Interview with Ken Allen

Ken Allen composed computer game music for Sierra On-Line in the early 1990s, and later, for Parallax Software in the mid-1990s. During this period of his career, he is perhaps best known for his Space Quest IV: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers (1991) soundtrack. He also composed music for The Colonel's Bequest (1989), King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder! (1990), Space Quest I: Roger Wilco in The Sarien Encounter (1990) and Descent (1994), among others. Later, he would become employed at Atari, where he took on the role of Senior Producer for RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 (2004). Finally, in January of 2013, he returned to his music composer roots with the launch of his Under The Half Dome album on Kickstarter. Ken happened to read a few of my articles about Space Quest and SpaceVenture, and asked if I would conduct an interview with him. My answer was a resounding "YES!" What follows, after the Space Quest IV soundtrack, is that interview. I recommend listening to it while reading.


Space Quest IV: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers Soundtrack (MT-32)

SpaceVenture 1: The Fan-tastic Encounter

Space Quest. Two words that cause reflection on the past with a certain degree of reverence. Especially when used together.


"Do You Remember Space Quest?" (by Stacy Davidson)

I have written every which way about the Space Quest series. I shared some of my personal memories in The Treasure of the Sierra On-Line (SQ), explored my sarcastic side in Space Quest 7: Buckazoids from Andromeda, came to my senses in Space Quest: A Greatly Exaggerated Tale of Adventure, and chose the spiritual successor to Space Quest, SpaceVenture, as my number one game of 2013 in The Year of the Adventure Game. You might think that, by this point, I would have nothing else to write about it. Call me a real pantload for punishment, I guess.

The Dark Room: A Twisted Adventure Game

You awake to find yourself in a dark room. Dark in every way imaginable except for the appearance of one very sadistic disembodied talking head. Where are you? We established that! You are in a dark room. You must find a way to escape. If at all possible, before madness sets in.

The Dark Room utilizes YouTube's annotation feature to link together a series of video clips. Each offering different paths for the "player" to take, and each more sadistic than the last. It was devised by a British comedian named John Robertson. Originally put into use as a stand-up routine, it has since then humiliated hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. Will you be next?


The Dark Room: Level 1

If you are stuck beyond any conceivable help, and want to easily escape The Dark Room, here is a direct link to The Dark Room: Level 2. Reminded of a certain episode of The Twilight Zone yet? Feels a bit like a recurring nightmare, and the harassment only gets worse from here on out.