The Colonel's Bequest is a character-driven graphic adventure game by Sierra On-Line featuring the character of Laura Bow.

Although solving puzzles is required to obtain a high score, it is more important to discover information about the characters' backgrounds and relationships with each other.

In order to aid the player in achieving a higher score during their next attempt, upon completion of the game, it reveals hints and information about things that were missed.

Characters may get annoyed with the protagonist Laura Bow if they catch her snooping on them or asking too many questions, although this is obvious only in dialogue and the plot is not affected.

One of the more notable non-accidental deaths occurs when the player simply attempts to shower: the murderer stabs Laura in a reference to the Alfred Hitchcock film Psycho.

The game's main character is Laura Bow, a Tulane University student, daughter of a detective, and an aspiring journalist.

Throughout the game, Laura remains stranded on the island, surrounded by suspects and potential victims in a classical Agatha Christie manner.

Most of the game characters are named after prominent figures of the time, such as Rudolph Valentino, W. C. Fields, Gloria Swanson, Clara Bow, Lillian Gish, and Clarence Darrow.

[citation needed] This version corrects some errors with special effects (for example, the fireflies in the opening boat ride and around the dock are more visible and move less erratically).

[14] A sequel called The Dagger of Amon Ra followed in 1992, featuring the same character Laura Bow, now a reporter in New York City investigating a series of murders one night in an Egyptian-themed museum.