Dragon Wars (1989). Play Free Online

Summary

When the minds behind Bard’s Tale, Wasteland and Battle Chess teamed up, they birthed the ambitious RPG Dragon Wars. The developers squeezed over 60 monsters and 65 spells into a system that lets you dial combat complexity, adjust spell power and even pick ranged‑combat tactics, giving every encounter a fresh flavor. A clever paragraph book woven into the manual served as both anti‑piracy code and a storytelling aid – “Read paragraph 23” and the world unfolds on the page.

One of the game’s bragging rights was the ability to import characters from the Bard’s Tale trilogy, expanding your roster to seven slots with recruited heroes and summoned creatures. Although it began as a planned Bard’s Tale IV, a rights dispute forced a new title and setting, drawing on Sumerian myth with the villain Namtar and the late addition of real dragons.

Critics praised its tighter design, balanced combat and detailed plot, earning a perfect score in Dragon magazine and a glowing review in Computer Gaming World. Despite solid sales, the lack of the Bard’s Tale name hampered its reach.

Storyline

Dragon Wars drops you and your party onto uncharted seas in pursuit of Dilmun, a fabled paradise where streets are said to be paved with gold and want is unknown. The journey is driven by the promise of endless wealth and peace.

But King Drake of Phoebus has outlawed all magic; magickers have been slain or forced into exile. In response, rival islands threaten to unleash their guardian dragons, the most destructive force in the world.

When your ship reaches a harbor in Dilmun, authorities arrest you on suspicion of spellcasting. You are thrown into the filthy prison called Purgatory, stripped of everything but your wits. Only the forbidden art of magic can become your salvation in a world that has turned against it.

Edited by Maya Carter