Roberta Williams' The Colonel's Bequest was a different type of adventure game

"However, my mom was another story. I remember her playing Dr. Mario a lot, and we played Donkey Kong Country together when I was young-standard millennial childhood family gaming stuff. But the games I most associate with her from my childhood are adventure games. She liked King's Quest, of course-but I also remember her being particularly into the Hugo trilogy of games."

"I remember swapping chairs with my mom as we attempted additional playthroughs of the game; I enjoyed seeing the secrets she found that I hadn't because I was perhaps too young to think things through the way she did. Games you played with family stick with you more, so I think I mostly remember The Colonel's Bequest so well because, as I recall, it was my mom's favorite game."

"The Colonel's Bequest may have been a pivotal game for me personally, but it hasn't really resonated through gaming history the way that King's Quest, The Secret of Monkey Island, or other adventure titles did. I think that's partly because many people might understandably find the game a bit boring. There's not much to challenge you here, and your character is kind of just along for the ride. She's not the center of the story, and she's not really taking action."

A mother played Dr. Mario and Donkey Kong Country and favored adventure games such as King's Quest and the Hugo trilogy. The Colonel's Bequest served as a shared game between parent and child, prompting cooperative replay sessions and seat-swapping to discover secrets. The player observed that the mother's approach revealed solutions the player had missed. The Colonel's Bequest achieved personal significance through family play but remained less influential in broader gaming history than titles like King's Quest or The Secret of Monkey Island. Gameplay emphasizes observation over action, with a passive protagonist and time-driven progression, contributing to niche appeal. The game is available on GOG and inspired a spiritual successor, The Crimson Diamond; Roberta and Ken Williams later released a 3D Colossal Cave remake.

Read at Ars Technica