Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders

About

In "Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders," the world's IQ is diminishing due to Space Aliens' stupidity machine. Players, as reporter Zak McKracken, along with three allies, must restore intelligence by solving puzzles, uncovering alien secrets, and using point-and-click gameplay with vintage verb commands across various environments. This adventure offers hilarious encounters and challenges in a quest to save humanity from dumbness.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders screenshot

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 128 reviews

story16 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features a great mix of dark humor and mystery, with memorable characters and clever writing.
It offers unique gameplay mechanics, such as controlling multiple characters and a sense of open-world freedom, which were innovative for its time.
The nostalgic value and retro graphics appeal to fans of classic adventure games, making it a fun experience for those who enjoyed it in their childhood.

The game suffers from frustrating moon logic puzzles, dead ends, and a lack of clear guidance, making it difficult to progress without a guide.
Many players find the gameplay tedious due to repetitive mazes, pixel hunting, and the risk of running out of money, which can lead to game overs.
The adaptation to modern platforms lacks updates, making the controls feel obsolete and the overall experience less enjoyable for new players.

story
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
21%
13%
The game's story is a mix of entertaining humor and quirky concepts, often drawing on nostalgia for classic LucasArts adventures. While some players appreciate the well-written characters and the blend of mystery and silliness, others find the narrative lacking in depth and engaging gameplay, leading to frustration. Overall, the story is seen as a highlight for its charm and creativity, despite some criticisms regarding its execution and the gameplay experience.
- “But even though it is part of the first wave of Lucasfilm adventures, the second game released, the follow-up to Maniac Mansion, and has problems like the possibility to put yourself in a dead end, it still is one of the best ones as its writing is amazing, the story is a blast, and the humor is unmatched in my opinion (well, it etched itself into my brain when I was 12).”
- “It's a great mix of well-written, funny characters, a solid story with references to 'new age' beliefs and 'ancient alien' theories, and a bit of mystery and conspiracy to it as well.”
- “Nevertheless, it is a game that packs lovely pixelated graphics, a crazy story, adorable characters, a good sense of humor, and it is entertaining enough to give it a try.”
- “The story itself is just plain silly.”
- “I am all for retro games, but the story sucks.”
- “You play as Zak McKracken, a reporter for a tabloid that is hired for a story about a two-headed squirrel in Seattle.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
50%
14%
The game features charming retro pixelated graphics complemented by a vibrant color palette, which many players find nostalgic and enjoyable. While some versions, like the FM Towns edition, offer enhanced visuals and a CD soundtrack, the overall aesthetic is appreciated for its simplicity and humor, making it a delightful experience for fans of classic graphic adventures. However, comparisons to other titles in the genre reveal a mixed reception regarding the quality of graphics, particularly when viewed alongside more modern offerings.
- “Nevertheless, it is a game that packs lovely pixelated graphics, a crazy story, adorable characters, good sense of humor, and it is entertaining enough to give it a try.”
- “- Lovely pixelated graphics with a fantastic color palette.”
- “The various locations around the world (and off the world) that one visits makes the game pretty expansive, and when running the FM Towns version included here, with more color, better graphics, and a CD soundtrack, the game can look pretty good at times.”
- “I've been playing various LucasArts graphic adventure games for the past week, and this is probably the worst so far.”
- “Only play this if you're interested in LucasArts' graphic adventure history (use a guide, unless you like wasting time).”
- “This also includes the enhanced edition that makes the old graphics a little prettier and easier to tell what some things are.”
humor
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a strong blend of dark humor and mystery, complemented by well-written, funny characters and a quirky storyline that includes references to modern beliefs and conspiracy theories. While it may not reach the comedic heights of classic LucasArts titles, it still offers many hilarious moments and entertaining puzzles, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of pixel art and humor. However, some players find the gameplay to be tedious, which can detract from the overall enjoyment.
- “Great mix of dark humor and mystery.”
- “Nevertheless, it is a game that packs lovely pixelated graphics, a crazy story, adorable characters, a good sense of humor, and it is entertaining enough to give it a try.”
- “It's a great mix of well-written, funny characters, a solid story with references to 'new age' beliefs and 'ancient alien' theories, and a bit of mystery and conspiracy to it as well.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The gameplay features unique mechanics such as controlling multiple characters and non-linear exploration, adding depth to the experience. However, players find it frustrating due to a lack of guidance, difficulty in locating items, and an unengaging story, which can detract from overall enjoyment. While some elements are praised, the challenging nature of the gameplay may hinder accessibility for many players.
- “Some unique gameplay mechanics that give it extra depth.”
- “It can be a fun game and elements are awesome, but the gameplay is rock hard.”
- “The gameplay is annoying; there are no hints on what you should do, it’s easy to miss items, and the story isn’t entertaining enough to push through.”
- “Gameplay mechanics like controlling multiple characters or traveling freely everywhere were unique for back then and made the game less linear.”
- “The gameplay is annoying; there are no hints on what you should do, it’s easy to miss items, and the story isn’t entertaining enough to push through.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game, particularly in the enhanced "FM Towns" edition featuring a CD audio soundtrack, has received positive feedback for its retro appeal and contribution to the overall experience. Players appreciate the combination of improved graphics and engaging soundtracks, which enhance the game's expansive settings and simple gameplay.
- “We both enjoyed the retro graphics and music along with the simple gameplay and fun puzzles.”
- “The various locations around the world (and off the world) that one visits makes the game pretty expansive, and when running the FM Towns version included here, with more color, better graphics, and a CD soundtrack, the game can look pretty good at times.”
- “The enhanced FM Towns edition with CD audio soundtrack is included!”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the need to accumulate money for travel and the necessity of chaining flights together, which can become frustrating as cash runs low. While the game starts off enjoyable, it quickly devolves into a repetitive grind.
- “However, the requirement for money to travel and having to chain flights together gets tedious pretty quickly, especially once you start running low on cash and need to get more.”
- “This game starts fun and quickly gets to be tedious.”