# Space Quest Series <small style="color: gray">Last updated: January 27, 2026</small> ## Overview The Space Quest series is Sierra On-Line's beloved science fiction comedy adventure franchise, created by [[Mark Crowe]] and [[Scott Murphy]]—collectively known as the "Two Guys from Andromeda."[^ref-1] Spanning seven games from 1986 to 1995, the series follows the misadventures of Roger Wilco, a hapless janitor who repeatedly stumbles into saving the galaxy despite his best efforts to avoid responsibility.[^ref-2] [[Josh Mandel]] contributed significantly to the series, co-designing Space Quest VI with Murphy after the Two Guys parted ways. Distinguished by its satirical humor, pop culture parodies, and willingness to kill players in creative and often hilarious ways, Space Quest carved out a unique niche in the adventure game landscape.[^ref-3] Where King's Quest embraced fairy tale sincerity, Space Quest gleefully mocked science fiction tropes while crafting genuinely engaging adventures. ## Series Timeline | Year | Title | Engine | Notes | |------|-------|--------|-------| | 1986 | [[1986 - Space Quest - The Sarien Encounter\|Space Quest: The Sarien Encounter]] | AGI | Series debut | | 1987 | [[1987 - Space Quest II - Vohaul's Revenge\|Space Quest II: Vohaul's Revenge]] | AGI | Introduces Sludge Vohaul | | 1989 | [[1989 - Space Quest III - The Pirates of Pestulon\|Space Quest III: The Pirates of Pestulon]] | SCI0 | Meta-humor, rescues Two Guys | | 1991 | [[1991 - Space Quest I - Roger Wilco in the Sarien Encounter\|Space Quest I VGA]] | SCI1 | VGA remake of original | | 1991 | [[1991 - Space Quest IV - Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers\|Space Quest IV: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers]] | SCI1 | Time travel storyline | | 1993 | [[1993 - Space Quest V - The Next Mutation\|Space Quest V: The Next Mutation]] | SCI1.1 | Star Trek parody | | 1995 | [[1995 - Space Quest 6 - Roger Wilco in the Spinal Frontier\|Space Quest VI: Roger Wilco in the Spinal Frontier]] | SCI32 | Final official entry | ## The Two Guys from Andromeda [[Mark Crowe]] and [[Scott Murphy]] created Space Quest while working at Sierra, developing the series' distinctive voice through collaborative writing and design.[^ref-4] Their comedic sensibilities complemented each other—Crowe focused on art and visual gags while Murphy handled programming and wordplay. The duo maintained creative control through Space Quest III, where they literally inserted themselves into the game as captive programmers Roger must rescue from the evil ScumSoft corporation (a parody of software publishers).[^ref-5] After SQ3, the Two Guys worked separately: - **Space Quest IV** - Both credited, but developed with tension - **Space Quest V** - Mark Crowe solo (Murphy busy with other projects) - **Space Quest VI** - Josh Mandel stepped in to co-design with Murphy ## Themes and Humor ### Parody and Satire Space Quest ruthlessly parodies science fiction franchises and pop culture: - **Star Wars** - The Sarien storyline echoes Death Star tropes - **Star Trek** - SQ5 is an extended Next Generation parody - **Alien** - Face huggers and xenomorph references throughout - **2001: A Space Odyssey** - HAL parodies and monolith jokes - **Terminator** - Time travel mechanics in SQ4 ### Self-Referential Humor The series pioneered meta-humor in games: - SQ3's rescue of the Two Guys from ScumSoft - SQ4's time travel to "Space Quest XII: Vohaul's Revenge II" - Constant fourth-wall breaking narrator commentary - In-game references to Sierra and other Sierra games ### Death as Comedy Space Quest is infamous for creative player deaths: - Eaten by Orat monsters - Dissolved in acid - Sucked into space - Crushed, vaporized, and otherwise eliminated - Each death accompanied by sarcastic narrator commentary ## Roger Wilco The series' protagonist is the antithesis of the traditional hero: - **Profession**: Janitor (Second Class, later promoted) - **Skills**: Mop operation, hiding in closets, surviving by accident - **Personality**: Lazy, cowardly, but ultimately good-hearted - **Nemesis**: Sludge Vohaul, an evil scientist with a personal vendetta Roger's everyman quality made him relatable—he succeeds not through skill or bravery but through persistence and dumb luck, resonating with players who saw themselves in his reluctant heroism. ## Technical Evolution ### AGI Era (1986-1987) - Text parser interface - 16-color graphics - PC speaker sound - SQ1 and SQ2 ### SCI Era (1989-1995) - Point-and-click interface (SQ4 onward) - 256-color VGA graphics - Sound card support and voice acting - SQ3 through SQ6 ## Critical Reception | Game | Notable Reception | |------|-------------------| | SQ1 | Praised for humor, established formula | | SQ2 | Expanded scope, memorable villain | | SQ3 | Peak of AGI-era Sierra comedy | | SQ4 | Innovative time travel, voice acting debut | | SQ5 | Strong Star Trek parody, fan favorite | | SQ6 | Mixed reception, seen as weaker finale | ## Cancelled Projects ### Space Quest VII Development began in the mid-1990s but was cancelled when Sierra shifted focus away from adventure games.[^ref-6] Multiple concepts were explored, including a prequel and direct sequel. ### SpaceVenture Mark Crowe and Scott Murphy reunited for a Kickstarter-funded spiritual successor, though development faced significant delays.[^ref-7] ## Legacy ### Fan Community - **[SpaceQuest.net](https://spacequest.net/)** - Premier fan site with extensive resources[^ref-8] - **Virtual Broomcloset** - Fan fiction and community - Active speedrunning scene - Fan games including [[2012 - Space Quest - Incinerations\|Space Quest: Incinerations]] and [[2011 - Space Quest - Vohaul Strikes Back\|Vohaul Strikes Back]][^ref-9] ### Cultural Impact - Demonstrated viable comedy in adventure games - Influenced later sci-fi comedies in gaming - Roger Wilco became an iconic Sierra mascot - "Two Guys from Andromeda" branding became legendary ## Playing Today ### Purchase Links | Collection | Store | |------------|-------| | Space Quest 1+2+3 | [GOG](https://www.gog.com/game/space_quest_1_2_3) | | Space Quest 4+5+6 | [GOG](https://www.gog.com/game/space_quest_4_5_6) | | Space Quest Collection | [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/10110/Space_Quest_Collection/) | > [!tip] Buying Notes > - **SQ1 VGA (1991)** - Steam only! GOG's SQ 1+2+3 includes the EGA original only, not the VGA remake ### Compatibility - **[ScummVM](https://www.scummvm.org/)** - Full support for all entries - Original DOS versions playable via [DOSBox](https://www.dosbox.com/) ### Official & Fan Remakes | Title | Developer | Year | Download | |-------|-----------|------|----------| | [[1991 - Space Quest I - Roger Wilco in the Sarien Encounter\|Space Quest I VGA]] | Sierra On-Line | 1991 | Official remake | | [[2011 - Space Quest II VGA Remake\|SQ2 VGA Remake]] | Infamous Adventures | 2011 | [IA](https://www.infamous-adventures.com/sq2/) | ### Fan Sequels | Title | Developer | Year | Download | |-------|-----------|------|----------| | [[2001 - Space Quest - The Lost Chapter\|The Lost Chapter]] | Vonster D. Monster | 2001 | [Download](http://sq.vonster.com/) | | [[2003 - Space Quest 0 - Replicated\|SQ0: Replicated]] | Vonster D. Monster | 2003 | [Download](http://sq.vonster.com/) | | [[2011 - Space Quest - Vohaul Strikes Back\|Vohaul Strikes Back]] | Infamous Quests | 2011 | [Download](http://www.vohaulstrikesback.com/) | | [[2012 - Space Quest - Incinerations\|Incinerations]] | Infamous Quests | 2012 | [Download](http://sq-incinerations.com/) | ### Spiritual Successors | Title | Developer | Year | Link | |-------|-----------|------|------| | [[2022 - SpaceVenture\|SpaceVenture]] | Two Guys from Andromeda | 2022 | [SpaceVenture](https://guysfromandromeda.com/) | ## See Also - [[Mark Crowe]] - Co-creator, artist - [[Scott Murphy]] - Co-creator, programmer - [[Josh Mandel]] - SQ6 co-designer, voice of King Graham - [[King's Quest Series]] - Sister fantasy adventure series - [[Leisure Suit Larry Series]] - Sierra's other comedy franchise ## References [^ref-1]: [MobyGames - Space Quest Series](https://www.mobygames.com/group/399/space-quest-series/) – Series credits and "Two Guys from Andromeda" branding [^ref-2]: [Wikipedia - Space Quest](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Quest) – Series overview and Roger Wilco character [^ref-3]: [SpaceQuest.net - Death List](https://spacequest.net/deaths/) – Documentation of creative player deaths [^ref-4]: [The Digital Antiquarian - Space Quest](https://www.filfre.net/2016/02/space-quest/) – Two Guys collaboration history [^ref-5]: [MobyGames - Space Quest III](https://www.mobygames.com/game/141/space-quest-iii-the-pirates-of-pestulon/) – ScumSoft meta-narrative documentation [^ref-6]: [SpaceQuest.net - Space Quest 7](https://spacequest.net/sq7/) – Cancelled sequel history [^ref-7]: [Kickstarter - SpaceVenture](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/guysfromandromeda/two-guys-spaceventure-by-the-creators-of-space-que) – Spiritual successor campaign [^ref-8]: [SpaceQuest.net](https://spacequest.net/) – Premier fan community site [^ref-9]: [Space Quest: Incinerations](https://sq-incinerations.com/) – Fan game project