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Laura Bow Series

Last updated: January 12, 2026

Overview

The Laura Bow series represents Roberta Williams’ return to the mystery genre that launched her career with Mystery House (1980).1 Spanning just two games—The Colonel’s Bequest (1989) and The Dagger of Amon Ra (1992)—the series pioneered innovative storytelling techniques that influenced interactive narrative design for decades.2 Set in the 1920s, these games follow journalism student Laura Bow through atmospheric murder mysteries that prioritize observation and deduction over traditional puzzle-solving.

What distinguished Laura Bow from other Sierra adventures was its revolutionary real-time progression system, where events occurred whether the player witnessed them or not.3 This design created what many consider the first successful computer adaptation of the classic Agatha Christie murder mystery format.4

Series Timeline

YearTitleEngineSetting
1989The Colonel’s BequestSCI0Louisiana plantation
1992The Dagger of Amon RaSCI1.1New York museum

Roberta Williams’ Vision

The Laura Bow series emerged from Williams’ desire to return to mystery gaming with the advanced capabilities of late 1980s technology. As she explained in a 1990 START Magazine interview: “Colonel’s Bequest is very much an interactive story. One of the directions Ken and I see Sierra going is in interactive entertainment - stories.”5

Williams drew inspiration from:

  • Agatha Christie novels - Isolated settings with multiple suspects
  • Southern Gothic literature - Atmospheric Louisiana bayou setting
  • 1920s period - Flapper era aesthetics and social dynamics
  • Classic horror films - Including a famous Psycho-homage shower scene

The approach was deliberately experimental: “There is no real goal - you’re an innocent thrust into a situation where suddenly all these people are dying and things are happening.”5

Characters

Laura Bow

  • Background: Journalism student at Tulane University
  • Era: 1920s New Orleans and New York
  • Role: Amateur sleuth, observer rather than direct participant
  • Skills: Investigation, observation, note-taking

Colonel Henri Dijon

The Colonel’s Bequest centers on this wealthy plantation owner whose announcement of inheritance plans triggers murderous scheming among his relatives.

Supporting Cast

Both games feature extensive casts of suspects, victims, and red herrings—typically 8-12 characters with interconnected relationships, secrets, and motivations.

World and Settings

Misty Acres Plantation (The Colonel’s Bequest)

The first game unfolds entirely within Colonel Dijon’s isolated Louisiana plantation during a single stormy night. The Spanish moss-draped setting, secret passages, and bayou atmosphere create a quintessential Southern Gothic environment.

Key locations: Main house, servant quarters, chapel, garden, gazebo, swamp

Leyendecker Museum (The Dagger of Amon Ra)

The sequel moves to 1920s New York, where Laura investigates the theft of an Egyptian dagger and subsequent murders at a prestigious museum. The Art Deco setting and Egyptology themes create a different but equally atmospheric mystery.

Key locations: Egyptian exhibits, offices, speakeasy, rooftop

Innovative Design

Real-Time Progression

The Colonel’s Bequest pioneered a system where story events occur on their own timeline, regardless of player location.3 As developer Josh Mandel explained: “It gave the game a better sense of realism, that you could be in one place and miss something that was going on in another place.”6

This meant players could:

  • Miss crucial conversations by being elsewhere
  • Discover bodies at different stages
  • Piece together events from incomplete information
  • Experience different storylines on replay

Sleuth-O-Meter Scoring

Rather than traditional point scoring, The Colonel’s Bequest evaluated players through the “Sleuth-O-Meter”—a rating system based on clues discovered and story elements witnessed. End-game questions tested player observation, with ratings from “Klutz” to “Super Sleuth.”

Sierra’s documentation noted: “We hope this product will help bridge the gap and take gamers away from the cushion of needing a score to see how well they do.”

Minimal Traditional Puzzles

Both games deliberately reduced inventory-based puzzle-solving in favor of observation and exploration. Success required:

  • Eavesdropping on conversations
  • Examining crime scenes
  • Noting character movements
  • Connecting relationship dynamics

Technical Evolution

The Colonel’s Bequest (SCI0)

  • 16-color EGA graphics
  • Text parser interface
  • Real-time event system
  • Limited voice acting (Sierra staff)
  • MT-32 soundtrack by Ken Allen

The Dagger of Amon Ra (SCI1.1)

  • 256-color VGA graphics
  • Point-and-click interface
  • Full voice acting
  • Enhanced animation
  • Expanded dialogue trees

Critical Reception

GameNotable Reception
The Colonel’s Bequest95% Génération 4, 4/5 Adventure Gamers retrospective
The Dagger of Amon RaStrong reviews, praised for atmosphere and puzzles

Critics praised the series’ atmospheric presentation and innovative storytelling. Games International called The Colonel’s Bequest “solid genre stuff” with “a charm all of its own.”7 Modern retrospectives recognize the games as “genuinely groundbreaking” in interactive narrative design.6

Legacy

Influence on Interactive Storytelling

The Laura Bow series’ real-time event system and observation-focused gameplay influenced countless later games. The design philosophy—letting players miss events to encourage replay and create unique experiences—anticipated modern narrative game design.

Revival Efforts

The series has experienced renewed interest:

  • Laura Bow and the Mechanical Codex - Announced sequel by NineZyme Entertainment
  • Following Microsoft’s Activision acquisition, licensing negotiations for new entries
  • Active fan community maintaining HD patches and technical fixes

Why Only Two Games?

Despite positive reception, the series ended after two entries as Sierra shifted focus to other franchises. Williams moved on to other projects including King’s Quest VII and Phantasmagoria. The Laura Bow intellectual property remained dormant until recent revival discussions.

Playing Today

Digital Availability

  • GOG.com - Both games available
  • ScummVM - Full support for both entries
  • Internet Archive - Preservation copies
  1. The Colonel’s Bequest - Introduces Laura and real-time mechanics
  2. The Dagger of Amon Ra - Evolved gameplay with point-and-click interface

Tips for New Players

  • Save frequently - Events can be missed permanently
  • Explore thoroughly - Check every location during each act
  • Take notes - Character relationships and timing matter
  • Replay encouraged - Different paths reveal different story elements

See Also

References

Footnotes

  1. Grok Encyclopedia - The Colonel’s Bequest – Mystery House connection ↩

  2. Adventure Gamers - Laura Bow – Innovative storytelling analysis ↩

  3. Hardcore Gaming 101 - The Colonel’s Bequest – Real-time progression system ↩ ↩2

  4. Lemon Amiga - The Colonel’s Bequest Review – Agatha Christie comparison ↩

  5. Atari Magazines - Roberta’s Bequest Interview – START Magazine interview quotes ↩ ↩2

  6. PC Gamer - Laura Bow Retrospective – Josh Mandel quote and “groundbreaking” assessment ↩ ↩2

  7. Wikipedia - The Colonel’s Bequest – Games International review quote ↩

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