Whether we’re talking about memorable characters, settings, or stories, the best games set in Spain have played a large role in shaping today’s gaming landscape.
It makes a lot of sense when you consider the country’s historic influence on not only neighboring European territories but the world as a whole.
To celebrate Spanish culture and history, here we’re highlighting the best games set in Spain that will help broaden your knowledge while having fun.
With that said, let’s jump right in, shall we?
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Resident Evil 4
Platforms: Windows, PS5, PS4, PS2, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, Wii, GameCube
Without a doubt the most popular game set in Spain, Resident Evil 4 drops you in an unnamed village in the Spanish countryside.
As great as it would be to soak up the local culture and scenery, things move at a brisk pace as your character Leon Kennedy is tasked with rescuing the President’s daughter.
From what exactly? Well, cult kidnappers infected by a mind-controlling zombie parasite, for starters.
While the game may not offer the most welcoming portrayal of Spain, it does a great job of leveraging Spanish culture and customs to tell its story.
Impasto
Platform: Windows
Next up on our list of the best games set in Spain is Impasto, a free PC game inspired by the works and legacy of Spanish painter Francisco Goya.
Best described as a first-person horror adventure, it casts you as Goya’s grandson who receives a mysterious inheritance letter guiding him to a foreboding manor.
It’s not long before he finds himself in a dark and twisted painterly world modeled after the revered yet tortured artist’s signature style.
To survive, you’ll have to navigate harrowing and atmospheric environments while relying on stealth and wits to avoid capture.
Gran Turismo 7
Platforms: PS5, PS4
Considering many of the best racing games feature tracks set in Spain, why not take a minute to go through some of the most notable ones?
Gran Turismo 7 is the latest installment in Sony’s long-running racing sim series and introduces better-looking graphics, gameplay, and tracks from all over the world.
Among them is Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, a well-known motorsport race track located in Montmeló, Catalonia, which first appeared in Gran Turismo Sport.
This track’s popularity transcends video games as many Formula One drivers spend a lot of time practicing here and getting to know the ins and outs of its layout.
DiRT Rally 2.0
Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One
DiRT Rally 2.0 is another realistically-detailed racer that includes several maps based on various locations throughout Spain.
Serving as a follow-up to 2015’s DiRT Rally, the game sees you carving your way through iconic Spanish rally locations like Ribadelles.
In addition, DiRT Rally 2.0 offers its own take on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya separate from that of Gran Turismo 7.
Both locations have been meticulously recreated based on their real-world counterparts to provide players with a challenging and robust rally racing experience.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Platforms: Windows, Xbox Series X/S
Leaving the race tracks in favor of the skies, Microsoft Flight Simulator is a highly-detailed and accurate aircraft piloting game that puts the world at players’ fingertips.
This includes popular destinations like Portugal, Gibraltar, Andorra, and of course, Spain as of the free World Update VIII released in March 2022.
You’ll find each of these areas has been enhanced with high-resolution geographic improvements based on real-world elevation data, photogrammetry, and aerial imagery.
On top of that, the update adds various new airports, points of interest, and activities to make you truly feel like you’re exploring Spain from above.
Madrid Noir
Platforms: Windows (VR)
Billed as a VR-exclusive experience, Madrid Noir is a brief mystery adventure game set in one of Spain’s most charming cities.
In it, we’re introduced to Lola Petit – a young adventurer, photographer, and detective-in-the-making who’s sent to live with her Uncle Manolo and his energetic pug Paquita in Madrid.
Jumping between the past and present, the game has you reliving Lola’s childhood memories in hopes of uncovering the truth behind her uncle’s untimely demise.
The short journey is filled with many colorful locations and characters that benefit from Pixar-like animations and high-value theater production.
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
Platforms: Windows, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch
If you’re looking to get back in touch with nature while exploring Spanish culture, Alba: A Wildlife Adventure has you covered.
Focusing on fun and relaxing gameplay, it casts you as a young girl with a passion for animal conservation.
Alba’s spark for activism truly ignites when she gets an opportunity to visit her grandparents on a remote Spanish island teeming with life.
Making it her mission to protect the local wildlife, she gets to work cleaning up the island, treating sick animals, and snapping cute photos everywhere she goes.
Assemble with Care
Platforms: Windows, Mac, iOS
Our next suggestion for the best games set in Spain is Assemble with Care, a story-rich puzzle game that comes from the same studio that made Monument Valley.
In it, we follow globe-trotting antique restorer Maria as she settles into the fictional sun-soaked town of Bellariva, Spain.
Offering her services to the local townsfolk, Maria soon finds herself repairing more than prized possessions as the lives of each character come into focus.
It’s a heartwarming and nostalgic story about rediscovering objects of decades past that’s further complemented by hand-crafted, impressionist-style visuals.
Blasphemous
Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, Mac, Linux
While not necessarily set in Spain, Blasphemous’ dark fantasy setting of Cvstodia is heavily inspired by Spanish culture and Roman Catholicism ideals.
Combining Metroidvania exploration with challenging Soulslike combat, the game tasks you with escaping eternal damnation one bloody battle at a time.
This entails navigating nightmarish environments packed with otherworldly enemies and gory imagery not for the faint of heart.
However, if you can get past that, you’ll find Blasphemous offers some of the best action-platforming gameplay with detailed pixel art and memorable boss fights.
GRIS
Platforms: Windows, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, Mac, iOS, Android
GRIS is another game that takes place in a fantastical world not technically based in Spain but rather inspired by its culture, specifically Spanish architecture.
This isn’t all too surprising when you learn that the adventure platformer was created by a team of Spanish developers known as Nomada Studio.
The story centers on a young woman’s journey to reclaim her voice by traversing colorless environments in hopes of bringing them back to life.
Doing so rewards you with new glide, slide, and soaring movement abilities that allow you to reach new areas and flee from enemies.
Cursed Castilla
Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, 3DS, Linux, iOS
Paying homage to games like Ghosts n’ Goblins, Cursed Castilla (or Maldita Castilla as it’s known in Spain) is a 16-bit-inspired action game by developer Locomalito.
The game’s story, setting, and characters are primarily based on myths from Spanish and European folklore as well as classic cavalry novels.
To this point, the plot revolves around Don Ramiro, a hero enlisted to end the demonic nightmare looming over the Kingdom of Castile.
Exploring the 8 levels that make up Tolomera del Rey, you’ll fight tirelessly to banish the evil within while moving, jumping, and dodging to avoid enemy attacks.
Battles For Spain
Platforms: Windows, Mac
Switching to more realistic games set in Spain, Battles For Spain is a turn-based strategy game based on the Four Battles of the Spanish Civil War: Ebro, Teruel, Guadalajara, and Merida or La Serena.
In it, you take on the role of Nationalists, Republicans, or both in PvP battles with attacking and defending sides with consideration for historical units like Legion, Falange, and Requetes.
As such, players have a chance to rewrite history by altering the outcome of each battle with cunning counterattacks using decks of cards.
Each one triggers a unique event ranging from reinforcements to weather changes, soldier desertions, artillery bombardment, and many more.
Euro Truck Simulator 2
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux
Regarded as one of the best driving sims on the market, Euro Truck Simulator 2 has you getting behind the wheel of cargo vehicles to run your own transportation business.
It offers a wide range of vehicles, goods, and locations to explore, including popular destinations based on real-life Spanish cities.
To see it all, we suggest picking up the game’s Iberia Expansion, which connects the sprawling peninsula to the rest of Europe with shipments from its busy ports.
Doing so gives you the option to see both Barcelona and Madrid in all their glory along with countless landmarks of all shapes and sizes.
The Lost Chronicles of Zerzura
Platform: Windows
Released in 2014 exclusively on PC, The Lost Chronicles of Zerzura is a point-and-click adventure game about a young inventor on the expedition of a lifetime.
Assuming control of Feodor, you’ll leave your workshop in Barcelona and travel across the Mediterranean to Africa to save your brother Ramon after he’s taken away by the Inquisition.
Along the way, you’ll discover both enemies and allies that will either try and get in your way or guide you to the next step in your journey.
The adventure is filled with beautiful locations and tantalizing mysteries that can only be cracked by solving puzzles, completing mini-games, and overcoming challenges.
GoldenEye 007
Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, DS
Remade for the Wii and other home consoles in 2010, GoldenEye 007 is a beloved first-person shooter that was originally released in the late 1990s and is based on the popular James Bond films.
Like any good globe-trotting spy adventure, the game takes players around the world to carry out various high-stakes espionage acts.
Part of your mission entails traveling to Spain to meet with a shady Russian gangster in a Barcelonan nightclub serving as the game’s fourth level.
While things eventually take a turn for the worst, up until that point, you’re free to explore the club and vibe out to some hard-hitting music.
Tony Hawk’s Underground 2
Platforms: Windows, PS2, Xbox, GameCube, GBA
Last but not least, our final entry for the best games set in Spain is the classic skateboarding adventure game Tony Hawk’s Underground 2.
Originally released in the mid-2000s, it casts you as an up-and-coming skater invited to join a group of pros and the Jackass Crew on an insane trip around the world.
One of the highlights of this ridiculous journey is a brief stop in Barcelona, Spain, where your character gets a chance to soak up the local culture.
As you would expect, this leads to a bunch of dangerous pranks, gags, and high-flying skateboarding stunts that incorporate various Spanish traditions such as bullfighting.
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