Hoyle: Official Book of Games is a series of board game video games published by Sierra released starting from 1989 and continuing until the 2000s. The first game contains several characters from other Sierra titles you can play against, including King's Quest, Space Quest, Police Quest, Leisure Suit Larry, Laura Bow, and several original ones, with them having dialogue when playing against them. The third and fourth games also have several characters from Sierra games, but their personalities are nowhere near as fleshed out.
These games provide examples of:
- Author Avatar: Warren Schwader, one of the first three games' designers, is available as an opponent in I. He's also one of three players with all expert AI levels.
- Schwader also portrays Crazy Jack from IV.
- Early-Bird Cameo: Colonel Henry Dijon appears in I a few months before The Colonel's Bequest was released.
- The Gambler: The Kid in I is the best card player this side of Mississippi who played cards against the best players in the world, so he obviously has all expert AI levels.
- Go-Karting with Bowser: III features the option to play with both Sierra heroes and Sierra villains, leading to scenarios like playing Parcheesi with Roger Wilco and Sludge Vohaul or playing Yacht with King Graham, Princess Rosella and Mordack.
- Good with Numbers: Thelma in I has a doctorate in mathematics, which gives her such an advantage she's a player with all expert AI levels.
- Gratuitous French: Shellie LeBlanc in I inserts French words in her introduction and gameplay dialogue.
- Late-Arrival Spoiler: By putting Lillian in the Bad Guys section of III, the game basically spoils the main antagonist of the first Laura Bow.
- Leitmotif: Every character in I has a little jingle associated with them.
- Mythology Gag: Characters will often tell you about their other adventures in I, like how Roger Wilco may mention the Pirates of Pestulon, or Larry mentioning the KGB girls who tried to seduce him.
- Retreaux: Lolotte, Lillian and the Arnoid retain their EGA appearances in III, even though the game runs in VGA.
- Oh, Crap!: When a character can't get the cards they want twice in a row in I, they will show a shocked expression.
- Small Name, Big Ego: Colonel Henry Dijon in I states he is a superb card player, but he has mostly amateur-level AI except for Gin Rummy, which is at novice.
- Talking Animal: The Bulldog in I, who can indeed talk.
