There is nothing like playing an old school game to take you back in time and give you new challenges. If you have never dove into the world of the Secret of Monkey Island, you are truly missing out. This amazing game has a twisty plot that takes the hero through a pirate-themed adventure that is exciting all the way until the end.

If you have ever thought of playing the Secret of Monkey Island, you may be questioning just how long it would take to finish the game? There are several answers to this question depending on how often you play and your average speed, a great chart that you can find on howlongtobeat.com says:

Single-Player	Polled	Average	Median	Rushed	Leisure
Main Story	293	6h 38m	6h 17m	4h 13m	16h 49m
Main + Extras	69	7h 23m	7h 15m	5h 24m	9h 39m
Completionist	90	6h 58m	6h 57m	5h 28m	9h 28m
All PlayStyles	452	6h 49m	6h 31m	4h 20m	16h 56m

To view the chart on the website, you can click here!

What Sets Monkey Island Apart from Other Games?

If you have considered playing Monkey Island, it is time to begin the game and hopefully see it through completion. The game came out in 1990 and has been available to purchase ever since, having options for iOS and PlayStation 3 available now. The game focuses on solving puzzles and the speed at which you finish these puzzles truly makes a difference in your overall gameplay time.

Once you have completed the game, replaying it may not be something you are super interested in as it does focus on the same puzzles over and over. However, it is always fun to challenge yourself and try to beat past gameplays with quicker times. There are many great qualities to the game that you may want to consider and may make you want to start playing.

Comparatively, It Is the Perfect Length

Monkey Island is the perfect medium-length game for gamers who want a quick option that is still exciting. We have all been there, we are so immersed in a game that hours go by and you still have not put the controller down. Soon, you are looking as much like a zombie as the characters in the game you are playing.

Monkey Island is far more to the point than many other games out there, never filling the time with unneeded concepts. Since the game is more streamlined, you know that every step you take is pushing you closer to completing it.

The Game Keeps You Entertained

Monkey Island is actually super hilarious and keeps you very interested from start to finish. There are several puns and jokes that pop up along the way. However, there is also a high level of physical comedy throughout the game that you will love.

Too many other games get wordy and have cheesy comedy that can even be cringy at times. Monkey Island has an ongoing cast banter between the major characters.

The Puzzles are Challenging and Surprising

If you love playing puzzle games, they have started to feel repetitive and many games may seem a little predictable. The puzzles on Monkey Island are challenging but not impossible and have many unique twists that you may not see coming. You play as wannabe pirate Guybrush Threepwood who has a shirt with what seems to be an infinite pocket space where you will hide odd finds along the way.

Along the way, you will pick up things like a rubber chicken or a box of cereal, all tying together before the end. You may get caught at certain points, but the game has a great way of helping the pieces click together in your mind and suddenly you will know exactly how to solve that puzzle you are struggling with. Of course, some puzzles will truly test your mind and you may find yourself getting caught up for longer than expected.

If you do get caught up for an unusually long time on a puzzle, there are cheats online that you can read to see how to get past the puzzle. However, this does take away the glory of finishing the game without any help.

You Can Get Lost in the Magical World

Monkey Island is clearly an animated game, but the places mentioned seem to go together well and flow flawlessly. Mêlée is a very believable fantasy land that seems like the perfect place for pirates to hideaway. You can truly get lost in this tropical land.

Even funnier are the imbeciles who run the island itself, which are represented by giant monkey heads. Of course, there are the cannibals too who spend their days eating fruit, which seems to fit in this goofy world. Truly the game flows together nicely and every piece seems to work together well and keep the land realistic, well for an animation that is.

The Music Keeps the Game Flowing Gorgeously

Just as the island itself seems to flow together so naturally, so does the music during the game. The music itself captures a Caribbean feel and is really advanced for the time that the game was made. It is almost as if the music is a character more than just a soundtrack to the game.

It has a Nice Twist on a Common Theme

Guybrush, our main character, falls for a girl named Elaine who is far from the princess in distress that we often see in games. The game features an antagonist named LeChuck who is terrorizing the waters of this fictional setting. Clearly like most games, he kidnaps Elaine and it is up to Guybrush to rescue her from this villain.

The key difference between Elaine and other female game leads is that she is totally kicking butt and keeps getting away on her own. She is actually one of the best characters in the game and definitely the most resourceful. In true Monkey Island fashion, she even ends up saving Guybrush in the end.

Guybrush Threepwood is Extremely Relatable

As for our protagonist himself, he is pretty much useless and far from the pirate that he wants to be. Guybrush is far from the hero that you often see in games and it actually feels super relatable. Seeing him struggle throughout the game, makes you feel a little better about yourself honestly.

Who Can Play Monkey Island?

Of course, a huge part of how quickly you finish Monkey Island is your experience level playing games, especially puzzle games. Monkey Island itself is rated E10+, this means it is recommended for anyone that is over the age of ten. Of course, younger audiences may struggle with the more mind-bending puzzles and need a little assistance from an older relative.

As for the difficulty level of Monkey Island, it can be played by practically anyone, even those who have never played games before. There are no challenging controls and for the most part no bad language or violence. In fact, it is extremely hard for you to even die in the game, but the game is not completely challenging free.

For the most part, if you are interested in playing Monkey Island, you can do so fairly easily. There are few tricky parts that require more intense gameplay and for the most part, the puzzles are straight forward. With a little time and work, you can easily make it through the game in a decent time.