Action Quest
Action Quest is a video game written by Jack Verson for Atari 8-bit computers. It was published in 1982 by his company, JV Software. Quest combines real-time action with puzzle solving as the player explores 30 rooms in an attempt to collect 20 treasures.
Action Quest
- Date
- 1982
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Documentary evidence
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wikidata · Q106152711 · wikipedia · Action Quest
In this article
The object
The object
Reviewers found the combination to be different from how puzzles in games—such as graphic adventures—worked at the time.
Key facts
Key facts
• Title — Action Quest • Designer — Jack Verson • Publisher — JV Software Roklan • Developer — JV Software • Platforms — Atari 8-bit • Genre — Action • Modes — Single-player
Gameplay
Gameplay
• Illustration — Gameplay screenshot The player takes the role of a gun-carrying ghost exploring a world divided into 5 levels with 6 rooms on each. Rooms contain monsters or timed-puzzles. The gun is used both to defend against monsters and to aid in puzzle solving.
History of the object
Dated record
History of the object
The full dated record · 2 entries
1982
Action Quest published.
1982
Action Quest is recorded as published in 1982.
Reception
Reception
The Creative Atari commented on the generic name, but found the real-time aspect to be "a rather radical departure from the format of traditional adventure games." The style was also new to John J. Anderson of Computer Gaming Worlds "Atari Arcade" column: "Rather than entering coded text commands, as one would expect with a conventional adventure program, this program is played solely with joystick and trigger." In a "B−" review, the Book of Atari Software 1983 stated, "The game's sounds and graphics are fair. The puzzle content is high enough that it will take several hours to retrieve all twenty treasures." John Anderson agreed about the puzzles: "The play-value of this program won't diminish until you've reached the thirtieth room, which shall take quite some time to accomplish".
Legacy
Legacy
Action Quest was followed by a sequel from the same author, Ghost Encounters. Both games were later combined on a cartridge and published by Roklan as Castle Hassle.
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Action Quest, revision 1363490283 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Ghost Encounters. Atari Mania.
- 2.Castle Hassle. Atari Mania.
- 3.Hague, James. The Giant List of Classic Game Programmers.
- 4.Action Quest back of box. Atari Mania.
- 5.Creative Computing Press. The Creative Atari. 177–178. 1983. 9780916688349.
- 6.The Book Company. Book of Atari Software 1983. 128. 1983.
- 7.Anderson, John J. Atari Arcade. Computer Gaming World. 2. 3. 18. May–June 1982.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 20 August 2026.
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