4 Doctor Who Games That Just Didn't Work (And 4 That Did)

4. Attack of the Graske (TV)

Although it's not technically a video game (well, it isn't at all, really), Attack of the Graske still deserves a mention on this list for its contributions in breaking the mould for Doctor Who viewer interactivity. Originally released via the BBC Red Button on Christmas Day 2005, the mini-episode, written by Gareth Roberts, gave fans the opportunity to get to know the then-new Tenth Doctor a little bit better in an original adventure which put them in the coveted shoes of his faithful companion. (They hadn't forgotten about Rose, though, who the Doctor had conveniently dropped off at an ABBA concert in 1979). Likened to the popular arcade game Dragon's Lair, Attack of the Graske was in many ways a "proper" production, and the then current executive producer, Julie Gardner, revealed that it was treated as such in an interview with Doctor Who Magazine. It can also be compared to the 1997 tie-in game Destiny of the Doctors in that it relies on pretty much the same game mechanics (in Destiny, the player became the 'challenger' by taking on the Master to ultimately save all seven incarnations of the Doctor. No pressure!). However Attack of the Graske was a much more ambitious affair - although arguably the stakes weren't as high, for the Doctor at least - which truly highlighted the franchise's potential to adapt to a wide range of platforms and its ability to thrive on an array of cross-media formats. This interactive episode also paved the way for other British shows to take on similiar projects so it was revolutionary in that sense. It's currently available to play as a browser-based game on the official Doctor Who website - the perfect escape if you've ever got a spare 15 minutes and find yourself in the mood to save the world. Go on, treat yourself!