Adventure games and action-adventure games require you to navigate a fictional world from beginning to end, fighting off enemies and overcoming obstacles as you encounter them.

Cave Story:

This is a type of action-adventure game known as a side-scroller, where your fictional world scrolls across the screen from right to left. Over time, you acquire weapons and other items by finding them or through trade, as you work your way through a cave system.

• Cave Story Download Page

Chzo Mythos:

This is a series of adventure games consisting of "5 days a stranger", "Trillby's Notes", "6 days a Sacrifice", and "7 Days a Skeptic".

• Fully Ramblomatic Download Page

Dwarf Fortress:

Slaves to Armok: God of Blood Chapter II: Dwarf Fortress is a fantasy game with a very complex play universe and several modes of gameplay known as "Dwarf Fortress" mode, "Adventurer" mode, and "Legends" mode.

• Dwarf Fortress Download Page

Eternal Daughter:

Eternal Daughter is a side-scrolling adventure game with role playing aspects.

• Eternal Daughter Developer's Page

Iji:

This is a recent award-winning platform shooter game. 

• Iji Developer's Page

La-Mulana:

La-Mulana is a recent side scrolling single player adventure based on 1980's video game design.

• La-Mulana English Site

N (The Way of the Ninja):

N is a classic side-scroller single player game.

• N: The Way of The Ninja Site

Notrium:

Survive and thrive on an alien world.

• Notrium Web Site

A Second Face:

A sci-fi fantasy adventure game with advanced 3d graphics where you try to solve problems on a planet that has one side shrouded in darkness and one bathed in light at all times.

• A Second Face Web Site

A Tale of Two Kingdoms:

A popular faerie-tale style fantasy adventure game with modern graphics.

• A Tale of Two Kingdoms Web Site

Transcendence:

Transcendence is a sci-fi adventure single-player game where you trade items and fight to make your way through the galaxy to its core, where the ultimate challenge awaits.

• Transcendence Web Site