Simon the Sorcerer is a humorous point-and-click adventure game released in 1993. In it, you play young Simon, a boy from our world who discovers an ancient spellbook that opens a portal to a fantastic realm. When his dog runs through the portal, Simon follows, only to find himself embroiled in a quest to defeat a villainous sorcerer.

Fractured fairy tales

Simon the Sorcerer doesn't change much from the standard adventure-game formula. You enter an area and try to solve puzzles by collecting items, combining them in different ways, talking to other characters and looking for clues. In both gameplay and tone, Simon the Sorcerer resembles the Monkey Island series; it doesn't take its premise seriously at all, and much of the humour comes from real-world teenager Simon's confusion and disbelief when dealing with the strange fantasy world he finds himself in. The game includes nods to traditional fairy tales like the story of Rapunzel as well as fantasy literature such as the Lord of the Rings. Like most adventure games, this one's puzzles can sometimes be a little obtuse, but solutions usually result from thinking creatively about the situation. If you really get stuck, a hint function highlights interactable objects and characters.

A ridiculous adventure

If you enjoy adventure games with a hefty dose of off-kilter humour, Simon the Sorcerer is well worth (a moderate amount of)your time.