Day of the Tentacle Remastered is leaving Xbox Game Pass on 31 October 2026, giving Australian players a short window to experience one of the most influential point-and-click adventures ever made.
A classic adventure with a time-travel twist
Originally released by LucasArts in 1993, Day of the Tentacle is a colourful comedy adventure built around the SCUMM game engine. Players select commands such as “pick up”, “talk to” and “use”, then apply them to objects and characters throughout the world.
The story follows Bernard, a nervous science enthusiast, and his friends Hoagie and Laverne as they attempt to stop the mutated Purple Tentacle from conquering humanity. Purple Tentacle’s plan is so effective that the group must turn to time travel for a solution.
Dr Fred, a friendly but eccentric scientist, provides access to time machines hidden inside portable toilets. The experiment goes wrong: Hoagie is sent 200 years into the past, Laverne is stranded 200 years in the future after Purple Tentacle has enslaved humanity, and Bernard remains in the present.
To succeed, the three characters must cooperate across the different eras, sending useful items through the time-travelling toilets and solving puzzles that connect the past, present and future.
What the remastered edition includes
Double Fine obtained the rights to the game from LucasArts after the positive response to its 2015 collaboration on Grim Fandango Remastered. That title is also scheduled to leave Game Pass at the end of October.
The remaster offers more than an updated presentation. It also contains a complete, playable version of LucasArts’ 1987 adventure Maniac Mansion, the first game to use the SCUMM engine.
Why it is worth playing before 31 October
Day of the Tentacle Remastered takes approximately five or six hours to finish, making it a manageable Game Pass game to complete before it disappears from the service. Its cartoon style, inventive puzzles and surreal story also make it a fitting choice for Halloween season without relying on conventional horror.
After seven years under the Xbox umbrella, Double Fine went independent again in July. The studio’s change in status helps explain why its games are now leaving the Game Pass library.
For more gaming and arcade news, browse the RETROCADE Arcade Blog. Players planning a dedicated home setup can also explore arcade machines, compact bartop arcades or the arcade machine buying guide.
Where to play it
If you do not have an Xbox or a Game Pass subscription, Day of the Tentacle Remastered is also available on PlayStation and Windows PC. A Nintendo Switch version is not currently available.
Double Fine also produced a short documentary about the remaster’s development, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how the project was made.
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