King's Quest: Quest for the Crown (1984)

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.

Storyline

The Kingdom of Daventry was once a prosperous one. King Edward, the Benevolent, ruled justly over his subordinates - there were no poverty and no wars. The only thing missing was a heir to the throne, but alas, King Edward and his queen were not able to produce one. One day a sorcerer appeared, promising to cast a spell upon the queen which would bring forth an heir. In return he asked for the Magic Mirror which was able to show the future. Not wanting to part with the mirror, King Edward decided to consult it first instead. The royal pair saw a gallant young man wearing the king's insignia. Believing the mirror was showing them their future son, they gave in to the sorcerer. But months later, the queen still had not conceived a child. Even worse, a famine spread over the Kingdom of Daventry, since the mirror, which for generations foretold the right time to bring out the crops, could not warn the king of an early autumn rainstorm which destroyed the whole harvest. After the famine came the plague which also struck the queen whose health was deteriorating quickly. Again help seemed to be on its way - this time in form of a dwarf who promised to cure the queen in exchange for the King's Shield, which was worn into every battle ever since and proved the king to be victorious every time. In despair King Edward agreed in order to save his beloved queen. But the dwarf and his medicine were false and the queen died. News spread thoughout the neighboring kingdoms that King Edward did not possess his conquering shield anymore and so their troops gathered and brought war to Daventry. Although Edward was able to fend off the invaders, the battles brought desolation to his kingdom which by then was only a mere shadow of its former glory. Many years passed and one day King Edward was riding out when he heard some cries for help. They turned out to be coming from a fair young lady who was being attacked by a pack of wild wolves. After fighting off the wild beasts, he invited the fair lady to his castle, where she stayed for some time and she and King Edward fell in love. At last, happy times seemed to be returning to Daventry, for the wedding between King Edward and Princess Dahlia of Cumberland, because that is who she was, was soon announced. But, alas, on the night before the wedding Princess Dahlia stole the keys to the royal treasury from King Edward to steal the Magic Chest which was magically refilling itself to the brim with gold coins no matter how many one took out. Princess Dahlia, was not a princess at all as it turned out, but an old and ugly witch. Bereft of all the magic treasures, Daventry grew poor and weak. King Edward called forth his favorite knight, Sir Graham, who had a striking resemblence with the gallant young man King Edward saw so many years ago in the magic mirror. Feeling his end to be near, he promised Sir Graham the Kingdom of Daventry, if he could retrieve all three of the magic treasures that got lost through theft and deceit...