Announcement of the game Return to Monkey Island.

Return to Monkey Island, a sequel from the original director, is on the horizon, set to release in 2022.

The game is developed as a continuation of the iconic point ‘n’ click series, following the narrative and gameplay style of the first two titles: The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge. It’s being published by Devolver Digital in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. Notably, co-writer of the original game, Dave Grossman, and LucasArts composers Michael Land, Michael McConnell, and Clint Bajakian are returning. However, Tim Schafer, co-writer and head of Double Fine under Microsoft, is notably absent from the project.

On Twitter, Gilbert revealed that his studio, Terrible Toybox, has been working on the game “in complete secrecy” for the past two years.

For more details, you can check out the official announcement on Devolver Digital’s Twitter.

While specifics about the game are sparse, a 2013 blog post from Gilbert provides some insights into his vision. He expressed a desire for a “retro game reminiscent of Monkey Island 1 and 2,” intentionally disregarding events from later games in the series. Given the game’s timeline following LeChuck’s Revenge, it seems his vision is coming to fruition.

Among Gilbert’s other ideas were crafting a “hardcore adventure game” devoid of tutorials, hint systems, “dumb puzzles, market orientation, or modernization.” He envisioned retro art on modern hardware to achieve what Lucasarts couldn’t in the ’90s, a physical release, dialogue-driven puzzles, and an absence of command verbs. Additionally, he expressed interest in reviving the original game’s SCUMM engine.

Return to Monkey Island is part of a trend where Disney Lucasfilm Games revisits classic franchises, including Indiana Jones, new Star Wars projects, and more. This isn’t the first time Monkey Island has resurfaced; an easter egg appeared in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” update for Sea of Thieves.

Last year, Lucasfilm Games discussed collaborations with developers to create dream games using Disney IPs. Given Gilbert’s public interest in acquiring the franchise from Disney, this venture might be seen as the next best thing.