Dungeons and Dragonsis one of the most popular and widely recognized tabletop RPGs in the world. For over forty years, the TTRPG has been a major impact on pop-culture, as seen through the many ways it has influenced video games and other media. It’s no surprise that the D&D licensee has also been adapted into video game formats, taking place in the many different settings that have been created over the years. This ranges from Capcom’sDungeons and Dragonsarcade Beat-em-ups to classic RPGs likeBaldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance. However, one of the very first computer video game RPGs using the license was theGold Boxseries.
Gold Boxwas a series ofDungeons and Dragons-themed RPGs on the PCwhich first launched in 1988. TheGold Boxgames are seen by many older fans and veteran D&D players as incredible translations that succeed in adapting the pen-and-paper RPG to a digital setting, capturing many essential elements of the franchise. These include classic D&D settings such as Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, Dark Sun, and Raveloft. For fans looking to experience these old-school RPGs, they are coming to the Steam platform later this month.
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These seminal RPGs will be brought over through eight separate collections, each separated based on setting and games. The full list can be found on each collection’s Steam page, with all of these games being remastered by a small publisher known as SNEG. This was founded by formerGOGemployees, with a focus on remastering and re-releasing older video games. “Even decades after their original release, the Gold Box games are seen by many as iconic Dungeons & Dragons digital experiences, and they practically defined computer RPGs,” said Oleg Klapovskiy, Director at SNEG. They added that they were “overjoyed that we get to fulfill our dream of bringing these RPG gems back to PC gamers on Steam,” adding that there are hopes a new audience will discover and appreciate them.
SNEG will be adding several additional features and enhancements to theseSteam re-releases, such as a special Gold Box launcher that is intended to make it easier for players to manage their games, like being able to easily transfer adventuring parties between games. There will also be enhanced DOSBox, along with companion applications that can help manage dungeon mapping, access to journal entries, and more.
TheseDungeons and Dragonscollections are already available on GOG, where they include free-to-download Auto-mapping tool and hint books. For those who wish to try out some old-school RPGs, theGold Boxcollection might be worth looking into.
TheGold BoxDungeons and Dragonsgames will arrive on Steam March 29.
