Category: Role Playing and Adventure Games

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Peter Harrap & Dan Richardson GAME DEVELOPER:Gremlin Interactive GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, Dan Richardson Monty on the Run is the excellent fanmade PC conversion of the third and arguably best in Gremlin’s popular Monty Mole series of action/adventure hybrids that never made it to the PC.…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Trecision GAME PUBLISHER:Vic Tokai Copyright 1996, Trecision Alien Virus is the first adventure game from Trecision, the Italy-based developer responsible for Nightlong, one of the best adventure games in recent years. It?s one of those adventure games that you really want to like but…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Lysle Shields & Janus Anderson GAME DEVELOPER:United Artists GAME PUBLISHER:United Artists Copyright 1997, United Artists Amulets and Armor is an excellent RPG that suffered the same fate as Wizards & Warriors: a game that has been in development far too long that it fell out of…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Cathryn Mataga GAME DEVELOPER:Synapse Software GAME PUBLISHER:IBM Copyright 1984, IBM Early action/adventure game that is another oldie but goodie from Synapse, published by IBM in 1984. According to MobyGames description, Shamus lets you …explore over 120 rooms to find the evil enemy. Shamus is an exact…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Renaud Dauchel & Hassan Ezzahir GAME DEVELOPER:Appeal Entertainment GAME PUBLISHER:Infogrames Copyright 1999, Infogrames Outcast is a fantastic action/adventure released by Infogrames and Appeal Entertainment. It received good press but also a few criticisms due to its lack of support for 3D accelerators. This is because the…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Hypothermia GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1997, Hypothermia Aleshar: World of Ice is one of the best shareware RPGs ever made, although it remains very obscure due to lack of publicity or marketing (and perhaps high cost of registration as well ;)). The game is set…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Brainbank GAME PUBLISHER:CBS Copyright 1984, Brainbank Two interesting murder mystery games that plays similar to the popular Host Your Own Murder board game, CBS’ Felony and Mystery by the Dozen are each a collection of 12 murder cases for up to 8 players. The…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Tom Proudfoot GAME DEVELOPER:Proudfoot Games GAME PUBLISHER:Proudfoot Games Copyright 1999, Proudfoot Games Tom Proudfoot’s follow-up to his excellent RPG Nahlakh goes by the name of Natuk. It’s a tile-based RPG that is heavy on combat, but with an interesting twist. This time you are not playing…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Tom Proudfoot GAME DEVELOPER:Proudfoot Games GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1994, Proudfoot Games Tom Proudfoot’s first published game, Nahlakh, is a traditional top-down role-playing game that pits your party of eight adventurers against a force of evil that is threatening the land. While the crude graphics and the…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Greg Roach GAME DEVELOPER:Hyperbole Studios GAME PUBLISHER:Hyperbole Studios Copyright 1995, Hyperbole Studios Billed as the worlds first interactive multimedia novel, Madness of Roland brilliantly fulfills the latter half of its claim (i.e. multimedia novel) while dismally failing the first (i.e. interactive). As celebrated designer Chris Crawford…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Davis Jones GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, Davis Jones The Reality on The Norm (RON) games are a series of short games started by some AGS developers. The idea behinds them is that of sharing characters and setting to create a world that seems more…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Edmundo Ruiz-Ghanem GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, Edmundo Ruiz-Ghanem The Reality on The Norm (RON) games are a series of short games started by some AGS developers. The idea behinds them is that of sharing characters and setting to create a world that seems more…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:DGMcPhee GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, DGMcPhee Ultimerr is a small, but very enjoyable amateur adventure game. It is most of all a parody of the Ultima universe – but isn’t restricted to just that. You will, for example, encounter quite a few familiar characters…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Roberta Williams & Daniel Stacey GAME DEVELOPER:Tierra Entertainment GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, Tierra Entertainment Sierra’s King’s Quest series is most definitely one of the best known, and most loved adventure game series ever. This is because each King’s Quest game was both a technical masterpiece, and…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Roy Lazarovich GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, Roy Lazarovich Night of the Hermit is a fan game based on Ron Gilbert’s classic Monkey Island legacy. It is not the first game to attempt adding something to the Monkey Island universe, nor will it be the…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ged Keaveney & Jerr O’Carroll GAME DEVELOPER:The 8th Day GAME PUBLISHER:Core Design Copyright 1992, Core Design A fun isometric action/adventure hybrid from The 8th Day and Core Design, starring Heimdall the Norse hero. Your goal is to lead Heimdall and his band of warriors on comical…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ged Keaveney & Jerr O’Carroll GAME DEVELOPER:The 8th Day GAME PUBLISHER:Core Design Copyright 1994, Core Design Solid sequel to Heimdall, Core Designs underrated isometric action/adventure. Stuart Wilsons review for the Amiga Games Database says it all about this entertaining game starring a Norse hero: Heimdall returns…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:FTL Software GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, FTL Software Excellent sequel to Dungeon Master, one of the best dungeon crawls of all time. In Chaos Strikes Back, the original game system is continued in a quest packed with the finest heads-up-display (first person perspective), real-time…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Alien Software GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1999, Alien Software In 1996, Alien Software released the first three episodes in the Neophyte universe, an RPG gameworld similar in style to anime RPGs commonly seen on console systems. The episodes, all released as shareware although they are…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Tim Wisseman GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1992, Tim Wisseman One of the most obscure shareware games ever made, Defender of Boston is a fun and surprisingly complex real-life RPG. Instead of casting you as medieval/fantasy AD&D hero, the game casts you as a private investigator…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Sami Maaranen GAME DEVELOPER:Anonymous GAME PUBLISHER:Anonymous Copyright 2000, Sami Maaranen One of the most underrated Roguelike RPGs ever made, The UnReal World (UrW) is a captivating, but very difficult, role playing game set sometime in the Iron Age. What sets UrW apart from other Roguelikes –…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:John Miles GAME DEVELOPER:Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) GAME PUBLISHER:Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) Copyright 1993, Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) Eye of The Beholder 3 is a disapponting final entry in the popular Eye of The Beholder trilogy, and a good example of how important a good design…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:ACA Soft GAME PUBLISHER:ACA Soft Copyright 1993, ACA Soft One of the most obscure adventure games ever made, Trick or Treat is a decent point-and-click adventure by Spanish developer ACA Soft. The plot is nothing special, but still a nice change from the typical…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Dreamers Guild, The GAME PUBLISHER:Encore Copyright 1997, Dreamers Guild, The One of the most underrated RPGs of all time, Halls of the Dead is the excellent sequel to The Faery Tale Adventure, classic RPG and MicroIllusions best-known game. This time, the three brothers from…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Dave Moore GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, Dave Moore A very nice freeware graphical Roguelike game by Dave Moore. From the description at The Gratis Gamer: ?…formerly known as Shadowdale, [Kharne: The Revelation] is a freeware CRPG for WinXX based on TSR’s famous AD&D fantasy…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Quantic Dream GAME PUBLISHER:EIDOS Interactive Copyright 1999, EIDOS Interactive Omikron: The Nomad Soul is a very ambitious 3D cyberpunk action adventure that should be considered a true masterpiece that renews the market’s interest in the adventure genre. It’s got an outstanding plot, a truly…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:TopWare Interactive GAME PUBLISHER:TopWare Interactive Copyright 1998, TopWare Interactive One of the most overlooked CD-ROM adventure games ever made, although mostly due to limited distribution, Jack Orlando is a decent detective game that combines 1930s storyline with excellent cartoon graphics. You are Jack Orlando,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Richard Garriott & MinerJr GAME DEVELOPER:Origin Systems GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, MinerJr Akalabeth Remake is an excellent fan-made remake of Akalabeth, the game that marks a true beginning of Richard Garriotts famous career as one of the worlds best known designers. The plot is pretty simple,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Richard Garriott GAME DEVELOPER:Origin Systems GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1986, Origin Systems Long hailed as one of the best RPGs ever created, Richard Garriotts revolutionary classic Ultima IV: Quest of The Avatar gets a great facelift with this excellent VGA graphics and MIDI patch by Joshua Steele,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:MP Entertainment GAME PUBLISHER:MP Entertainment Copyright 1998, MP Entertainment Hopkins FBI is a fun but disappointingly short cartoon adventure from MP Entertainment, a small UK developer. Lack of hype and distribution muscle makes this one of the most obscure adventure games ever made. The…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Codemasters GAME PUBLISHER:Codemasters Copyright 1993, Codemasters If you haven’t met Seymour before, imagine a relative of Dizzy the egg, who lives in the real world. He’s a sort of slug-type thing, who wanders around with his little eyes blinking and his little hands waving…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Kenny Wu GAME DEVELOPER:MegaTech Software GAME PUBLISHER:MegaTech Software Copyright 1994, MegaTech Software Knights of Xentar is the second Hentai RPG from MegaTech that features better graphics than Cobra Mission, but unfortunately much inferior gameplay. In this fantasy story, you play Desmond, a knight who is tasked…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Kenny Wu GAME DEVELOPER:MegaTech Software GAME PUBLISHER:MegaTech Software Copyright 1992, MegaTech Software Cobra Mission is the first game from MegaTech, featuring fun RPG gameplay sprinkled with adult scenes. In this anime-style adult RPG, you play a private investigator called by an old friend to save Cobra…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:C Ware GAME PUBLISHER:Himeya Soft Copyright 1999, C Ware One of mere handful of really good Hentai (i.e. adult anime) games, Divi Dead combines elements of science fiction, supernatural, and speculative futurism into one hell of story that is one of the best the…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jon Freeman GAME DEVELOPER:Epyx GAME PUBLISHER:Epyx Copyright 1980, Epyx One of Epyx’ earliest RPGs ever made for PC, Rescue at Rigel is a simplistic science fiction RPG where you are given only 60 minutes to find and transport the 10 human captives from an alien moonbase…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Chris Taylor GAME DEVELOPER:Interplay GAME PUBLISHER:Interplay Copyright 1995, Interplay One of the best “cinematic” RPGs ever made, Stonekeep is an excellent introductory-level single-player first-person RPG that boasts very high production value, but unfortunately suffered in the market due to some game-crashing bugs that should have never…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Matt Sott GAME DEVELOPER:Sir-Tech GAME PUBLISHER:Mindscape Copyright 1995, Sir-Tech PC Gamer gets it mostly right with their review of Druid: Daemons of the Mind, one of the most underrated “light” RPGs ever made: “Druid: Daemons of the Mind, developed by Synthetic Dimensions [Sir-Tech’s in-house design team],…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Steve Moraff GAME DEVELOPER:MoraffWare GAME PUBLISHER:MoraffWare Copyright 1991, MoraffWare Second and best in Steve Moraffs quirky RPG series, Moraffs World expands the kill-monsters-get-treasure premise of Moraffs Revenge by adding more sophisticated gameplay features, and many times larger gameworld. Description as MobyGames says it all: There are…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Steve Moraff GAME DEVELOPER:MoraffWare GAME PUBLISHER:MoraffWare Copyright 1993, MoraffWare Last and most graphically advanced game in Steve Moraff’s long-running series of dungeon crawl RPGs that began with 4-color Moraff’s Revenge. Game description at MobyGames sums it up nicely: “Dungeons of the Unforgiven is Moraff’s World/Moraff’s Revenge…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Steve Moraff GAME DEVELOPER:MoraffWare GAME PUBLISHER:MoraffWare Copyright 1988, MoraffWare Moraff’s Revenge is one of those really old games, made back in the days when no one had heard of CGI and Sega Master System was hot stuff, that you now download to kill time, boot up,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Infogrames GAME PUBLISHER:Infogrames Copyright 1996, Infogrames One of Infogrames? most underrated games, Time Gate: Knight?s Chase is a fun time-travel game based on the acclaimed Alone in The Dark engine, but with more emphasis on puzzle-solving than fighting. You are William Tibbs, a young…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Bill Fisher GAME DEVELOPER:SoftLab Laboratories GAME PUBLISHER:SoftLab Laboratories Copyright 1991, SoftLab Laboratories The Nine Lives of Secret Agent Kat is one of the most obscure and underrated shareware adventure games of all time. Designed by Bill Fisher, designer of The Last Half of Darkness, Nine Lives…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Captain Mostly GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, Captain Mostly The Reality on The Norm (RON) games are a series of short games started by some AGS developers. The idea behinds them is that of sharing characters and setting to create a world that seems more…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Anthony GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, Anthony The Reality on The Norm (RON) games are a series of short games started by some AGS developers. The idea behinds them is that of sharing characters and setting to create a world that seems more alive than…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ben Pettengill GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, Ben Pettengill The Reality on The Norm (RON) games are a series of short games started by some AGS developers. The idea behinds them is that of sharing characters and setting to create a world that seems more…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Mike Doak GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, Mike Doak The Reality on The Norm (RON) games are a series of short games started by some AGS developers. The idea behinds them is that of sharing characters and setting to create a world that seems more…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Neal White III & Rand Bohrer GAME DEVELOPER:Macrocom GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1984, Macrocom ICON: Quest for The Ring and Seven Spirits of Ra are two very revolutionary real-time RPGs that are unfortunately overlooked by most gamers. The reasons on why they deserve a permanent spotlight in…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Douglas TenNapel & Mark Lorenzen GAME DEVELOPER:Neverhood Inc., The GAME PUBLISHER:Dreamworks Interactive Copyright 1996, Dreamworks Interactive The Neverhood is one of the most original adventure games ever made, and one of the prime examples of how an ultra-slick style is sometimes enough to carry the game,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:G?rard PrudHomme GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, G?rard PrudHomme Another solid entrant to the relative obscure world of fanmade RPGs, Abaddon is a fun anime-style, top-down RPG similar to console hits such as Dragon Warrior, with many notable differences. In contrast to the clich? fantasy…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jaakko Peltonen GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, Jaakko Peltonen As far as dungeon romps go, NetHack is one of the best games of its kind ever made, one that is much more sophisticated than most “mainstream&qout; titles such as Diablo by a long shot. (Read…