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King’s Quest

Last updated: March 27, 2026

Overview

King’s Quest is a 2015 episodic adventure game developed by The Odd Gentlemen and published by Activision under the revived Sierra Entertainment brand for Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One123.

Released in five chapters between July 2015 and October 2016, the game reimagines the classic King’s Quest franchise, featuring an elderly King Graham narrating his youthful adventures to his granddaughter Gwendolyn12.

The entire game is told as a flashback, similar to the story structure of King’s Quest VII: The Princeless Bride, set in a fantasy universe and with a humorous tone2.

IGN called it “a beautiful experiment in resurrecting the conventions of gaming’s past and dressing them up in the lush graphics available today” and awarded it 8/104.

The game received an “Excellent” 4.5/5 rating from Adventure Gamers, who called it “an instant classic” and recommended that “wise, brave, and compassionate adventurers alike should definitely consider having a crack at it”5.

Story Summary

The narrative of King’s Quest (2015) unfolds as a series of stories told by an elderly King Graham to his granddaughter Gwendolyn, who listens from his bedside in the kingdom of Daventry2. When Graham dies in the game, he often rewinds the story a bit or remarks it was not what he did2. His narration is also heard during regular gameplay, especially for descriptions of the environment2.

The game offers entirely new stories and characters, but they often reference the earlier games2. The new stories are not told in chronological order and are interspersed with sections in the present that revolve around Gwendolyn2. The protagonist is Graham, the same protagonist who first appeared in the original King’s Quest in 19842.

The game consists of five chapters2:

  • Chapter 1: A Knight to Remember - A young Graham arrives in Daventry and enters a grand tournament to become a Knight of Daventry
  • Chapter 2: Rubble Without a Cause - Graham must rescue his kidnapped friends from goblins
  • Chapter 3: Once Upon a Climb - Graham is trapped in a tower with two princesses and must choose between them for his future wife, reimagining King’s Quest II
  • Chapter 4: Snow Place Like Home - Graham deals with challenges as an aging king
  • Chapter 5: The Good Knight - The concluding chapter explores themes of mortality, legacy, and what we leave behind

The Complete Collection includes an exclusive epilogue that shifts perspective to Gwendolyn, who applies the lessons learned from her grandfather’s stories during her first independent adventure6.

Gameplay

The game environment is shown through different perspectives for each scene with scrolling parts, but the camera cannot be controlled2. Visually it has a cel-shaded graphical style2. The player can move Graham freely in the 3D environment2.

Interface and Controls

  • When Graham is close to an interesting element, this is signified through one or multiple icons in the bottom right corner of the screen2
  • The player can choose to examine, interact, or pick up objects2
  • Collected items are stored in an inventory2
  • In many locations it is possible to switch to a first-person perspective to examine the environment2

Structure and Progression

  • The game largely focuses on the story and puzzle-solving, but there is also a large amount of exploration and action sequences with escapes and fighting2
  • Graham often needs to run and he can also push or manipulate objects in various ways2
  • These sections are sometimes shown from a first-person perspective2
  • There are many cut-scenes, on-rails sequences, and some Quick Time Events2

Puzzles and Mechanics

  • The game incorporates choices and consequences in various ways and they are carried across episodes2
  • There are many branching dialogue options that lead to different outcomes2
  • Puzzles often have multiple approaches without a fixed solution2
  • Generally there are three types of choices to make or paths to follow: bravery, wisdom, or compassion, though these are never mentioned explicitly2
  • This affects the story and especially the way Gwendolyn will act in the present as her grandfather’s stories are the inspiration for her acts2
  • These choice elements hearken back to the original King’s Quest games, such as the multiple ways Graham could deal with the dragon in the first game2

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

Adventure Gamers awarded the game an “Excellent” rating of 4.5/5, stating: “A revival of a classic adventure series, the episodic King’s Quest is itself an instant classic, giving each new installment its own unique focus. Wise, brave, and compassionate adventurers alike should definitely consider having a crack at it”5. Critics praised the innovative narrative structure using the grandfather-granddaughter framing device, which allowed for heartfelt storytelling while explaining the game’s death mechanics in a clever way25.

IGN’s Leif Johnson awarded Chapter 1 an 8/10, praising the game as “full of humor, heart, and beauty” and calling it “an admirable revival of classic adventure games”4. He noted that “there’s hardly an environment in the whole story that doesn’t evoke some awe”4. ZTGD gave Chapter 1 a 9.5/10 “Excellent” rating, calling it “the surprise hit of 2015” with “hilarious writing with a stellar VO cast”8.

GameFAQs users gave the game a rating of “Great” based on 26 ratings, with an average completion time of 30 hours for the full series6. The game’s reimagining of classic King’s Quest elements, particularly the tower sequence from King’s Quest II, received praise for its creative approach to series mythology2. The hand-drawn cel-shaded graphical style was widely praised for capturing the whimsical fairy-tale atmosphere of the original series while bringing it into the modern era25.

Digitally Downloaded’s review of the complete series praised the narrative structure, stating “Creative Director Matt Korba should be given some sort of award for his work with this game” and concluding that “King’s Quest does everything right”9. The reviewer noted being brought to tears by Graham’s death scene in Chapter Five9.

Common Sense Media praised the game as a “funny, surprising adventure with beautiful graphics,” recommending it for ages 10+ and noting the “Princess Bride-style” storytelling approach where elderly King Graham relates tales to his granddaughter10. The review highlighted the “incredible vocal cast” and praised the game’s “fun alternation among exploration, action, and puzzle solving”10.

The Complete Collection earned recognition within the gaming industry, receiving a nomination for Adventure Game of the Year at the 20th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences in 20171. Individual chapters received varying reception, with Chapter 1: A Knight to Remember and Chapter 3: Once Upon a Climb generally receiving the strongest reviews1.

Chapter-by-Chapter Reception

According to Metacritic aggregate scores, the individual chapters received the following critical reception1:

Chapter 1: A Knight to Remember received positive reviews:

  • Windows: 82/100 (23 reviews)
  • PlayStation 4: 77/100 (22 reviews)
  • Xbox One: 80/100 (26 reviews)

Chapter 2: Rubble Without a Cause received mixed reviews:

  • Windows: 67/100 (7 reviews)
  • PlayStation 4: 68/100 (12 reviews)
  • Xbox One: 71/100 (11 reviews)

Chapter 3: Once Upon a Climb received positive reviews:

  • Windows: 78/100 (4 reviews)
  • PlayStation 4: 79/100 (10 reviews)
  • Xbox One: 80/100 (8 reviews)

Chapter 4: Snow Place Like Home received mixed reviews with Destructoid’s Chris Carter giving it 9/10, while PlayStation Lifestyle’s Chandler Wood gave it 5.5/10, being happy with “some great cultural references” but criticizing the “cold and dull environment” and “boring puzzle design”1.

Chapter 5: The Good Knight received generally positive reviews with Destructoid’s Chris Carter giving it 8.5/10, while PlayStation Lifestyle praised its exploration of “deep subjects of mortality, life accomplishments, and what we leave behind” and awarded it 8/101.

Modern Assessment

The game holds a MobyScore of 7.3/10 with a 3.8/5 player rating from 13 ratings2. Adventure Gamers rates it 4.5/5, calling it “Excellent”5. The game is considered a successful revival of the dormant franchise, bringing the series to a new generation while honoring its roots25.

On Steam, the game has accumulated 2,933 reviews with a “Very Positive” aggregate rating (90% positive)11. The Steam community has particularly praised the game’s storytelling, humor, and faithfulness to the spirit of the original series while modernizing the gameplay11. Recent reviews remain “Very Positive,” indicating continued appreciation from new players discovering the game11.

  • Steam: Very Positive (2,933 reviews, 90% positive)11
  • MobyGames: 7.3/10 MobyScore, 3.8/5 player rating (13 ratings)2
  • GameFAQs: “Great” user rating (26 ratings)6
  • Adventure Gamers: 4.5/5 “Excellent”5
  • IGN: 8/10 (Chapter 1)4
  • ZTGD: 9.5/10 “Excellent” (Chapter 1)8
  • Metacritic: 82/100 (Windows Chapter 1)1
  • IGDB: 8.1/10 user rating (33 ratings)12
  • Common Sense Media: Age 10+ recommended10
  • ESRB: E10+ for Fantasy Violence10
  • Completion Time: 30 hours average for full series; ~5 hours per chapter; 55 hours for completionists6812

Development

Origins

The 2015 King’s Quest reboot originated in August 2014 when Activision announced the revival of the Sierra Entertainment label and selected independent studio The Odd Gentlemen to develop a new entry in the classic adventure series16. The game received a world premiere at The Game Awards 2014 on December 5, 2014, generating significant buzz for the franchise revival12. Creative Director Matt Korba led the project, envisioning a reimagining of King Graham’s story structured around an elderly Graham recounting his adventures to granddaughter Gwendolyn6.

Production

The game was developed as a five-part episodic adventure series, serving as both a reboot and re-imagining of the classic King’s Quest franchise2. The development team chose to include the framing device of the grandfather-granddaughter storytelling to provide greater emotional depth and explore themes of legacy, heroism, and mortality2. The script for the first chapter alone was 640 pages long, including branching paths, Easter eggs, narration, object use and interaction, and dialogue trees1. Each chapter of the series was longer and more complex than similar episodic series such as those made by Telltale Games1.

According to Creative Director Matt Korba, the game’s controls focused on “one-button context,” resulting in a game without complicated interfaces or controls1. The original games are considered part of the canon of the new series, with each chapter taking place between those games; however, previous games may be reinterpreted in completely new ways1. Korba emphasized that all the choices made by Graham are heroic, and there is no way for players to build a “bad” Graham1.

The voice cast features veteran actor Christopher Lloyd (Doc Brown from Back to the Future) as the elderly King Graham, with Josh Keaton (Shiro from Voltron) voicing young Graham491. Wallace Shawn (Rex from Toy Story, Vizzini from The Princess Bride) voices the antagonist Manannan, bringing what reviewers described as “a quick-witted but twisted feel”9. Maggie Elizabeth Jones delivers a standout performance as Gwendolyn, with her “enthusiasm and childlike innocence” praised by critics9. Additional voice talent includes Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants), Loretta Devine, Kevin Michael Richardson, and Zelda Williams (daughter of Robin Williams)13101.

Technical Achievements

  • Built on Unreal Engine 3 supporting hand-drawn art integration with cel-shaded graphical style72
  • Multi-platform release across Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One2
  • Choice-consequence mechanics tracking player decisions across virtue categories (bravery, wisdom, compassion)2
  • Branching dialogue system affecting narrative outcomes across all five episodes2
  • First-person perspective mode for detailed environmental examination2
  • Quick Time Events integrated into action sequences2
  • Released: July 28, 2015 (Chapter 1), with subsequent chapters through October 20166

Legacy

King’s Quest (2015) played a crucial role in reviving interest in the dormant franchise, which had seen no major entries since 1998’s King’s Quest: Mask of Eternity1. The reboot demonstrated the enduring appeal of whimsical adventure gaming and fairy-tale storytelling, drawing both longtime fans and newcomers to explore the series’ rich heritage.

The game’s innovative narrative structure, blending traditional adventure game mechanics with choice-driven storytelling through the grandfather-granddaughter framing device, influenced modern episodic adventure design2. Creative Director Matt Korba confirmed that King’s Quest: Mask of Eternity is canon to the 2015 reboot, though Connor did not ultimately appear in the game1.

The series remains available through digital distribution on Steam14.

Downloads

Purchase / Digital Stores

This game is not available on GOG15.

Manuals & Extras

See Also

References

Footnotes

  1. Wikipedia – King’s Quest (2015) – history, plot, gameplay, development, reception ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18 ↩19

  2. MobyGames – King’s Quest: The Complete Collection – developer, publisher, platforms, gameplay description ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18 ↩19 ↩20 ↩21 ↩22 ↩23 ↩24 ↩25 ↩26 ↩27 ↩28 ↩29 ↩30 ↩31 ↩32 ↩33 ↩34 ↩35 ↩36 ↩37 ↩38 ↩39 ↩40 ↩41 ↩42 ↩43 ↩44 ↩45

  3. Metacritic – King’s Quest – user scores, critic reviews, platform information ↩

  4. IGN – King’s Quest: A Knight to Remember Review – 8/10 review by Leif Johnson, Christopher Lloyd voice acting praise ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  5. Adventure Gamers – King’s Quest (2015) – review, rating ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8

  6. GameFAQs – King’s Quest: The Complete Collection – developer, release date, user reviews ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9

  7. PCGamingWiki – King’s Quest (2015) – technical specs, engine information ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  8. ZTGD – King’s Quest Chapter 1 Review – 9.5/10 review, gameplay length, puzzle design ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  9. Digitally Downloaded – King’s Quest Complete Series Review – full series review, voice cast details, Matt Korba creative direction ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  10. Common Sense Media – King’s Quest – age 10+ recommendation, Princess Bride-style storytelling, voice cast praise, ESRB E10+ rating ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  11. Steam Community – King’s Quest Reviews – 2,933 reviews, Very Positive aggregate (90% positive), recent review status, system requirements ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  12. IGDB – King’s Quest – user ratings, The Game Awards 2014 world premiere, completion times ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  13. Rock Paper Shotgun – King’s Quest Review – voice cast details including Tom Kenny, Loretta Devine, Kevin Michael Richardson ↩

  14. Steam – King’s Quest – purchase, availability ↩ ↩2

  15. GOG Search – King’s Quest 2015 – GOG availability check (not available) ↩

  16. ScummVM Wiki – King’s Quest – series details ↩

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