Space Quest
A series of six comic sci-fi adventure games starring Roger Wilco.
Space Quest is a series of six comic science fiction adventure games that came out between 1986 and 1995. They follow Roger Wilco, a clumsy janitor who stumbles into intergalactic conspiracies. The series was created for Sierra On-Line by Mark Crowe and Scott Murphy, who went by the name "Two Guys from Andromeda." These games poke fun at science fiction franchises like Star Wars and Star Trek, along with pop culture references ranging from McDonald's to Microsoft. The humor relies on puns and absurd plots. Roger Wilco is an underdog who often saves the universe by accident, only to be ignored or penalized for breaking minor rules. The Space Quest games are considered beloved cult classics and were influential adventure games of their time.
**Development**
Mark Crowe and Scott Murphy met at Sierra. Crowe worked in marketing, and Murphy joined as a programmer. Both loved science fiction and thought Sierra needed a game that stood out from fantasy titles like the company's flagship King's Quest and The Black Cauldron, which they had both worked on. They also felt Sierra's games had serious stories and lacked comedy, wanting a protagonist who was a regular guy instead of a hero.
Sierra management was hesitant to approve a science fiction comedy, thinking it wouldn't sell. Studio head Ken Williams turned down the first pitch in 1985. Crowe and Murphy built a short prototype in their spare time and pitched Williams again, finally convincing him. Space Quest I was made using Sierra's in-house AGI engine. The design process was trial and error, as game development was still new and unformalized. Writing and artwork were improvised throughout development, with updates continuing even during quality assurance.
**Games**
**Space Quest: The Sarien Encounter**
The first Space Quest game came out in October 1986, deliberately breaking away from Sierra's more serious medieval games. A remake was released in 1991 as Space Quest I: Roger Wilco in the Sarien Encounter.
**Space Quest II: Vohaul's Revenge**
Released in 1987, Space Quest II takes place a few months after the first game. It was well received, with critics seeing it as an improvement over the original.
**Space Quest III: The Pirates of Pestulon**
The third game, released in 1989, was the first to use Sierra's SCI engine, which replaced the earlier AGI engine.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Space Quest
- Platforms
- MS-DOS, Windows, Macintosh
- Developer
- Sierra On-Line, Dynamix
- Publisher
- Sierra On-Line
- Genre
- Point-and-click adventure
- Creator
- Mark Crowe, Scott Murphy
- First Release Version
- 1986
- Latest Release Date
- 1995
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Mark Crowe and Scott Murphy met at Sierra. Crowe already worked at the company in marketing, and Murphy joined as a programmer. Both shared an interest in science fiction and felt that Sierra needed a game to distinguish from fantasy-themed titles such as Sierra's flagship King's Quest and The Black Cauldron, the latter of which they both worked on. The two also felt the studio released games with serious storylines and lacked a comedy game, with a protagonist who was a 'regular guy' rather than a hero. Sierra management was reluctant to greenlight a science fiction comedy game, thinking it would not sell, and studio head Ken Williams turned down the first game pitch in 1985. Crowe and Murphy created a short prototype in their free time and pitched Williams again, who was finally convinced.
Reader's Guide
Space Quest has been remembered as an influential adventure and comedy game series. Along with other Sierra titles, Space Quest 'defined the form' of point-and-click adventures. Critics have credited the games for being dense with 'geeky' humor and for 'paving the way' for future comedy adventure games. The series would be referenced by many future games as well as an enduring fan community, known in particular for the release of numerous fan games, such as 2011's Space Quest: Vohaul Strikes Back. Numerous collections of the games have been released since the 1990s, and the games continue to be sold on modern storefronts. The series also inspired a spiritual successor, SpaceVenture, created by Crowe and Murphy under the company Two Guys from Andromeda. That project experienced severe development delays and was released in an incomplete state on Steam Early Access in 2025, receiving negative reviews.
Did You Know?
- The Adventures of Roger Wilco (1992) was published by Adventure Comics, but the comic actually adapts Space Quest II: Vohaul's Revenge, not Space Quest: The Sarien Encounter.
- Roger Wilco appears as a computer opponent in Hoyle's Official Book of Games, Volume II, not Volume I.
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