Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust

Last updated: January 9, 2026

Overview

Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust stands as one of the most critically reviled video games ever released, earning the dubious distinction of being called “the worst game of the decade” by JustAdventure¹. Released in 2009 for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360², this action-adventure platformer marked a radical departure from the series’ traditional point-and-click adventure roots, featuring Larry Lovage (nephew of series protagonist Larry Laffer) navigating a 3D open-world Hollywood studio lot³.

The game was originally developed by Team17 Software Limited⁴ and published by Sierra Entertainment⁵, but faced significant development troubles when Activision dropped the project⁶. Codemasters eventually picked up publishing duties⁷, bringing the troubled production to market despite widespread concerns about its departure from the franchise’s established formula⁸. The final product featured voice acting from notable celebrities including Jeffrey Tambor, Carmen Electra, Shannon Elizabeth, Jay Mohr, and Patrick Warburton⁹, but these star performances could not salvage what critics universally condemned as a fundamentally broken gaming experience.

Game Info

Developer: Team17 Software Limited⁴ Designer: Paul Dunstan⁴ Publisher: Codemasters¹⁰ Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360¹¹ Release Year: 2009 Series: Leisure Suit Larry Sierra Lineage: Post-Sierra

Story Summary

Box Office Bust follows Larry Lovage, nephew of series mainstay Larry Laffer, as he works as an intern at a Hollywood movie studio⁹. The game’s narrative centers around Larry’s attempts to help his uncle Larry Laffer, who has been framed for a crime¹². Set within the confines of a movie studio backlot, players guide Larry through various Hollywood-themed environments while completing missions that parody film industry tropes¹³.

The story unfolds through 45 main story missions¹⁴, with Larry interacting with various studio personnel and celebrity characters voiced by the game’s notable cast¹⁵. The plot incorporates the series’ trademark sexual innuendo and adult humor, though critics noted that the writing lacked the wit and cleverness of earlier entries in the franchise¹⁶.

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

Unlike previous Leisure Suit Larry games, Box Office Bust adopted a third-person 3D action-adventure format using the Unreal Engine 3¹⁷. The game featured open-world sandbox gameplay with exploration, platforming, racing, and puzzle-solving elements¹⁸. Players controlled Larry Lovage through various studio environments, completing missions that ranged from simple fetch quests to more complex platforming challenges¹⁹.

The control scheme proved to be one of the game’s most criticized aspects, with multiple reviewers noting severe responsiveness issues²⁰. The GameFAQs walkthrough author specifically recommended using trainers and cheats to compensate for the poor control implementation²⁰, describing the controls as “horribly made”²⁰.

Structure and Progression

The game contained 45 story missions alongside numerous side activities¹⁴. Players could collect 100 “Larry Awards” scattered throughout the game world, participate in 9 racing sequences, and complete 7 seduction mini-games¹⁴. The open-world structure allowed players to explore the studio lot freely, choosing which missions to tackle in a non-linear fashion²¹.

Achievement hunters noted particular difficulty in completing the game’s objectives, with one guide author stating they had “played this game five times and have never succeeded getting all achievements in a single playthrough”¹⁹. The game’s technical issues significantly impacted progression, with frequent crashes and game-breaking bugs reported across all platforms²².

Puzzles and Mechanics

The gameplay mechanics departed significantly from the series’ traditional adventure game puzzles, instead focusing on platforming challenges, racing sequences, and mini-games²³. The seduction sequences, a hallmark of the franchise, were reimplemented as rhythm-based mini-games rather than the dialogue-driven encounters of previous titles²⁴.

Critics noted that the game’s puzzle design was frustratingly simplistic, with one reviewer highlighting a mission where Larry comments on poorly designed challenges with the line “Oh that’s right, introduce a timer to place me under undue and unnecessary pressure”²⁵. The platforming mechanics were particularly problematic, with imprecise jumping controls and poor camera angles making navigation difficult²⁶.

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

Box Office Bust received universally negative reviews across all platforms, achieving some of the lowest review scores in gaming history. Metacritic aggregated scores of 25/100 for Xbox 360, 20/100 for PC, and 17/100 for PlayStation 3²⁷²⁸²⁹. GameRankings showed similarly dismal scores of 26.08%, 20.22%, and 16.00% respectively³⁰³¹³².

Publication	Score	Notes
IGN	2.0/10	”One of the worst games ever made”25
GameSpot	2.0/10	”Soul-crushing, mind-poisoning shame”33
Eurogamer	2/10	”Physically unpleasant to play”34
Official Xbox Magazine UK	1/10	Gave lowest possible score2
PC Gamer UK	19%	Called it fundamentally broken2
GameTrailers	2.3/10	”The joke will be on you”2

Charles Onyett of IGN delivered one of the most scathing reviews, stating “The lowest rating numbers here at IGN are reserved for games with nearly no redeeming qualities or interesting ideas, with next to nothing enjoyable to offer players, and which under no circumstances should be purchased by anyone. Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust is, without a doubt, one of those games”²⁵.

Modern Assessment

In retrospective reviews, the game’s reputation has only worsened. A comprehensive Reddit review ranking all 12 Leisure Suit Larry games placed Box Office Bust dead last, with the reviewer stating “This was a big mistake and a blatant quick cash cow off a known franchise”²³. Modern gaming preservation sites like My Abandonware show mixed user ratings, though many reviews echo contemporary criticisms³⁵.

The game’s failure is often cited as an example of how not to revitalize a classic franchise. Critics noted that removing original creator Al Lowe from the development process resulted in a product that fundamentally misunderstood what made the original games appealing³⁶. Lowe himself responded to the game’s poor reception by sarcastically thanking “VU Games, for keeping me completely away from this latest disaster!“¹.

Development

Origins

Box Office Bust was initially announced by Sierra Entertainment on January 17, 2008⁵³⁷³¹, as part of an attempt to revitalize the dormant Leisure Suit Larry franchise. Executive Producer John Melchior explained that the development team wanted to address criticisms of the previous game, Magna Cum Laude, stating “The last game was torn apart and I think it was just the wrong approach for this franchise”¹⁵.

The development philosophy centered around creating “a good solid story, clever set ups, and great pay offs”², with Melchior emphasizing that “Nudity is a mask for poor gameplay. There is no Nudity in this version of Larry”¹⁵. However, the decision to completely overhaul the gameplay mechanics from point-and-click adventure to 3D action-platformer proved controversial from the outset³.

Production

Development was handled by Team17 Software Limited⁴, known primarily for the Worms franchise, marking their first attempt at an adult-oriented adventure game. The game utilized the Unreal Engine 3¹⁷, allowing for more complex 3D environments than previous series entries.

The production faced significant challenges when original publisher Activision dropped the project⁶, leaving the game in limbo until Codemasters picked up publishing rights⁷³⁸. This disruption likely contributed to the game’s technical issues and rushed feel noted by critics³⁹.

The voice cast represented a significant investment, featuring established comedians and actors including Jeffrey Tambor as Larry Laffer, Josh Keaton as Larry Lovage, Carmen Electra as Ginger Vitus, Shannon Elizabeth as Amy Loveheart, and Patrick Warburton as Damone LeCoque⁹. Despite the star talent, critics noted that the script failed to utilize these performers effectively²⁶.

Technical Achievements

The game’s technical implementation proved to be its greatest weakness rather than achievement. Built on Unreal Engine 3¹⁷, the game suffered from frequent crashes, control issues, and graphical glitches across all platforms²². The PC Gaming Wiki documents numerous compatibility issues and workarounds required to run the game properly¹⁷.

Critics noted severe frame rate problems, particularly on PlayStation 3, with GameSpot’s Chris Watters specifically highlighting “poor technical performance” alongside the gameplay issues⁴⁰. The game’s ambitious open-world structure appeared to exceed the development team’s technical capabilities, resulting in an unstable and frustrating experience⁴¹.

Legacy

Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust’s legacy serves primarily as a cautionary tale about franchise mismanagement and the dangers of radical genre shifts without understanding core appeal. The game’s critical and commercial failure effectively ended Sierra’s attempts to revitalize the Larry franchise under their banner².

The game’s notorious reputation has made it a subject of interest for “bad game” enthusiasts and achievement hunters willing to endure its technical issues for completion purposes⁴². Its inclusion in various “worst games ever made” lists has given it a form of infamy that keeps it in gaming discourse years after release⁴³.

Modern franchise revivals have pointedly ignored this entry’s existence, with subsequent Larry games returning to the series’ adventure game roots²³. The game stands as a stark reminder of how celebrity voice acting and high production values cannot salvage fundamentally flawed game design and technical execution.

Downloads

Purchase / Digital Stores

• Not currently available on major digital platforms⁴⁴

Download / Preservation

• My Abandonware³⁵
• Internet Archive²¹

References

Footnotes

1. https://allowe.com/games/larry/history-of-larry/box-office-bust.html - Al Lowe’s comprehensive review compilation showing critical failure ↩ ↩²

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leisure_Suit_Larry:_Box_Office_Bust - Wikipedia article with comprehensive review scores and development history ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

3. https://sierra.fandom.com/wiki/Leisure_Suit_Larry - Sierra wiki with series overview ↩ ↩²

4. https://www.mobygames.com/game/39933/leisure-suit-larry-box-office-bust/ - MobyGames comprehensive database entry with credits ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

5. https://web.archive.org/web/20080124175229/http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=%2Fwww%2Fstory%2F01-17-2008%2F0004738101&EDATE=%2F - Original Sierra press release announcement ↩ ↩²

6. https://web.archive.org/web/20121011094547/http://uk.gamespot.com/news/brutal-legend-ghostbusters-more-dropped-by-activision-6195113 - Archived article about Activision dropping games ↩ ↩²

7. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/leisure-suit-larry-loungin-with-codemasters/1100-6205151/ - GameSpot news about publisher change ↩ ↩²

8. https://web.archive.org/web/20121028122856/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/21/codemasters-publishing-leisure-suit-larry-box-office-bust-comi/ - Archived Joystiq article with community concerns ↩

9. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1174039/ - IMDb page with cast information and user ratings ↩ ↩² ↩³

10. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/leisure-suit-larry-box-office-bust-in-the-shops-today - Official UK launch press release with publisher information ↩

11. https://www.mobygames.com/game/39933/leisure-suit-larry-box-office-bust/releases/ - MobyGames release information across platforms ↩

12. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarryBoxOfficeBust - TV Tropes analysis of gameplay and story ↩

13. https://gamesaplunder.com/collections/xbox-360-games/products/leisure-suit-larry-box-office-bust-x-360 - Commercial retailer product description ↩

14. https://www.trueachievements.com/game/Leisure-Suit-Larry/walkthrough/3 - TrueAchievements detailed walkthrough with completion data ↩ ↩² ↩³

15. https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/01/17/leisure-suit-larry-box-office-bust-interview?page=2 - IGN developer interview with design philosophy ↩ ↩² ↩³

16. https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps3/944567-leisure-suit-larry-box-office-bust/videos/26207368 - PS3 GameFAQs video page ↩

17. https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Leisure_Suit_Larry:_Box_Office_Bust - PC Gaming Wiki technical reference ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

18. https://www.myabandonware.com/search/q/Leisure+Suit+Larry%3A+Box+Office+Bust - MyAbandonware search results ↩

19. https://www.trueachievements.com/game/Leisure-Suit-Larry/walkthrough/1 - TrueAchievements achievement guide ↩ ↩²

20. https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/pc/944566-leisure-suit-larry-box-office-bust/faqs/57040 - GameFAQs walkthrough documenting technical issues ↩ ↩² ↩³

21. https://archive.org/details/leisure-suit-larry-box-office-bust-2009.w - Internet Archive preservation entry ↩ ↩²

22. https://www.gog.com/dreamlist/game/leisure-suit-larry-box-office-bust-2009 - GOG wishlist with user reviews about technical issues ↩ ↩²

23. https://www.reddit.com/r/gog/comments/1kg2yo4/i_spent_the_last_2_weeks_playing_every_leisure/ - Reddit comprehensive franchise review ↩ ↩² ↩³

24. https://www.trueachievements.com/game/Leisure-Suit-Larry/walkthrough - TrueAchievements walkthrough overview ↩

25. http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/05/13/leisure-suit-larry-box-office-bust-review - IGN extremely negative review ↩ ↩² ↩³

26. http://www.gamesradar.com/leisure-suit-larry-box-office-bust-review/ - GamesRadar+ contemporary review ↩ ↩²

27. https://www.metacritic.com/game/leisure-suit-larry-box-office-bust/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360 - Xbox 360 Metacritic scores ↩

28. https://www.metacritic.com/game/leisure-suit-larry-box-office-bust/critic-reviews/?platform=pc - PC Metacritic scores ↩

29. https://www.metacritic.com/game/leisure-suit-larry-box-office-bust/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3 - PS3 Metacritic scores ↩

30. https://web.archive.org/web/20130511112739/http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/944566-leisure-suit-larry-box-office-bust/index.html - Archived GameRankings PC scores ↩

31. https://web.archive.org/web/20080220231158/http://www.sierra.com/uk/home/news/product_news/011708_-_lsl_bob_announcement.html - Official Sierra UK announcement ↩ ↩²

32. https://web.archive.org/web/20130601083511/http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox360/944568-leisure-suit-larry-box-office-bust/index.html - Archived GameRankings Xbox 360 scores ↩

33. http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/leisure-suit-larry-box-office-bust-review/1900-6207462/ - GameSpot professional review with scathing criticism ↩

34. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/leisure-suit-larry-box-office-bust-review - Eurogamer negative review focusing on technical issues ↩

35. https://www.myabandonware.com/game/leisure-suit-larry-box-office-bust-iv8 - MyAbandonware download page with user ratings ↩ ↩²

36. http://www.allowe.com/Larry/BOB.htm - Al Lowe’s personal commentary on the game he was not involved with ↩

37. https://web.archive.org/web/20121004220126/http://www2.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=%2Fwww%2Fstory%2F01-17-2008%2F0004738101&EDATE=%2F - Duplicate Sierra press release ↩

38. https://web.archive.org/web/20220529211603/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/leisure-suit-larry-loungin-with-codemasters/1100-6205151/ - Archived GameSpot article about publisher change ↩

39. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1174039/reviews/ - IMDb user review criticizing departure from series ↩

40. http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/leisure-suit-larry-box-office-bust-review/1900-6209358/ - GameSpot PS3 review highlighting technical problems ↩

41. https://www.gamewatcher.com/reviews/leisure-suit-larry-box-office-bust-review/9742 - GameWatcher negative review ↩

42. https://www.reddit.com/r/Trophies/comments/1kop8mz/leisure_suit_larry_box_office_bust_platinum_69/ - Reddit trophy hunting post ↩

43. https://newqualitipedia.telepedia.net/wiki/Leisure_Suit_Larry:_Box_Office_Bust - Quality wiki focusing on negative aspects ↩

44. https://store.steampowered.com/search/?term=Leisure+Suit+Larry%3A+Box+Office+Bust - Steam search showing no results ↩