Catalog activity ranking
Most-Played Quest for Glory Games in the EmuGamers Catalog
This page uses active Quest for Glory catalog entries and separates popularity signals from compatibility evidence. This activity ranking links directly to 5 catalog entries in the Quest for Glory collection.
What is the quick answer?
Quest for Glory III: Wages of War currently appears first in this activity ranking, followed by Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire and Quest for Glory I: So You Want to Be a Hero. Games with real community ratings are considered first; entries without votes are ordered by play activity. This is a catalog signal, not an independent editorial review.
Most-played Quest for Glory games
Quest for Glory III: Wages of War
DOSAdventure
Quest for Glory III: Wages of War is a hybrid adventure and role-playing game developed and published by Sierra On-Line for DOS in 1992. It continues the story of the player-created Hero, who travels to the land of Fricana to help resolve a conflict involving the Simbani and the Leopardmen. The game combines text-and-icon adventure interaction with exploration, character statistics, combat, spell casting, and skill development. As in earlier entries, the Hero's class and imported abilities affect available solutions and conversations. Its humor, world-building, and flexible quest design were well received, although its combat system and occasional difficulty were more divisive. Wages of War is also notable for advancing the series' ongoing story while preserving its distinctive role-playing adventure format.
Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire
DOSGraphic Adventure
Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire is a fantasy adventure role-playing game developed and published by Sierra On-Line for DOS in 1990. It continues the story of the hero after the events of the first Quest for Glory, sending the player to the desert city of Raseir and the surrounding land of Shapeir. The game combines text-parser adventure mechanics, exploration, character development, and real-time combat. Players can import a character from the previous game or begin with a new hero whose class influences puzzles, dialogue, and abilities. Its larger world, stronger role-playing structure, and atmospheric setting were well received, although the parser and combat could be demanding. It is often regarded as one of the notable entries in Sierra’s classic adventure catalog.
Quest for Glory I: So You Want to Be a Hero
DOSAdventure
Quest for Glory: So You Want to Be a Hero is Sierra On-Line’s 1989 fantasy adventure role-playing game for DOS. It combines parser-based adventure design with character statistics, class-specific abilities, exploration, combat, and light simulation elements. The player creates a hero as a Fighter, Magic User, or Thief and travels to the troubled valley of Spielburg. Quests, puzzles, training, and conversations shape the adventure, while the hero’s skills affect available solutions. The game was well received for blending genres, encouraging multiple play styles, and presenting a humorous but substantial fantasy setting. It became the foundation of the long-running Quest for Glory series.
Hero's Quest: So You Want to Be a Hero
DOSAdventure
Hero's Quest: So You Want to Be a Hero is Sierra On-Line's 1989 fantasy adventure role-playing game for DOS. It combines parser-driven adventure design with character statistics, real-time combat, exploration, and multiple hero classes. The player arrives in the troubled land of Spielburg and seeks fame while dealing with brigands, monsters, curses, and local mysteries. Warrior, magic-user, and thief characters can approach several situations differently, giving the game meaningful replay value. Its humorous writing, flexible puzzle solutions, and unusual blend of genres earned strong historical reception and established the foundation for the Quest for Glory series. The game was later renamed Quest for Glory I to avoid a trademark conflict, while its original Hero's Quest title remains associated with the DOS release.
Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness
DOSGraphic Adventure
Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness is a dark fantasy graphic adventure and role-playing game developed and published by Sierra On-Line for DOS. The player’s returning hero is drawn into Mordavia, a haunted land threatened by an ancient evil. Exploration, conversation, puzzle solving, combat, and character skills all contribute to progress. The game supports imported heroes from earlier Quest for Glory titles and adjusts some situations according to class. Its gothic atmosphere, strong writing, and unusually integrated RPG systems earned it a favorable reputation, although its original release was also criticized for technical problems and instability.
How is this list kept current?
How rankings are calculated
The list is generated from active EmuGamers catalog entries. Votes and play activity determine order; browser compatibility is reported separately and does not turn an untested game into a higher-ranked recommendation.
| Order | Signal | How it is used |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real community votes | Games with at least one recorded vote appear before games with no votes. |
| 2 | Rating confidence | More votes rank first, followed by the rating value. |
| 3 | Play activity | Play count breaks rating ties and orders entries with no votes. |
| 4 | Stable tie-break | Game name keeps otherwise equal results deterministic. |
Which sources support further research?
Official sources and catalog provenance
The ranked games come from the EmuGamers database. The links below are related official project updates used for emulator support and preservation context; they are not citations for the ranking order.