Fast-food chain Wendy’s announced the release of a free retro-style role-playing game titled WendyQuest on Nov. 4, allowing players to earn promotional codes for menu items. The mobile and desktop game features the brand’s red-headed mascot as a wisecracking warrior fighting french fry robots across a fantasy world.
Gameplay Features and Real-World Food Rewards
The title is available to download on iOS and Android mobile devices, as well as on desktop computers through the Steam platform. Although the game is open for anyone to play, the reward promotion is restricted to residents of the United States who are at least 18 years old. Players must sign up for a Wendy’s account on the company’s website or mobile app to redeem any food codes, which require an additional purchase at participating locations.
“Wendy’s has been a part of gaming culture for years, including on Twitch, Fortnite and Feast of Legends, but WendyQuest is the brand’s first fully owned video game,” a spokesperson for Wendy’s told CNET.
The retro role-playing title features blocky graphics inspired by home console games from the late 1980s and early 1990s, functioning like a simplified version of classic games such as DragonQuest, Final Fantasy, and Breath of Fire. The gameplay incorporates light humor, monster battles, character leveling, town exploration, and hidden map areas. Instead of standard turn-based combat, battles feature a timing element similar to classic golf video games, requiring players to press a button at specific moments.
Promotion Details and Historical Precedents
Completing the game’s initial region, Fryshire, to obtain the Fry Stone takes over an hour of gameplay and unlocks a promotional code for a free medium order of fries with a purchase. Wendy’s stated that reward codes expire seven days after they are received and are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Video games have a long history of offering real-world prizes through commercial promotions. The Swordquest game series on the Atari 2600 in the early 1980s held contests where players competed for actual gold and jewel treasures. Additionally, a 2015 promotion for Just Cause 3 by developer Square Enix offered players a chance to win a private island, provided the winner covered all associated taxes.
