Batman: The Telltale Series

Batman: The Telltale Series is an episodic point-and-click graphic adventure game released in 2016. It was developed and published by Telltale Games, with distribution handled by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment under its DC Entertainment label. The game draws on the DC Comics character Batman, originally created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, but is not connected to any prior film or other media adaptation. Critical reception was mixed: reviewers praised the atmosphere, action sequences, and faithfulness to the Batman mythos, while criticizing technical issues and the plot. A second season, Batman: The Enemy Within, came out in 2017 and was generally considered an improvement over the first.

Telltale Games shut down in 2018, but the licenses for both Batman games were later acquired by Athlon Games. In December 2019, LCG Entertainment re-released them under a revived Telltale Games label as the combined Shadows Edition.

In gameplay, players control Batman in both his superhero identity and his civilian persona, Bruce Wayne. Playtime is split evenly between the two, though at certain points the player can choose which role to use in a given situation. While the game stays close to the comics in terms of continuity, the player’s decisions shape Batman’s personality and actions—he can be a more traditional, inspiring hero or a colder, more aggressive version of the character. Telltale described the narrative as a fresh interpretation of the universe set in current times, not tied to any existing Batman story in games, film, or comics. The story takes place a few years after Wayne decides to become Batman, giving the writers flexibility and allowing players some control over how they play without being bound by an established narrative. The game features a branching narrative, like earlier Telltale titles, where choices affect later events. Action sequences are resolved through quick time events, and investigation sequences let players use Batman’s detective skills to advance the story.

A new feature called “crowd play” was introduced, available on both PC and console versions. This mode allows an audience to watch and participate in decision-making. When active, the main player provides a link to Telltale’s website with a unique code, enabling viewers to vote on decisions through any web-enabled device.