Parents' Guide to

Back to the Future: The Game (Episode 1)

By Marc Saltzman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Enjoyable first chapter in movie-based episodic series.

Game Windows 2010
Back to the Future: The Game (Episode 1) Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Back to the Future: The Game (Episode 1): Screenshot #1
  • Back to the Future: The Game (Episode 1): Screenshot #2

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Adam N.
Adam N. Parent of 8-year-old
February 12, 2018
age 12+

Not for kids, despite looking like it

I play games with my daughter who is currently eight years old. We have played some really great, age appropriate titles - Rime, King's Quest, Slime Rancher - they are fun and have no inappropriate content. I never really checked on this game before we started playing (it was a free download recently so I figured why not!) It has gameplay similar to King's Quest (and of course they both feature the phenomenal voice acting of Christopher Lloyd!) so we tried it. As other reviewers have mentioned the content is not entirely kid friendly - no kids are interested in Prohibition Era crime families are they? There are two main timelines the adventurers visit - 1931 and an alternate 1986 where Emmett Brown has created a bizarre, 1984-like fascist regime. Fun? Probably not for kids. And yes of course my kiddo is younger than the recommended age but just looking at the images of the game makes it seem like it's for kids but it really isn't. Themes of alcoholism later on (Marty's Mom is a secret alcoholic) and the actual mention of the "P" word (Marty tries to get Biff to notice a pile of girlie magazines and the word "Porn" appears on the screen) was jarring and inappropriate to this dad. I'm very open minded and my kiddo was fine with all the content (a lot of it went over her head and she's great at solving these types of puzzles) but you may want to try other titles if the kids are not ready for some mature content.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
valentinD
valentinD Adult
August 30, 2016
age 10+

good game

it's okay for the tweens to play with it.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much swearing
See all 2 parent reviews

What’s It About?

BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE GAME (EPISODE 1) takes place after the three Back to the Future films. Marty McFly (voiced by a Michael J. Fox sound-a-like) travels back in time -- to the dirty thirties, no less -- to rescue his friend Doc (voiced by the real Christopher Lloyd from the film trilogy). McFly uses Doc's souped-up DeLorean, with his faithful dog Einstein, to zap back in time to bring Doc back to the future -- but he runs into some resistance by the police, mobsters, and a younger Ms. Strickland, a peppy newspaper reporter. By solving puzzles, exploring Hill Valley in the 1930s, and interacting with the townsfolk, Marty can complete his ambitious goal -- or can he?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (3 ):

This first downloadable episode in the 5-part series is an excellent adventure game. The puzzles are thought-provoking but not too challenging. For example, in one scene you need to tell your imprisoned friend Doc about a formula that's being muttered by the younger Doc walking around the town. Because you have a tape recorder, you're able to capture what young Doc is saying and play it back for your friend who is sitting in a jail cell (remember: the two Docs must never cross paths for it could disrupt the time-space continuum!). While on the short side, this first tale in the series is ideal for those who love a good story, have patience to solve puzzles, and enjoy clicking on dialogue to get the info you need from characters. Note: the $24.95 price covers all five games.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether Telltale Games should've made the game more appropriate for everyone instead of for teens and adults. That is, does the swearing really add to the experience?

  • Also, families can also talk about whether they like the idea of episodic games or would you rather have the entire story in one download? Do you mind waiting for Episode 2 if it takes a month or longer?

Game Details

  • Platform: Windows
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: Telltale Games
  • Release date: December 23, 2010
  • Genre: Adventure
  • ESRB rating: NR
  • Last updated: August 30, 2016

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