King's Quest IV: The Perils of Rosella

King's Quest IV: The Perils of Rosella, released in 1988, was the first major graphical computer adventure game with a female protagonist. The player takes on the role of Princess Rosella, daughter of King Graham of Daventry (KQI and KQII) and the twin sister of Gwydion/Alexander (KQIII). KQIV was also one of the first PC games to support a sound card.

This chapter is the only one in the series where the action takes place in real-time. The events of the game cover about 24 hours. Some activities must be completed during the day, while other puzzles can be solved only at night.

King Graham has suffered a heart attack and is on the brink of death. The good fairy Genesta contacts Rosella through the magic mirror and offers her assistance. Genesta teleports Rosella to the land of Tamir, where she learns about a magical fruit that can heal her father.

However, Genesta herself is in a weakened state because the evil fairy Lolotte stole the talisman that gives Genesta power. If Rosella cannot return the talisman to Genesta, the good fairy will be unable to help her return to Daventry in time to save her father. So in addition to finding a way to obtain the magic fruit, Rosella must win Lolotte's trust. She is charged with performing three tasks for the evil fairy, after which she has the opportunity to recover the stolen talisman.

Although Rosella's primary quest is to retrieve the magic fruit needed to save King Graham, it is possible to return to Daventry without completing this task. However, this leads to a tragic alternate ending to the game.