Les Manley in: Search for the King

Accolade

Rank: #7 / 10
Released: 1990
Studio: Accolade
Genre: adventure video game

At a glance

Les Manley in: Search for the King is a 1990 adventure game from Accolade. Les starts out rewinding video tapes at a struggling TV station, then pursues a million-dollar offer to photograph “The King.” His search takes him across America and beyond, with characters to meet, locations to explore, and puzzles to solve. Players investigate and deduce their way forward, using the mouse to explore and the keyboard to act through a text parser. The game lists more than 70 screens and a soundtrack, alongside single-player play and Family Sharing. It is listed for Windows and published by Ziggurat. This is the first entry in Accolade’s Les Manley adventure series, built around the unlikely ambition of a mild-mannered office worker chasing a legendary entertainer and a chance to change his fortunes.

Who it is for

It suits players looking for a single-player adventure centered on exploration, dialogue, and puzzle solving. The text-parser controls call for using both the mouse and keyboard.

What is good

More than 70 screens to explore
Puzzles involve investigation and deduction
Mouse exploration and keyboard text parser
Family Sharing is listed

What to know first

Listed platform is Windows
No multiplayer mode is listed

Verdict

Search for the King is a character-led adventure with a cross-country search, colorful locations, and puzzles. Its text-parser controls are central to how players interact with the game.