Overview
Larry Laffer wears a white polyester suit and too much cologne. He’s looking for love in all the wrong places. Al Lowe’s adventure series brought adult themes to Sierra’s catalogue, wrapping double entendres and dating disasters around genuine puzzle design. The age verification questions became legendary—and largely ineffective.
Fast facts
- Developer: Sierra On-Line.
- Designer: Al Lowe.
- Protagonist: Larry Laffer.
- Rating: Adult humour.
Series entries
| Title |
Year |
| Leisure Suit Larry 1 |
1987 |
| LSL 2: Looking for Love |
1988 |
| LSL 3: Passionate Patti |
1989 |
| LSL 5: Passionate Patti Does Vegas |
1991 |
| LSL 6: Shape Up or Slip Out |
1993 |
| LSL 7: Love for Sail |
1996 |
Larry Laffer
| Trait |
Characterisation |
| Hopeless romantic |
Perpetually rejected |
| Fashion disaster |
Leisure suit |
| Optimist |
Never gives up |
| Self-deluded |
Considers himself suave |
Adult content approach
| Method |
Implementation |
| Age verification |
Trivia questions |
| Innuendo |
Suggestive rather than explicit |
| Comedy |
Embarrassment humour |
| Punishment |
Larry’s failures |
Humour style
| Type |
Example |
| Double entendre |
Constant wordplay |
| Situational |
Awkward scenarios |
| Self-deprecating |
Larry’s incompetence |
| Pop culture |
Contemporary references |
Al Lowe’s design
| Philosophy |
Result |
| Genuine puzzles |
Real challenge |
| Exploration reward |
Hidden content |
| Multiple solutions |
Some puzzle variety |
| Death possible |
Sierra tradition |
Cultural impact
| Achievement |
Significance |
| Adult market |
Proved viability |
| Humour benchmark |
Influential comedy |
| Controversy |
Media attention |
See also