South Park is a long-running animated television series that has aired on Comedy Central since 1997. It was originally conceived as an American pastiche of Monty Python’s works, but the show gradually evolved into a vehicle for biting social commentary on a wide range of topics, including politics and pop culture.
With the premiere of South Park‘s twenty-seventh season, it’s worth revisiting the show’s numerous video game adaptations, of which there are roughly ten in total. This includes expansion packs such as South Park Pinball and mobile titles like South Park: Phone Destroyer.
10 South Park Pinball Has a Ball With Pinball in a South Park Setting
Release Date – Feb. 16, 2023
- Genre(s): Pinball
South Park Pinball is not a standalone video game, but rather an expansion pack for one of the best pinball video games, Pinball FX, developed and published by Zen Studios. The original pinball machine it draws inspiration from marked Sega’s final entry into the pinball industry. South Park Pinball takes place in a condensed version of the titular Colorado town, where players complete missions for various characters.
It’s not a full video game, but as a pinball table, South Park Pinball maintains the chaotic charm of the late 1990s era of the original animated television show. For concerned parents, the original pinball machine includes settings that can either tone down or completely remove the more adult content.
South Park: Super-Sweet Pinball
- Released
- October 16, 2014
- Franchise
- South Park
9 South Park Rally Is Yet Another 3D Racing Rally
Release Date – Jan. 5, 2000
- Genre(s): Kart racing
South Park Rally is a kart racer developed by Tantalus Interactive and published by Acclaim Entertainment. The game’s plot concerns a racing tournament that is being held in South Park, with the town’s roads serving as the racetrack. It’s basically a standard non-Mario Kart kart racing romp, complete with a championship mode that can unlock certain popular characters and other racetracks.
Putting aside the translation of the source material’s chaotic humor, South Park Rally was one of many Mario Kart clones released in the late 1990s and early 2000s. All things considered, the game fares better than most kart racers of its type, though it still doesn’t offer the most optimal kart racing experience.
South Park Rally
Systems
- Released
- January 5, 2000
- ESRB
- m // Comic Mischief, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Tantalus Media
- Publisher(s)
- Acclaim Entertainment
- Engine
- game engine
8 Chef’s Luv Shack Isn’t the Loveliest Party Game
Release Date – Nov. 18, 1999
- Genre(s): Party
South Park: Chef’s Luv Shack is a party game developed and published by Acclaim Entertainment. The titular game show, Chef’s Luv Shack, which airs on South Park’s public access channel, is hosted by Chef, the chef at South Park Elementary School. This serves as a fun framing device for the game and may appeal to fans of South Park‘s earlier seasons.
The title has a lot in common with party video games like You Don’t Know Jack, with much of the game involving answering a series of trivia questions about South Park. This is in addition to the myriad of mini-games that up to four players or computer opponents can compete in. It’s fun to play with friends, but it’s nowhere near as sophisticated as its inspirations.
South Park: Chef’s Luv Shack
Systems
- Released
- December 1, 1999
- ESRB
- m // Comic Mischief, Mature Sexual Themes
- Developer(s)
- Acclaim Studios Austin
- Publisher(s)
- Acclaim Entertainment
- Engine
- game engine
7 Tenorman’s Revenge Is Not as Vengeful as It Should Be
Release Date – March 30, 2012
- Genre(s): Platforming
South Park: Tenorman’s Revenge is a platformer developed by Other Ocean Interactive and published by Microsoft Studios as an Xbox 360 Live Arcade title. As the title suggests, Tenorman’s Revenge sees Scott Tenorman, Eric Cartman’s nemesis, stealing Cartman’s Xbox 360 hard drive for himself. Cartman and his friends must make every stop to get it back.
It’s a cute premise that wouldn’t be out of place in a South Park episode. With that in mind, Tenorman’s Revenge‘s gameplay is far too standard for its own good, with platforming physics and sound effects that come off as South Park slapped onto a platforming game template. The title is still enjoyable, but it feels like it wasted its potential.
South Park: Tenorman’s Revenge
- Released
- March 30, 2012
- ESRB
- m // Strong Language, Mature Humor, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Other Ocean Interactive
- Publisher(s)
- Microsoft Studios
- Engine
- game engine
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer
- Franchise
- South Park
6 Snow Day! Is Snow Thing to Write Home About
Release Date – March 26, 2024
- Genre(s): Action-adventure, beat ’em up and roguelike
South Park: Snow Day! is an action-adventure game that also combines elements of the beat ’em up and roguelike genres. The game was developed by Question and published by THQ Nordic, making it their first venture into the realm of South Park games. Snow Day! has the player’s New Kid interact with the populace of South Park on the titular snow day.
Given the usual track record with recent South Park video games, Snow Day! is a little disappointing. This mainly has to do with the 3D presentation, which looks strangely outdated and juvenile compared to the usual 2D-style presentation of recent South Park games.
South Park: Snow Day!
Systems
- Released
- March 26, 2024
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Strong Language, Violence, Mature Humor
- Developer(s)
- Question
- Publisher(s)
- THQ Nordic
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5, Unreal Engine 4
5 South Park 64 Shoots Up South Park
Release Date – Dec. 21, 1998
- Genre(s): First-person shooter
South Park 64, is a first-person shooter developed by Iguana Entertainment and published by Acclaim Entertainment. The N64 game was the first video game based on South Park, and it reflects the zany tone of the show’s earlier seasons. It follows an anthology format, with the main characters facing off against various supernatural threats.
Built on the same engine as Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, South Park 64 inherits the unorthodox control schemes of its predecessor, which may feel awkward to modern first-person shooter players. Still, it captures the chaotic spirit of early South Park more effectively than many later video game adaptations did.
South Park
Systems
- Released
- December 21, 1998
- ESRB
- m // Comic Mischief, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Appaloosa Interactive, Iguana Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Acclaim Entertainment
- Engine
- game engine
4 South Park Let’s Go Tower Defense Play! Is on the Offense
Release Date – Oct. 7, 2009
- Genre(s): Action, tower defense
South Park Let’s Go Tower Defense Play! is the unwieldy title for an action and tower defense game developed by Doublesix and published by Microsoft Game Studios. In it, South Park comes under attack by a myriad of nefarious forces, much like in South Park 64. Eric Cartman and his friends must protect their small, humble town from the onslaught.
Despite the clunky title, South Park Let’s Go Tower Defense Play! is actually a fun tower defense game that blends humor and strategy well. Players will have to stay sharp against the forces of evil while being bombarded with South Park‘s traditional sense of humor, which there’s plenty of here.
South Park Let’s Go Tower Defense Play!
- Released
- October 7, 2009
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Doublesix
- Publisher(s)
- Microsoft Game Studios
- Engine
- Unity
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer
- Franchise
- South Park
3 Phone Destroyer Is a Comparable Handheld South Park Experience
Release Date – Nov. 9, 2017
- Genre(s): Action, real-time strategy, collectible card
South Park: Phone Destroyer is an action and real-time strategy game that also incorporates elements of the collectible card genre. Developed by RedLynx and published by Ubisoft for iOS and Android devices, it features the player character, known as the New Kid, engaging in battles with South Park regulars through virtual phone-based gameplay.
While it may seem like a typical freemium mobile title with a familiar license, Phone Destroyer stands out by being self-aware of its format, embracing a darkly comedic tone. One of its most notable touches is how the amount of real-world money spent can influence the game’s ending.
South Park: Phone Destroyer
Systems
- Released
- November 9, 2017
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs, Violence
- Developer(s)
- RedLynx
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
2 South Park: The Fractured but Whole Is a Solid RPG
Release Date – Oct. 17, 2017
- Genre(s): Role-playing
South Park: The Fractured but Whole is an RPG published by Ubisoft and developed by their San Francisco studio. The game has the player’s character, the New Kid, caught in a conflict between two factions, each trying to launch a new superhero franchise. From there, the story takes on a darkly comedic tone.
Whether or not it’s considered an improvement over its predecessor, South Park: The Stick of Truth, The Fractured but Whole remains a solid entry in the series and stands above many other South Park games. One of its more distinctive features is the diverging story paths, which offer players varying experiences depending on their choices.
South Park: The Fractured But Whole
Systems
- Released
- October 17, 2017
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Mature Humor, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft San Francisco
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft
1 South Park: The Stick of Truth Sticks to the Top
Release Date – March 4, 2014
- Genre(s): Role-playing
South Park: The Stick of Truth is an RPG published by Ubisoft and developed by Obsidian Entertainment, whose portfolio includes other acclaimed role-playing games like Fallout: New Vegas. It follows the New Kid as they take part in an in-universe role-playing game hosted by Eric Cartman. What follows is an adventure that no one would describe as classy.
This title is the first thing most people think of when it comes to South Park video games. Above all, The Stick of Truth stands out as the best representative of what South Park is all about. The game’s humor is just as crude, clever, and cunning as any given episode, with the show’s distinct tone fully intact.
South Park: The Stick of Truth
Systems
- Released
- March 4, 2014
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Obsidian Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft
- Engine
- onyx engine, proprietary engine
