Video games with clever writing or a good sense of humor.
I used "intentionally" in the title because there are alot of video games that have unintentional moments.

• Armed and Dangerous - A game by LucasArts in 2003. Full of Star Wars and Monty Python references.
• Conker's Bad Fur Day - Has alot of crude jokes, but it's as goofy and cartoony as any other Rare game.
• Lego Games (Yes even some of the ones with voice acting) - Some funny exchanges and funny visual humor. An example of silent comedy.
  An example of dialogue.

 

Katamari Damacy is a funny concept, rolling up everything and everyone into a giant ball. And the king character is hilarious.

 

Ratchet and Clank had some good writing. Uncharted also had some great lines. Having dived back into Borderlands, the lines are pretty funny at first, but they get repetitive on the common kills.

 

Legitimately good comedy writing is extremely thin on the ground in games, the Lucas adventure crew and RGG Studio are the only devs I can immediately think of that have ever been consistently good at it for an extended period.

 

Those lucas arts adventure games are pretty legendary for their comedy. Sadly, I haven't gotten around to playing them yet, but they're all on my to do list. Monkey Island, day of the tentacle, Sam and Max, Grim Fandango, all classics. If your not into point and click adventure games, Psychonauts was made by some of the same people and is just as funny, with platformer game play.

I'll also recommend The Bards Tale. The 2004 action rpg, not the original rpgs from the 80s. It features a hero that's in it solely for the fame and money, but the universe decides that he's the chosen one. The world constantly mocks the hero's efforts, including the narrator. There are tons of funny bits, but some of the highlights are the songs in the game. Here's a youtube link - Bard's Tale Songs - YouTube

Super Mario rpg is pretty funny as well, as well as most of the other Mario rpg's.

 

South Park SoT was hilarious also TFBW while not as funny had some funny moments.

 

Costume Quest, Brutal Legend

 

I can't believe I forgot about a duo of great funny strategy games!

Dungeon Keeper is a game about building a death trap to attract, and then kill, goody two-shoes adventurers.

Theme Hospital, and it's spiritual successor two-point hospital, is a game about running a successful hospital, with crazy made up diseases and equally crazy cures.

Both of those aren't as laugh out loud funny as others on this thread, but the humor is pervasive and hits the perfect tone for those games.

Edit: Doood! I was thinking about funny strategy games and somehow forgot about Disgaea. A strategy rpg classic

Edit 2: Thought of another one. No One Lives forever 1 and 2 are first person shooters with a spoofy 60's spy tone. I never got around to playing them myself yet, but have heard nothing but good things about them.

Edit 3: The longer I think, the more I remember. Parappa the Rapper, one of the first rhythm games. It's mostly remembered for it's funny songs.

The Oddworld games are all pretty funny. I particularly like Strangers Wrath. The only game where your ammo talks to you.

 

I was going to mention Lucasarts adventures, but was beaten to it; I'd add Afterlife (also Lucasarts) - SimCity but running Heaven and Hell. You get some funny commentary from Jasper and Aria (your demonic and angelic aides), but even the loading progress bar has comedic elements ("Backwards day", "Ossifying hard drive..."... they're even more intriguing than "reticulating splines..."). I miss Lucasarts  

Some games, while not comedic in nature, have their intentionally (I hope) funny moments. I loved hearing Leonard Nimoy narrating the Civilization games... I still remember him quoting Sputnik.... "beep... beep... beep... beep..."  

Portal / Portal 2 - GlaDOS / PotatOS and Wheatley had some really funny stuff. Even just the concept of Wheatley cracks me up - artificial stupidity because artificial intelligence was too logical to beat humans  

 

I can't believe I forgot about Portal, good call on that one.

Yeah, Civilization has always had some comedic undertones to it that I've enjoyed. There are a lot of games that have comedic elements that I wouldn't call all out comedy. Like playing as a car from Daytona USA in Fighters megamix for the Saturn.

I'd also say that Viewtiful Joe is a borderline funny game. The focus isn't comedy, but it is funny from time to time.

 

That looks like someone wanted to make a Transformers fighting game but could only get the licence for the RPM mini vehicles, resulting in something so surreal even David Lynch would say it's a bit too weird.

 

Here's some games that are funny simply by the absurdity of the scenarios or art.

Parodius is series of horizontal arcade shooters that are a parody of Konami's own Gradius.

Simpsons arcade game uses the same game engine and style of other Konami brawlers like TMNT 2 and X-Men. Seeing Marge beat someone with a vacuum cleaner never gets old.

Ninja Baseball Batman, just look at it.

 

Super Smash Bros.: After years with this game as a staple we've stopped thinking of it as funny, but it really is. The weapons that are all over the place. The way opponents get launched when hit hard, the chaotic nature of four players leading to a cacophony of laughs, taunts, and curses, the often wacky stages, and having cute characters like Kirby beating up the likes of Ridly, Solid Snake, and Bayonetta. Admit it, sometimes when you play this game you just cackle like a madman.

Rayman Legends: Most platformers could be described as humorous, but this one goes a bit farther than most. The art style is funny, the animations are often funny, the character skins you unlock constantly are funny, and the enemies often react humorously. It doesn't hit you over the head every level with jokes, instead spacing them out so that they aren't worn out. Then it really gets funny during the music levels. Good god the music levels are awesome, hilarious and epic at the same time.

Crazy Taxi: The arcade game was already pretty funny, with eccentric cabbies and crazy aggressive passengers that reward you for driving recklessly. Then the home versions upped the ante with a mission mode that had things like playing golf with a car. This is a simple silly game that always makes me smile.

Half Minute Hero: Most people probably won't see this game as funny as I do, but damn it, it makes me laugh so I'm including it. The game is a series of rpg scenarios that have a 30 second time limit. Time stops when in town, and you can bribe the time goddess to reset the clock if you have enough gold. Other than that time constantly counts down while you have to do all the classic rpg stuff. Exploring, Grinding, finding important people you have to talk to, getting McGuffins, all that stuff. This turns every scenario into a puzzle that you have to be extremely efficient at to complete in time. While this is a lighthearted game and it does have jokes, that's not really the reason I find it so funny. I just think the concept of the game itself, boiling down the long winded epic rpg journey down to bite sized, hyperspeed chunks, is inherently hilarious. I'm smiling now just thinking of it.

 

Maniac Mansion
Day of the Tentacle
Rayman Origins
Kid Icarus Uprising

 

The first three Paper Mario games had a lot of good comedy. Maybe the later ones did too but I still haven't touched those. I fuckin' love Paper Bowser.

 

Serious Sam series

Here's a quick, abridged rundown of my favorite boss intro.

"Winged Dragon! I'm here to kill you and save the princess"
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. Take her back"
"Really? That was eas- oh Lord, she's hidious! You keep her"
"No! You will take her"
"Hell naw"
"Fine! We'll fight, and the loser gets the princess"

And after you beat the dragon.

"Don't come any closer or... Or I'll jump"
" Don't do it! You have so much to live for! Okay, I'll take the princess but only if I can have the power amulet"
"Okay, fine"

 

"Man, it's cold! My nipples are like pencil erasers!"

 

Untitled Goose Game is pretty funny.

 

So, while funny games are obviously one of my favorite things, my knowledge of gamming post 2006 is fairly spotty. I've kept track of trends and big titles, but I haven't played much and my only recent console is the switch. I knew there were more recent great titles out there. Since no one else want's to chime in, I decided to look some up and came up with these other titles.

The Stanley Parable
Goat Simulator
Octodad
West of Loathing
Undertale
Jazzpunk
Battleblock Theater
Worms: Revolution
Tales From the Borderlands
What the Golf?
Bullet Storm
Saints Row 4

and one text game almost as old as gamming itself, and it's free to play!

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Some day I hope to have enough time and money to play all of these.

The reviews for these games are really good, has anyone else played these? They sound hilarious.

 

I wanted to add some games.

• The Wario series of games are comedic in nature, and more deranged compared to Mario. Lots of squash and stretch, crude jokes and just a comically hilarious protagonist.
• Mortal Kombat has some funny moments, friendships, stage intros, and fatalities.
• For an obscure game, Iconoclasts. The game has a solid sense of humor. To give an example there's a boss fight in the game where one of the characters (Mina) can't hide in brushes because of her body odor, so she has to hide in water. I think people should play it.
• Stubbs the Zombie is developed by ex-Bungie devs, so you can expect Bungie's trademark wit and humor. One section of the game has you peeing in a dam and flooding the city with it.
• Luigi's Mansion gives Luigi some life and personality, and makes him a lovable doofus.