Return to Monkey Island: Familiarity with the series - is it required? Return to Monkey Island walkthrough
Return to Monkey Island is the sixth installment in the series and follows on from its predecessors. This guide page explains whether you need to know the entire series of Guybrush Threepwood's adventures before playing Monkey Island 6.
Last update: 26 September 2022
On this page of the guide, you will learn whether is it worth playing Return to Monkey Island without knowing the series. We have also included tips on how to best prepare before starting a new game to recognize as many things from previous games as possible.
Scrapbook album
Return to Monkey Island is theoretically the sixth installment of the Monkey Island series, although the game continues with the events of the first two games - The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: Le Chuck's Revenge. Both of these games have received a remastered Special Edition, and you should play the first and second installments of Monkey Island. The knowledge of the following parts (3-5) is no longer obligatory.
There is a Scrapbook album in the main menu - it is a good summary of the events that took place in the first and second game. You can flick through the pages of the album and listen to Guybrush's comments. You can also click on photos and drawings to get more information about a given character or scene. This can help you remember the events of the previous games, even if you've finished Monkey Island 1 and 2.
References to previous games
There are plenty of references to the previous installments - you can visit well-known locations (some of them are very similar, others have changed) and meet many famous characters. The lack of knowledge of the series significantly reduces the fun from the game, especially since it has a lot of small references and easter eggs addressed to people who are familiar with the series.
Return of Monkey Island also features a trivia quiz about the Monkey Island. This requires a good knowledge of places and events. The game lets you answer each question once, without the option of correcting your mistake.
In conclusion, we recommend that you finish at least the first and second installments of the series before playing Return to Monkey Island. This will allow you to get to know or remember the plot, events and main characters.