Lucasfilm Games. (1990). The Secret of Monkey Island [Video game]. Lucasfilm Games.

The Secret of Monkey Island is a 1990 graphic adventure game developed and published by Lucasfilm Games. Set in a fantastical Caribbean during the age of piracy, the game follows Guybrush Threepwood, a young man aspiring to become a pirate. His journey takes him to Melee Island, where he completes three trials to prove his worth: defeating the island's swordmaster, finding buried treasure, and stealing a valuable idol. Along the way, he falls in love with Governor Elaine Marley and faces the ghost pirate LeChuck, who kidnaps Elaine, forcing Guybrush to embark on a rescue mission to the fabled Monkey Island.

The gameplay is characterized by its point-and-click interface, employing the SCUMM engine. Players control Guybrush, exploring environments, interacting with characters, and solving puzzles. Commands are chosen from a list of verbs, such as "pick up," "talk to," or "use," combined with clickable objects in the environment. Inventory management and dialogue trees are integral to the game's puzzle-solving. One notable mechanic is "insult sword fighting," a humorous battle system where players progress by choosing witty and contextually appropriate retorts during duels.

The game is praised for its humor, engaging puzzles, and lack of "dead ends" or situations where players can fail irreversibly, a departure from earlier adventure games. This player-friendly design and whimsical storytelling contributed to its critical and commercial success.

Visually, the game uses pixel art with a cartoonish style, accompanied by a MIDI score that includes the iconic Monkey Island theme. The Secret of Monkey Island spawned multiple sequels and became a benchmark for adventure games, cementing its legacy as a genre classic and an inspiration for future developers.