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EcoQuest: The Search for Cetus

Last updated: January 9, 2026

Overview

EcoQuest: The Search for Cetus is an educational adventure game designed to teach about the importance of environmental ethics1 and marine conservation2. Released by Sierra On-Line in 19913, the game casts the player in the role of young Adam Greene, the only son of a biological researcher and ecologist4. The game introduces children ages 12 and up to marine biology and marine conservation2 through point-and-click adventure gameplay.

EcoQuest is a rare example of well-done edutainment: it’s a pleasure to play and does a great job in creating awareness of environmental issues4. Sierra takes their years of adventure-game experience and applies its familiar formula to an educational game for the kids5, successfully blending traditional adventure mechanics with environmental themes.

Story Summary

The game follows 12-year-old Adam Greene9, whose attempts to help a dolphin his father has rescued take a turn for the weirder when it starts speaking10. A young dolphin named Delphineus set out on a search for the missing king of his land, Cetus11. Adam is chosen to venture into the underwater kingdom of animals known as Eluria, and help its inhabitants12 who are facing threats from pollution and environmental destruction.

The game revolves around saving the earth so to put. The ecoquest series humanizes animals and their feelings of the earth and how humans are destroying their habitats5. As son of an ecologist Adam, you must help the dolphin Cetus save the sea from pollution and waste13, confronting the consequences of various human activities to marine biology and marine conservation in an attempt to reach a secret underwater kingdom9.

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

EcoQuest uses Sierra’s point-and-click interface of the early 90s14, featuring a unique set of cursor actions including Walk/Swim, Look, Touch/Take, Talk, Item, and notably, a special “Recycle” action14. The game runs on Sierra’s Creative Interpreter (SCI) engine15, specifically utilizing SCI1 in the original 1991 version and SCI1.1 in the 1992 version which added scaling sprites16.

The game is designed with lower difficulty for younger players17, featuring no unwinnable states or player death possible18. Educational elements are ingeniously blended into gameplay13, creating an experience that teaches without being didactic.

Structure and Progression

The game features a scoring system ranging from 0-725 points19, encouraging thorough exploration and environmental awareness. The 256 color undersea kingdom of Eluria is a sight to behold even by today’s standards16, providing a visually rich environment for players to explore.

Puzzles and Mechanics

EcoQuest is an educational point and click adventure game by Sierra, with a large focus on saving the environment18. The game features traditional adventure game puzzles combined with environmental education, requiring players to clean up pollution and help marine life throughout their underwater journey.

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

PublicationScoreNotes
MobyGames73% (critic), 3.8/5 (player)Multiple reviews from 1990s-20235
Adventure Gamers4/5Praised as well-done edutainment4
Abandonware DOS4.05/5.00Community rating20
MyAbandonware4.4/5Reviewer: HOTUD13
IMDb7.9/10User ratings21

Modern Assessment

Modern retrospective reviews have been generally positive, with Alex Bevilacqua giving it a 36% rating in 202417 while acknowledging its educational value. Despite having a short runtime and being categorized with educational games, there’s a whale of a time to be had in EcoQuest for those who enjoy the classic point-and-click adventure experience22. One reviewer noted it as “one of the best adventure games ever made”23, while another called it “a fun, informative game, that manages to teach you without being didactic even a bit”23.

Development

Origins

The original concept came from Bill Davis, Sierra VP of Creative Development4, as part of Sierra’s Discovery Series aimed at younger players4. EcoQuest: The Search for Cetus was designed to teach players about environmental issues, specifically ocean conservation17, featuring a young boy named Adam, who is guided by a dolphin named Delphineus4.

Production

The game was designed as an educational game for children4, with extensive research and attention to detail creating a realistic play environment4. The production featured real environmental facts and marine biology information4, and came with an ecological advice booklet4. Originally planned for Amiga and Macintosh ports, but those were cancelled4.

Technical Achievements

The game was built using Sierra’s SCI engine8, featuring 256 color graphics16 and supporting various video modes including VGA, EGA, Tandy/PCjr, and MCGA8. A full-speech CD version was produced4, featuring voice acting including William Skirvin’s son as Adam Greene and an unnamed female actor as Delphineus5. The original score was composed by Mark Seibert, Chris Braymen, and Aubrey Hodges24.

Legacy

In the pantheon of Sierra classics, the EcoQuest series has been somewhat forgotten compared to King’s Quest, Space Quest or Police Quest25. However, the game remains notable as a successful example of educational gaming that doesn’t sacrifice entertainment value. The game inspired community-driven restoration efforts, including a collaboration between Doomlazer and Threepwang to restore the game16 with graphics improvements available through modern patches.

The game includes several Easter eggs, including references to King’s Quest V9, Space Quest9, and even LeChuck from Monkey Island9, connecting it to Sierra’s broader adventure game legacy.

Downloads

Purchase / Digital Stores

  • Currently not available on modern digital platforms
  • GOG Dreamlist - Community wishlist

Download / Preservation

Series Continuity

References

Footnotes

  1. Wikipedia – - Game description and educational focus ↩

  2. Wikipedia – - Marine conservation introduction ↩ ↩2

  3. Sierra Chest – - Release date information ↩

  4. Adventure Gamers – - Character description ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12

  5. MobyGames – - SAGA_ review on game design approach ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  6. Archive.org – - Developer information ↩ ↩2

  7. Filfre.net – - Jane Jensen’s early work context ↩

  8. PC Gaming Wiki – - Platform details ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  9. The Cutting Room Floor – - Protagonist age information ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  10. EcoQuest Fandom – - Plot setup description ↩

  11. IGN – - Main plot premise ↩

  12. Play Classic Games – - Plot synopsis ↩

  13. MyAbandonware – - Plot summary ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  14. The Spoiler – - Interface information ↩ ↩2

  15. DOSBox Wiki – - Engine information ↩

  16. GitHub – - Version history and engine details ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  17. Alex Bevi – - Difficulty design for younger players ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  18. IGN – - No death/unwinnable states ↩ ↩2

  19. The Spoiler – - Scoring system details ↩

  20. Abandonware DOS – - Community rating ↩

  21. IMDb – - IMDb rating ↩

  22. Adventure Gamers – - Modern assessment ↩

  23. MobyGames – - Tomer Gabel review ↩ ↩2

  24. Sierra Music Central – - Composer credits ↩

  25. Collection Chamber – - Series legacy assessment ↩

Graph View

Backlinks