Jones in the Fast Lane

Last updated: January 9, 2026

Overview

Jones in the Fast Lane is a life simulation game developed by Sierra On-Line and released in 1990¹. The game represents a unique departure from Sierra’s typical adventure game formula, combining elements of board games with life simulation in what designer Bill Davis described as “the game you’ll bring out when friends drop by, or when the family just can’t take one more evening of Trivial Pursuit”². Built using Sierra’s SCI (Sierra Creative Interpreter) engine³, the game presents players with a satirical take on the pursuit of the American Dream⁴.

The game is structured as a turn-based strategy simulation where players compete to achieve various life goals including money, happiness, education, and career advancement⁵. As one contemporary review noted, “Jones in the Fast Lane is a simulation of a person’s life, presented as a turn-based strategy game”⁶. The gameplay unfolds on a board game-like interface representing a city, where players navigate between different locations to work, study, shop, and live their virtual lives⁷.

Game Info

Developer: Sierra On-Line¹ Designer: Bill Davis, Warren Schwader⁸ Publisher: Sierra On-Line¹ Platforms: DOS, Windows, Amiga, CD-ROM⁹ Release Year: 1990 Series: null Sierra Lineage: Core Sierra

Story Summary

The game opens with the narrative framing: “My name is Jones, and I’d like you to meet my beautiful family. We may not be rich or famous, but at least we’re honest and hardworking”¹⁰. Players begin as “a no name lowlife with no education in the 80s” and must work to “get a job, get a haircut, education and make some money”¹¹. The game’s premise centers around competing against the computer-controlled Jones character or other human players to achieve success in various aspects of life¹².

Rather than focusing on fantastical settings, Jones in the Fast Lane “roots its gameplay in the realities of everyday life, albeit with a satirical twist”¹³. The game includes humorous scenarios and random weekend events, such as the memorable text: “You went to Las Vegas in a $20,000carandcamebackina$200,000 Greyhound bus”¹⁴.

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

The game can be controlled using both mouse and keyboard, with players clicking on locations and objects to interact and using on-screen prompts to make decisions that shape their character’s life¹³. The interface resembles a traditional board game, with the board representing the city where players live⁷. Time serves as the primary resource, with exactly 168 hours available per weekly turn⁴.

Structure and Progression

Each turn represents a week of the player’s life, and players must allocate their limited time between various activities¹. The game involves enrolling in school, paying rent, and buying necessities¹⁵. Players typically start by “flipping burgers at the local fast food store, earning around $4 an hour” before advancing to better employment opportunities¹⁶. As Warren Schwader, the lead programmer, noted: “Generally, you just need to stick with the basics: eat every week, go to school, then work and watch that economy”¹⁷.

Puzzles and Mechanics

Victory is achieved by being the most successful person first, with success measured not just by financial worth but by happiness factors as well¹. The game includes references to other Sierra properties, such as the Monolith Burger fast food restaurant from Space Quest¹⁸. Weekend events provide humorous random occurrences that can dramatically affect a player’s progress¹⁴.

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

Publication	Score	Notes
The One	88%	Called it a “good example of how to implement the gameplay of a board game on a computer”19
Power Play	54%	Review by Anatol Locker19
Joystick	80%	Review by Duy Minh19
Los Angeles Times	4/5 stars	Described as “A humorous romp through modern life”20

Modern Assessment

Jones in the Fast Lane received significant recognition, winning Computer Gaming World’s “Adventure of the Year” award for 1990²¹ and the Software Publishers Association’s “Best Adventure” award for the same year²². Modern ratings include 4.37/5 on MyAbandonware²³, 8.6/10 on IMDb²⁴, and 67% on MobyGames¹. Steam reviews show a mixed to positive reception from the contemporary gaming community²⁵.

Development

Origins

Jones in the Fast Lane was originally developed as a board game before being adapted into a video game²⁶. The project represented Sierra’s exploration into new game genres beyond their traditional adventure games. The game was entirely developed using storyboards before any artwork or coding commenced, following a new methodology introduced by Bill Davis that was borrowed from the film industry²².

Production

The development team consisted of 37 people¹⁵, with Warren Schwader serving as the lead programmer¹⁷. The game used Sierra’s SCI1 (Sierra Creative Interpreter) engine²⁷. Sierra recruited realistic-looking characters for the game, using rotoscoped animation techniques⁹. The voice cast included notable Sierra personnel such as Josh Mandel, Mark Crowe, and Ken Allen²⁸.

The CD-ROM version, released in August 1991, featured full voice acting¹⁶. Ken Allen composed the musical score, with Tom Lewandowski also contributing to the soundtrack²⁹. The game supported Roland MT-32 sound modules for enhanced audio quality³⁰.

Technical Achievements

The game featured 256-color VGA graphics at 320x200 resolution⁹ and supported multiple graphics modes including EGA and VGA³. It required a minimum of 512 KB RAM for EGA mode and 640 KB for VGA mode³¹. The game had no copy protection and could only save one game at a time³. Technical specifications included support for various sound cards including Sound Blaster, Ad Lib, and Roland MT-32⁹.

Legacy

Jones in the Fast Lane stands as “one of Sierra’s more unusual games, departing from their typical adventure game formula”²⁶. The game’s influence can be seen in modern life simulation games, with its board game-strategy hybrid approach being particularly innovative for its time³². As one modern assessment noted, “Not only did it successfully incorporate strategic elements into a life simulation game, but it also managed to do so with an endearing sense of humor that still resonates with players today”¹³.

The game has been preserved through various digital distribution platforms and remains playable through DOSBox emulation³³. Fan-made Flash remakes have also been created, demonstrating the game’s lasting appeal³⁴.

Downloads

Purchase / Digital Stores

• Currently unavailable on major digital platforms
• GOG Dreamlist - Community wishlist

Download / Preservation

• MyAbandonware
• Internet Archive

Series Continuity

• Previous: None
• Next: None (standalone title)

References

Footnotes

1. MobyGames – - Basic game information and release details ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

2. Wikipedia – - Designer quote about game’s intended audience ↩

3. DOS Days – - Technical engine information ↩ ↩² ↩³

4. Grokipedia – - Game description as satirical take on American Dream ↩ ↩²

5. Giant Bomb – - Gameplay mechanics and objectives ↩

6. Internet Archive – - Game genre classification ↩

7. Games Database – - Board game interface description ↩ ↩²

8. MobyGames Credits – - Development team credits ↩

9. PC Gaming Wiki – - Platform compatibility information ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

10. Internet Archive Manual – - Game opening narrative ↩

11. EOX Studios Bandcamp – - Game premise description ↩

12. TV Tropes – - Competition mechanics ↩

13. Best DOS Games – - Gameplay philosophy ↩ ↩² ↩³

14. Classic Reload – - Weekend event example ↩ ↩²

15. Wizwords – - Basic gameplay activities ↩ ↩²

16. MobyGames CD-ROM – - Starting career progression ↩ ↩²

17. Medium – - Developer strategy advice ↩ ↩²

18. The Cutting Room Floor – - Easter egg references ↩

19. AMR Archive – - The One magazine review ↩ ↩² ↩³

20. Los Angeles Times – - Contemporary newspaper review ↩

21. The Digital Antiquarian – - Computer Gaming World award ↩

22. The Digital Antiquarian – - Software Publishers Association award ↩ ↩²

23. MyAbandonware – - User ratings ↩

24. IMDb Search – - IMDb ratings ↩

25. Steam Community – - Modern Steam reviews ↩

26. Sierra Fandom – - Original board game development ↩ ↩²

27. Space Quest Fandom – - SCI engine information ↩

28. MobyGames Credits – - Voice cast information ↩

29. KHInsider – - Composer credits ↩

30. MIDI Music Adventures – - MT-32 soundtrack information ↩

31. MobyGames Specs – - Memory requirements ↩

32. Play Classic Games – - Game design innovation ↩

33. DOSBox Wiki – - Modern compatibility ↩

34. AGD Interactive Forum – - Fan remake information ↩