The 5 Best ‘The Walking Dead’ Games to Play When You’re Craving Quality Time With the Undead

Series that become video games or vice versa, don’t always land. Sometimes they just flop and no amount of success from its original format can change that. The Walking Dead didn’t become that kind of franchise though. It helped change the game when it comes to the landscape of post-apocalyptic horror. The franchise went from successful comics (which you absolutely should read if you haven’t) to a TV series that spawned spin-offs, as well as games. If you want to insert yourself in a world of grotesque looking zombies then The Walking Dead games will absolutely scratch that itch. And if you play the Telltale games you’ll be more than satisfied with the emotional journey. 

How many games have come out of the franchise? 14 altogether (if you count The Walking Dead Telltale Definitive Series then 15). So, which games are worth checking out? Keep reading to find out. 

The Walking Dead: Season 1 

You guessed it, I’m talking about the Telltale games. This game grabs your heart and rips it out at the very end. It’s also set in the same universe as the comics, which is a fun little twist. This season follows Lee Everett, a university professor and convicted criminal who rescues a little girl named Clementine—who is desperately trying to find her parents. Having the focus be a soft/emotional Black man and girl of color is terrific representation. And it definitely shows that Robert Kirkman (co-creator of The Walking Dead comics) worked with Telltale during development. The journey you go on as Lee Everett is intense, and rather than it being a game about action, it’s about developing the characters. And the way Lee becomes a surrogate parent to Clementine is precious. This game definitely has some gut punches at the end. There’s something special about episodic role-playing games. They are an experience. 

The Walking Dead: Season 2

This game has the same gameplay as its predecessor, but it focuses on Clementine as the protagonist. After Clementine traumatically loses Lee and realizes both her parents are dead—she ventures out with other survivors. The overall storytelling for this game isn’t as rich as season one. But it does explore a lot of characters and gives Clementine choices that a 11 year old shouldn’t have to make. Unfortunately, in an unforgiving post-apocalyptic landscape, you’re forced to grow up. Which is something that registers heavily throughout this game. Essentially, Clementine finds herself taking on the responsibility of another child. It’s not something that’s uncommon in our own world, which is part of what makes these games so raw and impactful. 

The Walking Dead: Michonne 

This is the perfect game for folks interested in Michonne as a character—it shows what she was up to during her brief departure from Rick and his group in the comics. It takes place between issues 126 and 139 and while the gameplay is not perfect, it’s a nice exploration of Michonne’s character. 

The Walking Dead: A New Frontier 

There’s a bit of a decline with this season as the episodes are much shorter. And it’s a bit dizzying to have Clementine not be the primary focus. Ultimately, it’s not a bad game and it still belongs on the list, though. This game follows Javi (Jeff Schine), a new character who’s on a mission to save his family from the militia group, New Frontier. Both Javi and Clementine must team up to find their respective families. All while trying to survive themselves. Javi as a protagonist isn’t a poor choice, but he doesn’t necessarily outshine Clementine. Regardless, there are a lot of emotional choices to make throughout this game. Just like the previous two games. And there’s a bit in the way of love drama if you’re into that sort of thing. 

The Walking Dead: The Final Season

This is my second favorite of all The Walking Dead Telltale Games. Clementine and AJ (Tayla Parx)’s combined journey is so beautiful and tragic. And throughout the game, Clementine is faced with choices on how to handle AJ. Meanwhile, AJ is forced to make dire choices that’ll change his life moving forward. This game is set 7 years after the first game, making Clem older and wiser. And eventually they find refuge in a former boarding school run by teenagers. From there, Clementine and AJ experience a lot of chaos, newfound love (Clementine and Violet for the win), and Clementine is faced with a person from her past. The story is wonderful and depicts the power of a found family. And as tacky as it may sound, the power of all sorts of love. 

Here are the rest of The Walking Dead games if you were wondering about them. Including The Walking Dead: Michonne mini-series from Telltale Games.

• The Walking Dead: Left Behind 
• The Walking Dead: Dead Reckoning 
• The Walking Dead: Assault
• The Walking Dead: Road to Survival 
• The Walking Dead: No Man’s Land
• The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct
• The Walking Dead Overkill’s The Walking Dead 
• The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners 
• The Walking Dead Onslaught
• The Walking Dead: Last Mile (free via Facebook Gaming)

(featured image: Telltale Games)