Sonny Bonds
A veteran Los Angeles police officer and the playable protagonist, assigned to investigate a series of violent crimes.
Documented for this version
The DOS release uses Sierra's adventure interface; exact keyboard bindings can vary by configuration.
No version-specific button combination is listed here without reliable documentation.
How it plays
The game uses a first-person viewpoint with Sierra's point-and-click adventure interface. Players inspect locations, speak with witnesses and suspects, collect evidence, operate objects, and select dialogue or action commands.
Progression follows a sequence of investigations. Correct procedure matters: missing evidence, mishandling a scene, or choosing an inappropriate response can end the case or force a reload. The game is primarily single-player and puzzle-driven, with occasional police-training and tactical situations.
Plan your run
Search every scene thoroughly and record what you find before leaving. Talk to people more than once when new evidence changes the available conversation.
Treat police procedure as part of the puzzle: preserve evidence, use the appropriate equipment, and save often before risky decisions. If a result seems immediately fatal or procedurally wrong, reload rather than repeatedly experimenting.
Meet the cast
A veteran Los Angeles police officer and the playable protagonist, assigned to investigate a series of violent crimes.
Before you begin
Save before entering a new investigation stage or attempting an uncertain action.
Examine locations and inventory items carefully; important clues can be easy to overlook.
Follow the expected police procedure instead of treating every situation like a conventional adventure puzzle.
Police Quest: Open Season is a police-procedural adventure game developed and published by Sierra On-Line for DOS in 1993. It follows veteran Los Angeles police officer Sonny Bonds as he investigates a violent criminal network and works through a series of dangerous cases. The game combines graphic-adventure exploration, evidence gathering, interrogation, and procedure-focused decision-making rather than arcade action. Players must observe scenes carefully, use commands and inventory items appropriately, and follow police regulations to avoid failure. Its darker subject matter and comparatively serious presentation distinguished it from many contemporary adventures. Reception was mixed, with praise for its atmosphere and procedural ambition but criticism of its harsh fail states and sometimes opaque progression.
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