Space Quest 1: Roger Wilco in the Sarien Encounter

Space Quest 1: Roger Wilco in the Sarien Encounter is the adventure that introduced Roger Wilco, a janitor who somehow manages to become one of science fiction gaming's most lovable accidental heroes. The game parodies classic space opera while following Roger through a bizarre series of planets, spaceships, aliens, and extremely questionable career opportunities. Gameplay revolves around exploration, text commands, item collection, and puzzle solving, with plenty of humor hidden in descriptions and conversations. Roger is hardly the competent action hero of traditional science fiction; he is simply a maintenance worker who keeps finding himself in situations wildly beyond his job description. That contrast gives the game much of its charm. Sierra's trademark willingness to let players make spectacularly bad decisions is also present, so experimentation can occasionally lead to memorable disasters. It remains a wonderful example of how comedy and adventure can work together without taking either too seriously.