Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers is a point-and-click adventure game. Sierra On-Line (Sierra Entertainment) developed and published the game in 1993 for MS-DOS, Macintosh, and Windows. What made this game stand out from many other point-and-click games of the time was the voice acting. Famous voice actors like Mark Hamill, Tim Curry, and Michael Dorn starred in the game. Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers also featured the acting talents of Leah Remini and Efrem Zimbalist Jr. With such an impressive cast, it wasn’t a surprise that so many eyes were on the game.
In 2014, a remake of the game was released for the 20th anniversary. Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers 20th Anniversary Edition debuted for Windows, Mac, Android, and iPad. This remake is still available on Steam, the Apple store, and GOG.com. Jane Jensen handled the production of the original game. When the 20th Anniversary Edition was released, Jensen’s new studio, Pinkerton Road Studios, developed it. Phoenix Online Studios published the game.
Both games have glowing reviews. The original Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Father didn’t make a lot of money, but it was successful enough and adored enough that it spawned a franchise and a remake. The original game was praised for its exceptional voice acting and phenomenal story. The remake received just as much praise. Although it did feature a new voice cast, every platform it was released on gave it glowing reviews. Steam rates the 20th Anniversary Edition a 9 out of 10 and GOG rates it a 4 out of 5. The Apple Store also rates the remake a 4.3 out of 5. IGN rates it slightly lower at a 7 out of 10, but they do call it good and say it “authentically pays homage to its classic predecessor.”
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers Premise
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers follows the main protagonist, Gabriel Knight a writer and owner of a New Orleans rare bookstore. In this world, supernatural forces, magic, and the forces of good and evil are very much real. This story focuses on voodoo more than anything else, both the Americanized version popular in New Orleans and the African version. Gabriel is a struggling author desperate for a new story. When he catches wind of a series of murders that allegedly have strong ties to voodoo crop up around New Orleans, he takes it upon himself to investigate. He hopes following the “Voodoo Murders” will provide him with material for a new book.
As Gabriel’s investigation goes on, his understanding of Louisiana Voodoo expands. As any good investigator should, Gabriel covers all of his bases by meeting with not one, but two experts on voodoo, so he can better understand the evidence he finds. During his investigation, Gabriel learns more about his family’s past from his grandmother. Harrison Knight, Gabriel’s grandfather, was originally from Germany. Born Heinz Ritter, Harrison decides he wants to distance himself from his “crazy” family, and moved to America. He hoped that in his new home, he could live a basic, normal life, and provide such for his family too. Eventually, one of Gabriel’s German relatives reaches out to him and provides him with a journal from one of his ancestors, Gunter Ritter.
This journal details an incident where Gunter faced off against Tetelo, a criminal and voodoo practitioner who was burned at the stake. The events in the journal end up being more connected to the modern Voodoo Murders than Gabriel expects. Eventually, he’s confronted by Malia, who is possessed by a spirit that goes by the name of Loa. This spirit was allegedly Tetelo in life. Loa immediately identifies Gabriel as Gunter’s descendant and accuses him of being a witch hunter. This leads to Gabriel discovering the truth about his family. They referred to themselves as Shadow Hunters, people who swore to protect the innocent from those who would use supernatural means to harm them. Gabriel is more connected to the Voodoo Murders than he could ever expect. Once he discovers the truth, he’s in too deep to get out.
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers Main Characters
©GOG / Pinkerton Road Studio – License
The game has a large cast of main and supporting characters that help flesh out the voodoo-filled streets of New Orleans.
- Gabriel Knight: Gabriel Knight is the title character and playable protagonist of Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers. He is a struggling author who owns a rare bookstore in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Gabriel is desperate for new material, so he gets involved in the ongoing Voodoo Murders investigation in hopes of finding a new subject to write about. Gabriel bites off more than he can chew when the voodoo related to the case turns out to be very much real. Not only that, but Gabriel also has a long German family line of witch hunters that he never knew about. Gabriel’s family, the Shadow Hunters, swore to protect the innocent from people who abuse supernatural power for evil purposes. During Gabriel’s investigation, he uncovers the truth about his family history and learns he’s far closer to the Voodoo Murders than he ever realized.
- Grace Nakimura: Grace Nakimura is Gabriel’s shop assistant and although she isn’t a main focus in a lot of the game, she does save Gabriel’s life. After Tetelo’s spirit recognizes Gabriel as a witch hunter, Gabriel barely escapes death. Grace, thankfully, shows up just in time to get him somewhere safe. Eventually, Grace is kidnapped by the voodoo cartel. Gabriel is warned about the dangers of staying in New Orleans, but he refuses to abandon Grace. With Frank Mosely’s help, they rescue her.
- Frank Mosely: Frank Mosely is Gabriel’s childhood friend and also the police detective assigned to the Voodoo Murders case. Mosely is the reason Gabriel’s able to get so close to the investigation in the first place. Without his support, Gabriel would never be able to follow through with his plans. Mosely eventually begins to suspect that the voodoo cartel has complete control over the New Orleans police and local government. He helps Gabriel save Grace and gets her somewhere safe after her kidnapping.
- Malia Gedde: Malia Gedde is a local socialite whom Gabriel immediately falls in love with. He uses some underhanded means to introduce himself and get close to her, but Malia is harboring a dark secret. When Gabriel sneaks into one of the voodoo cartel’s ceremonies, he discovers that Malia is the cartel’s leader. She is also possessed by Loa, a spirit who used to be known as Tetelo in life. Tetelo is, of course, the criminal that Gabriel’s ancestor, Gunter hunted down. Tetelo recognizes Gabriel immediately and accuses him of being a witch hunter. Tetelo eventually takes complete control of Malia’s body. During the final confrontation, Malia confesses that she understands Tetelo is a threat to the world. Malia isn’t necessarily the main antagonist, but since she’s being possessed by Tetelo, she’s attached to the role.
- Wolfgang Ritter: Wolfgang Ritter is one of Gabriel’s living German relatives. Wolfgang reaches out to Gabriel and invites him to Germany to better explore their family history. Gabriel declines this invitation, but he does receive a journal from Wolfgang. The journal once belonged to Gunter Ritter, one of their ancestors who faced off against Tetelo before. Although Wolfgang isn’t a major player throughout the game, without him, Gabriel likely wouldn’t have learned so much about his family.
- Dr. John: Early on in the game, Gabriel visits two voodoo experts. He visits Professor Hartridge, a researcher who focuses on voodoo, and Dr. John, the curator of a voodoo museum. Professor Hartridge is just an expert that Gabriel talks to, but Dr. John plays a more significant role. A python at Dr. John’s museum attacks Gabriel. Gabriel and Mosely find evidence that connects Dr. John to the snake’s scales. They also find evidence of a similar murder happening in 1810, which was likely also the result of voodoo. Gabriel infiltrates the voodoo cartel by following Dr. John.
Gabriel Knight Titles in the Series
Surprisingly, Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers can’t be considered a commercially successful game. While it debuted to good reviews that praised both the story and the voice acting, it didn’t bring in massive sales. That said, the game was popular enough that it spawned a series and a remake.
- Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers (1993)
- The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery (1995)
- Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned (1999)
- Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers 20th Anniversary Edition (2014) – A Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers remake celebrating the 20th anniversary.
Jane Jensen has hinted at a possible fourth game many times. In 2022, she once again said that she had an idea for a fourth game that she’d like to pursue. Unfortunately, due to complicated legal contracts and rights, a fourth game seems unlikely to happen.
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers Cheats & Achievements
©GOG / Pinkerton Road Studio – License
Since the 20th Anniversary Edition remake is still easily accessible on modern devices, this guide will focus on the remake for this section. Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers is a point-and-click adventure game that focuses on investigating a murder mystery. The game revolves around collecting clues, solving puzzles, and connecting information. Overall, the gameplay is too simplistic to warrant the use of cheats or hacks. Due to this fact, there isn’t a way to “cheat”. There are no cheats, cheat codes, or exploits for the game. The only real way to cheat in Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers is to look up a walkthrough guide that will list everything a player needs to find in the correct order. These style guides are super helpful if the player gets stuck, but they won’t be able to avoid spoilers.
Fortunately, Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers 20th Anniversary Edition does have many achievements players can work towards. This guide will go over the Steam achievements.
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers 20th Anniversary Edition Steam Achievements
- A Fallen Friend: Discover a shocking loss
- Advanced Voodoo Studies: Sit through the Voodoo lecture
- At First Sight: Meet Malia Gedde
- Breaking and Entering: Get inside Mosely’s Office
- Checkmate!: Help Sam improve his game
- Coffin Rigger: Hide the tracker
- Compelling Evidence: Change Mosely’s mind about the Voodoo Murders Case
- Dragon Fire: Complete the initiation ceremony
- Enlightened Day Eight: Complete Day 8
- Every Good Castle Has a Secret Passage: Open a secret door
- Express Elevator to Hell: Enter the secret Voodoo Hounfour
- Eyes of the Snake: Witness a chilling death
- Family History: Read Gunter’s journal
- Feverish Day Five: Complete Day 5
- Fortune’s Son: Have your fortune told
- Frantic Day Four: Complete Day 4
- Gotta Get ‘Em All: Collect all the tiles
- Grandma’s Boy: Compliment Gran as thoroughly as she deserves
- Identity Thief: Obtain a false ID
- Keeping the Beat: Decode the rada drum message
- Knotty Day Nine: Complete Day 9
- Making An Impression: Make a jewelry mold
- Master Schattenjäger: Complete the game with a full score of 362 points
- Mercy is the Better Part of Valor: Try to save Malia
- Mime After Mime: Get rid of the cop in Jackson Square
- No Mercy: Don’t try to save Malia
- Novice Schattenjäger: Complete the game with less than 362 points
- Now You’re Speaking My Language!: Leave your own Voodoo code message
- Optimistic Day One: Complete Day 1
- Paper Trail: Complete your research
- Pitfall Harry Would Be Proud!: Get past the mummies like a true adventurer!
- Secret Decoder Ring: Translate a mysterious code
- Sit Back and Enjoy the Show: Take in a snake dance performance
- Slithering Day Six: Complete Day 6
- Snake Attack!: Survive the deadly python
- Snake Hunter: Find a clue at Lake Pontchartrain
- Solemn Day Seven: Complete day 7
- Solo Mission: Enter the ceremony alone
- Southern Charmer: Excessive flirting!
- Stalking 101: Find Madame Cazaunoux’s address
- Star-crossed Lovers: Have a fated run-in
- Storms Ahead: Read the Paper on Day 1
- Strength in Numbers: Enter the ceremony with back-up
- Tempting Day Three: Complete Day 3
- The Shadow Hunters: Have a long chat with Wolfgang
- Three Dragons: Find the secrets of Granddaddy’s Clock
- Triumphant Day Ten: Complete Day 10
- Twisty Day Two: Complete Day 2
- Unauthorized Copy: Get a copy of the Voodoo Murders File
- Voodoo Studies 101: Exhaust Dr. John on the topic of Voodoo
- What a Croc!: Make a large purchase from Willy
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers Cheats FAQ
How long to beat Gabriel Knight?
According to HowLongToBeat.com, the original Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers takes about 10 and a half hours to beat if the player only worries about the main story. Main and side quests will take an additional two hours, putting it at 12 and a half hours. A total completionist run will take just under 14 hours. The game isn’t short, but it also isn’t long or cumbersome either. Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Father 20th Anniversary Edition is about the same length. The main story doesn’t change, but the added side content ups the total playtime. Main and side quests will take about 14 and a half hours and a completionist run will take 16 hours.
How do you open the clock in Gabriel Knight?
This is a common FAQ because the solution to opening the clock isn’t obvious. Players will collect all the necessary information to solve the puzzle, but it doesn’t seem like the information connects in any way. To open the clock, players need to set the clock to 3:00 and select the dragon from the picture wheel. This will open a secret compartment containing two items.
Is Gabriel Knight a horror game?
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers is a point-and-click adventure that focuses on a murder mystery. The game does deal with some heavy content, like murder, and other violent acts. While it does have elements of suspense and horror, the game is not technically classified as a horror game.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©GOG / Pinkerton Road Studio.