Games that made me smile
Recommendations by MathBrushI wanted to do a list of comedy games, but I think people rarely think "I want to play a comedy game"; to me, the phrase brings up some kind of jokey, goofy game, like many of the poorly made Twine games that people make now.
Instead, the funny games I enjoy tend to have an actual, deep story with hints of sadness, danger, or drama, and the comedy is a welcome relief from that. More of a dry or British humor. So that's what's found in this list. Absurd games are in their own list.
Also, many games like Curses! or Adventure are quite funny in parts, but it's not an overriding theme. Similarly, I love Six by Clarke, but find it charming and adventurous more than funny.
As always, feel free to add games in the comments.
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1. To Hell in a Hamper
by J. J. Guest
(2003)
Average member rating: 
(112 ratings)
MathBrush says:
You are in a balloon approaching a volcano, and must convince your hoarder companion to lighten the load. Short-to-mid length
2. Child's Play
by Stephen Granade
(2006)
Average member rating: (53 ratings)
MathBrush says:
The first game that ever made me laugh. You are a baby trying to get your favorite toy and avoid a rival. The background includes a group of moms with one out-of-place dad.
3. Rogue of the Multiverse
by C.E.J. Pacian
(2010)
Average member rating: (72 ratings)
MathBrush says:
I literally laughed out loud several times in this game. You are a test subject working for an evil reptilian female doctor, exploring the galaxy for salvage.
4. Attack of the Yeti Robot Zombies, by Øyvind Thorsby (2006)
Average member rating: (31 ratings)
MathBrush says:
A linear game which suggests you don't use undo, making for a very thrilling experience. The name says it all. Very, very fun.
5. Walker & Silhouette
by C.E.J. Pacian
(2009)
Average member rating: (50 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Another game by the masterful Pacian. A weird, alternate 20's with a hardboiled detective, a flapper anarchist, and a squid on wheels.
6. You Will Select a Decision
by Brendan Patrick Hennessy
(2013)
Average member rating: (70 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Another game that made me laugh out loud. This Twine game is framed as two poorly translated Russian Choose Your Own Adventure games.
7. Bell Park, Youth Detective
by Brendan Patrick Hennessy
(2013)
Average member rating: (61 ratings)
MathBrush says:
A bit of darker humor by the same author. A parody of youth detective novels, also in Twine.
8. Lost Pig
by Admiral Jota
(2007)
Average member rating: (485 ratings)
MathBrush says:
This game and the next are highly acclaimed (in top 10 interactive fiction of all time by many measures), but I didn't like them quite as much as the others. In this game, you play a not-quite-smart orc hunting a lost pig.
9. Violet
by Jeremy Freese
(2008)
Average member rating: (382 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Another very popular game, this one grated on my nerves because it reminded me of work. You are trying to finish your dissertation (or at least get far on it) while the narrator, your girlfriend, tries to keep you from procrastinating. I was glad not to have this nagging in real life, so I didn't identify with the game, but most people love it.
10. Hunger Daemon
by Sean M. Shore
(2014)
Average member rating: (64 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Smoothly polished Lovecraftian parody. Won IFComp in 2014; short-to-mid length, and very fun.
11. Dinner Bell
by Jenni Polodna
(2012)
Average member rating: (54 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Dogs are doing psychological tests on you. Find food, but don't eat it!
12. Jacqueline, Jungle Queen!
by Steph Cherrywell
(2014)
Average member rating: (24 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Gain superpowers from animals in the jungle. The first Quest game I have played. Good author.
13. Enlightenment
by Taro Ogawa
(1998)
Average member rating: (40 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Great dry humor, and very hard. You almost beat a Infocom-type game, but now you must LOSE all of your light sources, and the troll in front of you is not helping.
14. A Day for Fresh Sushi
by Emily Short
(2001)
Average member rating: (96 ratings)
MathBrush says:
One of the most highly-rated Speed IF ever. A sassy fish game.
15. Conan Kill Everything, by Ian Haberkorn (2005)
Average member rating: (67 ratings)
MathBrush says:
A one-room game where Conan kills everything. Less polished than the other games on the list, but still generally entertaining.
16. Being Andrew Plotkin
by J. Robinson Wheeler
(2000)
Average member rating: (55 ratings)
MathBrush says:
You enter the brain of one of IF's premier authors. A parody of Being John Malkovic. Even if you don't know much about Zarf/Plotkin, the romance and robots are very amusing.
17. Wishbringer
by Brian Moriarty
(1985)
Average member rating: (107 ratings)
MathBrush says:
One of Infocom's very best games, by the author of Trinity and the Lucasarts game Loom. Includes a platypus kingdom and dangerous, sentient boots.
18. Hollywood Hijinx
by Dave Anderson, Liz Cyr-Jones
(1986)
Average member rating: (30 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Another Infocom game. The mechanical mutant chihuahua did it for me.
19. Taco Fiction
by Ryan Veeder
(2011)
Average member rating: (114 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Winner of IFComp a few years ago. To me, the funniest parts were going off script and seeing what happened. More of a drama game, but it worked as comedy for me, as well.
20. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
by Douglas Adams and Steve Meretzky
(1984)
Average member rating: (180 ratings)
MathBrush says:
A very funny game that is now freely available (everyone should get it!) Second-best-selling Infocom game ever. Very hard, though; I just used a walkthrough to get to the best parts.
21. Oppositely Opal
by Buster Hudson
(2015)
Average member rating: (64 ratings)
MathBrush says:
A game with a valley-girl witch. The language threw me off at first, but the puzzles are actually quite funny.
22. Lock & Key
by Adam Cadre
(2002)
Average member rating: (74 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Create a dungeon, watch an adventurer escape. Buying the items and watching the adventurer are great.
23. Planetfall
by Steve Meretzky
(1983)
Average member rating: (118 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Floyd the robot is a very amusing sidekick. Some other funny moments in this Infocom game, available on iPad.
24. Secret Agent Cinder
by Emily Ryan
(2015)
Average member rating: (26 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Tongue-in-cheek interactive webcomic about Cinderella as a French revolutionary operative.
25. Birdland
by Brendan Patrick Hennessy
(2015)
Average member rating: (154 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Great Twine game about a summer camper dreaming of bizarre, anthropomorphic birds.
26. The Cabal, by Stephen Bond (2004)
Average member rating: (27 ratings)
MathBrush says:
An old-school enthusiast comes to grips with the influence of a dark and shadowy Cabal of prominent IF writers.
27. A Fine Day for Reaping
by James Webb (aka revgiblet)
(2007)
Average member rating: (25 ratings)
MathBrush says:
A nonlinear parser game. You are death, and you've been given five targets to help move along. There are multiple solutions to all 5 things, and a Terry Pratchett/Monty Python vibe.
28. In a Manor of Speaking, by Hulk Handsome (2012)
Average member rating: (26 ratings)
MathBrush says:
A short-to-mid length surreal game based on puns. Walk in a vast dessert, pick up some (fuzzy and yellow) chicks, and try to get home.
29. The People's Glorious Revolutionary Text Adventure Game
by Taylor Vaughan
(2010)
Average member rating: (56 ratings)
MathBrush says:
As communist commissar, subvert the capitalists in your hometown and spread glorious communism.
30. Gourmet
by Aaron A. Reed and Chad Barb
(2003)
Average member rating: (53 ratings)
MathBrush says:
A series of unfortunate kitchen mishaps make for a memorable night. Could make a funny episode of The Office if it was set in a restaurant.
31. Dinner with Andre, by Liza Daly (2000)
Average member rating: (21 ratings)
MathBrush says:
A disastrous dinner date. Hints recommended.
32. Augmented Fourth
by Brian Uri!
(2000)
Average member rating: (64 ratings)
MathBrush says:
A long and well-implemented funny game about a magical musician in an underground volcano.
33. Witch's Girl
by Geoff Moore
(2013)
Average member rating: (17 ratings)
MathBrush says:
A cute and silly page-by-page CYOA html game about two young girls in a magical world who try to keep it from ending.
34. Fine-Tuned
by Dennis Jerz
(2001)
Average member rating: (21 ratings)
MathBrush says:
A long, enjoyable comedy game set in the time of the first automobiles. Help an opera star out.
35. Dutch Dapper IV: The Final Voyage, by Harry Hol (2002)
Average member rating: (6 ratings)
MathBrush says:
A game that pretends to be the 4th game in a series. You are Dutch Dapper, interstellar hero, asleep in your bed, when a mysterious knock comes at the door.
36. Tex Bonaventure and the Temple of the Water of Life, by Truthcraze (2013)
Average member rating: (17 ratings)
MathBrush says:
A mid-length puzzle game about an Indiana Jones type fellow searching a labyrinth of clever death traps.
37. Winter Storm Draco
by Ryan Veeder
(2015)
Average member rating: (26 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Short game about a personified storm. Randomised combat and npcs.
38. The Wizard Sniffer
by Buster Hudson
(2017)
Average member rating: (126 ratings)
MathBrush says:
A hilarious castle fantasy romp.
39. The Owl Consults
by Thomas Mack, Nick Mathewson, and Cidney Hamilton
(2017)
Average member rating: (18 ratings)
MathBrush says:
A silly supervillain game set on a dirigible.
40. Absence of Law
by mathbrush
(2017)
Average member rating: (44 ratings)
MathBrush says:
A game of mine set in a research facility whose director is missing.
41. Animalia
by Ian Michael Waddell
(2018)
Average member rating: (29 ratings)
MathBrush says:
A very funny game about assembling together a team of 4 animals to pilot a human child.
42. Alias 'The Magpie'
by J. J. Guest
(2018)
Average member rating: (63 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Laugh-out-loud British humor. You are a gentleman thief.
43. Death By Powerpoint
by Jack Welch
(2018)
Average member rating: (11 ratings)
MathBrush says:
A hilarious twine game for Ectocomp about trying to give a presentation.
44. Zozzled
by Steph Cherrywell
(2019)
Average member rating: (45 ratings)
MathBrush says:
A game about spirits and spirits, as ghosts have stolen all the alcohol in a Prohibition speakeasy.
45. To Sea in a Sieve
by J. J. Guest
(2023)
Average member rating: (18 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Humorous prequel to To Hell in a Hamper.
46. Dr Ludwig and the Devil
by SV Linwood
(2023)
Average member rating: (34 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Award winning game about tricking the devil.
47. The Eleusinian Miseries
by Mike Russo
(2020)
Average member rating: (26 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Long, funny classics game.
48. Honk!
by Alex Harby
(2023)
Average member rating: (15 ratings)
MathBrush says:
Amusing clown parser game, defeating a villain.
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