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Slater & Charlie Go Camping: A Talking Book I Can Read “All By Myself.”

Last updated: January 9, 2026

Overview

Slater & Charlie Go Camping is an educational interactive storybook released by Sierra On-Line on May 19, 1993, for MS-DOS and Macintosh platforms12. The game features Slater the Petrosaur, the protagonist from Sierra’s Oil’s Well remake, who “has got himself a buddy in the form of Charlie, another dinosaur of indeterminate species”3. Together, these dinosaur characters embark on a camping adventure designed to teach children about outdoor safety and nature through interactive storytelling2.

Developed using Sierra’s Creative Interpreter (SCI) engine4, this educational title was part of Sierra’s broader push into the children’s software market in the early 1990s. The game was designed to compete with Brøderbund’s popular Living Books series5 and represents Sierra’s first release from their Red Dog division5. Contemporary reviewers described it as “a remarkably smooth blend of children’s storybooks with Saturday morning cartoons”1, though noted it was “not quite as richly animated as the Living Books”1.

Story Summary

The story follows Slater the Petrosaur and his dinosaur companion Charlie as they prepare for and embark on a camping trip in the great outdoors6. “Together, they visit various locations and undertake various tasks toward the end of enjoying a camping trip in the great outdoors together”7. The narrative spans 12 pages about their camping adventure5, incorporating educational elements about outdoor safety and nature appreciation throughout their journey2.

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

The game is “presented as a series of static images, described in text at the bottom of the screen — then optionally narrated for children whose reading skills aren’t yet up to keeping up with the plot”7. Players interact with the story by clicking on various objects and “hot spots” that trigger animations and sounds8. The interface is designed for mouse control9 and features interactive elements similar to a pop-up book with hidden animation hotspots10.

Structure and Progression

Slater & Charlie Go Camping offers two distinct play modes: “Read To Me” and “Let Me Play”5, allowing children of different reading levels to engage with the content appropriately. The game targets children aged 3-8 years11 and is played from a third-person perspective21. Players advance the story by clicking on interactive objects and exploring each scene for hidden animations and educational content2.

Puzzles and Mechanics

Rather than traditional puzzles, the game focuses on discovery-based interaction where children click on various elements in each scene to uncover animations, sounds, and educational content. The educational mechanics are seamlessly integrated into the camping narrative, teaching concepts about nature, outdoor safety, and camping preparations without feeling overtly instructional9.

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

PublicationScoreNotes
Computer Gaming WorldPositive”a remarkably smooth blend of children’s storybooks with Saturday morning cartoons”1
PC MagazineMixed”not quite as richly animated as the Living Books, the story still has lots of hot spots for younger children”1
MobyGames (Katakis)42%User review from 20165

Modern Assessment

Modern retro gaming sites have given the title mixed to positive reception. DOS Zone rates it 5.0/512, while MyAbandonware users rate it 4.67/513. The game is described as “a colorful and fun interactive storybook”13 and continues to be available for browser-based play on various abandonware sites1214.

Development

Origins

The development of Slater & Charlie Go Camping represented Sierra On-Line’s strategic entry into the educational software market in the early 1990s. The company sought to compete directly with Brøderbund’s successful Living Books series by creating their own interactive storybook franchise5. The choice to feature Slater the Petrosaur, a character from Sierra’s Oil’s Well remake, provided brand continuity within Sierra’s catalog310.

Production

Bill Davis served as the game’s designer, director, producer, artist, and writer24, making it a largely single-vision project. Neal Grandstaff composed the music41, which was originally arranged using Roland Sound Canvas SC-55 technology15. Ashley Peldon provided narration for the story59, giving voice to the optional audio component that made the title accessible to pre-readers.

The game utilized Sierra’s patented technology that enabled a “talking book that doesn’t require a CD-ROM drive”9, allowing the full audio experience to be delivered via floppy disk. This technical achievement was marketed as a significant advantage, as Sierra promoted the game as being “so much fun, your children won’t notice they’re learning”9.

Technical Achievements

Slater & Charlie Go Camping was developed using Sierra’s Creative Interpreter (SCI) engine411, the same technology that powered many of Sierra’s adventure games. The title required a minimum of an AT 286 processor, 640K RAM, and supported both EGA and VGA 256 color graphics9. For optimal experience, Sierra recommended a 386/486 at 25MHz with over 600K DOS memory, 3MB extended memory, and 256 color VGA/MCGA graphics capability11.

The game was released in multiple formats, including both floppy disk and CD-ROM versions5. The floppy version measured 5,444 KB while the automatic version was 9,690 KB16. The preservation-quality archives measure approximately 16.7M3, reflecting the compressed nature of the original distribution media.

Legacy

While Slater & Charlie Go Camping didn’t achieve the lasting popularity of some other Sierra educational titles, it represents an important step in the company’s diversification beyond traditional adventure games. The game’s approach to interactive storytelling influenced later educational software development, and its use of familiar Sierra characters helped establish a template for cross-franchise educational content.

The title remains available through various preservation efforts, including the Internet Archive17183 and abandonware sites1314. A comprehensive soundtrack preservation project by Xeen Music has ensured that the original MIDI compositions remain accessible, including “unused music, jingles, and every last note so nothing is lost to time”15.

The game continues to appear on GOG.com’s community wishlist with over 102 votes19, indicating ongoing interest in official digital re-release. However, searches on major digital platforms like Steam20 and GOG’s main catalog21 show no current availability for purchase.

Downloads

Purchase / Digital Stores

  • GOG Dreamlist - Community wishlist
  • Not currently available on major digital platforms

Download / Preservation

References

Footnotes

  1. Wikipedia - Slater & Charlie Go Camping – - Release dates, developer, and basic game information ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  2. Kids Kiddle - Slater & Charlie Go Camping – - Platform and release information ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  3. Internet Archive - Slater and Charlie Go Camping PC – - Character descriptions and technical specifications ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  4. Wikipedia - Slater & Charlie Go Camping – - Development credits and engine information ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  5. MobyGames - Slater Charlie Go Camping – - Development details, reviews, and technical specifications ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8

  6. Archive.org - Sierra PC Games Collection – - Game premise and character information ↩

  7. Internet Archive - Slater and Charlie Go Camping Manual – - Official game description and story details ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  8. PCGamingWiki - Slater & Charlie Go Camping – - Interactive elements and game classification ↩

  9. [Elisoftware.org - Slater & Charlie Go Camping](https://elisoftware.org/w/index.php/Slater_&_Charlie_Go_Camping_(PC,_1.44MB_3_1/2%22_Disk) – Sierra-_1993_USA,_Canada_Release) - Technical specifications and marketing information ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  10. Internet Archive - MS-DOS Slater Charlie Go Camping – - Character details and presentation format ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  11. eBid.net - Vintage 1993 PC Software Game – - System requirements and target audience ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  12. DOS Zone - Slater Charlie Go Camping – - Modern rating and browser availability ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  13. MyAbandonware - Slater Charlie Go Camping – - User ratings and modern assessment ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  14. Play Classic Games - Slater Charlie Go Camping – - Browser playability and game overview ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  15. Xeen Music - Slater Charlie Go Camping Soundtrack – - Music preservation and technical details ↩ ↩2

  16. Abandonware France - Slater & Charlie Go Camping – - File sizes and compatibility information ↩

  17. Wikidata - Q18215990 – - Official metadata and verification ↩

  18. WowRoms - Slater and Charlie Go Camping – - ROM preservation listing ↩

  19. GOG Dreamlist - Slater Charlie Go Camping – - Community interest in digital re-release ↩

  20. Steam Search Results – - Current digital availability status ↩

  21. GOG Games Search – - Digital store availability ↩

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