So, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is coming to PCs and consoles this December.
This means we still have a couple months of waiting left. This also means that we totally need something to scratch that pulp adventure itch with. Luckily, there’s a bunch of games great for just that.
Today we’ll take a look at a whole bunch of fun titles that you should totally give a shot before you get your own copy of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Let’s check them out, shall we?
But before we do that, here’s a quick refresher/primer on what “pulp fiction” is. No, it’s not about the movie. In general, the term refers to all sorts of sensational stories published in pulp magazines from the late 19th century to mid-1950s. You know, low-quality paper, and the stories themselves weren’t held in high regard, either.
This didn’t stop them from becoming wildly popular, though. Numerous legendary writers also wrote all sorts of pulp fiction, spawning iconic characters, such as Conan the Barbarian and the like.
The Indiana Jones series draws from these stories (and B-movies, too) like crazy, sort of bringing this vibe back. It inspired numerous other imitators to try their hand at replicating the good old days of extraordinary adventures in the most fantastical of worlds.
Now, here’s a bunch of games which are excellent examples of pulp fiction:
| Game | Genre | Developer | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Tomb Raider I | Adventure | Core Design |
 | Wolfenstein II The New Colossus | Action & Shooter | MachineGames |
 | Uncharted Legacy Of Thieves Collection | Adventure | Naughty Dog |
 | Lost Horizon | Adventure | Animation Arts |
 | Hard West | Adventure | CreativeForge Games |
 | Indiana Jones And The Fate Of Atlantis | Adventure | LucasArts |
 | Tomb Raider I III Remastered | Adventure | Aspyr Media |
 | Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy | Action | Vicarious Visions |
 | Tomb Raider II | Adventure | Core Design |
 | Crash Bandicoot 4 Its About Time | Action | Toys for Bob |
 | Strange Brigade | Adventure | Rebellion Developments |
 | The Lamplighters League | RPG | Harebrained Schemes |
 | Sumerian Six | Action | Artificer |
 | Hard West 2 | Action | Ice Code Games |
 | Wolfenstein The New Order | Action & Shooter | MachineGames |
 | Tomb Raider III | Adventure | Core Design |
The Lamplighters League
| Release date: | 2023-10-03 |
| Genre: | RPG |
| Developer: | Harebrained Schemes |
An evil cult threatens the existence of all we know and love, and it is up to you to form a league of extraordinary gentlemen and women who are capable of stopping the impending doom.
This is The Lamplighters League in a nutshell. This game’s a fun mix of real-time exploration, excellent turn-based tactical shenanigans, and an amazing 30s pulp feel. With a wonderfully campy story, an excellent cast of characters, and intricate gameplay, The Lamplighters League is an excellent pick, especially if you like the likes of BattleTech or X-COM.
Sumerian Six
| Release date: | 2024-09-02 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | Artificer |
If the whole supernatural evil thing is your jam, but you’d like to try something real-time based, grab Sumerian Six, which is basically Commandos, but with this science fiction/fantasy vibe.
You command a team of commando scientists who have to dab into the arcane and use all sorts of experimental technologies to defeat the Nazis and put an end to a plot which might turn the tides of WW2 into the Axis’ favor. Sneaking around and taking out guards using creative combinations of your characters’ abilities is pure joy, that’s for sure.
Hard West
| Release date: | 2015-11-18 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | CreativeForge Games |
No WW2 and no Nazis here, but this one fits the “pulp” descriptor well nonetheless. Hard West is a Weird West game where cowboys face demons and other supernatural threats.
Gameplay-wise, it’s your another X-COM-style turn-based strategy where you command a bunch of characters and help them survive all sorts of highly tactical encounters. The game looks good and plays well, so it’s obviously a great choice if you’re into stuff that’s far out of the left field. Great if you’re looking for more Weird West in your life.
Tomb Raider (before the 2013 reboot)
| Release date: | 1996-11-03 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Core Design |
Back in the day, Lara Croft used to be basically female Indiana Jones. Classy, sassy and wielding dual pistols, she used to deal with extraordinary stuff and ancient realms and artifacts.
With the reboot series more on the horror side of things, it’s good to return to the roots of the series. You know, the installments with somewhat clunky controls, levels more complex than needed, and a healthy mixture of platforming and puzzle solving. Yeah, it might sound daunting and outdated, but the recent remasters of the original trilogy proved that while a bit janky, these games still have a lot of spirit.
Uncharted (the entire series)
| Release date: | 2022-10-19 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Naughty Dog |
This franchise has generally been conceived as modern Indiana Jones. Here you play as Nathan Drake, a very likeable, charming everyman with a penchant for getting into trouble.
The games themselves are a mix of cinematic platformers and modern shooters, coupled with ducking behind covers and jumping around like crazy. Add some of the most iconic characters in video gaming to the mix and you’re in for dozens of hours of campy fun. It’s treasure hunting at its finest, even if the series has somewhat run its course over the years.
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
| Release date: | 1992-06-01 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | LucasArts |
Well, if you’re looking for your Indiana Jones fix, why not grab this one? It’s pretty much one of the greatest adventure games ever released, which might entice you to check it out even more.
Just as the title suggests, you’ll step in the shoes of Indy who’s searching for the lost city of Atlantis this time around. He is accompanied by an old accomplice of his, Sophia Hapgood, now a psychic. Of course, they’ll have to go toe-to-toe with their “favorite” villains, the Nazis. Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis is a fantastic point-and-click adventure game, there’s no doubt of that.
Strange Brigade
| Release date: | 2018-08-28 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Rebellion Developments |
What if you blended Left 4 Dead with 30s pulp? You’d get Strange Brigade, a lovely little co-op shooter. Here you shoot hordes of otherworldly undead and other supernatural nasties who aren’t too fun to be around.
You can slaughter the mummies of Seteki the Witch Queen with up to three friends (solo play is also possible, but where’s the fun in that?). With four different characters to choose from, a wide variety of available weapons and powers, and a whole bunch of levels packed with enemies and other stuff to complete, you can’t really go wrong with Strange Brigade.
Wolfenstein (the entire series)
| Release date: | 2014-05-19 |
| Genre: | Action & Shooter |
| Developer: | MachineGames |
Last but not least, here’s a major piece of first-person shooter history. While Wolfenstein 3D wasn’t the first FPS ever released, contrary to a popular belief, it nevertheless had a massive impact on the genre and spawned an incredible franchise centered around kicking Nazi butts.
You got everything here, ranging from regular Nazi soldiers to supernatural enemies and results of horrific scientific experiments. Wolfenstein: The New Order (2016) went even further – you get an entire alternate universe where the Nazis have won World War II and conquered the world. Not the most endearing of visions, we must say.
As you can see, there’s a whole lot of games which might help you pass the time before you get to get your hands on your own copy of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
Keep in mind, though, that these titles are high-quality releases, worth checking out just because they’re so darn good. If you’re interested in any of these, be sure to peruse G2A.COM for some good deals!