10 Best Alice In Wonderland Inspired Games

Ever since Lewis Carroll published Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in 1865 and its sequel, Through the Looking-Glass, in 1871, the books have remained among the most referenced and adapted pieces of literature in the English canon. From more direct adaptations such as Disney’s animated Alice in Wonderland film to loosely inspired versions such as Syfy’s Alice, Carroll’s books have continuously been revisited and reimagined for movies, TV shows, and, in recent decades, video games.

Without even mentioning all the titles that merely reference Alice’s adventures, there’s an overwhelming number of Alice games that range from exact depictions to original takes. Out of this large selection, some stand out as better games than others.

Alice in Wonderland (1985)

Based on the original novel, Alice in Wonderland is a 1985 adventure game released for the Commodore 64 and Apple II. Published by Windham Classics, which was a short-lived subsidiary that was known for well-made and detailed adventure games, the game has the player control Alice as she tries to escape Wonderland.

Despite being a relatively old title, the game’s world is extremely huge with detailed graphics, and the player can run, jump, swim, change size, float, and fly. When interacting with things, the player has a whole list of possible options which include arguing and singing.

Alice in Wonderland (Game Boy Color)

Based on the 1951 animated Disney film of the same name, Alice in Wonderland is a platformer adventure game for the Game Boy Color. Released in 2000, the game follows Alice as she goes through the same plot as the iconic film. While the game is primarily a platformer like many other licensed games, this particular title stands out because it uses a variety of gameplay mechanics. For example, if Alice interacts with a mushroom, she can either grow or shrink, and bubbles let her fly.

Also, in-between the platforming segments, the gameplay switches to something completely different, which includes an adventure segment where Alice must find various objects for certain characters. At one point, the game even turns into a Metal Gear Solid-esque title with Alice having to avoid getting spotted. Along with the unique gameplay, this title is worth playing because of its fluid animation and vibrant pixel-art.

Alice in Wonderland (Nintendo DS)

With how many amazing games were released on the Nintendo DS, it’s no surprise that one of the best Alice in Wonderland titles was also created for the console. Released towards the end of the console’s life in 2010, Alice in Wonderland is a metroidvania that was technically developed to coincide with the live-action Tim Burton film. But, since the developers had no idea what the film would be like, they made their own story with a Tim Burton-esque art-style.

Unlike the Wii and PC versions that closely followed the film, this version is a puzzle-platformer where the player controls several residents of Wonderland who must help escort Alice by solving puzzles and defeating monsters. Although most escort missions in games tend to be tedious and frustrating, it simply adds another layer to the puzzles in this particular title.

Alice is Dead

Although there were plenty of iconic Flash games, the episodic Alice is Dead series was one of the most popular examples at the time. Released from 2009 to 2010 on Newgrounds, Alice is Dead was a point-and-click adventure series that consisted of three episodes. At the start of the first episode, the player character wakes up in a giant pit with no memory of how they got there, but they do quickly find out that, apparently, Alice is dead.

As they solve puzzles within this bizarre world, they slowly uncover the truths behind who they are, what happened to Alice, and all the strange things occurring within this Noir-like version of Wonderland. The games are known for their hand-drawn art style, creepy soundtrack, and in-depth lore. After many years, it was recently announced that the series is getting an HD remake for Steam called Alice is Dead: Hearts and Diamonds.

Märchen Maze

Released for arcades in 1988 and published by Namco, Märchen Maze is an isometric run-and-gun platformer and one of the many interesting games that were only released in Japan. After falling asleep while reading a fairy tale book, a young girl named Alice is woken up by the White Rabbit calling to her from within a mirror. He tells Alice that his world has been conquered by the Queen of Darkness and that she is the only child with the power to save everyone.

After entering the mirror world, Alice has to traverse several stages and shoot hordes of enemies, and each stage must be completed within three minutes. Although there are enemies and bosses, Alice doesn’t have health. Instead, the projectiles from enemies push Alice backwards, which can cause her to fall off the platforms and die.

Alice: An Interactive Museum

Created by Haruhiko Shono, who would later create the obscure 90s game Gadget: Invention, Travel, & Adventure, Alice: An Interactive Museum is a 1991 adventure game that has the player explore a large mansion filled with interactive pieces of art inspired by Alice in Wonderland. Like the later title Gadget, the player spends most the game simply clicking things and watching what happens.

But, unlike Gadget, there’s a gameplay aspect throughout and the progression is not entirely linear. While exploring, the player will need to find all of the missing cards in order to unlock the final room in the house and beat the game.

The Bottom of the Well

Originally created for the WAG (Write A Game) Challenge Jam on Itch.io, The Bottom of the Well is a free 2016 visual novel game that is available on both Itch.io and Steam. In this game, Alice has just woken up from a realistic dream about trying to survive in an apocalypse, and she is retelling the experience to her friend.

As the story gets told, the player is able influence Alice’s various stats and make many different choices. Although a single playthrough of this game is only about 20 minutes long, the player is meant to replay the game multiple times and explore the multitude of possible paths.

Are You Alice?

Released in 2011 for the PSP, Are You Alice? is a visual novel game that is based off the manga and Drama CDs of the same name. In this game, the main character is a young man who has taken on the role of “Alice” within an ongoing game to kill the White Rabbit. While living in Wonderland as the 89th Alice candidate, he must survive against the myriad of people who will try to kill him.

As “Alice” gets to know the large cast of characters, he slowly uncovers the hidden truths behind the game and his own forgotten past. Although the entire manga series has been officially translated, the game has, sadly, never been released outside of Japan.

Alicemare

Developed by Miwashiba, who also created 1BitHeart and LiEat, Alicemare is an RPG Maker horror adventure game that draws inspiration from many different fairy tales, but it’s still primarily inspired by Alice in Wonderland. The game follows a young amnesiac boy named Allen who has just recently lost his parents. After getting adopted by a young man simply referred to as “Teacher,” he meets four other children who have also been previously adopted by him.

After hearing some rumors from the other kids, Allen decides to investigate during the night, which leads to him discovering an alternate world where he can explore the minds of the other kids. Similarly to Miwashiba’s other games, Alicemare has a beautiful art-style and an intriguing story that will keep the player hooked until the end.

Alice: Madness Returns

Released in 2011, Alice: Madness Returns is a psychological horror hack-and-slash game and a direct sequel to the 2000 action-adventure game American McGee’s Alice. Although this game is a sequel, the player doesn’t need to experience the first game to understand and enjoy this one. The game follows a 19-year-old named Alice Liddell who lives at an orphanage, which is run by a psychiatrist named Dr. Angus Bumby, after her family died in a fire.

While walking through London in 1875, Alice is transported into Wonderland and discovers that it’s getting corrupted by a force known as the Infernal Train. To save her Wonderland, Alice must defeat various bosses, uncover lost memories, and overcome trauma.

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