Game Groups > Space Quest series

Space Quest is a series of comedy adventure games developed by Sierra. The games are set in a sci-fi environment and feature the reluctant hero Roger Wilco, a janitor who initially works on one of the space stations and repeatedly saves the galaxy (often by accident), following his motto "for truth, justice, and really clean floors".

The series was conceived by Mark Crowe and Scott Murphy, "two guys from Andromeda", according to their self-designation in Space Quest III: The Pirates of Pestulon. Humorous content includes, among others, many parodies and references to famous movie franchises, most notably Star Wars.

Gameplay-wise, the games in the series follow traditional templates Sierra was using for its other adventure games. Early games were particularly notable for placing the main character's life in constant danger, rewarding the player with amusing death scenes and messages in case of failure. Later Space Quest installments concentrated more on puzzle-solving.

The series ended with Space Quest 6: Roger Wilco in the Spinal Frontier (1995). A few attempts to continue the series were made, including a sequel announced by Sierra in 1996, named Space Quest VII: Return to Roman Numerals. In 2002, a game entitled simply Space Quest begun development by Escape Factory for a release on the Xbox console. None of these sequels were ever completed. The unofficial sequel Space Quest VII was in development between 2001 and 2009. It was cancelled after intervention by the copyright holder Vivendi.

Awards

• Computer Gaming World
  • November 1996 (15th anniversary issue) – #5 Most Memorable Game Hero (Roger Wilco)