The PS5 is home to some of the most polished adventure games around, from Sony's own cinematic blockbusters to small, inventive puzzle and exploration games. The DualSense controller, near-instant loading and strong visuals suit a genre built on discovery, story and atmosphere. The list below spans big open worlds, tight co-op journeys and quiet indie gems.
1. Astro Bot#
Team Asobi's Astro Bot arrived in September 2024 and won Game of the Year at The Game Awards that December. It is a 3D platform adventure that uses the DualSense more inventively than almost anything else, with haptics that make every surface feel different. Each world is packed with ideas, and the hunt for rescued bots doubles as a loving tour of PlayStation history. It is joyful from start to finish. The main weakness is difficulty: it is gentle and fairly short, so veterans who want a real challenge will only find it in the late optional levels.
2. It Takes Two#
Hazelight Studios released It Takes Two in March 2021, and it is built entirely around two-player co-op, either on the same couch or online with a Friend's Pass. A couple turned into dolls must work together through a parade of inventive levels, each with its own mechanic, from time manipulation to nail guns. It won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2021. The story is sentimental and the dialogue can grate, and you need a partner, as there is no single-player mode. For shared play, few adventures come close.
3. Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut#
Sucker Punch's samurai epic reached PS5 in August 2021 in its Director's Cut form, with the Iki Island expansion, 60 frames per second and DualSense support. Jin Sakai fights the Mongol invasion of Tsushima across a beautiful island, guided by the wind instead of a cluttered map. Duels feel weighty and the scenery is among the best in the genre. The open world follows a familiar checklist of outposts and camps, which can become repetitive over a long playthrough. It is still a superb, atmospheric adventure with a clear sense of place.
4. God of War Ragnarök#
Santa Monica Studio released God of War Ragnarök in November 2022 for PS5 and PS4. Kratos and his son Atreus travel through the Nine Realms in the shadow of Fimbulwinter and Ragnarök, in a story about fathers, sons and fate. Visiting new realms is the highlight, along with memorable companions and bosses. Combat builds on the 2018 game instead of reinventing it, and some pacing drags in the middle. It is best played after its predecessor, since it assumes you know the characters. The Valhalla epilogue was later added for free.
5. The Last of Us Part II Remastered#
Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part II Remastered launched on PS5 in January 2024, with the original game from 2020 running at higher fidelity and with faster loading. It adds No Return, a roguelike survival mode, along with Lost Levels and a guitar free-play mode. The story follows Ellie and Abby in a post-apocalyptic America, with sharp stealth and brutal combat. It is unflinching and divisive, and the violence and bleak tone are not for everyone. Those who can take the emotional weight get one of the most ambitious narrative adventures on the console.
6. Horizon Forbidden West#
Guerrilla Games released Horizon Forbidden West in February 2022 for PS4 and PS5, and it is a large open-world adventure in which Aloy travels west through a ruined America full of machine creatures. The PS5 version shows off dense jungles, deserts and underwater areas, with grappling and gliding that speed up exploration. Machine hunting is the highlight, and the 2023 Burning Shores expansion on PS5 adds a scenic island. The map can overflow with icons and the dialogue is heavy, so players who want a lean experience may feel overwhelmed. It is still a big, handsome adventure.
7. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart#
Insomniac Games made Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart for PS5, released in June 2021, and it was one of the first games to make the console's speed feel essential. Dimensional rifts whisk you between worlds almost instantly, and the Lombax Rivet joins Ratchet on an adventure full of inventive weapons, lush worlds and superb animation. The DualSense triggers give each weapon its own feel. It is a short game, around a dozen hours, and it is easy, so the main campaign is over quickly. It remains a polished showcase and a pure pleasure to play.
8. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle#
MachineGames' Indiana Jones and the Great Circle launched on Xbox and PC in December 2024, and reached PS5 in April 2025. Played in first person, it sends Indy across the world in a story set between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, with puzzles, stealth, fistfights and exploration. The voice work and period atmosphere capture the films well, and the hub-style levels reward curiosity. Melee and stealth can feel stiff and enemies are not very smart. Fans of archaeology and old-fashioned adventure still get a rare, authentic blockbuster.
9. Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered#
Insomniac Games' Marvel's Spider-Man was released in 2018, and the Remastered version arrived on PS5 in November 2020 (bundled with Miles Morales Ultimate Edition, standalone from May 2023) with improved visuals, ray tracing and faster loading. Swinging through Manhattan is the main attraction, since web-slinging is among the most satisfying traversal systems in any game. A strong Peter Parker story and acrobatic combat round it out. The side activities get repetitive, and the stealth sections with Mary Jane and Miles interrupt the pace. As an adventure for anyone who loves open-world exploration, it is exceptionally well made.
10. Outer Wilds#
Mobius Digital's Outer Wilds is a mystery in which you explore a tiny solar system caught in a 22-minute time loop. It launched in 2019 and can be played on PS5, including the Archaeologist Edition with the Echoes of the Eye expansion. There are no upgrades or levels, only knowledge, and every discovery is yours to piece together. Its sense of wonder and its ending have made it a modern classic. Flight controls can be hard to master, it is easy to get lost, and players who dislike open-ended puzzles without guidance may find it frustrating.
11. Stray#
BlueTwelve Studio released Stray in July 2022 for PS5 and PS4. You play a stray cat exploring a neon-lit cyberpunk city of robots, accompanied by a small drone named B-12. The cat animation is wonderfully convincing, and the moody setting rewards patient exploration. Puzzles are gentle and chase sequences add tension. It is a short game, finished in about five or six hours, and the gameplay is simple. As a quiet, charming and atmospheric adventure, it is easy to recommend, especially to cat lovers.
12. Cocoon#
Cocoon was made by Jeppe Carlsen, known for the puzzle design of Limbo and Inside, through Geometric Interactive, and released in September 2023. You carry worlds on your back as orbs and jump between them to solve puzzles, with every world nested inside another. The idea is original and works beautifully, and the art and sound design are quietly striking. It gives no hints and no text, so some puzzles can leave you stuck, and the game lasts only around five hours. It is one of the smartest puzzle adventures on PS5.
13. Death Stranding Director's Cut#
Kojima Productions released Death Stranding Director's Cut on PS5 in September 2021. Hideo Kojima's strange, ambitious adventure asks you to reconnect a fractured America by delivering packages on foot, balancing cargo across rough terrain. The PS5 version adds DualSense support, extra gear and missions, and faster loading. The world is hauntingly beautiful and the meditative traversal is unlike anything else. The story is convoluted and the walking is slow, so it is a game that some love and others bounce off. It is a bold experience that deserves to be tried.
14. Subnautica#
Unknown Worlds' Subnautica puts you on an alien ocean planet after your spaceship crashes, with only a survival kit and your curiosity. You build bases, craft vehicles and dive ever deeper into coral reefs, caves and abyssal trenches. Exploring the underwater world is both beautiful and unsettling, and the story is told through scattered clues. The fear of deep water is real. Some late-game sections are slower and the crafting can feel grindy. Still, it is a rare survival adventure that rewards patience and curiosity.
15. Tunic#
Andrew Shouldice developed Tunic, published by Finji, and it came to PlayStation consoles in 2022. You guide a small fox through a colorful, hidden world in a tribute to classic top-down Zelda adventures, with an in-game manual written in an unknown language whose pages you collect. The secrets it hides and the discoveries it asks you to make are its real strength. Combat can be tough and some puzzles are very obscure without a guide. For anyone who misses the feeling of figuring things out for yourself, it is a charming treat.