When did King's Quest: Quest for the Crown release?

King's Quest: Quest for the Crown was first released on May 10, 1984.

King's Quest: Quest for the Crown

May 10, 1984PuzzleAdventureApple IIGSAtari ST/STEPC (Microsoft Windows)MacDOS

King's Quest: Quest for the Crown — frequently asked questions

What platforms is King's Quest: Quest for the Crown on?: King's Quest: Quest for the Crown was released on Apple IIGS, Atari ST/STE, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, DOS, Amiga, Apple II, Sega Master System/Mark III, IBM PCjr, Tandy 1000.
When did King's Quest: Quest for the Crown release?: King's Quest: Quest for the Crown was first released on May 10, 1984.

About King's Quest: Quest for the Crown

King's Quest: Quest for the Crown is the first game in the King's Quest series. Players control Sir Graham, a knight of Daventry, who is tasked by King Edward to find three lost treasures to save the kingdom. The game takes place in a fairy tale-inspired world where Graham must explore, solve puzzles, and interact with various characters and creatures. Players navigate Graham through different locations, collecting items and using them to overcome obstacles. The game pioneered the graphic adventure genre, combining text commands with visual elements. As the inaugural title in the series, Quest for the Crown established many of the themes and gameplay elements that would become hallmarks of the King's Quest franchise, including its fantasy setting, puzzle-solving mechanics, and the character of Graham who would become a central figure in the series' lore.

Summary via IGDB.

King's Quest: Quest for the Crown on Wikipedia

King's Quest: Quest for the Crown, originally released as King's Quest, is an adventure game developed by Sierra On-Line and published originally for the IBM PCjr in 1984 as the first entry in the King's Quest series. It was released for several other home computer systems between 1984 and 1989, as well as the Master System console. The game follows the young knight Sir Graham as he journeys through the pseudo-medieval fairy tale-inspired fantasy realm of Daventry, on a quest to recover three magical items and become the next king. It is presented as an interconnected set of locations, or flip-screens, with a pseudo-3D art style. The player interacts with locations and items using text commands, and must avoid numerous hazards and obstacles in their quest.

Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).

Game details

Developer: Sierra On-Line
Publisher: IBM
Game modes: Single player
Themes: Fantasy

Details via IGDB.

Reception

IGDB rating

69/100

from 38 ratings

Every version compared

Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release

Platform	Year	Loose	Complete	Sealed	Fake risk
Sega Master System	1989	$63	$115	—	Medium (look-alike)

Also released on: Apple IIGS · Atari ST/STE · PC (Microsoft Windows) · Mac · DOS · Amiga · Apple II · Sega Master System/Mark III · IBM PCjr · Tandy 1000. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.

Collector value & authenticity

Sega Master System · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-28

Loose

$63

Complete

$115

Sealed

—

How often it sells

Loose: about once a month
Complete: about 2 times a month
Sealed: about once a year

Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-28.

Price over time

Loose
Complete

A loose copy sold for about $18.95 in Jul 2009, $50 five years ago, and $63 as of Oct 2026.

Show as table

Month	Loose	Complete
Jan 2010	$15.75	—
Jan 2011	$26	—
Jan 2012	$28	—
Jan 2013	$26	—
Jan 2014	$41	$15.00
Jan 2015	$24	$60
Jan 2016	$13.50	$19.99
Jan 2017	$30	$42
Jan 2018	$48	$75
Jan 2019	$45	$70
Jan 2020	$41	$86
Jan 2021	$52	$89
Jan 2022	$51	$115
Jan 2023	$60	$125
Jan 2024	$45	$100
Jan 2025	$38	$101
Jan 2026	$46	$109
Oct 2026	$63	$115

Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.

Release record

Territory	Date	Product number
North America	July 1989	4360

Source: Product numbers: MAME's Master System software list and the No-Intro serial records in the libretro database, published only where both agree on the same cartridge dump; Japanese numbers also checked against Sega Japan's software list. Board and ROM numbers: MAME's software list

Region: NA
Released: 1989
Authenticity: Med

Modern re-releases, such as Sega Ages and Virtual Console, are not tracked hereMedium look-alike risk

Sega Master System prices, all games & how to spot a fake

Sierra's adventure on a cartridge, and one of the priciest carts in the North American range.

The Master System port of Sierra's King's Quest, developed by Microsmiths and published by Parker Brothers, was released in North America in July 1989. You play Sir Graham, who journeys through the land of Daventry to recover three magical items and become king.

Reviewers differed. Electronic Gaming Monthly felt the slowness would not appeal to console players, while Power Play said it would suit beginners.

Also on other platforms

IBM PCjr · Tandy 1000 · Apple II · Apple IIGS · Atari ST · Amiga · Mac · MS-DOS

IBM PCjr. The PCjr original took Sierra 18 months to build, with a team of 6 programmers and artists.

Before you buy

Only the US cart exists. It is one of the most expensive US carts, with a big gap to the typical price for its year. For a copy at this price, ask for clear photos of the cart and its label. A complete copy costs much more than a loose one, so check the manual is really in the box.