Honestly, the way people talk about the Indiana Jones and the Great Circle mission list makes it sound like some endless RPG grind. It isn't. MachineGames didn't build a 100-hour open-world filler-fest. Instead, they’ve given us something that feels more like a playable box set of movies. You’ve got seven massive, sprawling main "Adventures," and then a literal mountain of side stuff that’ll keep you busy for forty hours if you're the type who needs to see every pixel.
Most players are going to breeze through the main story in about 15 to 20 hours. But if you're looking for the specifics, the actual structure is a bit more complex than just a linear list of levels. It's a mix of tight, cinematic sequences and "sandboxes" where you can basically ignore the main goal and just go punch Nazis in a bazaar for three hours.
The Main Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Mission List
The game is broken down into chapters that it calls "Adventures." Each one takes place in a distinct corner of the globe. You aren't just hopping from one to the other, though—you're usually dropped into a hub that opens up as you play.
The Adventure Begins (Marshall College): This is your prologue. It’s 1937, it’s raining, and a giant named Locus breaks into the college to steal a seemingly worthless artifact. It sets the stakes and teaches you how to swing a whip without hitting yourself in the eye.
The Stolen Cat Mummy (The Vatican): This is where the game actually starts. You're in Rome, sneaking through Castel Sant'Angelo and the Vatican. It’s the first real taste of the disguise system. If you aren't wearing the right clothes, the guards will turn you into Swiss cheese pretty fast.
The Idol of Ra (Gizeh): Egypt is massive. It’s one of the two biggest sandbox areas in the game. You’ve got the Great Pyramids, a massive Nazi excavation site, and enough sand to ruin a perfectly good leather jacket. This is where the mission list starts to feel more like an open investigation than a straight line.
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A Harsh Climb (The Himalayas): Total tonal shift. You’re exploring a frozen, crashed Nazi battleship. It’s linear, vertical, and incredibly atmospheric. Think "Cliffhanger" but with more Fedora.
Into the Fire (Shanghai): This mission is pure chaos. You’re navigating war-torn streets while trying to stay out of the sight of Japanese bombers. It’s intense and much more focused on action and stealth than the Gizeh puzzles.
The Blessed Pearl (Sukhothai): Thailand is the second big sandbox. It’s gorgeous, flooded, and full of ancient temples. You’re working with the local resistance here, and honestly, the "Wat Mahathat" temple sequence is some of the best level design in the whole game.
Atonements (Iraq): This is the finale. You’re at the Ziggurat of Ur. No spoilers, but the stakes get weird, the "Great Circle" theory finally makes sense, and the boss fight with Emmerich Voss is... well, it’s a MachineGames boss fight.
Why the Mission List is Misleading
If you just look at that list and think, "Oh, only seven missions?" you're kind of missing the point. The Vatican and Gizeh are enormous. You could spend six hours in Gizeh alone just doing the "Fieldwork" and "Mysteries."
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The game treats side content with a lot of respect. It’s not just "go fetch five feathers." You have three main types of side content that populate the mission log:
- Fieldwork: These are the actual side quests. They have narrative beats, unique NPCs, and usually a decent payoff. For example, "A Nun in Trouble" in the Vatican or "Voss’ Gold Stash" in Sukhothai.
- Mysteries: Think of these as micro-puzzles. You find a weird statue or a locked box, and Indy makes a note of it. Solving them gives you Adventure Points.
- Discoveries: These are your collectibles—lost artifacts, journal notes, and photographs.
Managing Your Adventure Points
You don't level up by killing people. This isn't Call of Duty. You get better by being a good archaeologist.
Every time you take a photo of an ancient inscription or find a hidden relic, you earn Adventure Points. You spend these on "Adventure Books" you find in the world. Want a second chance at life when you get knocked out? Find the "Lucky Hat" book. Want to do more damage with a shovel? Find "Street Scrapper."
If you ignore the side stuff on the mission list, you’re going to be a very weak Indy by the time you reach Iraq. You need those perks.
The DLC Factor: The Order of Giants
If you’ve got the Premium Edition or the DLC, the Indiana Jones and the Great Circle mission list actually grows. There’s an entire extra chapter called "The Order of Giants" set back in Rome. It unlocks once the zeppelin arrives at the Vatican.
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It adds about 4 to 5 hours of gameplay. It’s not essential for the main plot, but if you want the full experience, it fills in some gaps about how Gina Lombardi and Indy actually start working together.
How to Tackle the List
If you want the most out of the game, don't rush the main "Adventure" marker. The game has a "Point of No Return" warning before you leave for the final mission in Iraq.
Take your time in Sukhothai and Gizeh. Talk to the NPCs who look like they’re having a bad day—they usually have a Fieldwork quest for you. Also, keep your camera out. Taking photos is the fastest way to bank points for your upgrades.
Pro-tip: Some of the best "Mystery" puzzles are hidden inside the Nazi camps. It’s tempting to just sneak past, but the rewards for actually exploring those high-security zones are usually worth the risk of a shootout.
Once you’ve cleared the main story, you can actually go back to any of the sandbox locations to finish up your journal. You aren't locked out of the world forever. If you missed a specific artifact in the Vatican, just reload and go find it.
The real value in this mission list isn't just checking off boxes. It’s about the "Aha!" moments when a random note you found in a tent leads you to a hidden chamber under a pyramid. That's the real Indiana Jones experience.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check your Journal: Frequently look at the "Mysteries" tab; many side missions only trigger after you've examined a specific environmental clue.
- Prioritize "Lucky Hat": Locate the Adventure Book for the "Lucky Hat" perk early (found in the Gizeh region) to make combat encounters significantly less punishing.
- Use the Map: Sandbox areas are dense; use the signposts to fast-travel and save time when backtracking for Fieldwork missions.