This Unofficial Frasier Video Game Lets You Play The Show's Greatest Hits

Video games based on TV shows are nothing new, but as you might expect, the subcategory of video games based on sitcoms is quite sparse. There was the mess of a video game adaptation that was "The Adventures of Gilligan's Island," which immediately advertises its flaws with that awkward, oddly-phrased title. We also had a video game based on "The Office," which according to IMDb is still the best sitcom of all time. But otherwise, developers have mostly stuck to properties that more obviously lend themselves to a video game adaptation. This is probably why we never got an official "Frasier" video game.

Even the most popular sitcom of the 1990s, "Friends," only ever got a trivia game, so Dr. Crane and his hifalutin antics were never really in with a chance. The Kelsey Grammer-led sitcom ran for 11 seasons from 1993 to 2004 and followed the titular psychiatrist as he navigated his family, career, and romantic life after having moved from Boston to Seattle. As such, it wasn't exactly the kind of thing that was screaming to be adapted into a video game. Decades after "Frasier" ended, however, a developer proved that the show could not only be adapted into a game, but could actually make for a pretty great one.

As the name suggests, "Frasier Fantasy" is a mash-up of "Frasier" and the early "Final Fantasy" games, putting Dr. Crane at the center of a turn-based RPG adventure that can be played in browsers, with a Gameboy Color emulator, or on an actual Gameboy. Developer Edward La Barbera created "Frasier Fantasy" in 2023 before releasing a "director's cut" the following year, and they're both a pure delight — if you're a "Frasier" fan, that is. Otherwise, you might be confused as to why anyone would want to play a game where the main objective is to hold a swanky dinner soirée.

In the game, players take control of Frasier himself, who's planning a dinner party but has to overcome some obstacles first. That premise alone makes the game essentially an episode of "Frasier," but it's the attention to detail, writing, and the multiple references to beloved episodes that makes "Frasier Fantasy" so good. The game begins with Frasier opening his cherished "mother of pearl luncheon set," only to find that the "grape scissors" (the "crown jewel" of the set) are with his brother, Niles (who was played by David Hyde Pierce in the show). We're then dropped into an impressive recreation of the famous "Frasier" living room (which on the show was actually built over another iconic TV location), complete with that entirely unrealistic view of the Space Needle. There, we learn that in order to throw the dinner party, we must guide Frasier through three main tasks: "Shoo dad and Eddie out of the house," "Do radio program," and "Obtain grape scissors."

Completing these tasks takes Frasier to many a memorable locale, including Café Nervosa and the KACL radio studio, where a beleaguered Roz (played by Peri Gilpin on the original series) urges Frasier to field some calls before he's allowed to leave. Players can then sit at Frasier's desk and offer advice to the citizens of Seattle just as the good doctor himself did for 11 seasons. There's even some memorable calls from the show inserted into the game.

There are some brilliantly inspired moments throughout "Frasier Fantasy," with Dr. Crane having to drink sherry in order to increase his MP and facing off against bats in the archives of KACL, where he uses his "Freudian slap" to defend against the creatures. There are also appearances from the entire ensemble cast, which is more than can be said for the neither disappointing nor remarkable "Frasier" revival that debuted in 2023. Even lesser characters pop up in the game. Noel Shempsky (played by Patrick Kurr in the original series), for example, can be found in the KACL archives and takes the form of a boss who confronts Frasier with "Star Trek" trivia. The doctor can then either attack or try to undermine Noel with therapy, all the while answering questions about Spock and whether his logic or haircut is his biggest strength.

For an unofficial adaptation, "Frasier Fantasy" really is everything a fan of "Frasier" could want. Even the main objective, to throw a fancy dinner party, is just quintessential "Frasier," though it would no doubt have limited appeal among the general video game playing public. Had Paramount actually licensed "Frasier" to a professional developer, we surely would have got some awful attempt at an adaptation that put Dr. Crane in space or re-skinned an existing shooter or something.

As it stands, "Frasier Fantasy" is not only exactly the kind of adaptation that fans would want to see, it's also a loving tribute to the show itself. That's evidenced by the fact that some players have even made real Gameboy cartridges with the game by flashing the ROM to a cartridge bearing a custom-made label and playing it on their own handheld devices. If only the "Frasier" revival had been as faithful a return to the world of Frasier Crane, the show might not have been canceled after two seasons.