it can't really compare to VGA." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47409620)) ## Other adventure games people recommend - [Sid Meier's Pirates!](https://hackerapproved.com/p/sid-meier-s-pirates/): 41 recommend, 16 mixed, 10 criticize - [Grim Fandango](https://hackerapproved.com/p/grim-fandango/): 30 recommend, 10 mixed, 6 criticize - [Myst](https://hackerapproved.com/p/myst/): 22 recommend, 8 mixed, 7 criticize - [Doki Doki Literature Club](https://hackerapproved.com/p/doki-doki-literature-club/): 22 recommend, 1 mixed, 6 criticize ## The badge A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged. ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "Monkey Island", https://hackerapproved.com/p/monkey-island/ (21 recommend, 8 mixed, 2 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026). Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.