Space Quest II VGA Remake

Last updated: January 23, 2026

Overview

Space Quest II VGA Remake is a fan-made graphical remake of the classic 1987 Sierra On-Line adventure game “Space Quest II: Vohaul’s Revenge,” originally created by Scott Murphy and Mark Crowe, known collectively as “The Two Guys from Andromeda.”¹ The remake was developed by Infamous Adventures and released on December 30, 2011, after more than five years of development.² The project represents a labor of love by dedicated fans who sought to bring the classic DOS adventure game into the modern era with updated VGA-style graphics reminiscent of Sierra’s early 1990s point-and-click adventures.²

The remake lovingly recrafts the original game in simulated VGA colors, featuring hand-drawn backgrounds and hand-animated characters.² Players once again take on the role of Roger Wilco, the hapless janitor-turned-hero, as he embarks on an intergalactic adventure while being pursued by the agents of the sinister Sludge Vohaul.¹ The project includes a full voice pack with over 4,000 recorded lines of dialogue, transforming the text-based original into a fully voiced experience.²

Infamous Adventures made the game available as a free download, reflecting their dedication to preserving and celebrating Sierra’s adventure gaming legacy.³ The remake has been praised by the fan community as “of the same substance dreams are made of” and continues to be updated with bug fixes and additional content, including Version 2.0 released on January 1, 2020.⁴

Game Info

Developer: Infamous Adventures¹ Original Designers: Scott Murphy, Mark Crowe (The Two Guys from Andromeda)¹ Publisher: Infamous Adventures³ Engine: AGS (Adventure Game Studio) Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux³ Release Year: 2011 Series: Space Quest Protagonist: Roger Wilco Sierra Lineage: Fan Remake of Sierra Original

Story Summary

The game follows the continuing misadventures of Roger Wilco, a lowly space janitor who previously saved the galaxy in the original Space Quest. Despite his heroics, Roger finds himself still relegated to custodial duties, unappreciated by those he saved. His relatively peaceful existence is shattered when agents of the villainous Sludge Vohaul capture him, seeking revenge for Roger’s interference with Vohaul’s previous schemes.¹

Sludge Vohaul is revealed to be the mastermind behind the Sarien attack in the first game, and he has developed a new diabolical plan to conquer the galaxy. Roger must escape from captivity and navigate through hostile alien environments to stop Vohaul’s latest scheme. The adventure takes players through various exotic locations as Roger attempts to thwart Vohaul’s sinister plot involving genetically engineered salesmen designed to overrun planets.¹

Roger’s journey is filled with comedic moments and deadly situations as he uses his wit (and considerable luck) to survive encounters with dangerous creatures, hostile environments, and Vohaul’s minions. The story maintains the humorous tone of the original series while delivering a classic science fiction adventure narrative.⁵

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

The VGA Remake transforms the original parser-based interface into a more modern point-and-click system, similar to Sierra’s later VGA-era adventure games.² This change makes the game more accessible to modern players while preserving the spirit and challenge of the original adventure. Players interact with the game world using a verb-based icon interface to examine objects, pick up items, use inventory, and navigate through the game’s environments.

Structure and Progression

The game follows Roger Wilco’s journey through multiple distinct locations as he escapes captivity and works to stop Sludge Vohaul’s plans. The progression maintains the structure of the original 1987 release while benefiting from enhanced graphics and presentation.⁶

Puzzles and Mechanics

Like the original Space Quest II, the remake features inventory-based puzzles typical of Sierra adventure games. Players must collect items, combine them when necessary, and use them at appropriate moments to progress through the story. The game maintains the challenging puzzle design that characterized Sierra’s classic adventure games, though the point-and-click interface makes experimentation somewhat easier than the original parser system.²

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

Upon release, the Space Quest II VGA Remake was warmly received by the Sierra fan community. Forum discussions on AGD Interactive’s official forums described the game as “a labor of love and devotion to the original series” and praised it as “of the same substance dreams are made of.”² Community members appreciated the dedication shown by the Infamous Adventures team over their five-year development period.²

The remake was noted for staying close to the original source material. Forum users compared Infamous Adventures’ approach favorably to other fan remake studios, with one commenter stating: “Personally, I prefer the remakes made by Infamous Adventures, more than the other well known (re-)maker: AGD Interactive. King’s Quest II remake (by AGDI) is good and professionally made but strayed slightly away from the classic. Whereas King’s Quest III remake by Infamous Adventures stayed quite close to the original.”⁷

Modern Assessment

The game maintains strong ratings among players who have discovered it in the years since release. On itch.io, the game holds an aggregate rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars based on 20 ratings, demonstrating continued appreciation from the adventure gaming community.⁴

Aggregate Scores:

• itch.io: 4.8/5 (20 ratings)⁴

Development

Origins

The Space Quest II VGA Remake project was born from the dedicated Sierra fan community’s desire to see classic adventure games updated for modern systems. Infamous Adventures, known for their previous work on fan remakes, took on the ambitious project of remaking the 1987 Sierra classic.² Development began in the mid-2000s, with the team working on the project in their spare time over the course of more than five years.²

The project was discussed in Sierra fan communities as early as 2009, when it was noted that AGD Interactive had cancelled their intended VGA remake of Space Quest II because Infamous Adventures was already working on one.⁸ Development updates were shared periodically, with team member Broomie posting in March 2009: “Just a quick reminder, Space Quest II is on it’s way soon! Not too soon, but quite soon. We’ve done a lot of work recently, hired some excellent new staff members and Klytos has finally got off his arse and started adding in the last few animations and sprites. Not much left to do now, and soon we’ll be entering the beta stage of Space Quest II.”⁷

Production

The development team at Infamous Adventures created the remake with meticulous attention to detail, featuring hand-drawn backgrounds and hand-animated characters that capture the aesthetic of Sierra’s early 1990s VGA adventures.² The project involved creating all-new artwork while maintaining fidelity to the original game’s design and story.

A significant undertaking was the voice pack, which includes over 4,000 recorded lines of dialogue.² This transformed what was originally a text-based adventure into a fully voiced experience, bringing the characters of Space Quest II to life in ways the original technology could not support.

The team also created a comprehensive PDF manual with custom content that was described as “just as much a labor of love as the game itself,” with community members encouraging players to “be sure to check out the pdf manual included in the game directory.”²

Technical Achievements

The remake successfully translates the original 16-color EGA graphics into “simulated VGA colors,” creating visuals that evoke Sierra’s golden age of point-and-click adventures from the early 1990s.¹ The hand-drawn backgrounds and character animations represent a significant artistic achievement for a fan project.

Technical Specifications

System Requirements (Windows):⁹

• Minimum OS: Windows XP SP3
• Minimum CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0 GHz / AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+
• Minimum RAM: 512 MB
• Minimum Storage: 700 MB
• Recommended Storage: 800 MB
• Recommended GPU: Nvidia GeForce 400 series / AMD 3xx/4xx series

System Requirements (Linux):⁹

• Minimum OS: Ubuntu 12.04 or equivalent
• Minimum CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0 GHz / AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+
• Minimum RAM: 512 MB
• Minimum Storage: 700 MB
• Recommended Storage: 800 MB

System Requirements (macOS):⁹

• Minimum OS: 10.4.11
• Minimum CPU: Intel Core Solo
• Minimum RAM: 512 MB
• Minimum Storage: 700 MB
• Recommended Storage: 800 MB
• Recommended GPU: Nvidia GeForce 400 series / AMD 3xx/4xx series

Download Sizes:³

• Windows Installer (v2.0): 485 MB
• Windows Installer (v1.1): 472 MB
• Windows RAR: 461 MB
• Linux RAR: 464 MB
• macOS ZIP: 484 MB
• macOS Universal Binary: 489 MB
• Manual: 2.7 MB

Version History

Version	Date	Platform	Notes
1.0	December 30, 2011	Windows	Initial release10
1.1	Unknown	Windows	Bug fixes3
2.0	January 1, 2020	Windows, macOS, Linux	Bug fixes, proper Sierra fonts, new easter eggs4
2.0 Universal	September 10, 2024	macOS	Universal Binary for Apple Silicon and Intel4

Technical Issues

The cross-platform nature of the remake has presented some compatibility challenges. Linux users have reported that the installation is missing the necessary libpng library, though this can be resolved by copying the library from other AGS games such as Heroine’s Quest.¹¹

macOS users have encountered issues with fullscreen mode, particularly on macOS Catalina, where the window bar does not appear when exiting fullscreen.¹¹ Users found a workaround by setting “windowed=1” in the acsetup.cfg configuration file located in ”~/Library/Application Support/Space Quest ][ Remake v2.0 [beta]“.¹¹ The developers noted that the window bar would appear correctly on macOS Mojave but not on Catalina.¹¹

The Version 2.0 update addressed various bugs including a bgMusic code error that was causing crashes.¹²

Easter Eggs and Trivia

Version 2.0 added several hidden easter eggs to the game, including a Space Quest III Easter Egg that is not triggered simply by achieving the full 250 points.¹² According to the developers: “Getting full points isn’t the trigger for the SQ3 Easter Egg. You have to discover how to do that by exploring the game. Though if you do something right, you’ll hear something that lets you know you’re on the right path.”¹²

The remake also includes a secret bar easter egg, with the developers noting: “Yep, accessing the secret bar is a little different now” in Version 2.0, indicating the access method was changed from the original implementation.¹²

• SQ3 Easter Egg: A hidden reference to Space Quest III that requires specific exploration to discover¹²
• Secret Bar: A hidden location accessible through a different method than in the original game¹²
• Original Game Reference: The remake faithfully recreates the humor and pop culture references of the original 1987 release¹

Legacy

Commercial Impact

As a free fan project, the Space Quest II VGA Remake was never sold commercially. Instead, Infamous Adventures offers it as a “Name your own price” download, where “the developer accepts your support by letting you pay what you think is fair for the game.”³ This approach has allowed the game to reach a wide audience of adventure gaming fans while respecting the intellectual property of the original creators.

Fan Projects

The Space Quest II VGA Remake itself represents one of the most ambitious fan projects in the Sierra adventure gaming community. Infamous Adventures is known for other Sierra fan remakes, including their King’s Quest III VGA Remake, which was praised for staying “quite close to the original” and described as “an absolute must for KQ fans.”⁷

The project demonstrates the enduring love fans have for Sierra’s classic adventure games and the dedication of amateur developers to preserve and enhance these gaming experiences for new generations.

Related Publications

• PDF Manual: Custom manual included with the game, featuring original content and humor matching the Space Quest style²

Critical Perspective

The Space Quest II VGA Remake occupies an important place in the history of Sierra fan remakes. Released 24 years after the original 1987 game,¹⁰ it represents the continuing passion fans have for Sierra’s adventure gaming legacy. The five-year development cycle demonstrates the dedication required to produce quality fan remakes that honor their source material.²

The project exists alongside other notable fan remakes from groups like AGD Interactive, with different approaches to adapting classic Sierra titles. While AGDI has been known to add new content and storylines to their remakes, Infamous Adventures has been praised for staying closer to the original source material, appealing to fans who prefer faithful recreations.⁷ This philosophical difference highlights the various ways fan communities preserve and celebrate classic games.

The continued support for the project, with updates still being released as recently as 2024,⁴ shows that fan remake projects can have remarkable longevity when maintained by dedicated teams.

Downloads

Download / Free Distribution

• Infamous Adventures itch.io Page - Official distribution (Name your own price)

Manuals & Extras

• PDF Manual included with game download (2.7 MB)³

Series Continuity

The Space Quest II VGA Remake is a faithful recreation of the second game in Sierra’s Space Quest series. The original Space Quest II: Vohaul’s Revenge was released in 1987, following the success of the original Space Quest: The Sarien Encounter (1986). The story continues Roger Wilco’s adventures and introduces the villain Sludge Vohaul, who would remain an important antagonist throughout the series.¹

The game serves as a bridge between Roger’s first heroic act of saving Xenon from the Sariens and his later adventures in Space Quest III: The Pirates of Pestulon (1989). The VGA Remake includes easter eggs referencing Space Quest III, acknowledging the continuing storyline.¹²

• Original Game: Space Quest II: Vohaul’s Revenge (1987)
• Previous in Series: Space Quest: The Sarien Encounter (1986)
• Next in Series: Space Quest III: The Pirates of Pestulon (1989)

References

Footnotes

1. Game Essence – Space Quest II VGA Remake – Developer identification, original creators, game description ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

2. AGD Interactive Forums – Release Announcement – Release date, development time, features, voice pack details, manual information ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵

3. Infamous Adventures itch.io – Purchase Page – Platform availability, file sizes, pricing model ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

4. Infamous Adventures itch.io – Main Page – Version 2.0 release date, ratings, Universal Binary release, update notes ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

5. KBH Games – Space Quest II VGA Remake – Game description, VGA graphics ↩

6. Indie Retro News – Space Quest II VGA Remake – Version 2.0 announcement ↩

7. VOGONS Forums – Space Quest II Discussion – Development status updates, community comparisons to AGDI ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

8. Sierra Gamers Forums – Space Quest II VGA Remake Topic – Discussion of AGD cancellation ↩

9. PCGamingWiki – Space Quest II VGA Remake – System requirements, platform compatibility ↩ ↩² ↩³

10. MobyGames – Space Quest II Search Results – Release dates, platform list ↩ ↩²

11. Infamous Adventures itch.io – Comments – Technical issues, Linux libpng problem, macOS fullscreen workarounds ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

12. Infamous Adventures itch.io – Devlog V2.0 – Easter egg information, bug fixes, secret bar changes ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷