Boss key

Lore & Background

The boss key was first used in the Apple II game Bezare, published by Southwestern Data Systems. The idea was proposed by Roger Wagner on a hang-gliding trip in Mexico in March, 1981, in a conversation between Roger Wagner and Doug Carlston (of Broderbund Software). Steve Wozniak, Andy Hertzfeld and a number of other early personal computing pioneers were also part of that event. One of the earliest implementations was by Friendlyware, a suite of entertainment and general interest programs written in BASIC and sold with the original IBM PC AT and IBM PC XT computers from 1982 to 1985. When activated by pressing F10, an ASCII bar graph with generic 'Productivity' and 'Time' labels appeared. Pressing F10 again returned to the Friendlyware application. In computer games, most boss keys were used to show dummy COMMAND.COM prompts. Another early example is in the IBM PC version of Asylum, which clears the screen when F9 is pressed. Certain games used the boss key for comic effect. Infocom's adult-themed Leather Goddesses of Phobos (only the IBM PC version) had a boss key that showed a screen designed to look like a Cornerstone database view, but populated with order info on ridiculous adult items. Sierra On-Line's Space Quest III had a boss key that called out the user on trying to avoid attention, displayed how long the user had been playing the game, and stated 'being the good company men that we are, we can't help you cheat like that.' The first few games in Sierra's Leisure Suit Larry series included a boss key (shortcut usually Ctrl+B) that resulted in an instantaneous game over. The boss key for the computer submarine game GATO was the Esc key, which brought up a Lotus 1-2-3 type spreadsheet screen. Wes Cherry, the author of the original Microsoft Solitaire, had included a boss key to display a fake spreadsheet or random C code, but was asked by his superiors to remove this on release.

Reader's Guide

The boss key's significance lies in its historical role as a workaround for the lack of multitasking operating systems and home computers, allowing employees to play games at work without detection. Its use has faded as modern multitasking operating systems have evolved, but some programs still retain a boss key feature, such as instant messaging clients or their add-ons or comic book viewers like MComix. In 1993, Microsoft introduced a five-pack collection of games whose boss button was the ESC key, positioned in the upper left corner of the keyboard, contrasting with the use of two keys like Ctrl+B. To demonstrate the power of Windows, it could fill the entire screen or just a portion thereof. The boss button also appeared in popular culture: the official website for the Car Talk radio show had a boss button at the bottom of the page from April 1997 to March 2017, and it has appeared on every NCAA tournament since the 2005 NCAA men's basketball tournament website for March Madness, which allowed viewers to watch every game. Alternatives on modern operating systems include minimizing applications or switching to a 'boss' workspace, and a 2014 newspaper article described a Mozilla Firefox feature named PanicButton.

Did You Know?

• Wes Cherry, author of original Microsoft Solitaire, included a boss key but was asked by superiors to remove it.
• The Leisure Suit Larry series boss key resulted in an instantaneous game over, with the first game saying 'Sorry, but you'll have to restore your game; when you panic, I forget everything!'
• Microsoft's 1993 five-pack collection of games used the ESC key as a boss button, positioned in the upper left corner of the keyboard.

Origins: A Hang-Gliding Trip and the Birth of a Shortcut

The concept of the boss key traces back to a remarkably casual moment. In March 1981, during a hang-gliding trip in Mexico, Roger Wagner—founder of Southwestern Data Systems and later Roger Wagner Publishing—discussed the idea with Doug Carlston of Broderbund Software. Steve Wozniak, Andy Hertzfeld, and a number of other early personal computing pioneers were also present at that gathering. The result was the boss key in Bezare, an Apple II game published by Southwestern Data Systems, making it one of the first known implementations of the feature. On the IBM PC side, Friendlyware, a suite of entertainment and general interest programs written in BASIC that shipped with the original IBM PC AT and IBM PC XT from 1982 to 1985, offered its own version. Pressing F10 would display an ASCII bar graph labeled with generic "Productivity" and "Time" text, while pressing F10 again returned the user to the game. Wes Cherry, who authored the original Microsoft Solitaire, had also built a boss key that showed a fake spreadsheet or random C code, though his superiors required its removal before the product shipped.

Gaming Subversions: When the Boss Key Fights Back

During the era when most people lacked home computers, playing games at the office was often the only option, making the boss key a practical necessity. Most implementations simply displayed a dummy COMMAND.COM prompt to simulate work. However, several developers turned the feature into a source of humor. Infocom's Leather Goddesses of Phobos (IBM PC version) showed a Cornerstone database view populated with absurd adult product orders, including an "inflatable milkman," making it far from truly boss-safe. Sierra On-Line's Space Quest III took a different comedic approach: selecting the boss key from the pulldown menu would cause the game to call out the player, display how long they had been playing, and declare that "being the good company men that we are, we can't help you cheat like that." The Leisure Suit Larry series went further, triggering an instant game over when the boss key (usually Ctrl+B) was pressed, with the first title quipping that the player would need to restore because "when you panic, I forget everything!" Creator Al Lowe attributed this to speed constraints, as saving the player's position would have taken extra time. The submarine game GATO used the Esc key to conjure a Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet.

Microsoft's 1993 Five-Pack and the Windows Showcase

In 1993, Microsoft released a five-pack collection of games that featured a boss button mapped to the ESC key, located in the upper left corner of the keyboard. This was a deliberate departure from the more common convention of using two keys—specifically the CTRL key combined with the letter "B" for "boss." The choice of a single, easily reachable key made the panic response faster and more intuitive. Beyond the key mapping, Microsoft also leveraged the feature to showcase the capabilities of the Windows operating system. The boss key could fill the entire screen with a fake productivity display or cover only a portion of it, demonstrating the flexibility of the graphical environment. This stood in contrast to the earlier, more limited implementations that could only replace the full screen with a static image or text prompt. The Microsoft five-pack thus represented a maturation of the concept, blending practical workplace utility with a subtle demonstration of the power and versatility of the Windows platform.

Legacy, Pop Culture, and Modern Alternatives

As modern multitasking operating systems evolved, the need for a dedicated boss key gradually faded. Today, applications can be minimized or switched to the background with standard keyboard shortcuts, and desktop environments with multiple workspaces offer the option of maintaining a dedicated "boss" workspace to switch to when needed. Nevertheless, the concept persists in various forms. Some instant messaging clients and add-ons, as well as comic book viewers like MComix, still retain a boss key feature. In popular culture, the Car Talk radio show website displayed a boss button at the bottom of its page from April 1997 through March 2017, and every NCAA March Madness tournament website since 2005 has included one for viewers watching games. A 2014 newspaper article about watching the Olympics at work without getting caught highlighted a Mozilla Firefox feature called PanicButton, which provides a keyboard shortcut for a similar quick-hiding function. The boss key, once a lifeline for office workers without home computers, has transformed into a cultural touchstone and a niche utility that continues to find new life in unexpected digital spaces.

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