Chex Quest HD, a Remake of the Beloved ‘90s Advergame, Is Free on Steam

In a surprise release, a full 3D remake of Chex Quest, which was in turn a total conversion of Doom, is out on Steam to play for free, no cereal purchase required.

The original game was exclusively found in Chex cereal boxes in 1996, but unlike many other “advergames” meant to promote their product through gaming, this one was actually good. The secret? General Mills signed a deal with Id Software to convert the gory first-person shooter, Doom, into a kid-friendly romp through Bazoik, “zorching” the cereal-eating Flemoids “back to their home dimension” instead of ripping and tearing demons.

The result was a resounding success, driving sales of the cereal up by 248% and inspiring two sequels in 1997 and even as recently as 2008. Now, the remake features full (albeit not particularly appealing) 3D graphics and both local and online multiplayer.

If you want to play as each character in multiplayer, however, you may need to cough up some cash for some Chex. As explained on the game’s website, you’ll need codes to unlock all six members of the “Chex Mix Squadron,” which as suggested by the title, means the tie-in has now moved from cereal to snacks. I don’t imagine many people will be stockpiling Chex Mix to have P.R.E.T.Z.L. or Shane “The Dread” McBread on their roster, but you never know.

The original topped our list of the best advergames of all time, and early Steam reviews seem to be positive, currently averaging at an 8/10. It’s practically a running joke as to how many ways you can play different versions of Doom now, but as far as novelty goes, you could do worse than a free HD remake of a cereal-ized conversion.