LucasArts released The Secret of Monkey Island in 1990. The graphic adventure transports players to a fictional version of the Caribbean during the Age of Piracy. Players assume the role of the wannabe swashbuckler Guybrush Threepwood and guide him on a quest to become a real pirate. Players must complete three trials before they gain pirate-status. They must win a swordfight against the swordmaster Carla, steal an idol from the Governor, and discover buried treasure. While undertaking these quests Guybrush meets and falls in love with Elaine, the governor's daughter. This invokes the wrath of the ghost pirate LeChuck who promptly kidnaps Elaine and takes her to the mysterious Monkey Island. The player must defeat LeChuck and rescue Elaine. The Secret of Monkey Island was one of the first adventure games to incorporate a dialogue tree where players choose a line of conversation to follow when talking to non-player characters. Gameplay focuses on exploration and unlike contemporary adventure games it is nearly impossible for the player character to die. This leaves players free to explore the gameworld and attempt a variety of solutions to problems. The game is also designed so that players do not reach a dead-end if they fail to complete a puzzle or quest in the correct order, a factor which endeared the game to a wide audience.
The Secret of Monkey Island received commercial success and critical acclaim at the time of release. Critics praised its state-of-the-art graphics, intuitive interface, and lively soundtrack. It is famous for its humorous nature and is considered one of the best comedic adventures of all time. The Secret of Monkey Island is remembered fondly for its lovable characters, witty dialogue, and hilarious situations including the infamous insult swordfighting. The game inspired four sequels, the latest released in 2009. The Monkey Island franchise continually demonstrated the compatibility of comedy and video games and for this it holds an important place in the history of electronic games.