They often say that the most memorable games are ones that emotionally connect you to the characters involved, and this analogy is proven true with That Dragon Cancer, an adventure from Numinous Games. It involves the story of two young parents, and their experiences of raising their son who has been diagnosed with incurable cancer.

The painting like graphical style shows a simplistic view of the world, as if imagined by the child himself, and the various segments of the relatively short narrative relay various significant moments from his brave struggle to remain alive. All of this adds up to a unique experience that should definitely not be missed.

The final chapter in the story of one of PlayStation’s greatest heroes is definitely one of Naughty Dog’s greatest achievements. Set fifteen years after Uncharted 3, Nathan Drake has finally settled down with his wife Elena in suburbia, but the reappearance of his long lost brother Sam forces him back into the treasure hunting life he wanted to leave behind.

The story contains plenty of dramatic twists and turns like you would expect from the Uncharted franchise, as well as a game world that allows you to take alternate routes in certain chapters to offer a unique challenge for each play through. While not everyone may be pleased with how the Drake saga meets its end, A Thief’s End offers some classic Uncharted game play that you will definitely want to experience.

Even though there has only been a single episode of this re-imagined version of Gotham City’s greatest defender, it is fair to say that Telltale Games are onto a winner with their latest graphic adventure series. Instead of following a set story arc from previous comics, film or video games, Telltale have taken the characters and concepts and created their own version of Bruce Wayne and his winged alter ego.

The concept of playing as Bruce Wayne, who is trying to be one of the pillars of Gotham’s community, and a relatively inexperienced Batman as he attempts to foil the attempts of fan favourite villains such as Catwoman and Carmine Falcone. If the rest of the season can keep up to pace with this brilliant debut, then Telltale Games will have created another adventure classic that will be remembered long after you have made your final narrative bending choice.

A beautifully animated game that was originally released on Xbox One, then ported over to Linux, PC and PS4 at a later date. Oxenfree is an adventure that relies on your puzzle solving ability, as well as your conversational skills with the other teenagers that have been trapped on the same island as your group after you have opened a tear in the fabric of reality.

Oxenfree has recently been patched to include a New Game Plus mode which offers an entirely different storyline to the original adventure. While the teenage drama that occurs during the storyline may not be everyone’s cup of tea, the unique puzzles and multi dimensional characters make every play through of Oxenfree definitely worth your time and investment.

A relatively low key adventure released for exclusively on PC, Kathy Rain is a immersive point and click adventure set in small town America. After the death of her grandfather, young college student Kathy Rain returns to her hometown for the funeral. After learning some shocking information regarding his past, she resolves to find out exactly what happened to her beloved patriarch, regardless of the obstacles that are placed in her way, and the emotional baggage from being abandoned by both of her parents.

The mid 90’s setting forces you to use traditional detective work in lieu of modern methods, and the storyline feels like a mixture of Veronica Mars investigation combined with the borderline supernatural happenings you would expect to see in an episode of Twin Peaks. A triumphant return to the point and click subgenre, with an ending that leaves the potential for a sequel.

That is our top picks for adventure games that have come out in 2016 so. If you are also a horror fan, don’t forget to check out our top picks for horror games that have come out already in 2016. Are there any adventure games that you enjoyed during the first eight months of this year? Let us know what you think in the comments below.