Mordavia
| Company type | Video game series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founder | Corey and Lori Ann Cole |
| Products | Hybrid adventure and role-playing video games |
Quest for Glory is a collection of hybrid adventure and role-playing video games developed by Corey and Lori Ann Cole. Built using the Sierra Creative Interpreter, a development toolkit created by Sierra specifically for adventure games, the series combines humor, puzzle-solving, and motifs inspired by various myths and iconic characters across its five installments.
Initially titled Hero's Quest, the franchise was renamed Quest for Glory after Sierra was unable to obtain the trademark. The Milton Bradley Company had already registered the name for an unrelated electronic adaptation of their joint Games Workshop board game, HeroQuest, necessitating a rebranding for all future releases.
Series
Lori Cole introduced Quest for Glory to Sierra as a "rich, narrative-driven, role-playing experience."
Spanning five entries, the series continues its overarching narrative with each new release. Characters from earlier games frequently reappear, creating continuity between titles. The primary goal centers on evolving the player’s character from a typical adventurer into a hero by completing quests that offer multiple paths.
A groundbreaking aspect was the ability to import characters, enabling players to transfer their skills and accumulated wealth from one game to the next.
The games skillfully mix serious storytelling with comedic elements, balancing perilous adventures and heroic deeds alongside playful touches such as frequent puns. For example, the conclusion of the second game humorously nods to the protagonist’s "latest set of adventures and miserable puns."
Common narrative motifs include tasks like brewing a dispel potion. Additionally, the series features Easter eggs referencing other Sierra titles—for instance, a lock-picking joke appears in the first game, while Dr. Cranium from The Castle of Dr. Brain makes an appearance in the fourth installment.
Each title draws from distinct mythological backgrounds—ranging from Germanic and fairy tale themes; Middle Eastern and Arabian Nights influences; Egyptian and African lore; Slavic traditions; to Greco-Mediterranean mythology—introducing progressively more formidable adversaries and recurring characters. The series often blends cultural references, such as featuring Baba Yaga in the Germanic-inspired first game, and includes anachronistic elements like pizza-loving mad scientists.
Celebrated among CRPG fans as one of the finest examples in its genre, the franchise is lauded for its non-linear gameplay and innovative fusion of adventure with role-playing mechanics. It pioneered features ahead of its time, including day-night cycles, NPCs with independent routines, and character progression through skill practice and point distribution. Outlets like Polygon and Kotaku acknowledge it as a forerunner to contemporary RPGs, while Destructoid hails it as "one of the greatest adventure series of all time."
Engadget’s Rowan Kaizer credits the series’ enduring appeal to its hybrid gameplay approach: puzzles are designed around skill checks rather than simple pass/fail outcomes, allowing players to advance through practice or exploration instead of depending on obscure item combinations.
Gameplay
The initial four installments combine elements of adventure and role-playing genres, featuring combat in real-time, whereas the fifth installment transitions into the action RPG category.
Drawing inspiration from Sierra's earlier adventure titles, players select a profession from three classic RPG archetypes: fighter, magic-user/wizard, and thief. The system permits skill acquisition across different classes, enabling the creation of distinctive "hybrid characters." In the second or third chapters, players have the opportunity to evolve into a Paladin by undertaking honorable deeds, which modifies their class, grants new abilities, and awards a special sword. Characters can be transferred between games, preserving their statistics and inventory—except in Shadows of Darkness, where all items are reset at the beginning. Imported characters may adopt any class, including Paladin.
Each profession presents unique advantages and limitations, along with class-exclusive scenarios linked to specialized skills. Many puzzles offer multiple solutions—up to four—depending on the selected class, promoting replay value. For instance, retrieving a ring from a tree might involve fighters throwing stones, thieves climbing up, or magic-users casting spells. Additionally, thieves have the option to sell the ring within the thieves' guild, a choice unavailable to other classes. Over time and across games, characters can develop proficiency in all skills to tackle nearly every challenge, though certain obstacles remain exclusive to specific classes.
Distinctive capabilities accompany each class alongside shared attributes that improve through completing tasks and quests. Typically, skill levels cap at 100 times the installment number; however, Quest for Glory V permits bonuses beyond these thresholds and introduces gear that alters statistics dynamically. At the start of each game, players allocate points to attributes; while some are tied to particular classes, others can be learned at an additional cost.
Core attributes influence interactions and object manipulation—for example, strength allows moving heavy items, while communication skills facilitate negotiation. Skills advance through relevant activities—climbing enhances climbing ability, running increases vitality. Complementary skills correspond with classes: parrying suits fighters and paladins; lockpicking and stealth benefit thieves; spellcasting is essential for magic users.
Vital statistics diminish with exertion: Health (derived from strength and vitality) determines hit points; Stamina (based on agility and vitality) limits how long actions can be sustained before rest is necessary; Mana (linked to intelligence and magic) is exclusive to magic users.
Players track progress through Puzzle and Experience points; notably in the first game, experience levels influence random encounters by unlocking more formidable monsters as players advance.
Quest for Glory: So You Want to Be a Hero
In Spielburg valley barony, an ogress named Baba Yaga has placed a curse on the land and its ruling baron. His offspring have disappeared, while monsters and bandits terrorize the area. The Valley of Spielburg awaits a Hero capable of resolving these troubles. Originally released in 1989, this title was later remade with VGA graphics in 1992.
Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire
Taking place in the desert city of Shapeir within Gloriana, Quest for Glory II follows the Hero of Spielburg as he journeys by flying carpet alongside companions Abdulla Doo, Shameen, and Shema. Shapeir is threatened by magical elementals, while the neighboring city of Raseir suffers under oppressive rule due to the disappearance of its Emir. This installment retained Sierra’s original EGA graphical style, although in 2008 AGD Interactive produced a fan-made VGA remake utilizing Adventure Game Studio.
Quest for Glory III: Wages of War
Now established as the Prince of Shapeir, the Hero travels with Rakeesh the Paladin and Uhura to Tarna, a region in Fricana characterized by jungle and savannah landscapes inspired by central Africa. The area is on the brink of war as the Simbani tribe and Leopardmen battle over stolen sacred artifacts. The Hero’s mission is to prevent this conflict and stop a demon threatening worldwide devastation.
Quest for Glory: Shadows of Darkness
Following his victory in Fricana, the Hero is unexpectedly transported to Mordavia’s treacherous Dark One Caves without equipment. Facing undead adversaries, he must confront a sinister force intent on engulfing the world in everlasting darkness.
Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire
Erasmus guides the Hero to Silmaria, a kingdom reminiscent of ancient Greece undergoing a succession crisis after the king’s assassination. The Hero competes in the Rites of Rulership against contenders such as guard Kokeeno Pookameeso, warlord Magnum Opus, Gort, and warrior Elsa Von Spielburg, with support from allies introduced in earlier games.
Collections
- Quest for Glory Anthology (1996) bundles the first four games including a fully patched CD version of QFG IV. Copy protection codes are provided both in the manual and on the CD; saved games are stored in the designated save folder alongside the VGA edition of Quest for Glory I.
- Quest for Glory Collection Series (1997) reissues the Anthology with added features such as a Dragon Fire demo and sample soundtrack.
- Quest for Glory 1–5 (2012) is a digital compilation available on GOG.com and Steam, featuring all five titles along with both EGA and VGA versions of QFG1.
Original concept
Originally conceived as a tetralogy, the series was designed around four cardinal directions, classical elements, seasons, and mythological themes:
| Game | Cardinal Direction |
Central Element |
Season | Central Mythology |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quest for Glory: So You Want to Be a Hero | North | Earth | Spring | Germanic |
| Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire | South | Fire | Summer | Middle Eastern |
| Quest for Glory: Shadows of Darkness | East | Air | Fall | Slavic |
| Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire | West | Water | Winter | Greek |
To fill the narrative gap between Trial by Fire and the more demanding Shadows of Darkness, developers introduced Quest for Glory III: Wages of War, which led to renumbering. This change addressed concerns regarding the Hero’s readiness to face Transylvania’s perils directly.
Corey and Lori Cole articulated that overarching themes include character evolution—from an inexperienced youth in spring (QFG I) to a seasoned hero by winter (QFG V)—and cyclical motifs involving elements, seasons, and directions. Each installment corresponds to phases in the Hero’s maturity and escalating challenges.
From a business perspective, this storytelling approach enhanced player investment through progressively complex gameplay and richer narratives across titles. The addition of Wages of War as an intermediary chapter exemplifies adaptive development responding to both story continuity and gameplay balance requirements.
Characters
In addition to the Hero, the series features several recurring figures who are pivotal to the storyline, including Rakeesh Sah Tarna, Baba Yaga, Abdullah Doo, Elsa von Spielburg, and the primary villain Ad Avis.
World
The Quest for Glory saga unfolds in various settings influenced by international mythologies: Spielburg reflects Germanic and Norse traditions, Shapeir draws from Arabian tales in One Thousand and One Nights, Tarna is inspired by African cultures with a focus on Egyptian elements, Mordavia represents Slavic folklore, and Silmaria is based on Greek mythology. The games incorporate narratives and creatures deeply rooted in these cultural myths, occasionally blending characters like Baba Yaga into environments beyond her usual Eastern European origins.