Adapting Novels and Movies Into Adventure Games: Success or Failure?

25 September 2025

Let’s face it—we've all been suckers for that shiny new adventure game that boldly claims to bring our favorite book or movie to life. I mean, what's not to love? The nostalgia, the characters, the iconic moments... it should be a match made in geek heaven, right?

And yet—brace yourself—most of these adaptations are about as successful as trying to microwave a frozen pizza on defrost mode. Sometimes they surprise us, rising like a phoenix from the ashes of failed IPs. Other times, they flop harder than a villain monologue in the final boss fight.

So, are these adaptations total trainwrecks or hidden treasures? Let’s break it down, pixel by pixel.

The Allure of a Ready-Made Universe

It’s not hard to see why developers drool over the idea of adapting novels and movies into adventure games. Imagine this: the plot is already there, the fanbase is ripe for the plucking, and the IP? Instant marketing gold.

Why struggle to create deep lore and compelling characters when you can just borrow Frodo and let him do all the heavy lifting? (No offense, Sam, we know you did most of the carrying.)

But here’s the hitch—video games are a whole different beast. What works in a book or on screen doesn’t always translate when suddenly you’re the one pulling the strings.

The Hits: When Adaptations Actually Work (Surprise!)

Just because it’s rare doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Every now and then, some brave developer cracks the code and delivers a gem. Let’s give credit where credit’s due.

🎮 The Witcher Series – Not Just Tossing Coins

Sure, "The Witcher" is technically based on novels, not movies, but HOT DANG did it nail the transition. CD Projekt Red took the deep lore from Andrzej Sapkowski’s works and actually expanded the world, instead of just slapping pixels on a page.

They didn’t just copy the books—they reimagined them with player agency, jaw-dropping visuals, and story arcs that felt more alive than Geralt’s love life (and that’s saying something).

🎮 Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor – Sauron’s Not Ready for This

Okay, so it’s not a direct adaptation of the movies, but it draws heavily from the vibe and lore of Tolkien’s universe. The fluid combat, the open-world exploration, and that sweet, sweet Nemesis system? That's called doing your homework and then turning in art.

They didn’t just regurgitate scenes from "The Two Towers". Instead, they added an entirely new protagonist and wove a story that complemented the source material without strangling it.

🎮 Batman: The Telltale Series – The Caped Crusader With Choices

We’ve had more Batman games than we’ve had Batmen in movies, but Telltale’s narrative-driven approach actually made your choices matter. It didn’t force-feed you movie scenes or comic book one-liners. Instead, it let you explore Bruce’s psyche like a therapy session gone rogue.

How rare is that? A game that asks what kind of hero you want to be instead of railroading you into a Bat-suit power fantasy.

The Faceplants: When Good IPs Make Bad Games

And now, for every "Witcher", there's a dozen games that make you seriously question your life choices.

💩 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – The Granddaddy of Garbage

Ah, yes. The game so bad it didn’t just fail—it dragged an entire console era into an early grave. Atari’s rush job of E.T. is legendary in all the wrong ways. The poor alien just wanted to go home, but players were too busy falling into pixelated pits of despair.

This wasn’t just a bad adaptation. It was a crime against gaming.

💩 Game of Thrones – The Game That Knows Nothing

We had dragons. We had backstabbing politics. We had an obsession with chairs. And yet, game adaptations of "Game of Thrones" mostly felt like bloated PowerPoint presentations with a kill mechanic.

Some tried Telltale-style storytelling. Others went the RTS route. None of them captured the soul of Westeros. It’s like trying to cram a Shakespearean drama into a fortune cookie.

💩 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1 and 2) – Gears of Wizardry?

Remember how magical Hogwarts felt as a kid? Now imagine Harry crouching behind cover and blindly firing spells like it’s “Call of Duty: Wizard Warfare.” Yeah. That happened.

Instead of embracing spellcraft, resourcefulness, and exploration, the game tried to be a third-person shooter with wands. Missed opportunity? That’s the understatement of the century.

Why So Many Crash and Burn

So what gives? Why do promising adaptations often end up as steaming piles of regret? A few reasons, actually:

💸 Chained to Studio Deadlines

Games take time, love, and an unhealthy amount of caffeine to create. Movies and book adaptations? They often come attached to hard deadlines. “Hey, the movie’s releasing in July—have the game ready to ship by June.”

Yeah. That’s like asking someone to bake a wedding cake using only a microwave and some expired pancake mix.

🎯 Too Focused on Fan-Service

Sometimes, developers get so wrapped up in catering to superfans, they forget to make an actual game. Easter eggs everywhere but no actual gameplay? Great, now we’re drowning in references with nothing to do but sigh.

🤯 Medium Matters

Books and movies tell you a story. Adventure games ask you to shape one. That means developers need to walk a tightrope between honoring the source and letting players feel like their choices matter.

Screw that up, and suddenly you’re just walking a character through a hollow shell of a story you already know.

How to Actually Pull It Off (Game Devs, Take Notes)

Alright, future adventure game auteurs, listen up. If you’re gonna tackle a beloved book or blockbuster, here’s a starting cheat sheet.

✅ Respect the Source—Don’t Worship It

Yes, the source material is sacred. No, you don’t have to recreate every scene shot-for-shot or word-for-word. Take inspiration, but don’t be afraid to twist the narrative or zoom in on unexplored corners of the universe.

✅ Add Interactivity That Means Something

No one wants to “press X to pay respects” and call it a day. Give gamers meaningful choices, engaging puzzles, dynamic interactions. If I just wanted to watch the story unfold, I’d re-read the book on my Kindle.

✅ Build From the Ground Up

Retrofitting a narrative into a game never works. Instead, architects, not tailors. Build a game from the essence of the story—not as a Frankenstein monster assembled from disconnected scenes.

The Verdict: Success and Failure

So, is adapting novels and movies into adventure games a guaranteed flop? Nah. But it’s also not the golden goose developers think it is.

In the best cases, you get immersive worlds, layered storytelling, and player-driven plot twists that give you goosebumps. In the worst cases, you get soul-crushing quick-time events and a refund request.

It’s a high-risk, high-reward gamble. And we, the eager gamers, will always show up—hoping, wishing, possibly even praying—that this one will be the one.

And when it’s not? Well, there’s always the sequel. Or the reboot. Or the remaster. Or maybe… just read the book again?

Final Thoughts: Proceed with Caution (and a Save File)

Adapting novels and movies into adventure games is like translating Shakespeare into emoji—it can work, but only if you know what you're doing. Some games strike gold by balancing respect for the source with the demands of interactive storytelling. Others? They fade into the digital void, remembered only by the scars they left on our hard drives.

So here’s to the brave devs who keep trying—and to the fans who keep hoping. Just... maybe don’t preorder next time, yeah?