Sierra adventure games were exciting for their time. They were imaginative, they broke a lot of technological boundaries, and they told some great stories. They were also renowned for their creative death sequences whenever you somehow managed to step in it.
We've gathered a list of the most hilarious death scenes in classic Sierra adventure games. Let's all stop and pay homage to a game company that wasn't afraid to mock you for your ineptitude in the most creative, side-splitting ways!
10 "KNOW YOUR HOLE!" - SPACE QUEST 1: THE SARIEN ENCOUNTER
Shortly after escaping the ill-fated Arcada, inept janitor extraordinaire Roger Wilco finds himself on a desolate alien planet seemingly devoid of life. How wrong he is! If you insist on having Roger poke his nose where it doesn't belong, bad things are sure to happen.
One particularly gruesome death happens if you stick your head into a large hole in a rock-face. Turns out that an alien life form has made the interior it's home, and you've suddenly volunteered to become its next Uber Eats delivery! The death narrative is especially hilarious for its, shall we say, interesting wording!
9 "DON'T GO NAKED!" - POLICE QUEST 1: IN PURSUIT OF THE DEATH ANGEL
Being a cop is a stressful line of work. Every day, you put your life on the line to keep the public safe, while never knowing what's around the next corner. All that stress can pile up and make you do strange, socially unacceptable things.
Things like taking your clothes off in the middle of the police station, for no good reason! If the player types "takes off clothes" in Police Quest's text parser, the game is more than willing to oblige - at your own peril, of course!
8 "FOR BETTER OR (EVEN) WORSE" - KING'S QUEST IV: THE PERILS OF ROSELLA
In your quest to save your father from a mysterious illness, you venture out to a far-away land of adventure, intrigue, and of course, danger. One such peril involves catching the eye of the main villainess' son, who seems to fancy you.
If you fool around too much and get caught, you'll end up a bride-to-be for this green-skinned, heart-of-gold little troll, and no amount of pretending is going to save you! Best to play hard to get.
7 "WE CAN REBUILD HIM" - LEISURE SUIT LARRY 1: IN THE LAND OF THE LOUNGE LIZARDS
Larry Laffer is a guy with $94 bucks in his pocket, an outdated leisure suit, and no game! Throughout your adventure in the city of Lost Wages, you'll undoubtedly learn that failure is an integral part of the experience.
Not to worry, though! The Sierra adventure team is there to put your worthless husk in the recycling machine so that you may live another day - in some form, or another! At least they were environmentally conscious.
6 "WHAT A CAT-ASTROPHE!" - QUEST FOR GLORY 1: SO YOU WANT TO BE A HERO?
Less scrupulous players loved the opportunity to play through Quest For Glory 1 as a Thief, and that involved sneaking into people's houses. If your skill level was less than stellar, however, you were soon in for it.
One such victim of your thievery is a sweet old lady with a rather ferocious kitty that would put any German Shepherd guard dog to shame! Does it end with your inept self torn to shreds in a flurry of razor-sharp teeth and claws? No, it's much, much worse than that!
5 "WHAT A BOMB-BASTIC ENDING!" - POLICE QUEST II: THE VENGEANCE
In his quest to end the Death Angel's villainous crime spree, you'll eventually have to take a flight to another city, which ends up being hijacked by terrorists. Never fear! With your police training at the ready, you slay both hijackers and save everyone from a fateful doom.
Wait, what's that ticking sound? Maybe someone is wearing a really loud Rolex? Come to think of it, why does that terrorist have a pair of wire cutters on his corpse? Oh!
4 "I CAN QUIT ANYTIME I WANT!" - CODENAME: ICEMAN
Codename: Iceman begins with your character vacationing in the lovely, unequaled paradise of Tahiti. However, that's no excuse for abusing your all-inclusive package with never-ending rounds at the local bar.
Few things are as embarrassing or disappointing as seeing a decorated military man face down in the local karzy. That's no way to run a sub, Mr. Westland!
3 "PUCKER UP, BUTTERCUP!" - SPACE QUEST II: VOHAUL'S REVENGE
Vohaul's asteroid fortress is full of terrors, from deadly acid baths to killer roombas. They're nothing compared to the horror of a gigantic xenomorph with Jessica Rabbit lips who ends up taking a liking to you.
It ends as you'd expect. After being forced into a prolonged smooch, you end up going the way of Thomas Kane in the original Alien film. At least the method of infection was slightly less traumatic...or was it?
2 "UNDER PRESSURE!" - SPACE QUEST III: THE PIRATES OF PESTULON
If you're going to fix up a derelict spacecraft to make your escape from an intergalactic garbage freighter, then for goodness sake, at least read the owner's manual first! Failure to do so may have you skipping the little things - like basic energy shields!
If you decide to use the ship's weapons to blast an escape hole through the side of the freighter, the resulting explosion will make mincemeat out of your hull, and subject you to the pressure of deep space. There's a reason why they invented the phrase "shields up!"
1 "EXCUSE ME, PAW-DEN ME" - KING'S QUEST III: TO HEIR IS HUMAN
We're beginning to think that the Sierra devs weren't big cat fans. There weren't any roller skates around in the old days, so naturally, a feline was more than happy to assume the duty. As you descend into the evil wizard Manannan's lair, his black cat (unlucky for some, including you) is there doing its thing on the old stone staircase.
One misstep, and that's all she wrote. Down you go, like a sack of potatoes until you crash-land on the floor. While it beats an elevator, you won't be doing much else except vowing to make a pair of mittens out of your furry foe during your next playthrough!