Space Quest 4: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers (1991)
Space Quest 4: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers is a 1991 adventure video game made by Sierra Entertainment.
Roger Wilco is yanked out of his own timeline and scattered across the series' past and future, dodging killer androids called the Time Rippers sent by a familiar villain. The fourth game went full VGA with 256 hand-painted colors and a mouse-driven interface, and the CD version added full speech with Laugh-In announcer Gary Owens narrating. It leans hard on time-travel gags, sequel and prequel jokes, and Sierra's fondness for absurd danger. Colorful, self-aware, and one of the studio's most technically ambitious comedies, though you will want patience for the many deaths.
Quick answers
What is Space Quest 4: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers about?
Roger Wilco is yanked out of his own timeline and scattered across the series' past and future, dodging killer androids called the Time Rippers sent by a familiar villain. The fourth game went full VGA with 256 hand-painted colors and a mouse-driven interface, and the CD version added full speech with Laugh-In announcer Gary Owens narrating. It leans hard on time-travel gags, sequel and prequel jokes, and Sierra's fondness for absurd danger. Colorful, self-aware, and one of the studio's most technically ambitious comedies, though you will want patience for the many deaths.
When was Space Quest 4: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers released?
Space Quest 4: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers was released on 1 January 1991.
Who made Space Quest 4: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers?
Space Quest 4: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers was made by Sierra Entertainment.
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Space Quest 4: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers in our writing
- Companion guide: Sierra On-Line: The Golden Age of the Quest
A few thoughts on Space Quest 4: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers
The time-hopping comedy is pure Sierra, but the adventure-game bloodline runs straight to Life Is Strange, whose own time-bending story and hand-guided exploration owe a debt to games like this. For story-first choices, The Walking Dead carries the same click-and-decide spirit.
Bend time, change your fate
Roger gets yanked across the series' own past and future, dodging androids sent through time. These games play with clocks and timelines too, letting you rewind, loop, or leap between eras. If the Time Rippers' chase thrilled you, these twist the calendar just as boldly.
Colorful worlds worth exploring
The fourth game went full VGA, painting its universe in 256 hand-picked colors. These match that visual joy, filling their worlds with places you want to stop and look at. Eye candy with an adventure attached, for anyone who loved Space Quest 4's palette.
Story-driven adventures
Beneath the gags, Space Quest 4 threads a real plot across time and villainy. These games put story first, unspooling plots that reward your attention chapter after chapter. A shelf for players who came for the jokes and stayed for the arc.
Sci-fi tension and survival
The Time Rippers turn Roger's romp genuinely tense whenever the androids close in. These games lean fully into that dread, pitting you against relentless threats in hostile places. For anyone who liked Space Quest 4 best when the danger felt real.