Mixed-Up Fairy Tales

Last updated: January 20, 2026

Overview

Mixed-Up Fairy Tales is an educational adventure game released in 1991 by Sierra On-Line for MS-DOS¹. The game serves as a follow-up to the earlier Mixed-Up Mother Goose, continuing Sierra’s efforts to create adventure games accessible to younger players². Designed with children in mind, particularly early readers ages 4 to 6, the game combines the company’s signature point-and-click adventure gameplay with educational elements focused on reading, logic, and problem-solving skills³.

The game’s central premise involves helping a friendly dragon named Bookwyrm restore order to five classic fairy tales that have been mixed up by a mischievous character named Bookend⁴. Players explore a magical fairy tale world, encountering displaced characters and collecting items needed to set things right⁵. The game was designed for “classroom play,” intended to be experienced in short bursts suitable for educational environments⁶.

Unlike Sierra’s more challenging adventure titles such as King’s Quest or Space Quest, Mixed-Up Fairy Tales was specifically crafted as a non-threatening entry point into the adventure game genre⁷. The hand-drawn graphics have been favorably compared to the visual quality found in contemporaneous Sierra titles like King’s Quest V⁸, while the classical music soundtrack featuring arrangements of Mozart and Bach adds an educational dimension to the audio experience⁹.

Game Info

Developer: Sierra On-Line¹ Designer: Lori Ann Cole, Bill Davis² Publisher: Sierra On-Line¹ Engine: Sierra’s Creative Interpreter (SCI)⁴ Platforms: MS-DOS¹ Release Year: 1991 Series: Mixed-Up Protagonist: Player-selected child character Sierra Lineage: Core Sierra

Story Summary

In the magical world of fairy tales, Bookwyrm serves as the keeper of all classic stories, maintaining them within a special book¹⁰. However, Bookend, a troublesome character, has created chaos by mixing up the contents of five beloved fairy tales: Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Beauty and the Beast, Bremen Town Musicians, and Snow White¹. Characters and objects from different stories have become scattered across the land, requiring intervention to restore narrative order⁵.

The player takes on the role of a child who must help Bookwyrm unscramble these classic tales³. As the protagonist explores the enchanted landscape, they encounter various fairy tale characters—both human and animal—who are displaced from their proper stories¹¹. By correctly identifying which fairy tale each character belongs to using a special fairy tale book, the player initiates the process of restoration¹¹.

The gameplay involves acquiring specific objects and delivering them to the appropriate characters to help them complete their stories¹². Bookwyrm remains available throughout the adventure to provide guidance, offering directions to the player’s next objective whenever they become stuck⁵. Most of the actual story events happen off-screen, with players facilitating rather than directly participating in the fairy tale conclusions⁵.

The five fairy tales featured in the game represent diverse European folklore traditions, from the Germanic Snow White and Bremen Town Musicians to the French-origin Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella³. Each tale requires the player to assist its iconic characters—helping Cinderella reach the ball, ensuring Jack obtains his magic beans, and guiding Snow White to her happily ever after¹.

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

Mixed-Up Fairy Tales features a dramatically simplified interface compared to other Sierra adventure games of the period⁴. Rather than using the full hidden icon bar found in titles like King’s Quest V, the game provides only two primary actions: “Do” and “See”⁴. This streamlined approach was specifically designed for younger players who might find traditional adventure game interfaces overwhelming¹³.

The simplified VGA interface allows children to explore the game world through basic point-and-click interactions⁴. The “See” action lets players examine objects and characters in the environment, while “Do” handles all active interactions including picking up items and giving objects to characters⁸. This two-button system ensures that young players can engage with the game without needing to master complex verb combinations or inventory management systems¹¹.

Structure and Progression

The game is structured around five distinct fairy tales that must be restored to their proper order¹. Players can encounter and work on multiple stories simultaneously as they explore the fairy tale world:

• Cinderella: Help the titular character obtain what she needs for the royal ball
• Jack and the Beanstalk: Assist Jack in his famous adventure up the magic beanstalk
• Beauty and the Beast: Aid in bringing together the Beauty and her enchanted prince
• Bremen Town Musicians: Help the famous animal musicians reach their destination
• Snow White: Guide Snow White through her encounters with the evil queen

A notable feature of the game design is its randomization system⁸. Characters and objects are placed in different locations each time the game is played, providing replayability and ensuring that children cannot simply memorize solutions from previous sessions³. This design choice was particularly valuable for classroom settings where multiple students might play the game⁶.

Puzzles and Mechanics

The puzzle design in Mixed-Up Fairy Tales focuses on object collection and delivery rather than complex logical challenges¹². Players must identify objects in the game world, collect them into their inventory, and determine which fairy tale character needs each item¹¹. The challenge comes from correctly associating displaced characters with their proper stories and understanding what each character requires to continue their tale.

Critically, the game was designed so that players cannot die or become stuck in an unwinnable scenario⁵. This represented a significant departure from many Sierra adventure games of the era, which often featured sudden deaths and situations where progress became impossible due to missed items¹³. The game also features automatic saving, removing another potential barrier for young players⁵.

Players select from six available child avatars at the game’s start, offering ethnic diversity and gender choices⁶. The protagonist character is fully customizable, allowing children to create an avatar that represents them as they explore the magical world.

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

PC Zone awarded Mixed-Up Fairy Tales an 8 out of 10 in their May 1993 review, praising its accessibility and child-friendly design². Reviewer Phil South highlighted the game’s success in making adventure gaming approachable for younger audiences.

Cynthia E. Field’s review in PC Games (August-September 1992) described the title as “an engaging, nonviolent, challenging game that appeals to both genders”². The review emphasized the game’s success in creating an adventure experience that parents could feel comfortable sharing with their children while still maintaining genuine gameplay challenges.

The game received favorable attention for its visual presentation, with reviewers noting that the hand-drawn graphics matched the quality of Sierra’s flagship adventure titles⁸. One reviewer’s mother, upon seeing the game, asked “Is that a game from Disney?”—suggesting the visual polish achieved by the development team¹⁴.

Modern Assessment

Modern retrospectives have generally viewed Mixed-Up Fairy Tales positively as an educational title, though opinions vary on its value for adult players. Home of the Underdogs described it as “a very enjoyable adventure for young kids that is unfortunately neglected” and marked it as “highly recommended for young readers”³.

User reviews on MobyGames present a mixed picture. One reviewer noted that the game “appeals to children more than adults, but the game can be used to remind yourself in case you forget what the fairy tale is about”⁸. However, another user argued that it’s “probably for Sierra-game completists only” and that “Mother-goose is a lot better”⁹.

The Adventure Gamer blog’s retrospective analysis characterized the game as “very much a First Steps to Adventure-styled title, not something that really offers much for an older audience”⁷. The reviewer suggested that having no voice acting may have actually benefited the game by encouraging reading⁷.

Aggregate Scores:

• MobyGames: 83% (critic reviews)⁴
• AbandonwareGames.net: 9.48/10¹
• MyAbandonware: 4.19/5³

Development

Origins

Mixed-Up Fairy Tales emerged from Sierra’s desire to expand their educational gaming offerings following the success of Mixed-Up Mother Goose². The “Mixed Up” concept followed a simple formula: take well-known stories and make small alterations that “ruin” them, leaving players to restore proper order⁶. This approach allowed children to engage with familiar material while developing problem-solving skills.

Notably, Mixed-Up Fairy Tales was not created by the same designer as its predecessor⁸. Lori Ann Cole, best known for her work on the Quest for Glory series alongside her husband Corey Cole, took on the design role for this educational title⁶. Bill Davis contributed as creative designer, helping shape the game’s approach to the source fairy tales².

The game was specifically designed with classroom use in mind⁶. Sierra anticipated that the title would be played in educational settings where short play sessions were necessary, and the game’s structure accommodated this through its episodic fairy tale approach and automatic saving features.

Production

Development took place at Sierra’s Oakhurst, California headquarters during the company’s prolific early 1990s period¹⁵. The game utilized Sierra’s Creative Interpreter (SCI) engine, the same technology powering their more sophisticated adventure titles⁴.

Ken Williams, Sierra’s co-founder, was involved in the game’s production¹⁶. Williams later reflected on this era of Sierra’s history, noting that the company operated like “a club where our job was to build cool product for people who had bought from us before”¹⁶. This philosophy extended to their educational titles, which maintained the production values of their flagship series.

Development Credits:⁴

• Designer: Lori Ann Cole
• Creative Designer: Bill Davis
• Music: Mark Seibert, Paul Aleman, Christopher G. Braymen
• Executive Producer: Ken Williams

Technical Achievements

The game showcased Sierra’s VGA graphics capabilities, with hand-drawn artwork that critics favorably compared to King’s Quest V’s visual quality⁸. The fairy tale setting allowed artists to create colorful, fantastical environments appropriate for younger audiences while demonstrating the company’s technical prowess.

The musical score consisted of MIDI arrangements of classical compositions by Mozart and Bach⁹. This approach served dual purposes: providing pleasant background music while exposing young players to classical music education. The soundtrack has been noted by fans as one of the game’s memorable features, with some requesting a standalone release¹⁷.

Technical Specifications

DOS Version:⁴

• Resolution: VGA graphics (also available in EGA/Tandy version)
• Audio: General MIDI, Sound Blaster compatible
• Media: 3.5” floppy disk, 5.25” floppy disk
• File Size: Approximately 3.77-4 MB³

Graphics Versions:⁴

• VGA graphics version (primary release)
• EGA/Tandy graphics version (alternative for older systems)

Sound Support:¹⁸

• General MIDI patch file (TALEGM.PAT) available
• Sound Blaster compatibility
• Installation requires copying GENMIDI.DRV, GENMIDI.HLP and renaming patch file to ‘4.PAT’

Technical Issues

A minor visual bug has been documented where examining objects causes the object name to appear above its description, but when the text is dismissed, the name remains on screen in a truncated form⁴.

Version History

Version	Date	Platform	Notes
1.0	November 13, 1991	DOS	Initial US release4
1.0	1991	DOS	German release3
1.1	1992	DOS	Additional US release3

SCI Interpreter Versions:⁴

Game Version	Interpreter	Type	Notes
1.0	SCI1	SCI1	Initial release with VGA graphics
EGA	SCI1	SCI1	Alternative graphics version

Easter Eggs and Trivia

• Commercial copies of the game included a fairy tale themed coloring book with crayons², encouraging creative engagement beyond the digital experience
• The game contains a reference reminiscent of other Sierra games, with “Lincoln blowing gum” appearing in a Dr. Brain-like manner⁷
• Despite being a sequel to Mixed-Up Mother Goose, the game was created by a different designer⁸
• The game features six playable avatars offering ethnic diversity, ahead of many games of its era⁶
• The forest areas in the game can seem “endless” to players, creating a sense of exploration appropriate to fairy tale settings¹⁹

Voice Cast

Mixed-Up Fairy Tales does not feature voice acting⁷. The lack of voice work may have been intentional, as one retrospective noted that “having no voice in-game may well have actually helped out” by encouraging children to practice reading⁷.

Legacy

Sales and Commercial Impact

Mixed-Up Fairy Tales was part of Sierra’s educational gaming lineup during the company’s peak commercial period in the early 1990s¹⁴. The game contributed to Sierra’s reported $83.4 million revenue in 1994¹⁴, though specific sales figures for the title have not been documented.

Collections

The game has not been officially re-released on modern digital platforms. As of the research date, it remains unavailable on GOG.com despite user requests¹⁷, and no Steam release exists²⁰. This has made preservation efforts through abandonware archives particularly important for game historians and nostalgic players.

Fan Projects

A speedrunning community has developed around the game, with guides and strategies available for completing the game as quickly as possible²¹. One speedrunner documented alternative routing strategies, noting specific choices in the donkey rescue sequence that affect completion time²¹.

Related Publications

• Fairy Tale Coloring Book: Included with commercial copies, featuring fairy tale-themed artwork and crayons²
• Story Manual: Accompanied the game with supplementary reading material⁶
• Game Manual: Standard instruction booklet included with retail copies

Critical Perspective

Mixed-Up Fairy Tales represents an important but often overlooked chapter in Sierra On-Line’s history³. While the company is primarily remembered for their challenging adventure series targeting older audiences, titles like this demonstrate Sierra’s commitment to expanding the adventure game audience to include younger players.

The game occupies a unique position in the educational gaming landscape of the early 1990s. Unlike many edutainment titles of the era that sacrificed gameplay for educational content, Mixed-Up Fairy Tales applied genuine adventure game mechanics in a child-appropriate context⁷. The simplified interface influenced later children’s adventure games, demonstrating that accessibility could coexist with engaging gameplay.

From a preservation standpoint, the game’s absence from modern digital storefronts has led to it becoming “unfortunately neglected”³. Many players who experienced it as children have expressed desire to share the game with their own children, with one user noting it was “an important game to me growing up and would love to share it with my boys”¹⁷. This nostalgia, combined with the game’s inaccessibility, has made it a frequent subject of preservation discussions in retro gaming communities.

Downloads

Download / Preservation

• Internet Archive – Kryoflux disk image preservation²²
• MyAbandonware – DOS version download³
• ClassicReload – Browser-playable version⁵

Manuals & Extras

• Original manual included with abandonware downloads

Series Continuity

Mixed-Up Fairy Tales serves as the spiritual successor to Mixed-Up Mother Goose (1987), applying the same “mixed up” concept to longer-form fairy tales rather than nursery rhymes². While sharing the core premise of restoring scrambled children’s literature, the games differ in their source material and complexity level, with Fairy Tales targeting slightly older children who can read independently³.

The “Mixed Up” series represents Sierra’s primary foray into educational adventure gaming for young children, distinct from their other educational efforts like the Dr. Brain series targeting older players. The games share a design philosophy of using adventure game mechanics to teach reading and problem-solving skills in an engaging, non-threatening environment¹¹.

• Previous: 1987 - Mixed-Up Mother Goose

References

Footnotes

1. AbandonwareGames.net – Mixed-Up Fairy Tales – developer, publisher, release date, platform, fairy tales included, user rating ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

2. Wikipedia – Mixed-Up Fairy Tales – designers, composer, PC Zone review score, PC Games review, coloring book inclusion, follow-up status ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

3. MyAbandonware – Mixed-Up Fairy Tales – release dates, designer, file size, target age, HOTUD review quotes, rating ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³

4. MobyGames – Mixed-Up Fairy Tales – precise release date, engine, composers, interface description, media formats, aggregate score, version information, bugs ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³

5. ClassicReload – Mixed-Up Fairy Tales – Bookwyrm guidance feature, cannot die design, automatic saving, off-screen events ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

6. Adventure Gamer Blog – Introduction – classroom play design, randomization, coloring book inclusion, avatar diversity, fairy tales list, Lori Ann Cole designer credit ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

7. Adventure Gamer Blog – Review – “First Steps to Adventure” assessment, no voice acting comment, Lincoln easter egg ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

8. MobyGames User Review – Katakis – King’s Quest V graphics comparison, game randomization, simplified interface description, different designer note ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

9. MobyGames User Review – jossiejojo – classical music MIDI soundtrack, Mother Goose comparison ↩ ↩² ↩³

10. Old-Games.com – Mixed-Up Fairy Tales – Bookwyrm keeper description, game description quote ↩

11. Free Game Empire – Mixed-Up Fairy Tales – Bookend antagonist, fairy tale book mechanic, educational focus ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

12. Sierra Gamers – Mixed-Up Fairy Tales – object acquisition and delivery gameplay ↩ ↩²

13. PlayClassic.Games – Mixed-Up Fairy Tales – simplified interface, younger gamer design ↩ ↩²

14. The Digital Antiquarian – Disney comparison quote, Sierra revenue figures ↩ ↩² ↩³

15. Sierra Gamers Forum – Product List – Oakhurst offices development location ↩

16. Sierra Gamers – Ken Williams – Ken Williams production credit, “club” philosophy quote ↩ ↩²

17. GOG.com Wishlist – Mixed-Up Fairy Tales – user requests for release, classical music appreciation, nostalgia comments ↩ ↩² ↩³

18. Sierra Help Pages – Sound Drivers – General MIDI patch information, driver installation instructions ↩

19. Reddit – Tip of My Joystick – endless forest description, 2D pixel graphics note ↩

20. Steam Store Search – game not available on Steam ↩

21. Speedrun.com – Mixed-Up Fairy Tales Guide – speedrun strategies, donkey rescue routing ↩ ↩²

22. Internet Archive – Mixed-Up Fairy Tales – Kryoflux preservation, 3.5” floppy disk format ↩