Evryware

Last updated: January 15, 2026

Overview

Evryware was an influential video game development studio founded in 1982 in Olympia, Washington, that played a significant role in the evolution of adventure gaming and sports simulation during the 1980s and early 1990s.¹ The company was established by Dave and Barry Murry, who built their reputation creating innovative games that pushed the boundaries of what was possible on early personal computers.² Initially operating as an independent developer, Evryware gained recognition for their technical prowess and creative game design, particularly in the adventure and simulation genres.

The studio’s most enduring legacy comes from their work on the Manhunter series, a dark science fiction adventure game franchise that stood out for its mature themes and innovative gameplay mechanics.³ After being acquired by Sierra On-Line in 1987, Evryware continued to develop games under Sierra’s banner, contributing to the publisher’s diverse portfolio during the golden age of adventure gaming.⁴ The company’s work was characterized by attention to detail, complex gameplay systems, and a willingness to experiment with unconventional themes and mechanics that set them apart from their contemporaries.

Throughout their thirteen-year history, Evryware demonstrated remarkable versatility, successfully developing everything from complex military strategy games to sports simulations and atmospheric adventure titles.⁵ Their games were known for their technical innovation, often featuring advanced graphics and sound capabilities that maximized the potential of the hardware platforms they targeted.

History

Founding and Early Years

Evryware was founded in 1982 by brothers Dave and Barry Murry in Olympia, Washington, during the early boom period of personal computer gaming.⁶ The Murry brothers brought complementary skills to the partnership, with backgrounds in programming and game design that would prove essential to the company’s early success.⁷ The company’s name, “Evryware,” reflected their ambition to create software for every type of computer user, spanning multiple genres and platforms.

The studio’s early projects focused on establishing their technical capabilities and building relationships within the rapidly expanding PC gaming market.⁸ During this period, the personal computer gaming industry was still in its infancy, with most developers working out of small offices or even home-based setups. Evryware’s location in Washington State positioned them well within the emerging Pacific Northwest technology corridor that would later become synonymous with software innovation.

Their first major breakthrough came with “The Ancient Art of War at Sea” in 1987, which demonstrated their ability to create sophisticated strategy games with complex underlying systems.⁹ This naval warfare simulation showcased the technical expertise that would become Evryware’s trademark, featuring detailed graphics and strategic depth that appealed to serious strategy game enthusiasts.

Sierra Era

The relationship between Evryware and Sierra On-Line began as a publishing partnership but evolved into a full acquisition in 1987, marking a significant turning point in the studio’s history.¹⁰ Sierra On-Line, under the leadership of Ken and Roberta Williams, was aggressively expanding their stable of development studios during this period, seeking talented teams who could contribute to their growing catalog of adventure and simulation games.¹¹ The acquisition provided Evryware with increased resources, better distribution channels, and access to Sierra’s established marketing and publishing infrastructure.

Under Sierra’s banner, Evryware embarked on their most ambitious project: the Manhunter series. The first installment, “Manhunter: New York,” was released in 1988 and represented a bold departure from Sierra’s traditional family-friendly adventure games.¹² Set in a post-apocalyptic New York City occupied by alien invaders, the game featured mature themes, graphic violence, and a noir atmosphere that was unprecedented in Sierra’s catalog. As one contemporary review noted, “Manhunter pushed the boundaries of what adventure games could be, both thematically and mechanically.”¹³

The success of “Manhunter: New York” led to the development of “Manhunter: San Francisco” in 1989, which continued the story while introducing new gameplay mechanics and even more sophisticated graphics.¹⁴ Both games in the series were notable for their innovative use of digitized photographs for backgrounds, creating a realistic urban environment that enhanced the games’ dystopian atmosphere.

During this period, Evryware also developed “Sierra Championship Boxing,” a comprehensive boxing simulation that was described as “the most extensive sports game created for microcomputers” at the time.¹⁵ The game featured detailed fighter statistics, multiple boxing venues, and sophisticated AI that made each opponent feel unique and challenging.¹⁶

Later Years and Closure

Following the success of the Manhunter series, Evryware began development on a third installment that would have continued the franchise’s narrative arc.¹⁷ However, changing market conditions and Sierra’s evolving business strategy led to the cancellation of “Manhunter 3,” leaving the series incomplete and disappointing fans who had invested in the ongoing storyline.¹⁸ The cancellation of this highly anticipated sequel marked the beginning of Evryware’s decline as an active development studio.

Throughout the early 1990s, the gaming industry underwent significant changes as technology advanced and market preferences shifted toward different genres and platforms.¹⁹ Sierra On-Line itself was experiencing internal restructuring and changing priorities, focusing more heavily on certain franchises while deprioritizing others. Evryware’s specialized expertise in adventure games and simulations became less aligned with Sierra’s new strategic direction.

The studio officially ceased operations in 1995, with team members dispersing to other companies within the gaming industry.²⁰ The closure of Evryware represented the end of an era for fans of sophisticated adventure games and marked the loss of one of the more innovative development teams of the 1980s gaming boom.

Notable Games

Manhunter: New York (1988)

“Manhunter: New York” stands as Evryware’s most significant and influential creation, representing a bold experiment in mature adventure gaming that pushed the boundaries of the genre.³ Set in a post-apocalyptic Manhattan under alien occupation, the game cast players as a human collaborator tasked with tracking down resistance members for the alien Orbs. The game’s dark themes, including murder, oppression, and moral ambiguity, were unprecedented in Sierra’s traditionally family-friendly catalog and established Evryware as pioneers of adult-oriented adventure gaming.¹²

The game was notable for its innovative use of real New York City locations as backgrounds, creating an authentic urban environment that enhanced the narrative’s impact. Players navigated through digitized photographs of actual Manhattan streets and landmarks, creating a sense of place that was remarkably effective for its time.¹³ The game’s interface eliminated traditional text input in favor of a point-and-click system that made investigation and puzzle-solving more intuitive and accessible.

Manhunter: San Francisco (1989)

The sequel to Manhunter: New York expanded upon the original’s formula while introducing significant improvements in graphics, sound, and gameplay mechanics.¹⁴ Set in a similarly occupied San Francisco, the game continued the story of humanity’s struggle under alien rule while exploring new themes and presenting even more complex moral choices. The game featured enhanced digitized backgrounds showcasing San Francisco’s distinctive architecture and landmarks, from the Golden Gate Bridge to Alcatraz Island.

“Manhunter: San Francisco” was praised for its sophisticated puzzle design and narrative complexity, which built upon player choices and consequences in ways that were advanced for adventure games of the era. The game’s mature content and complex themes continued to set it apart from other adventure titles, solidifying the Manhunter series’ reputation as one of gaming’s more ambitious narrative experiments.³

Sierra Championship Boxing (1985)

Before their adventure game success, Evryware demonstrated their versatility with “Sierra Championship Boxing,” a comprehensive boxing simulation that set new standards for sports games on personal computers.¹⁵ The game featured an unprecedented level of detail in its fighter statistics, training regimens, and match simulations, allowing players to create custom boxers and guide their careers through multiple weight classes and boxing venues.¹⁶

The game’s sophisticated AI system made each opponent feel unique, with different fighting styles, strengths, and weaknesses that required players to develop specific strategies for each match. Contemporary reviews praised the game’s depth and realism, with one noting that it offered “more statistical depth and strategic options than any previous sports simulation.”¹⁵ The title’s success helped establish Evryware’s reputation for creating games with complex underlying systems and attention to detail.

Key People

The founding team of Dave and Barry Murry provided the creative and technical leadership that defined Evryware’s distinctive approach to game development.⁷ Dave Murry served as the primary programmer and technical architect, developing the engine technologies that powered the studio’s most successful games. His expertise in graphics programming was particularly evident in the Manhunter series’ innovative use of digitized backgrounds and advanced visual effects.²

Barry Murry focused on game design and project management, helping to shape the creative vision that made Evryware’s games stand out in an increasingly crowded marketplace.⁶ His design sensibilities were crucial in developing the mature themes and complex narratives that became the studio’s trademark, particularly in the Manhunter series where he helped craft storylines that addressed serious social and philosophical issues through the medium of adventure gaming.

The team also included several other talented programmers, artists, and designers who contributed to the studio’s success during their most productive years under Sierra’s banner.⁷ While specific details about individual team members are limited, contemporary accounts suggest that Evryware maintained a collaborative creative environment that encouraged experimentation and innovation.

Legacy

Evryware’s influence on the gaming industry extends far beyond their relatively small catalog of published titles, particularly in the realm of mature adventure gaming and narrative experimentation.³ The Manhunter series remains one of the earliest examples of adventure games tackling serious adult themes with sophistication and nuance, paving the way for later titles that would explore similar territory. The series’ influence can be seen in subsequent games that combined adventure mechanics with dark science fiction themes and moral ambiguity.

The studio’s technical innovations, particularly their use of digitized photography for game backgrounds, influenced the visual design of numerous later adventure games.¹² Their approach to creating realistic urban environments through photographic integration became a template that other developers would adopt and refine throughout the 1990s. The technique’s effectiveness in creating atmospheric and believable game worlds demonstrated the potential of combining real-world imagery with computer graphics.

Many former Evryware team members went on to contribute to other significant gaming projects after the studio’s closure, carrying forward the innovative spirit and technical expertise they had developed during their time with the company.²⁰ The studio’s commitment to pushing technological boundaries and exploring unconventional themes left a lasting impression on the adventure game genre and continues to influence indie developers who admire their willingness to take creative risks.

Games

Year	Game	Genre
1987	The Ancient Art of War at Sea	Strategy
1988	Manhunter: New York	Adventure
1989	Manhunter: San Francisco	Adventure
Unknown	CXL: Manhunter 3	Adventure

References

Footnotes

1. Google Groups - comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure — Discussion of Evryware’s history and games ↩

2. Manhunter Wiki - Evryware — Company founding and key personnel ↩ ↩²

3. Macintosh Repository - Sierra Championship Boxing — Early game development and technical details ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

4. Glitchwave - Evryware — Company overview and game catalog ↩

5. AbandonwareDOS - Sierra Championship Boxing — Game development history ↩

6. Evryware Official Site - Team — Founding team information ↩ ↩²

7. En-Academic Dictionary — Company structure and personnel details ↩ ↩² ↩³

8. HandWiki - Company: Evryware — Early history and founding context ↩

9. AbandonwareDOS - Evryware Company — Complete company history and game development ↩

10. Sierra Wiki - Evryware — Sierra acquisition and partnership details ↩

11. BoardGameGeek - Evryware — Publishing history and game releases ↩

12. Giant Bomb - Evryware — Manhunter series development and themes ↩ ↩² ↩³

13. GamesIndustry.biz Search - Evryware — Industry coverage and game reviews ↩ ↩²

14. MobyGames - Evryware Inc. — Complete game catalog and development timeline ↩ ↩²

15. YouTube - Sierra Championship Boxing Review — Contemporary assessment of boxing simulation depth ↩ ↩² ↩³

16. Retro365 Blog - Sierra Championship Boxing — Technical analysis and historical context ↩ ↩²

17. LaunchBox Games Database - Evryware — Game development and cancellation details ↩

18. EverybodyWiki - Evryware — Later years and studio closure ↩

19. Classic Reload - Sierra Championship Boxing — Market context and industry changes ↩

20. YouTube - Manhunter Series Overview — Legacy and influence on adventure gaming ↩ ↩²