Summary
Buried deep below the earth or drowned far below the ocean surface sleeps the promise of untold riches. Or so they say. The treasure-hunting gig not only promises fresh sights, puzzle solving, and a chance to make history, but it also offers the opportunity to rake in vast amounts of wealth at the end of the journey. Watching or reading about plunderers of riches old in movies or books is fun, but there’s nothing quite like being able to do it for real.
Sadly, not many fortune fans have the training or resources to spelunk into ancient caverns or set sail foran obscure and uncharted islandof ruined ships heavy with precious cargo. Thankfully, video games offer the next best thing by allowing players to experience life-threatening excursions into lost tombs and hideaways in the comfort of their homes.
Borderlands
As one of the most famous examples of a “looter-shooter,“Borderlandsweaves a story following the exploits of various “Vault Hunters” on their quest to carve fame and fortune from the dangerous moon world of Pandora, combining it with the thematically appropriate gameplay mechanic of burying the player with rewards at every turn. A loot chest punctuates each sequence, and the player is constantly showered with drops of newer, shinier guns, armor, and mods.
Of course, it’snot just the Vault Hunterslooking to make it rich, and there are plenty of violent idlers hanging around to make the journey interesting. Expect mad robots, super mutants, and feral punks to get in the way of the prize, as well as a series of twists and turns.
The Lego rendition of the classicIndietrilogy surely belongs in a museum for its commendable interactable rendering of the first three blockbuster adventures of the world’s most intrepid action movie archeologist, albeit in colorful, blocky form. Seeing Lego Indie whipping down blocks as he delves for treasures such as the Ark of the Covenant is almost as fun as using them to build towers and tombs in real life.
Of course, like the movies, players will mostly beengaging in para-archeological actioninLego Indiana Jones, rather than real archeology or meticulous treasure hunting, but all the beats from the classic trilogy are there, and with its charming, tongue-in-cheek attitude and breezy gameplay, players will be swept along by John William’s score while out on their grand adventure.
Gamers who would rather eschew the act of map reading and clue solving for the simple joy of ripping up chunks of earth for the discovery of jewels, gemstones, and precious metals will dig the 2D retro platformer gameplay ofShovel Knight, especially as there are secret hoards of loot carefully hidden in each area.
The titular knight of shovels earns his fortune throughcampaigns of single-handed conquest, putting down other knights, and looting their castles. However, as his primary weapon is a digging implement, it makes sense that he would be able to engage in heaps of treasure-hunting activities on the way.
While it isn’t exactly called “MineTreasurehuntCraft,” there are plenty of reasons whyMinecraftmakes for one of the best treasure-hunting games out there. For one, players can sink their shovel into any part of the world (provided there’s dirt or grass) and have a chance to uncover some lost loot of old a few blocks down, whether precious metals or enchanted weapons and artifacts. Some chests even contain randomly generated treasure maps that can lead to some serious booty elsewhere else in the world.
Treasure maps even include an “X marks the spot” and an organic search to the location, be it land or deep beneath the sea. Players can even partake in archeology with the 1.20 “Trails & Tales” update. Upon finding “suspicious” sand or gravel, it’s possible to dust down some ancient relics, including pottery shards, music discs, ruins, and even a mysterious egg. Discoveringthe secrets behind these lost wonderscan be a treasure in itself.
With over twenty years of history and around as many games under her belt, Lara Croft is gaming’s archetypal and original treasure hunter and a treasure in her own right. TheTomb Raidergames have come a long way since the pointy polygon, tank-control tomb raids of the 90s, but gamers can relive those adventures with some modern tuning thanks to theTomb Raider 1-3 Remaster.
Lara lost some of her invincible-action-hero appeal in the remakes, turning her into a more vulnerable but still impressive protagonist. That aside, the new era Lara takes on plenty of great excursions to lost, gold-gilded temples and raidable, bejeweled civilizations, where fantastic and explosive set pieces await.
Treasure hunting and high-seas piracy go hand-in-hook, andSea of Thievesis still one of the best ways to experience a swashbuckling adventure, provided that some multiplayer mateys can be wrangled up to sail along. The point of piracy is, of course, to get stinking rich on plunder, whether from the depths of a dig or an enemy galleon, but it is best done as part of a tight crew.
Rare’s classicstylized visuals and quirky humorhelp set the mood for treasure-seeking.Sea of Thievesoffers a fleshed-out world full of divergencies and side activities, such as brawling and land raids, between dopamine-inducing treasure digs and hearty hauls to keep the pickiest peg-leg amused.
With blockbuster, high-octane action sequences sprinkled generously throughout each chapter, this action-adventure romp depicted in theUnchartedseries manages to top just about anything Hollywood could put out in terms of adrenaline-pumping spectacle.
From lush jungles to dry deserts, Nathen Drake must push through puzzles, hired guns, and the elements to get his hands on secrets from ages past. Just as any good treasure-hunting adventure should, the series is loaded with tense moments, romance,visual wonders for the eyes to behold, and, of course, an incredible payoff at the end.
