5 Best Doctor Who Games, Ranked

Doctor Who may be the longest-running science fiction series in television history, but it’s not one with a lot of games. There’s one shy of two dozen in the franchise library, with the first arriving on the BBC Micro all the way back in 1983. Since then, adapting the franchise into fun, playable games has been a challenge (apparently), but there are some decent titles that are worth checking out. We’ve ranked the top five, based on contemporary critics’ reviews upon release, how fun they are to play, and their contributions to the franchise.

1) Doctor Who: The Adventure Games

Doctor Who: The Adventure Games was released for free to folks in the United Kingdom in 2010. It was later released internationally, but U.K. citizens got their hands on the episodic adventure game first, and others followed. While development produced five episodes, the BBC decided to shift its development from PC and Mac OS to console games, abandoning Doctor Who: The Adventure Games in favor of other titles. Unfortunately, the lack of support means that it’s almost impossible to play Doctor Who: The Adventure Games today, as it was delisted from Steam in 2017, so you’ll have to find a physical copy. Fans loved the game, while critics took a while to come around. It was entertaining, well-written, and fun, but it has all but vanished.

2) Doctor Who: Legacy

You know that there’s a dearth of gaming options when a match-3 puzzle RPG pops up as one of the five best games in a franchise. While that’s generally true, Doctor Who: Legacy is a fun free-to-play game that launched in 2013 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who. It features all of the Doctors, including the War Doctor, and a ton of supporting characters, monsters, and aliens. The 11th Doctor is the primary focus, though it shifts to the 12th as gameplay continues. Unfortunately, as is common with games like this one, it was shuttered when the license expired, so it is unplayable as of writing.

3) Doctor Who: Destiny Of The Doctors

Doctor Who: Destiny Of The Doctors is an action game that was developed with plenty of backing from the BBC, as it features the voices of five actors who played the Doctor throughout the series. A couple of earlier Doctors are featured, though via other actors impersonating their voices. It features an expansive, well-written plot centered on the Master, whom all the Doctors must stop. It’s set almost entirely on the TARDIS, which is filled with any room imaginable, and there are puzzles and other challenges to tear through as you play the game. While not commercially successful, it plays much like an anniversary episode of the show, and it’s enjoyed by fans who are lucky enough to find a copy.

4) Doctor Who: The Runaway

While almost all Doctor Who games are found on various computers, Doctor Who: The Runaway is a virtual reality game. It was released in 2019 and focuses on the 13th Doctor. It’s not a long game by any measure, and is more of a virtual tour than what you might expect, but it’s also charming and entertaining. The game features two versions: an interactive one that lasts 13 minutes. The other is a 360-degree tour of the TARDIS and other key aspects of the franchise, lasting only 11 minutes. If you don’t have a VR system, you can watch it as a video on YouTube, as it’s largely cinematic.

5) Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins

When it comes to Doctor Who games, there really is no competition, as 2021’s found-phone mystery game, Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins, is at the top of the pile. It was released on pretty much every system that could play it, and it is not for the faint of heart — especially if the Weeping Angels terrify you into not blinking around them. It’s a thrilling, award-winning game with modern graphics and is absolutely excellent for anyone who considers themselves a fan of the show. It’s also inexpensive, as Steam lists it for $5.99, though you can purchase it on a variety of platforms.

What’s your favorite Doctor Who game? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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