Within the city of Ankh-Morpork stands the legendary Unseen University, home of the Discworld’s finest (and fattest) wizards. And deep beneath said university, in a restricted section of the archives, can be found a mysterious gray box.
Upon placing an unusually shiny disc into the box, it begins to glow and depict images most curious. Visions of the Disc made from numbers and dots, pixels and code. For this is the box upon which games most similar to the Discworld can be played.
10 Most Iconic Video Game Schools
No alarms required to attend these schools, just a console.
Alright, so what games are those, anyway? Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels shine across a broad spectrum of fantasy fiction. Ranging from the Rincewind pastiches of fantasy tropes to the political satire of Ankh-Morpork’s industrial revolution, it’s hard to claim a single fantasy sub-genre or setting best depicts the entire series.
However, they do all share one truth:Pratchett’s novels feature a viciously funny blend of satire, absurdity, and wordplay.At the same time, his characters are charmingly human. We can only hopefuture gameswill take more inspiration from the series!
When searching out games which share Discworld’s “vibe,” we must seek a balance of humor and story. Pestilent cities, wizardly academies, and other fantasy tropes should certainly be considered! But above all else, our list of game recommendations emphasizes Discworld-esque comedy.
This list’s scope is videogames, but Discworld’s influence is all over the tabletop scene, too. In particular,last year’s Kickstarter campaign for a Discworld RPGis on my watch-list for (hopefully) later in 2025.
10 Best Games Like Deltarune
There are plenty of great games to tide you over until the next Deltarune chapter.
10Disco Elysium
Detective! Detective!
Disco Elysium
For Sam Vimes aficionados, it’s hard to topDisco Elysium’smix of gritty noir and unexpected humor. Set in a dingy slum of Revachol—a comfortable parallel to Discworld’s Ankh-Morpork—in this game you’re a detective ferreting out the unknown.
Unlike many investigative games, inDisco Elysiumthemysteries aren’t just external.Opening the game with total amnesia, you’re not just trying to solve a murder. You’re also trying to discover your inner self.
I find this reminiscent of Vimes’s journey across the Guards sequence. Quite confident about his role in the world inGuards! Guards!, Vimes becomes increasingly lost as he (often accidentally) rises in status. Never as lost asDisco Elysium’smain character, I think the two would feel companionship nonetheless.
9Portal & Portal 2
A Deadly Sense Of Humor
Golems may be the closest Discworld gets to robots, but thedry, deadpan humorofPortalandPortal 2is quite familiar. GLaDOS’s mild irritation inPortalat your persistent ability to survive her deadly puzzles fits quite well with Lord Vetinari’s comically flat delivery. (Particularly if he’s had a rather bad day.)
The humor jumps a step further, though, asPortal 2diversifies the narration with commentary from the obliviously enthusiastic Wheatley and the capitalist parody Cave Johnson.One of the best puzzle games of all time,Portal 2keeps you both struggling with puzzles and laughing at the “helpful” commentary.
Even if the game’s comedy is largely confined to the dialogue—the plot is funny, but events don’t escalate into a comedic cascade like Discworld—the biting tone and superb voice acting make thePortalgames a strong choice for fans itching for Death’s sardonic commentary while they die repeatedly to the same puzzle.
Anti-Hero Hype
If you’ve got a taste for dark comedy, thenOverlordmay be up your alley. Playing as an evil overlord followed around by your goon squad of minions,Overlordis one of those delightful games where you get to play the bad guy.
Or do you?Overlordshares the Discworld novels' satiric sense of humor. As a send-up of fantasy tropes, it leaves open the question of just how villainous you are. With a surprisinglygood karma systemfacilitating shifts between anti-hero and unashamed villain, your evil (and “evil”) deeds often turn into a morbidly cartoonish parody.
It was also written by Rhianna Pratchett. Pedigree isn’t necessarily a guarantor of quality or humor, but inOverlord’scase, a resemblance glimmers through. Its humor isn’t merely a pale imitation of Discworld—the darker themes and playfulness with evil allowOverlordto stand on its own tyrannical feet.
10 Best Choose Your Own Adventure Games
Some games give us the chance to write our own stories, creating unique tales with the element of choice. Here are a few of those excellent titles.
7Simon The Sorcerer
Harry Potter: Point And Click
Adventure Soft
After finding Ye Olde Spellbook in his attic, a boy is sucked through a portal and must learn to become a wizard. The oldest entry on our list,Simon the Sorcereris a classic point-and-click adventure where your goal is simply to get home.
It also may be the most straightforward comedy.Simon the Sorcereris stuffed full withallusions, references, and puns playing on a wide variety of fantasies.In addition to genre staples likeThe Lord of the Ringsand Narnia,Simon the Sorcereris also quite heavily inspired by Discworld.
Originally designed with a Discworld license in mind, the slightly dopey, unreliable perspective on magic inSimon the Sorcereris easily compared to the Unseen University. Although it didn’t get the license, this game proudly declares its Discworld influences.
A Bit British, Innit?
Released just over 20 years ago,Fabledeserves its status as a fantasy icon.Its use of “generic medieval fantasy” tropes for story and setting presented the archetype to new gamers on the first-generation Xbox.
But what makesFablestand out from similar games or settings (like the Forgotten Realms) is itsextremely British sense of humor.The blend of thoughtful parody alongside “dumb” puns and toilet jokes givesFablea lighthearted vibe.
What makes this gamea good fit for Discworld fans, though, is thatFablerarely loses track of its story. Humor functions as a compliment toFable’splot. In that regard, it’s quite similar to Pratchett’s work—using comedy while keeping focus on a more powerful tale or theme.
5Psychonauts
Psychedelic Inception
Psychonauts
Psychonautsis a platformer in which you use the main character, Rax, to explore diverse “mental spaces” and prevent the villain from harvesting everyone’s brain at psychic summer camp.
That colorful premise is backed up with equally distinctive characters, such as a descendant of Napoleon Bonaparte who is losing a battle for self-control with the hallucination of his ancestor.
This ongoing mania shares the same vibe as Pratchett’s most bizarre and bewildering characters. The turtle manifestation of Om inSmall Godswould fit right at home alongsidePsychonauts’sentient lungfish, Linda.
If platformers are your jam, thenPsychonautsis a solid way to get your fix of weird humor. In comparison toPortalearlier on this list, though,Psychonautsfocuses on execution over puzzle-solving. So, if eye-hand coordination is your weak point, this one might be a bit less suitable.
10 Hilarious Indie Games That Nail Comedy
Throughout life, taking a break and having a nice laugh is great, so here are our favorite indie games that absolutely nail comedy.
Steampunk Revolution
Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
The 2001 CRPGArcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscuramay be a bit dated, but few games match the quality (and variety) of its writing. Set in a fantasy world overwhelmed by technological changes, youexplore the clash of magic and machinerywhile trying—of course—to prevent the Bad Guy from ending the world.
If you’re into Pratchett’s later Discworld novels,Arcanum’ssteampunk revolution should sound familiar. This same tension between “traditional medieval fantasy” and an emerging technological world is prominent throughout the Industrial Revolution novels.
For example, the feelings of loss and purposelessness felt by the dwarven “grags” inThud!.
Theme isn’t the only commonality. This period of transition, loss, and hopes for the future in bothArcanumand Discworld is handled with a mixture of sentiment and absurdity. Fae gangsters, sarcastic ghosts, and class divisions are sources of both levity and problems to be solved inArcanum’squests.
Wacky Wizard Hijinks
If you likemagic to be chaotic and absurd,it’s hard to go wrong withMagicka.While the game’sspellcrafting systemlacks mystery, in practiceMagickaplays a bit like trying to take Sergeant Angua for walkies. (Scornful, violent, and persuasive.)
The game is a very silly action-adventure parody of fantasy tropes. The magic is rather over-the-top compared to the few spells cast by members of the Unseen University. Yet, the uncontrolled mayhem and unexpected interactions between spell and setting, to me, feel very Discworld.
After all, Discworld’s sense of magic is something wondrous, strange, and dangerous. The difference withMagickais that the game’s wizards actually go out into the world anduseit.
10 Best Games With Dark Humor
So long as you’re not opposed to violence, profanity, and gross stuff, these games have plenty to laugh at.
2There Is No Game
And There Is No Fourth Wall
There is No Game: Wrong Dimension
Indie puzzlerThere Is No Game: Wrong Dimensionis filled with absolute weirdness. Presenting you with a variety of totally-not-video-game situations, your goal is simply toescape each scenarioto finally be able to play the game.
For me, this non-game’s meta-play and player-targeted narrative capture the same vibe as the most mind-bending bits of the Discworld books.
It feels like what might happen if the Unseen University’s cabinet of curiosity or reality-warping library strove to prevent a wizard’s investigation. Well, provided the wizard had already bribed the Librarian with a banana.
It’s hard to say much more without accidentally spoiling some of the game’s stranger turns. That said, if perplexing absurdity makes you giggle,There Is No Gameis definitely worth checking out.
1Discworld
Don Your Pointy Hat
What’s more Discworld than the Disc? Why,Discworld, of course! This old-school 1995 adventure game is the perfect way to get your interactive Discworld fix because it’s looselybased on Pratchett’s novelsand was designed in collaboration with the author.
Largely a patchwork made fromThe Color of Magic, The Light Fantastic,andGuards! Guards!, this game mixes old elements and adds new ones. It’s a story suitable both for established fans and for players new to the series.
Playing as Rincewind in an adventure as pointy and clicky as the 90s could get, you must guide him through various puzzles to prevent a dragon from wreaking havoc on Ankh-Morpork. Along the way, you’ll also need to prove that dragons exist.
With extensive voice acting from British actors such as Eric Idle—of Monty Python infamy—andcharming pixel art,Discworldis a loving homage to Pratchett’s work. The only problem? It’s a bit hard to find a copy.
7 Best Low-Fantasy RPGs
These are the best low fantasy RPGs where magic exists but doesn’t dominate, offering grounded worlds, gritty combat, and immersive storytelling.
