What is this place?

Roger Wilco's Virtual Broomcloset is the web's first and longest-running site devoted to providing hints, information, and lots of other neat stuff for fans of Sierra On-Line's Space Quest series. If you're not already familiar with Space Quest, I'd imagine that this site probably wouldn't hold much interest for you. Just to be on the safe side, though, the Space Quest series chronicles the misadventures of Roger Wilco, Space Janitor, as he bumbles his way through saving the universe from a variety of nefarious threats.

How can I play the Space Quest games?

Good news! It's easier than ever to play the Space Quest games on modern computers. You can buy the complete series — bundled with preconfigured launchers — for next to nothing on both GOG.com and Steam. If you prefer a more hands-on approach, you can also use tools like DOSBox or ScummVM to play Space Quest on nearly any platform. There's nothing quite like experiencing Space Quest II the way the Two Guys from Andromeda always intended it: emulated on a handheld game console.

On the other hand, if you're interested in tracking down vintage big box versions of the games, I recommend eBay (but prepare yourself to spend some serious buckazoids).

I can't get past the Skate-O-Rama in Space Quest IV! The Sequel Police keep shooting me! What do I need to do?!?

Restart, Restore, or Quit?

Seriously, though, if you're stuck on a puzzle, check out the walkthroughs and hints section. From the Skate-O-Rama in SQ4 to the Datacorder puzzle in SQ6, you should be able to find a solution there.

If you're still stuck or encounter a bug, you can also download Space Quest saved games from the Virtual Broomcloset to skip any particularly frustrating sections.

What was the deal with Space Quest 7? I heard they were working on it, but it never came out.

There were at least two attempts to develop a new game in the series — one by Sierra in the late 1990s and another by Escape Factory in the early 2000s. Neither effort came to fruition. You can read more about these abandoned projects at the Virtual Broomcloset's Space Quest 7 Rumor Central!

This site seems like it's been around awhile. When was it launched?

I launched the Virtual Broomcloset on November 29, 1995, making it one of the web's first video game fan sites. That also means that this site has been online longer than Google, Netflix, the BBC, and the New York Times.

When this site debuted way back then, it was comprised of just a few walkthroughs, some reprinted articles, and a bunch of really bad HTML code. Since then, it's expanded quite a bit, but still includes its fair share of sloppy HTML.

Why was this site launched?

Basically, I've been a fan of the Space Quest series since the first time I played Space Quest I on my tenth birthday. When I got to college and got on the web for the first time, I realized that the one thing that was missing from the Information Superhighway was a page about Space Quest. Since I really wanted to visit a Space Quest site, I realized I would have to learn HTML and design my own. Hence, the Virtual Broomcloset.

How often do you update this site?

Well, there was a stretch from 1995 to 1999 when I updated the Broomcloset a lot. Then, from around 2000 to 2004, it received occasional updates. After that, there was a 20-year gap with no updates at all. And now, here I am writing this. So, I guess I'd say... sporadically?

Isn't "broom closet" technically two words?

Listen, it was a lot harder to look up that kind of stuff in 1995. We didn't even have Ask Jeeves yet!

Who is the webmaster of the Virtual Broomcloset?

You know, it's really a shame we don't use the word "webmaster" anymore. We should bring that back. Anyway, hi, I'm Jess Morrissette, known online as decafjedi. In real life, I'm a professor who studies the politics of games and pop culture.

Where else can I find you online?

You can find me streaming retro adventure games - including the Space Quest series - every Wednesday night on my Twitch channel. I archive my playthroughs and occasionally post original content on YouTube. I'm also the co-host of Quest Quest: The Adventure Game Podcast with my pal Ben Vigeant, a weekly show where we do a deep dive into all things adventurous. Oh, and I'm also the creator of The Video Game Soda Machine Project, a site where I collected thousands of screen shots of vending machines from video games.

If you want to connect on social media, you can find me on Bluesky. Or visit decafjedi.com for links to all my stuff.

Have you ever written anything about Sierra games?

You mean other than this website? Yeah! Check out The Politics of Passionate Patti at First Person Scholar or Werewolves of Bavaria, an article about Gabriel Knight 2 that I wrote for VICE/Waypoint.

Have you ever designed your own adventure game?

First, let me pause to say how much I appreciate all these opportunities to plug my content. Check out Stair Quest, my homage to the treacherous staircases of King's Quest and other early Sierra adventures. I also designed the Pledge Quest games to support the Two Guys' SpaceVenture Kickstarter. And don't forget Late Last Nite, my take on a drunken point-and-click fairy tale.

Has this site ever won any awards?

In its December 1996 issue, The Net magazine named Roger Wilco's Virtual Broomcloset a "Net Rave," awarding it a perfect score of 18 out of 18 points.

Here's what they had to say about the site: "For me, this site is what the Web is all about. Words can't even begin to describe what an excellent experience this site is. Go there now."

Is there anyone you'd like to thank?

Yes.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

For real, though, thanks to everyone who has supported the site and contributed content to it going all the way back to its earliest days. I'd also like to extend extra special thanks to Mark Crowe, Scott Murphy, Josh Mandel, Leslie Balfour, and all the other Sierra folks who generously took the time to share some behind-the-scenes details about the making of the series. Thanks also goes out to Troels Pleimert for his friendship and all his help with this site over the years. This site wouldn't be possible without Chris Heschong generously providing it with a virtual home at wiw.org. People say these fancy dot com web addresses are all the rage nowadays, but I'll believe it when I see it.

Did Rodney Dangerfield really visit the Broomcloset?

Yes, legendary comedian Rodney Dangerfield did visit the Broomcloset back in the '90s. No joke! He had this to say about it: "So this is where I end up. Somebody's Broomcloset. I don't get no respect. No respect at all." Love you, Rodney!

Comments, questions, suggestions... decafjedi@gmail.com