While many hail Baldur’s Gate 3 as the new standard for D&D games, it was far from the first great game set in the Dungeons & Dragons ethos. Different developers have been adapting D&D to video games for many decades, and from all of these games, some true gems surfaced!
So let’s take a look at the ten best overall D&D video games made (so far). If you’ve only played Baldur’s Gate 3, then you’re just getting started going down a very long (and exciting) rabbit hole.
10. Dragonshard
Dragonshard is undoubtedly one of the most original D&D games ever. Released for Windows in 2005, it combines real-time strategy with RPG resulting in a unique blend. Dragonshard supports single-player and multiplayer.
The game occurs in Eberron (an official D&D campaign setting). There are three competing factions: the Order of the Flame, the Lizardfolk, and the Umbragen. The quest is to gain control of a magical artifact called the Heart of Siberys. Players build and develop base structures, gather resources, and amass an army.
9. Dark Sun: Shattered Lands
Dark Sun: Shattered Lands is a 1993 turn-based RPG that takes place in the Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting of Dark Sun. It is set in the hostile and dying desert land of Athas. The powerful sorcerer-king of the city-state Draj wants to make a great blood sacrifice by destroying other cities not under his control.
Players control a party of up to four gladiators who have to escape the arena in a quest to unite the free cities and resist Draj’s army.
8. The Temple of Elemental Evil
The Temple of Elemental Evil is a 2003 RPG based on the classic Dungeons & Dragons adventure of the same name. It’s the only computer RPG to occur in the D&D Greyhawk campaign setting. It’s noteworthy for its direct and faithful translation of the D&D tabletop experience.
Rather than attempt to tell a new story, The Temple of Elemental Evil is based on the classic D&D module of the same name. It was criticized for bugs and stability issues, but most of those have been cleaned up over the years. Now, it’s a must-play for the real fans out there.
7. Neverwinter
Neverwinter is a massive multiplayer online RPG developed for Windows in 2013, and released for Xbox One in 2015, and PlayStation 4 in 2016. It’s free to play with an optional subscription and microtransactions. Multiple new modules have been released annually, with three releases in 2023.
There is another Dungeons & Dragons MMO called D&D Online, which operates more like the tabletop game rather than a traditional MMO experience. Both are worth checking out, but Neverwinter has received the most updates by far.
6. Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance
Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance is a 2001 action RPG originally developed for PlayStation 2 and Xbox and later ported to other consoles. The game is based on the rules of Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition. It’s set in D&D’s Forgotten Realms campaign setting. The game went on to win the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences award for RPG of the Year in 2002.
Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance is a real-time hack-and-slash RPG. It presents a more linear gameplay experience. The creativity of the game overcomes potential limitations, thanks in part to the highly interactive city of Baldur’s Gate. The unique fighting styles of the characters require a different strategy for each. The engaging gameplay will hook true D&D fans. It’s one of the best ARPGs available on PlayStation 2, along with its sequel and sister game, Champions of Norrath.
5. Icewind Dale
Icewind Dale is an RPG released for Windows 2000 and Mac OS/OS X in 2002. Although based on the novel trilogy of the same name, the story follows a different set of events. The game is set in the Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
In Icewind Dale, players create an adventuring party with up to six characters. The game borrows elements established in the original Baldur’s Gate games, but with more of a hack-and-slash focus, the RPG elements take a bit of a backseat. Icewind Dale ratchets up the combat in real-time rather than turn-based.
4. Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter Nights is a third-person RPG released for Windows in 2002, and Linux and Mac OS in 2003. With game mechanics based on the Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition rules, it’s set in the Forgotten Realms campaign. The original release can be played in single-player or multiplayer mode.
The multiplayer mode and mod support is where Neverwinter Nights really shines. Players can create their own custom modules (or adventures) using the NWN toolkit and then release them to the public. Some players even host persistent world servers that allow players to log in and out to play similar to an MMO.
3. Baldur’s Gate 2
Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn is an RPG released for Windows in 2000. The game uses Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition rules in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. The game is considered one of the best video games ever made. It was awarded the RPG Game of the Year.
In Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn, a player controls a party of up to six characters, one being the player-created protagonist. Many feel this sequel was better than the original due to its refinements and higher-level play. The central quest delivers 50-60 hours of gameplay, and 200-300 hours with all side quests.
The game is a direct sequel to Baldur’s Gate 1, so it’s best to play that first. Baldur’s Gate 3, on the other hand, is completely independent.
2. Planescape: Torment
Planescape: Torment is an RPG released for Windows in 1999. The game is set in the multi-verse of Planescape campaign setting of D&D. It uses a modified version of the Infinity Engine previously used for Baldur’s Gate. Now a cult classic, it’s considered the best RPG of 1999, and one of the best video games of all time.
Gamers consider Planescape: Torment one of the most unique and engaging D&D games to play. The player assumes the role of The Nameless One, an immortal with amnesia on a quest to learn why he was created. Combat takes a secondary role to story-driven play that’s dark, strange, and endlessly fascinating.
Read More: The Best RPGs for PlayStation 2
1. Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 is a 2023 RPG based on the tabletop system of Dungeons & Dragons. Considered the best of the D&D games, it received wide critical praise and won several Game of the Year awards. A partial version of the game was also released for Mac OS and Windows in 2020.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is set in the open world of the D&D Forgotten Realms campaign. It features single-player or cooperative mode, and players can take one character and form a party online. It features turn-based combat based on D&D 5th edition rules. Keeping things interesting, there’s more than one way to defeat an enemy or complete a quest.
Read More: Want an Adventure? 10 Games Like Skyrim You Can Play Right Now
