Space Quest I Cheats & Cheat Codes

Space Quest I is a graphic adventure game from Sierra On-Line. This legendary company, later renamed Sierra Entertainment, is a pioneer in the graphic adventure genre, and its many classic games are formative experiences for millions of gamers around the world. Franchises like King’s Quest and Leisure Suit Larry are arguably more prominent titles from Sierra, but Space Quest is no less beloved by the fans who grew up with it. Space Quest I launched in 1986 for DOS, Amiga, and Apple devices. It introduced the world to its comedic, lighthearted tone and hapless janitor protagonist, and these silly elements were charming enough to inspire several sequels. Here’s what you need to know about this classic Sierra adventure.

Space Quest I Premise

As the first game in the franchise, Space Quest I introduces players to protagonist Roger Wilco. Wilco is a humble janitor working aboard the spaceship Arcada. While he naps in a broom closet, hostile Sariens capture and board the ship, killing everyone else on board. They steal an experimental device called the Star Generator, with which they plan to unleash cataclysmic destruction. Wilco escapes the Arcada before the Sariens destroy it, and must journey through the galaxy in a desperate attempt to foil the wicked aliens and their evil plot.

Like most graphic adventure games of the era, Space Quest I is controlled primarily through a text interface. You can type out commands and make Roger interact with his surroundings in a variety of ways. You can also move Roger around with the arrow keys and mouse. The humble hero’s journey will take him to a mysterious desert planet, and then on board the sinister alien vessel itself.

Space Quest I Main Characters

Part of the reason Sierra games like Space Quest I have endured so long is for their charming and amusing characters. This title is no exception. Your quest to defeat the evil Sariens is dotted with strange and memorable faces from the most bizarre corners of the galaxy. Here are some of the most important people in the game.

• Roger Wilco: The protagonist of the game is a humble janitor who is thrust, largely against his will, into a dire struggle for the fate of the universe. Roger’s name is a reference to the standard radio response “Roger, will comply,” illustrating his reluctant but inevitable willingness to step in and save the day when no one else can.
• Sludge Vohaul: The ruler of the Sariens is a cruel and ruthless mad scientist. He is determined to avenge his people following their defeat in an ancient war. To that end he leads the attack which results in the theft of the Star Generator.
• Chdnarian Sales Bug: This insectoid alien comes from a race renowned for competitive and predatory business transactions. Roger is forced to do business with this shrewd merchant in his search for a navigation droid.
• Tiny: Tiny is another salesman Roger encounters during his quest to defeat the Sariens. This strange lizardlike being sells used spaceships, and Roger uses one of his products to approach the Sariens’ vessel and board it.

Space Quest I Titles in the Series

As the name itself suggests, Space Quest I was not the only time fans would get to fill the shoes of Roger Wilco. The 1986 adventure kicked off a pretty lengthy series of games set in the same madcap universe as the first. Here is a full list of Space Quest games for fans interested in the history of this beloved franchise.

• Space Quest I: The Sarien Encounter (1986)
• Space Quest II: Vohaul’s Revenge (1987)
• Space Quest III: The Pirates of Pestulon (1989)
• Space Quest IV: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers (1991)
• Space Quest V: Roger Wilco – The Next Mutation (1993)
• Space Quest 6: Roger Wilco in the Spinal Frontier (1995)

Space Quest I Cheat Codes

There are a few things you can do to cheat Space Quest I. While it doesn’t have much in the way of formal, official cheat codes, it does have a pretty extensive debug menu. By exploiting these debug commands, you can instantly acquire items, skip to certain sections of the game, and even give yourself infinite money. To activate the debug menu, just hold the ALT key and press D. Once you’ve done that, you can input debug codes whenever you want. Here’s a list of some particularly helpful cheats, courtesy of SpaceQuest.Net.

• TP10: Teleport to the escape pod.
• TP15: Teleport to the rock plateau.
• TP20: Teleport in front of Orat’s cave.
• TP30: Teleport to the landing on Kerona.
• TP35: Teleport to Ulence Flats.
• TP43: Teleport to the room in front of the Deltaur.
• TP50: Teleport to the room above the Star Generator.
• TP55: Teleport onto the Deltaur.
• GET OBJECT: Obtain a specific item, IDs 1-23.
• SHOW FLAG: Displays one of 256 flags.
• SET FLAG: Sets one of 256 flags.
• RESET FLAG: Resets one of 256 flags.
• SHOW VAR: Shows one of 256 variables.
• SET VAR: Changes one of 256 variables.
• POSITION: Changes the position of the character on screen.
• CLOCK: Display a clock in the upper right-hand corner.
• DRINK FLIGHT SUIT: Automatically changes Roger into the flight suit.
• DRINK JETPACK: Automatically equips Roger with the Jetpack.
• BE ALIEN: Automatically equips Roger with the Sarien disguise.
• NO HELMET: Automatically equips Roger with the Sarien disguise without the helmet.
• CASH: Gives you any amount of cash from 0 to 200 dollars.

Space Quest I Cheat Codes FAQ

Can you still play Space Quest I? 

The video game industry has come a very long way since 1986, but for particularly nostalgic fans, there’s just no beating the classics. Luckily, you don’t need to dust off an old DOS system to experience Space Quest I these days. The entire series was released on Steam in 2005 as the Space Quest Collection, and it’s still available now. There are also emulations you can download if you want a riskier but arguably more authentic experience of this vintage adventure game instead.

How many Space Quest games are there?

The question of how many games exist in the Space Quest series is an interesting one. There are officially six entries in the series, but there are a few interesting exceptions to this list. For instance, a brief demo of Space Quest 6 was released ahead of the full game. Oddly enough for a demo like this, the free promotional download follows its own separate storyline, and functions as a standalone title in its own right. 

Another title was released that is nominally part of the Space Quest canon. Roger Wilco’s Spaced-Out Game Pack is a compilation of minigames that featured in the main series of games. It came out as a budget software option for fans of the franchise. In a similar vein, Take A Break! Pinball included the Planet Pinball pack, which features four levels based on Space Quest IV. Additionally, that same main series entry, due to its focus on time travel, briefly touches on the events of fictional sequels Space Quest X: Latex Babes of Estros and Space Quest XII: Vorhaul’s Revenge II. While these games were never real products, developer Scott Murphy has stated that he would have used the titles if the series had lasted that long.

What’s the difference between Space Quest and Space Quest Legacy?

If you try to play Space Quest through Steam, you’ll be offered a choice between the regular version of the collection and a “legacy” option. The legacy version contains the 1990 remake of the first game, Space Quest I, while the regular one contains the original 1986 version. However, the regular version of the collection has also been updated to run better on newer systems. Generally speaking, therefore, the original version of the Space Quest collection is your best bet.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Title screen from Space Quest I.