# King's Quest II: Romancing the Throne <small style="color: gray">Last updated: February 4, 2026</small> ## Overview King's Quest II: Romancing the Throne is the second installment in the King's Quest series, released in May 1985 for IBM PC and PCjr[^ref-1][^ref-2]. Designed by [[Roberta Williams]], it uses the AGI (Adventure Game Interpreter) engine developed for the original King's Quest[^ref-1][^ref-3]. The subtitle parodies the 1984 Robert Zemeckis film Romancing the Stone[^ref-4][^ref-5]. Computer Gaming World praised it as having "the best graphics on a home computer"[^ref-6], while Compute! magazine described it as "like playing an animated cartoon"[^ref-7]. > [!info]- Game Info > **Developer:** [[Sierra On-Line]][^ref-1] > **Design/Writing:** [[Roberta Williams]][^ref-1] > **Publisher:** Sierra On-Line[^ref-1] > **Engine:** AGI (Adventure Game Interpreter)[^ref-3] > **Platforms:** IBM PC, PCjr, Tandy 1000, Apple II, Apple IIgs, Amiga, Atari ST, Macintosh[^ref-1] > **Release Year:** 1985[^ref-1] > **Series:** King's Quest > **Protagonist:** King Graham > **Sierra Lineage:** Core Sierra ## Story Summary One year after recovering the three stolen treasures and becoming King of Daventry, Graham seeks a wife[^ref-8]. Looking into the magic mirror, he sees a beautiful woman named Valanice imprisoned atop a quartz tower in the distant land of Kolyma by the witch Hagatha[^ref-1][^ref-9][^ref-10]. Graham travels to Kolyma to rescue her, where he must find three golden keys to unlock three magical doors leading to the enchanted island where Valanice is held[^ref-8][^ref-10]. The land of Kolyma draws from folklore, mythology, and classic literature[^ref-4]. Graham encounters King Neptune in an underwater kingdom, Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother, and Count Dracula in a haunted castle[^ref-1][^ref-4]. A genie's lamp grants three predetermined wishes: a bridle, a sword, and a magic carpet[^ref-4]. After overcoming these challenges, Graham rescues Valanice and they marry[^ref-9]. ## Gameplay King's Quest II shares the same engine and visual style as its predecessor[^ref-4]. Like Daventry in the first game, Kolyma is a cyclical world where traveling north or south wraps around[^ref-1]. However, unlike King's Quest I where tasks could be completed in any order, this sequel requires finding each key in sequence, creating more linear progression[^ref-4][^ref-10]. ### Interface and Controls Players move Graham using keyboard arrow keys and perform actions by typing verb-noun commands such as "open door" or "take lamp"[^ref-1][^ref-10]. One innovation introduced in King's Quest II is adjustable walking speed—typing "slow," "normal," or "fast" changes Graham's movement speed[^ref-11]. The DOS conversion added a "fastest" option[^ref-11]. ### Structure and Progression The game features goal-sensitive events where the world changes as the story progresses[^ref-10]. The antique shop remains closed until a specific action is performed, and characters appear only when the story is ready[^ref-10]. This evolution from King's Quest I's open-ended treasure hunt established "the more linear, story-driven model still widely used in adventure games today"[^ref-10]. ### Puzzles and Mechanics - Puzzles typically involve trading items or using them to bypass obstacles[^ref-1] - Knowledge of fairy tales helps solve certain puzzles[^ref-1] - Complex solutions earn more points than brute force approaches[^ref-1] - **Maximum score: 185 points**[^ref-12] - Some points are mutually exclusive—for example, killing the snake earns 2 points, but using the bridle on the snake earns 2 points plus allows obtaining a sugar cube worth 1 additional point[^ref-12] ### The Bridge Trap The game's most notorious design element is a rickety bridge leading to the magical doors. The bridge can only be crossed approximately seven times—just enough to complete the game optimally[^ref-4][^ref-13]. There is no warning that the bridge will collapse[^ref-4][^ref-10]. Hardcore Gaming 101 called this "the most remarkably cruel aspect of King's Quest II," noting "it never clues you in, but you can only cross this bridge a very, very limited amount of times"[^ref-4]. Adventure Gamers described it as "a cruel setup that more or less ensures that new players will have to start over near the beginning at some point"[^ref-10]. The bridge trap was later referenced in Sierra's Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist[^ref-4]. ## Reception ### Contemporary Reviews King's Quest II received enthusiastic reviews upon release. Aktueller Software Markt (ASM) awarded the Atari ST version 98% (39/40)[^ref-1]. Consumer Software News proclaimed, "If you liked King's Quest you'll love the sequel"[^ref-7]. Computer Entertainment declared "Roberta Williams has simply outdone herself"[^ref-7]. QuestBusters Journal praised "the most lushly painted and highly detailed scenery seen since...well King's Quest I"[^ref-7]. **Contemporary Scores:** - **Tilt (Apple II):** 100%[^ref-1] - **Techtite (Apple II):** 100%[^ref-1] - **ASM (Atari ST):** 98%[^ref-1] - **CU Amiga:** 84%[^ref-1] - **ST Magazine:** 80%[^ref-1] - **Computer + Video Games:** 6/10[^ref-14] - **Critics Average:** 77%[^ref-1] ### Modern Assessment Modern retrospectives acknowledge the game's historical importance while noting dated mechanics. Adventure Gamers rated it 3/5 ("Decent"), praising its nostalgic appeal but criticizing the bridge trap[^ref-10]. Hardcore Gaming 101 assessed it as "more of the same" that "does little to improve the formula, but doesn't really screw it up much either"[^ref-4]. The Adventure Gamer blog scored it 53 points on the PISSED rating scale[^ref-6]. **Modern Scores:** - **MobyGames:** 7.1/10 MobyScore, 77% critics (13 ratings), 3.5/5 players (105 ratings)[^ref-1] - **GOG:** 4.1/5 (41 reviews, KQ 1+2+3 bundle)[^ref-26] - **Steam:** 86% Very Positive (306 reviews, KQ Collection)[^ref-27] - **IMDB:** 7.1/10 (142 votes)[^ref-15] - **Adventure Gamers:** 3/5[^ref-10] - **HowLongToBeat:** 61% user rating, ~3 hours average completion, 37 minutes fastest[^ref-16] - **Choicest Games:** 4/10 ("simply too damn difficult")[^ref-17] ## Development ### Origins Development of King's Quest II served as a training ground for Sierra employees new to the AGI technology[^ref-3]. [[Scott Murphy]] and [[Mark Crowe]], who would later create the Space Quest series, joined the team along with [[Al Lowe]], future creator of Leisure Suit Larry[^ref-3][^ref-17]. As DOS Days documented: "These people included Scott Murphy, Mark Crowe and Al Lowe, who would later become famous adventure game creators themselves"[^ref-3]. Roberta Williams explained that ideas cut from the original game found their home in the sequel: "I couldn't fit some ideas into King's Quest I, so I was happy to get a chance to include King Neptune, Dracula, everyone from Little Red Riding Hood, and that infamous rickety old bridge you could only cross so many times"[^ref-18]. ### Production **Development Credits:**[^ref-1][^ref-3] - **Design/Writing:** [[Roberta Williams]] - **Story:** Annette Childs (manual backstory), Roberta Williams[^ref-15] - **Programming:** Ken Williams, Sol Ackerman, Chris Iden, Jeff Stephenson, Scott Murphy[^ref-1][^ref-3] - **Animation:** Mark Crowe[^ref-1] - **Scenery:** Doug MacNeill[^ref-1] - **Music:** Al Lowe[^ref-1][^ref-3] The manual contains a prologue written by Annette Childs about King Edward's spirit advising Graham to find a wife[^ref-15]. Al Lowe also wrote the official hint book[^ref-19]. ### Technical Specifications - **CPU:** 8088 or 8086 compatible[^ref-3][^ref-7] - **RAM:** 256KB (DOS version); 128KB (booter version)[^ref-3][^ref-11] - **DOS:** Version 2.11 or later[^ref-3] - **Graphics:** Hercules, CGA, EGA, VGA, Tandy supported[^ref-3] - **Resolution:** 320×200 pixels in up to 16 colors (EGA mode)[^ref-3] - **Audio:** PC speaker or Tandy 3-voice sound[^ref-3] - **Installed Size:** 588 KB[^ref-3] The booter version plays music at a slower tempo and louder volume compared to the DOS conversion[^ref-11]. ### Technical Innovations - **First opening cutscene:** First King's Quest title to feature an opening cutscene following the credits sequence[^ref-32] - **Goal-sensitive events:** The game world dynamically changes as players advance—new characters appear, areas open and close based on story progression[^ref-10][^ref-32] - **Linear story structure:** Introduced the "more linear, story-driven model still widely used in adventure games today"[^ref-10] ### Music and Audio Al Lowe composed fourteen musical selections for the soundtrack, incorporating Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet" theme[^ref-1][^ref-3][^ref-17][^ref-32]. DOS Days noted that "KQ2 has over twice the number of songs as KQ1" while reusing some tracks including the Title, Danger, and Dead themes[^ref-3]. The opening screen features "Greensleeves" on the PC speaker[^ref-10]. The music outside Dracula's castle samples Michael Jackson's "Thriller"[^ref-15][^ref-20]. ### Version History | Version | Date | Platform | Notes | |---------|------|----------|-------| | 1.0W | 1985 | DOS (Booter) | PC Booter version[^ref-3] | | 1.0H | 1985 | DOS (Booter) | PC Booter, Hercules support[^ref-3] | | 2.1 | April 10, 1987 | DOS | Key disk protection, EGA support[^ref-3] | | 2.2 | May 7, 1987 | DOS | Key disk protection[^ref-3] | | 2.2 | December 1, 1987 | DOS | AGIMIDI support added[^ref-3] | | Mac | 1987 | Macintosh | Mac port with 4givmeken backdoor[^ref-22] | **AGI Interpreter Versions:**[^ref-3] | Game Version | Interpreter | Notes | |--------------|-------------|-------| | 1.0W | AGI v1 | PC Booter | | 1.0H | AGI v1 | PC Booter | | 2.1 | AGI2 v2.411 | DOS disk version | | 2.2 (April) | AGI2 v2.426 | DOS disk version | | 2.2 (December) | AGI2 v2.917 | AGIMIDI support | **Copy Protection:** Early versions used self-booting "PC Booter" disks. Later versions employed SuperLok 3.2 "key disk" protection using track 0 checksum errors or non-standard sector sizes[^ref-3]. The Mac version includes a backdoor: when prompted for the master disk, holding Command and typing "4givmeken" (asking forgiveness from Ken Williams) bypasses the check[^ref-22]. ## Legacy King's Quest II continued Sierra's dominance in the adventure game market. The game served as a training ground for future Sierra legends—Scott Murphy and Mark Crowe (Space Quest) and Al Lowe (Leisure Suit Larry) all worked on the project[^ref-3][^ref-17]. ### Remakes **Cancelled Sierra VGA Remake:** Sierra planned to remake King's Quest II in VGA following the 1990 King's Quest I remake. However, due to disappointing sales of that remake and the "colorization controversy," the official King's Quest II remake was cancelled[^ref-19]. **AGD Interactive VGA Remake (2002):** AGD Interactive (formerly Tierra Entertainment) released "King's Quest II: Romancing the Stones," an unofficial VGA remake that accumulated over 451,400 downloads[^ref-23]. Features include point-and-click interface, full voice acting with Josh Mandel reprising King Graham, Adventure Game Studio engine, substantially rewritten plot with new characters, and the infamous bridge no longer collapsing[^ref-4][^ref-23][^ref-24]. Hardcore Gaming 101 declared the remake "far exceeds any of the work Sierra themselves put into any of their VGA remakes"[^ref-4]. The soundtrack features nearly two hours of original music by Tom Lewandowski[^ref-33]. **2015 Reboot:** The third chapter of the 2015 King's Quest reboot, titled "Once Upon a Climb" (April 2016), reimagines the rescue of Valanice[^ref-25]. ### The King's Quest Companion *The King's Quest Companion* by Peter Spear presents King's Quest II through the fictional narrator Derek Karlavaegen, a chronicler from Daventry who communicates with our world through the "Eye Between the Worlds"—a strange metal head with a glass eye and keyboard-like teeth found in a secret laboratory[^ref-12]. The Companion documents the complete 185-point breakdown by area[^ref-12]. Roberta Williams endorsed the book, calling it "an interesting blend of fiction and helpful information" that is "invaluable" for anyone wanting to understand the story behind King's Quest[^ref-34]. ### Easter Eggs and Unused Content **Easter Eggs:** - **Batmobile:** The 1960s Batmobile occasionally drives out of Hagatha's cave, accompanied by a version of the Batman theme. The narrator quips: "He must have gotten lost. I do not think he belongs in this story."[^ref-1][^ref-15][^ref-20][^ref-21][^ref-35] - **Space Quest Demo:** Looking in a hole in the cliff area plays a promotional demo for Space Quest, whose designers (Murphy and Crowe) worked on this game[^ref-1][^ref-8] - **Hidden Sign:** A sign advertising Space Quest I and King's Quest III appears in later versions[^ref-8] - **Personal Death Message:** When the player dies, a personal message from Roberta and Ken Williams displays[^ref-10] **Trivia:** - **Kolyma's Name:** The land of Kolyma is named after a river in northeastern Siberia, notorious for Soviet gulag prison camps—though this dark connection was likely unintentional[^ref-1] - **Thriller Sample:** The music outside Dracula's castle samples Michael Jackson's "Thriller"[^ref-15][^ref-20] - **Mac Backdoor:** When prompted for the master disk on Mac, holding Command and typing "4givmeken" (asking forgiveness from Ken Williams) bypasses copy protection[^ref-22] **Unused Content (The Cutting Room Floor):**[^ref-22] - An alternate, larger genie graphic—the final game uses a smaller genie attached to Graham's sprite - Three different gold key designs, suggesting each door may have originally required a distinct key - A "Dead Fish" item (Object ID 84) with the description: "The lovely fish is dead. The golden scales are already dulling" - Unused text including a rejected risqué description of Valanice - Debug commands activated by pressing ALT+D or typing "FAST TALK" - Unused sounds: happy melody, digging, tide/waves, striking effects, and an early slower Batman theme ### Collections This game has been included in[^ref-1]: - Triple Value Pack (1987) - King's Quest: Collector's Edition (1994) - The Roberta Williams Anthology (1996) - King's Quest: Collection Series (1997) - King's Quest Collection (2006) - King's Quest 1+2+3 (2010, digital) ## Downloads **Purchase / Digital Stores** - [GOG – King's Quest 1+2+3](https://www.gog.com/en/game/kings_quest_1_2_3)[^ref-26] - [Steam – King's Quest Collection](https://store.steampowered.com/app/10100)[^ref-27] **Download / Preservation** - [Internet Archive – King's Quest II](https://archive.org/details/msdos_Kings_Quest_II_-_Romancing_the_Throne_1985)[^ref-28] - [DOS Zone – Browser Play](https://dos.zone/kings-quest-ii-romancing-the-throne-1987/)[^ref-29] **Manuals & Extras** - [Sierra Help Pages – King's Quest II](https://sierrahelp.com/Games/KingsQuest/KQ2Help.html) – technical support, patches[^ref-30] - [Sierra Chest – King's Quest II](https://www.sierrachest.com/index.php?a=games&id=2&title=kings-quest-2) – walkthrough, maps[^ref-19] - [MobyGames – King's Quest II](https://www.mobygames.com/game/123/kings-quest-ii-romancing-the-throne/) – covers, screenshots, credits[^ref-1] - [PCGamingWiki – King's Quest II](https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/King%27s_Quest_II:_Romancing_the_Throne) – technical fixes[^ref-31] - [AGD Interactive – King's Quest II VGA](https://www.agdinteractive.com/games/kq2/) – free fan remake[^ref-23] - [The Cutting Room Floor – KQ2](https://tcrf.net/King%27s_Quest_II:_Romancing_the_Throne) – unused content[^ref-22] ## See Also - [[King's Quest Series]] - Series overview - [[1984 - King's Quest - Quest for the Crown|← Previous: King's Quest - Quest for the Crown]] - [[1986 - King's Quest III - To Heir Is Human|→ Next: King's Quest III - To Heir Is Human]] ## References [^ref-1]: [MobyGames – King's Quest II: Romancing the Throne](https://www.mobygames.com/game/123/kings-quest-ii-romancing-the-throne/) — Comprehensive database entry with credits, ratings, and platform information [^ref-2]: [Wikipedia – King's Quest II: Romancing the Throne](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%27s_Quest_II:_Romancing_the_Throne) — Detailed article with development history and release information [^ref-3]: [DOS Days – King's Quest II](https://www.dosdays.co.uk/games/kings_quest/kq2.php) — Technical specifications, AGI interpreter versions, and development credits [^ref-4]: [Hardcore Gaming 101 – King's Quest Series](https://www.hardcoregaming101.net/kings-quest/) — Comprehensive series retrospective with detailed analysis of each game [^ref-5]: [IMDB – Romancing the Stone (1984)](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088011/) — Robert Zemeckis film that inspired the game's subtitle [^ref-6]: [The Adventure Gamer – King's Quest II](https://adventuregamer.blogspot.com/2011/08/game-4-kings-quest-ii-romancing-throne.html) — PISSED rating retrospective scoring 53 points [^ref-7]: [Compute! Magazine Archive](https://archive.org/details/compute-magazine) — Contemporary review describing game as "like playing an animated cartoon" [^ref-8]: [King's Quest Fandom Wiki](https://kingsquest.fandom.com/wiki/King's_Quest_II:_Romancing_the_Throne) — Story summary, easter eggs, and version details [^ref-9]: [GameFAQs – King's Quest II](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/pc/565066-kings-quest-ii-romancing-the-throne) — Plot summary and gameplay walkthrough [^ref-10]: [Adventure Gamers – King's Quest II Review](https://adventuregamers.com/games/view/15451) — Modern retrospective rating 3/5 "Decent" [^ref-11]: [ScummVM Wiki – AGI](https://wiki.scummvm.org/index.php/AGI) — Technical details on walking speed and version differences [^ref-12]: [The King's Quest Companion by Peter Spear](https://archive.org/details/kingsquestcompan00spea) — Official companion book with 185-point breakdown and Derek Karlavaegen narrative [^ref-13]: [Gaming After 40 – King's Quest II](https://gamingafter40.blogspot.com/2010/03/adventure-of-week-kings-quest-ii-1985.html) — Detailed retrospective discussing bridge mechanics [^ref-14]: [Computer + Video Games Magazine](https://archive.org/details/cvg-magazine) — Contemporary review scoring 6/10 [^ref-15]: [IMDB – King's Quest II](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0214855/) — User rating 7.1/10 and trivia including Thriller sample and Batmobile easter egg [^ref-16]: [HowLongToBeat – King's Quest II](https://howlongtobeat.com/game/5121) — Completion time data: ~3 hours average, 37 minutes fastest [^ref-17]: [Choicest Games – King's Quest II Review](https://www.choicestgames.com/2014/04/kings-quest-ii-romancing-throne-review.html) — Modern retrospective rating 4/10 [^ref-18]: [Sierra Gamers – Roberta Williams Interview](https://www.sierragamers.com/roberta-williams-interview/) — Williams discussing ideas carried over from King's Quest I [^ref-19]: [Sierra Chest – King's Quest II](https://www.sierrachest.com/index.php?a=games&id=2&title=kings-quest-2) — Hint book credits (Al Lowe), walkthroughs, and maps [^ref-20]: [Video Game Music Preservation Foundation – King's Quest II](https://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php?title=King%27s_Quest_II:_Romancing_the_Throne_(DOS)) — Soundtrack analysis including Michael Jackson's Thriller sample [^ref-21]: [IGN – King's Quest II Walkthrough](https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/11/14/kings-quest-ii-romancing-the-throne-walkthrough-371055) — Easter eggs including Batmobile appearance [^ref-22]: [The Cutting Room Floor – King's Quest II](https://tcrf.net/King%27s_Quest_II:_Romancing_the_Throne) — Unused content, debug commands, and Mac "4givmeken" backdoor [^ref-23]: [AGD Interactive – King's Quest II VGA](https://www.agdinteractive.com/games/kq2/) — Free VGA remake with 451,400+ downloads [^ref-24]: [Adventure Game Studio – King's Quest II Remake](https://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/site/games/game/1047/) — Remake technical details and Josh Mandel voice credits [^ref-25]: [Polygon – King's Quest 2015 Chapter 3](https://www.polygon.com/2016/4/26/11509712/kings-quest-chapter-3-once-upon-a-climb-review) — Coverage of "Once Upon a Climb" reimagining Valanice rescue [^ref-26]: [GOG – King's Quest 1+2+3](https://www.gog.com/en/game/kings_quest_1_2_3) — Digital release with 4.1/5 rating (41 reviews) [^ref-27]: [Steam – King's Quest Collection](https://store.steampowered.com/app/10100) — Digital collection with 86% Very Positive rating (306 reviews) [^ref-28]: [Internet Archive – King's Quest II (1985)](https://archive.org/details/msdos_Kings_Quest_II_-_Romancing_the_Throne_1985) — Preservation copy of original DOS release [^ref-29]: [DOS Zone – King's Quest II](https://dos.zone/kings-quest-ii-romancing-the-throne-1987/) — Browser-playable version [^ref-30]: [Sierra Help Pages – King's Quest II](https://sierrahelp.com/Games/KingsQuest/KQ2Help.html) — Technical support and patch information [^ref-31]: [PCGamingWiki – King's Quest II](https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/King%27s_Quest_II:_Romancing_the_Throne) — Modern compatibility fixes and technical information [^ref-32]: [Classic Gaming – King's Quest II Analysis](https://classicgaming.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Games.Detail&id=135) — Technical innovations including first opening cutscene [^ref-33]: [Tom Lewandowski – King's Quest II VGA Soundtrack](https://xeenmusic.bandcamp.com/album/kings-quest-ii-romancing-the-stones-vga-soundtrack) — Nearly two hours of original music for AGD Interactive remake [^ref-34]: [Sierra Archives – King's Quest Companion Foreword](https://archive.org/details/kingsquestcompan00spea/page/n7/) — Roberta Williams endorsement calling it "invaluable" [^ref-35]: [TV Tropes – King's Quest II](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VideoGame/KingsQuestIIRomancingTheThrone) — Easter eggs documentation including Batmobile and Batman theme