16 min read

Gobliiins

Last updated: January 22, 2026

Overview

Gobliiins is a quirky point-and-click adventure/puzzle game developed by French studio Coktel Vision and released in 1991.1 Created by Pierre Gilhodes and co-designed by Muriel Tramis, this whimsical title became the beginning of Coktel Vision’s most beloved franchise.2 The game represents “a strange blend of genres that includes point and click adventure with more traditional puzzle-style gameplay,” featuring players controlling three unique goblins, each with special abilities, as they solve creative puzzles and navigate humorous scenarios in a whimsical world filled with charm and wit.34

The game’s distinctive naming convention—with three “i”s in the title—indicates the number of playable characters, a tradition that would continue throughout the series.5 Gobliiins is notable for being “the very first game to feature more than one protagonist,” pioneering the multi-character puzzle-solving mechanic that would influence later games like The Lost Vikings.1 The linear game consists of 22 levels, each occupying a single screen, where players must coordinate the three goblins’ distinct abilities to progress.6

“Large, detailed sprites bring this puzzler to life,” noted one reviewer, adding that while “the challenges can be obtuse, the charm keeps you playing.”7 The game combines challenging environmental puzzles with slapstick humor, creating an experience described by critics as both entertaining and occasionally frustrating—“mind-boggling puzzles in a crazy, surreal world full of even crazier characters.”8

Story Summary

The kingdom of King Angoulafre has fallen into chaos as the beloved monarch has gone completely mad.10 The cause of his insanity is sinister: someone is using a voodoo doll to drive the king crazy, slowly tormenting him with dark magic.11 As the king’s sanity deteriorates, the fate of the entire realm hangs in the balance, and only three brave goblins can hope to save him.

The story follows three goblins—Asgard the warrior, Ignatius the magician, and Oups the technician (known as BoBo, Hooter, and Dwayne respectively in the US release)—as they attempt to aid their afflicted king.12 These “rather goofy elves from the Kingdom of King Angoulafre” must seek out the wizard Niak, who claims he can cure the king’s madness if they bring him three magical items.13 The goblins embark on their perilous quest, using their unique abilities to overcome the bizarre obstacles that stand in their way.

However, upon obtaining the required items, the goblins discover a terrible truth: Niak himself is revealed to be the villain behind the king’s insanity, having manipulated the goblins into performing his bidding all along.6 The three heroes must now escape from Niak’s lair and find a way to save their king. In the climactic finale, the goblins manage to destroy the voodoo doll used to drive King Angoulafre insane and defeat Niak while he is creating deadly potions, restoring peace to the kingdom.6

The narrative unfolds largely without traditional dialogue, as characters speak in “goblinish”—a gibberish of sounds—forcing the game to convey its story through visual humor and physical comedy.14 This approach made the game accessible to international audiences while contributing to its unique charm and surreal atmosphere.

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

Gobliiins employs a simplified point-and-click interface where players control three goblin characters, each with fundamentally different abilities.1 Unlike traditional adventure games of the era that featured a single protagonist with multiple verbs, this game’s design requires players to select which goblin to use and then click on objects or locations to interact.3 The characters themselves embody the different actions: one can use objects, another can hit things, and the third uses magic.2

The goblins themselves feature charming visual personalities—“The goblins themselves look sort of loveable. Okay they are not exactly plush toy materials. But they are also not hideous looking either.”15 When players make mistakes or misuse items, “the goblins mock player when items are misused” and “become impatient when idle,” adding personality to the gameplay experience.16

Structure and Progression

The game is linear and consists of 22 levels, with each level occupying a single screen.6 Players must solve all puzzles on the current screen before progressing to the next one.7 Progress is saved through a password system rather than traditional save files—the game provides save codes when moving to the next screen.11

  • Levels 1-5: Initial puzzles introducing the three goblins’ abilities
  • Levels 6-10: Increasingly complex environmental challenges
  • Levels 11-15: Mid-game puzzles requiring precise coordination
  • Levels 16-20: Advanced puzzle sequences leading to Niak’s domain
  • Levels 21-22: Final confrontation in Niak’s lair17

Puzzles and Mechanics

Each goblin possesses unique abilities that must be combined strategically to solve environmental puzzles.1 In the original European version, Asgard is the warrior who can punch and climb, Ignatius is the wizard who casts unpredictable spells, and Oups is the technician who can pick up and use items.13 Only the technician character can hold objects, and he can only carry one item at a time.11

A distinctive feature is the shared health bar system. The three goblins share a collective life bar that decreases whenever they make mistakes or trigger traps.8 “Every time you do something wrong, you lose energy,” and “the goblins get hurt and complain to you about sending them into these traps. It’s hilarious.”78 Some actions can kill goblins instantly, requiring careful planning.11

“Many of the puzzles seem like Rube Goldberg machines with an Escherian twist,” noted one reviewer, highlighting the game’s complex, interconnected puzzle design.18 Critics have observed that “the puzzle solutions can be annoyingly strait-jacketed at times,” requiring very specific sequences of actions.19 One infamous example involves needing to “physically put a diamond into [a wizard’s] hand—which is subject of a puzzle—when in his own self-interest he should just stoop down and pick up the diamond when you lay it at his feet.”20

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

Upon release, Gobliiins received generally positive reviews, with critics praising its innovative multi-character gameplay and charming visual style while noting its challenging puzzle design. Power Play magazine gave the game 69/100 in March 1992.21 Amiga Action awarded the game 81%, with reviewer Alan Bunker praising the detailed sprites and puzzle design.7 Dragon magazine gave the game a perfect 5/5 score in 1993.5

Computer Gaming World noted that “the game will entertain a variety of light-hearted gamers,” acknowledging both its appeal and niche audience.5 ST Format ranked Gobliiins #33 in their “50 finest Atari ST games of all time” list in January 1993.1

Critics consistently praised the visual design and humor while acknowledging the difficulty. One contemporary reviewer called it “a landmark in computer gaming” and “a really neat game, super-original with no equal in that department.”1

Modern Assessment

Modern retrospectives have been more mixed, with reviewers appreciating the nostalgic charm while acknowledging dated mechanics. Adventure Classic Gaming gave the original trilogy high marks, praising the series’ creativity.22 The GOG.com user community rates the Gobliiins Pack 4.4/5 stars.8

Some modern critics are less forgiving of the puzzle design. One blogger noted the game is “an interesting concept… marred by absurdly nonsensical puzzles and poor story logic.”20 Family Friendly Gaming gave the iOS port 76/100, with reviewer Paul admitting “it may have taken me months, but this point and click adventure now makes sense to me.”15

Aggregate Scores:

  • MobyGames: 7.4/101
  • IMDB: 7.5/1023
  • GOG.com User Reviews: 4.4/58
  • Powerplay: 70%5

Development

Origins

Pierre Gilhodes began his career as a graphic artist at a very early age and started creating video games with Coktel Vision in 1990.24 The Gobliiins concept emerged from his distinctive angular and cartoonish art style combined with Muriel Tramis’s adventure game design experience.2 Gilhodes later described his approach as “the kidults style,” creating content that appealed to both children and adults.25

The game’s multi-character puzzle-solving concept was innovative for its time—“Gobliiins is the very first game to feature more than one protagonist.”1 The decision to use three characters with distinct abilities rather than one protagonist with multiple verbs created a unique gameplay dynamic that would define the series.

Production

Development took place at Coktel Vision’s French studios, with the team designing 22 single-screen puzzle environments.2 The game’s focus on visual storytelling with minimal dialogue was intentional, allowing the game to be more easily localized for international markets.26 Characters speak in “goblinish,” a gibberish language that required no translation while conveying emotion and intent through sound design.14

Development Credits:17

  • Designer: Pierre Gilhodes
  • Co-Designer: Muriel Tramis
  • Art Director: Pierre Gilhodes
  • Programming: Eric Metens, M.D.O., Roland Lacoste
  • Composer (Floppy): Frédéric Motte (credited as “Moby”)
  • Composer (CD-ROM): Charles Callet
  • Development Tools: C Code

Technical Achievements

Gobliiins utilized Coktel Vision’s proprietary “Gob” engine, which would continue to power subsequent entries in the series.9 The game featured 256-color VGA graphics at 320x200 resolution, showcasing detailed character sprites and hand-painted backgrounds.26

The visual design earned particular praise, with “large, detailed sprites” bringing the puzzle-adventure to life.7 Pierre Gilhodes’s angular, cartoonish art style gave the game a distinctive look that set it apart from contemporaries, featuring characters “who are more like pixies or gnomes than your typical goblin.”27

Technical Specifications

DOS Version:9

  • Resolution: 320x200, 256 colors (VGA)
  • Video Modes: CGA, EGA, VGA supported
  • Audio: AdLib, Sound Blaster, Pro AudioSpectrum, Intersound MDO, PC Speaker
  • Audio Format: MDY + TBR format, Ad Lib’s MUS and SND formats28
  • Storage: 3.5 MB
  • RAM: 2 MB
  • OS: DOS 5.0
  • CPU: Intel 386 16 MHz minimum

CD-ROM Version (1992/1993):29

  • Audio: CD Audio tracks for music
  • Features: High-resolution graphics, music, dubbing
  • Languages: French, English, Italian, Spanish, German

Windows Version (via ScummVM):9

  • OS: Windows XP or later
  • CPU: 1 GHz
  • RAM: 256 MB
  • Storage: 80 MB
  • Graphics: DirectX 7 compatible

Cut Content

Some music written by Frédéric Motte for Gobliiins was not used in the original 1991/1992 floppy releases. While the European boxes credited “Music and SFX: Moby (Frédéric Motte),” actually there was no music in the floppy versions.1 This unused music was eventually used in Coktel Vision’s “Once Upon a Time: Baba Yaga.”1

The game also contains unused title screen music that can be found in the data files.30

Version History

VersionDatePlatformNotes
1.01991DOS, Mac, Amiga, Atari STInitial European release1
1.11992DOSUS release with changed character names12
CD-ROM1992-1993DOSAdded music and enhanced graphics29
iOSNovember 8, 2010iPhone/iPadBulkypix port using ScummVM31
ScummVM ReleaseMarch 23, 2010WindowsOfficial modern compatibility9
Blacknut2018Cloud GamingStreaming version1

Regional Naming Differences:12 The US release changed character names from the European originals:

  • Asgard → BoBo (Warrior)
  • Ignatius → Hooter (Wizard)
  • Oups → Dwayne (Technician)

Technical Issues

Several patches were released to address compatibility issues:32

PatchSizePurpose
GOB1CD95.7 KBCD version fixes for sound cards and CD-ROM drives
GOB1CDb81.2 KBPatch disk included with CD release

The Macintosh version has documented problems with music playback when running through ScummVM.33 Modern users are advised to use ScummVM for the best compatibility experience—“Thanks to ScummVM, thousands of gamers around the world can enjoy the good old Goblins without any compatibility problems and headache.”34

Easter Eggs and Trivia

  • An eyeball can be seen peeking out of a jar in Niak’s house with no story influence or consequence.27
  • A small creature can be spotted spying on the characters during certain scenes with no gameplay consequences.27
  • The characters speak in a made-up “goblinish” language throughout the game.9
  • The intentional spelling of “Gobliiins” with three “i”s was a deliberate design choice by Coktel Vision to indicate the number of playable characters.1
  • A SoftKey CD-ROM release incorrectly marked the game as a Windows product, though the disc contents were pure MS-DOS.1

Legacy

Sales and Commercial Impact

While specific sales figures are not publicly available, Gobliiins was successful enough to spawn a franchise spanning five main entries over three decades.5 The original trilogy was published by Sierra On-Line, helping establish Coktel Vision as a notable developer in the adventure game genre.35

Collections

Gobliiins has appeared in numerous compilation releases:

  • Gobliiins 1 & Gobliins 2 – Sierra Originals dual-pack (October 20, 1995)29
  • Gobliiins Pack – GOG.com digital bundle including first three games8
  • Gobliiins Gold – CD-ROM version with voice acting in multiple languages11

Fan Projects

The ScummVM project provides extensive compatibility support for all Gobliiins games, allowing players to enjoy the series on modern systems.34 “Playing the Gobliiins games has been fun over a decade ago, and stil is,” noted ScummVM team member Max Horn.34

  • Game Manual: Included with original release, featuring story setup and controls36
  • Copy Protection Reference Card: Color grid system used for game protection14

Critical Perspective

Gobliiins holds a significant place in adventure gaming history as a pioneer of multi-character puzzle gameplay. While games like The Lost Vikings would later refine the formula, Coktel Vision’s French-made adventure established the core concept of coordinating characters with distinct abilities to solve environmental puzzles.37

The game’s influence extends beyond its mechanical innovations. Rock Paper Shotgun’s retrospective notes the series’ clever naming convention: “In this age of Thie4s and 2 Fast 2 Furiouses, I feel we can learn something from that back-to-front art.”38 The diminishing number of “i”s across sequels (three, two, one, then back to three) represented the changing number of playable characters—a creative approach to titling that remains memorable decades later.

Critics remain divided on whether the game’s challenging puzzles represent clever design or frustrating obscurity. Modern players often approach the series with nostalgia—“I prefer to keep on believing that Goblins III was a game that spoke to me, rather than risk the reality that it was just one more 90% lateral thinking puzzle game full of wacky characters.”38 Yet despite these concerns, the series’ charm continues to attract new players, as evidenced by successful Kickstarter campaigns for Gobliiins 5 and continued availability on digital platforms.39

Series Overview

The Gobliiins series spans five main entries across three decades, each with a distinctive character count indicated by the number of “i”s in the title:5

GameYearCharactersNotes
Gobliiins19913Asgard, Ignatius, Oups
Gobliins 2: The Prince Buffoon19922Fingus and Winkle
Goblins Quest 319931Blount (with companion characters)
Gobliiins 420093Tchoup, Stucco, Perluis
GOBLiiiNS520233Return of Asgard, Ignatius, Oups

Gobliins 2: The Prince Buffoon (1992) reduced the playable cast to two characters with “different attitudes, one being straight man, the other a trickster.”18 The prince has been kidnapped by a demon called Amoniak, and players control Fingus (polite and intelligent) and Winkle (mischievous and athletic) to rescue him.2240

Goblins Quest 3 (1993) featured a single protagonist, goblin journalist Blount, though he gains companion characters throughout his adventure involving two competing kingdoms and a mysterious labyrinth.35 Critics consider it “the best game in the series, mainly because it introduces secondary characters you can control.”14

Gobliiins 4 (2009) marked Pierre Gilhodes’s return to the franchise after 15 years, developed by Société Pollene with 3D graphics.41 Reception was mixed (54/100 Metacritic), with Adventure Gamers calling it “a quality throwback to the beloved twisted humor and weird puzzles of the original games.”42

GOBLiiiNS5 (2023) was crowdfunded through Kickstarter, raising €7,774 from 450 backers.39 Developed using Adventure Game Studio, it features the return of original characters Asgard, Ignatius, and Oups in a new adventure involving creatures being turned into potatoes.43

Downloads

Purchase / Digital Stores

Download / Preservation

Manuals & Extras

Series Continuity

Gobliiins established the franchise’s core identity: whimsical, challenging puzzle-adventure gameplay with lovable goblin protagonists speaking in gibberish while navigating surreal, colorful worlds. The game introduced King Angoulafre’s kingdom and the basic premise of goblins saving royalty from magical threats—themes that would recur throughout the series.

The game’s success led directly to Gobliins 2: The Prince Buffoon, which refined the formula by removing the health meter system (allowing unlimited attempts at puzzles) and introducing two new goblin protagonists with contrasting personalities.22 This sequel would prove equally influential, leading to the critically acclaimed Goblins Quest 3.

Pierre Gilhodes’s continued involvement across all five games provides remarkable creative continuity—from the original 1991 release through the 2023 crowdfunded fifth entry, the series maintains his distinctive “kidults style” and commitment to “funny and clever quests.”2524

References

Footnotes

  1. MobyGames – Gobliiins – developer credits, ratings, platform releases, trivia, awards ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18 ↩19

  2. Abandonware France – Coktel Vision History – designer credits, development history ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  3. Neoseeker – Gobliiins Walkthrough – gameplay mechanics, genre description ↩ ↩2

  4. DOS.Zone – Gobliiins – game description ↩

  5. Wikipedia – Gobliiins – release dates, ratings, awards, series information ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  6. Reddit r/Sierra – Gobliiins Discussion – plot summary, level structure ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  7. Lemon Amiga – Gobliiins – review scores, credits, engine information ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  8. GOG.com – Gobliiins Pack – user reviews, technical requirements, game description ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  9. PCGamingWiki – Gobliiins – engine, technical specifications, compatibility ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  10. DOS Games Archive – Gobliiins – plot summary ↩

  11. Classic DOS Games – Gobliiins – gameplay mechanics, version information ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  12. Retrogames.cz – Gobliiins – character name differences, credits ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  13. Gamer Walkthroughs – Gobliiins – character descriptions, gameplay ↩ ↩2

  14. MobyGames – Goblins Quest 3 – series information, copy protection, language ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  15. Family Friendly Gaming – Gobliiins Review – iOS review, rating ↩ ↩2

  16. Games Nostalgia – Gobliiins – gameplay mechanics ↩

  17. GameFAQs – Gobliiins Walkthrough – level structure ↩

  18. The Adventurers’ Guild – Gobliins 2 Review – puzzle design analysis ↩ ↩2

  19. LaunchBox Games Database – Gobliiins 4 – IT Reviews quote ↩

  20. Jumbled Thoughts of a Fake Geek Boy – puzzle criticism ↩ ↩2

  21. Web Archive – MobyGames Historical Entry – Power Play rating ↩

  22. Adventure Classic Gaming – Gobliins 2 Review – character descriptions, technical specs ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  23. IMDB – Gobliiins – rating, credits ↩

  24. Web Archive – Pierre Gilhodes Website – developer biography ↩ ↩2

  25. Rarewaves – Gobliiins 4 Product Page – Pierre Gilhodes quotes, development history ↩ ↩2

  26. Grokipedia – Gobliiins – technical specifications, design philosophy ↩ ↩2

  27. TV Tropes – Gobliiins – character descriptions, easter eggs, trivia ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  28. Video Game Music Preservation Foundation – Gobliiins – audio specifications, composer credits ↩

  29. Discogs – Charles Callet Gobliiins 1 & 2 – soundtrack release, languages ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  30. The Cutting Room Floor – Gobliiins – unused content ↩

  31. Web Archive – iTunes App Store – iOS release details ↩

  32. Sierra Help – Gobliiins Patches – patch information ↩

  33. ScummVM – Gobliiins Compatibility – technical issues ↩

  34. ScummVM – Snowberry Press Release – ScummVM support quotes ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  35. Sierra Chest – Goblins Quest 3 – series history, Sierra publishing ↩ ↩2

  36. Internet Archive – German DOS Release – manual, copy protection documentation ↩

  37. Virtual Moose – Gobliiins Guide – series overview, recommendations ↩

  38. Rock Paper Shotgun – Have You Played Gobliiins – retrospective quotes ↩ ↩2

  39. Kickstarter – GOBLiiiNS5 – crowdfunding details ↩ ↩2

  40. Gamer Walkthroughs – Gobliins 2 – plot summary ↩

  41. Digital Spy – Gobliiins 4 Review – development history ↩

  42. Adventure Gamers – Gobliiins 4 – review quote ↩

  43. Steam – GOBLiiiNS5 – game description, technical specs ↩

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