10 Best Games Based On The Wizard of Oz, According To Metacritic

Even after all these years, the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz is still considered one of the greatest films of all time. As one of the earliest films to be shot in color, audiences were dazzled by the magic of Dorothy being transported from the sepia-toned Kansas to the brightly colorful Land of Oz, and this sense of wonder for the film continues to this day.

After the creation of this masterpiece, plenty of video games have been made that are based on the novel and the film. According to Metacritic, here are some of the best examples.

10 A Witch’s Tale – 50

Released in 2009 for the DS, A Witch’s Tale is a JRPG that follows a young witch-in-training named Liddell who must travel to several kingdoms and save the world after she accidentally unleashes an evil being called the Eld Witch, who was sealed by Queen Alice. While the game is primarily based on Alice in Wonderland, it also draws inspiration from other popular fantasy stories, which include The Wizard of Oz. 

Before reaching the final sigil, Liddell must first travel through Artis, which is also known as the Machine Kingdom. Dorothy is the princess of this kingdom, and the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion are her servants. After her father was killed by one of his servants, Dorothy stopped trusting people and sealed her servants away, so Liddell has to convince her to trust again.

9 Monsters Invade: Oz – 54

Before Pokémon Go was released in 2016, official Pokémon mobile games were simple companion apps to the mainline console titles. To try to fulfill the demand for an actual Pokémon-like mobile title, Bryan Mitchell, who created the well-received puzzle app game Geared, developed the 2013 game Monsters Invade: Oz.

After getting transported to the Land of Oz, this free-to-play mobile app game followed Dorothy and her dog Toto as they traveled across the yellow brick road and fought against blob-like creatures. Similarly to Pokémon, these creatures could be caught and evolved, and the art-style was cute. Although the gameplay worked well and the soundtrack was great, the boring blob creatures and the in-app transactions made the overall experience a bit lackluster.

8 The Wizard Of Oz: Beyond The Yellow Brick Road – 68

Known as RIZ-ZOAWD in Japan, The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road is a 2008 JRPG for the DS that was developed by Media.Vision, who also created the obscure JRPG series Wild Arms. In this game, the player controls Dorothy as she explores the land of Oz with her dog Toto. After meeting the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion, the group goes on a journey to defeat four witches so that the Wizard of Oz will grant the group’s wishes.

Besides having unique character designs, original characters, and new plot elements, the game also stands out for having special gameplay mechanics. Instead of simply using the directional pad, the player moves Dorothy by using the stylus to control the green trackball on the bottom screen. Also, the game has an in-depth fighting system where the player changes the battle party during each turn in order to use different characters and abilities.

7 Oz: Broken Kingdom – 69

Another free-to-play mobile game with in-app transactions that is based on the Oz franchise is the 2016 RPG Oz: Broken Kingdom. After Dorothy and the Wizard disappeared, the Land of Oz got swallowed up by darkness. To try to save the kingdom, Queen Ozma used her magic to summon a person to save it.

This spell caused the game’s new heroine, Ophelia Shen, and her cat to end up in Oz after the ship they were on got caught in a storm. With the help of the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion, Ophelia must defeat the resurrected Wicked Witch of the East and restore the corrupted land.

6 Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. – 69

Released in 2015 for the 3DS, Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. is a third-person shooter tactical RPG that takes place in an alternate steampunk history and centers around characters from well-known American literature and folklore. Shortly after the Civil War, aliens inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft attack the planet, so President Abraham Lincoln creates a strike force called S.T.E.A.M that will fight against the invasion.

Since the game uses characters from American literature, it’s no surprise that characters from The Wizard of Oz show up as members of the task force. The Lion, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Dorothy all help fight against the aliens, and everyone eventually has to help save Queen Ozma and the rest of Oz from the invasion.

5 Temple Run: Oz – 71

Based on the 2013 prequel film Oz the Great and Powerful, Temple Run: Oz was a 2013 endless runner and a spin-off of the mainline Temple Run mobile app game series. As Oscar Diggs, who would later become The Wizard of Oz, the player quickly runs through various locations in the Land of Oz while trying to avoid obstacles and stay on the path.

While getting chased by Winged Monkeys, Oscar runs through Whimsie Woods, Winkie Country, the Dark Forest, and the Emerald City, and players could also unlock three other characters. In 2017, this game, along with Temple Run: Brave, was pulled off the app store.

4 Emerald City Confidential – 71

Developed by Wadjet Eye Games, who are best known for the Blackwell series, Emerald City Confidential is a 2009 adventure game where players get to solve cases within a film noir version of the Emerald City of Oz. The game follows a private eye named Petra who decides to investigate the mysterious disappearance of the fiancé of a strange woman named Dee Gale.

But, there’s more to this missing person case than there originally seems. As Petra encounters familiar faces such as the Lion, Scarecrow, and Toto, she slowly uncovers the dark secrets behind both the city and her own past.

3 Fallout: New Vegas Old World Blues – 83

While the 2010 action RPG Fallout: New Vegas has several DLCs, only one of them is a subtle reference to The Wizard of Oz: the 2011 DLC “Old World Blues.” In this DLC, the Courier, like Dorothy, is knocked unconscious and wakes up in a strange world. Unluckily for the Courier, this isn’t a magical world but the Big MT research facility that’s filled with deadly creatures.

During the campaign, the Courier is looking for their brain (like the Scarecrow), their heart (like the Tin Man), and their spine (like the Lion). Doctor Mobius, who shares some narrative similarities with The Wizard of Oz, even references the story in one of his dialogues.

2 Fallout 4 – 88

While Fallout: New Vegas had an entire DLC based on The Wizard of Oz, the 2015 action RPG Fallout 4 took it a step further by basically making the whole main game based on the story. Similar to Dorothy waking up in the Land of Oz, the Sole Survivor wakes up in the post-apocalyptic world. The Sole Survivor goes on a journey across the land to find their child, and Dorothy went on a journey to find her aunt and uncle.

Both characters are instructed by women with magical powers to go to a city that is painted green and named after a gem. Also, both the Sole Survivor and Dorothy have a dog companion.

1 Banjo-Kazooie – 92

In the Banjo-Kazooie series, the main antagonist, Gruntilda Winkybunion, is based on several different witches in popular media. Her jealousy of Banjo’s sister Tooty’s beauty and her use of Dingpot to find Tooty is similar to the Evil Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Also, her use of Dingpot along with her two sisters, Mingella and Blobbelda, makes them resemble the three witches from Macbeth.

But, she is also similar to the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz. Besides looking similar to the character, Gruntilda also has a good sister named Brentilda who looks and acts just like Glinda the Good Witch of the North.

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