King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder!

Adventure 1990

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King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder! – MS-DOS cover art King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder! is a classic graphic adventure game developed and published by Sierra On-Line in 1990. The game follows King Graham of Daventry, who returns from a walk only to discover that his entire castle and family have mysteriously vanished. With the help of Cedric, a talking owl, Graham sets out on a long journey to find the powerful wizard Mordack and rescue his loved ones.

Unlike the earlier games in the series, King's Quest V introduced a fully mouse-driven point-and-click interface, replacing the traditional text parser used in previous installments. Players explore colorful locations, collect and use items, solve puzzles, and interact with a wide variety of characters and creatures. The game was also notable for its detailed VGA graphics, animated scenes, and a more cinematic presentation that represented a major technical step forward for Sierra's adventure games.

With its fairy-tale atmosphere, imaginative world, memorable puzzles, and distinctive Sierra style, King's Quest V became one of the best-known adventure games of the early 1990s. Although some of its puzzles can be unforgiving by modern standards, the game remains an important part of PC gaming history and a significant milestone in the evolution of graphical adventure games.

Genre: Adventure
Release: 1990
Developer: Sierra On-Line
Publisher: -

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Quick tips — new to MS-DOS games?
  • Click inside the game to give it keyboard/mouse focus.
  • Ctrl + F10 — release or re-capture the mouse cursor.
  • Saving varies by game — look for Save in the in-game menu (Esc or F1), or try F5 / F7.
  • Some games use passwords instead of saves — note it down!
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  • 🖥️ CRT filter is on by default for that authentic monitor look. Toggle it with Alt+F7 or the CRT: ON/OFF button in the bottom-right corner of the game. Your preference is remembered.
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King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder! – screenshot 1
King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder! – screenshot 2
King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder! – screenshot 3

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