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Best fantasy games on GamesNostalgia

Computer games set in fantasy worlds have always played a central role in gaming history, evolving across different genres and platforms. From early rudimentary experiments to today’s complex narrative and strategic experiences, fantasy has been a recurring theme that allows players to immerse themselves in magical worlds filled with heroes, monsters, and mysteries.

One of the earliest titles to explore this genre was Adventure (1980) for the Atari 2600, a pioneering action-adventure game that, despite its simple graphics, introduced fundamental elements such as exploration and item collection to progress. Around the same time, text-based games like Zork: The Great Underground Empire (1977-1980) allowed players to experience deep and complex adventures solely through reading and interacting with a text parser, giving rise to the text adventure genre.

During the 1980s, fantasy found its way into side-scrolling brawlers with games like Barbarian (1987), which featured brutal one-on-one battles in medieval arenas, and into turn-based RPGs such as Wizardry (1981) and Might and Magic (1986), which established key mechanics like character progression and dungeon exploration. With the rise of 16-bit computers, dungeon crawler games like Dungeon Master (1987), Eye of the Beholder (1991), and Ambermoon (1993) introduced a first-person perspective that deeply immersed players in fantasy worlds, featuring more sophisticated mechanics and real-time or semi-real-time combat.

Among the most influential RPGs of the 1990s was Ultima VII: The Black Gate, which raised the bar for narrative complexity and world interactivity, offering an unprecedented level of simulation. But fantasy wasn’t limited to role-playing games—real-time strategy (RTS) titles like WarCraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994 took the genre in a new direction, putting players in command of armies of humans and orcs in large-scale battles.

Even first-person shooters found inspiration in fantasy. Games like Heretic (1994) and Blood (1997) blended classic FPS mechanics with gothic and magical settings, offering spells and enchanted weapons instead of traditional firearms.

Fantasy has always been an incredibly versatile genre, adapting to every kind of gameplay and technology. Whether exploring enchanted lands, battling legendary creatures, or commanding armies in epic wars, the appeal of fantasy settings has made these games timeless classics in the history of video games.

Warcraft II: Tides Of Darkness dos

Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness is the sequel to the first real-time strategy game created by Blizzard, WarCraft: Orcs & Humans. This second chapter of the fantasy RTS was develop...

Year: 1995 Genre: Strategy

fantasy real-time rts steampunk strategy war

Princess Maker 2 dos

Princess Maker 2 is the second chapter of the life simulation series Princess Maker, developed by the Japanese company Gainax. In the game, you are a father that has to grow a child received by a god and make her a princess.

Year: 1993 Genre: Role Playing

anime fantasy rpg simulation virtual life

Heretic dos

Heretic is a first-person shooter developed by Raven Software and published by id Software in 1994 for the PC and Mac. The game was published by the prestigious American company id...

Year: 1994 Genre: Shooter

2.5d dark fantasy doom engine fantasy first-person fps medieval shooter texture map

King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow dosamiga

King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow is the sixth chapter in Sierra's King's Quest series of graphics adventures. The series started with King's Quest I: Quest for the Crown.

Year: 1992 Genre: Adventure

adventure fantasy graphic adventure point and click

The Elder Scrolls: Arena dos

The Elder Scrolls: Arena is the first game in The Elder Scrolls series, developed and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is an epic fantasy open-world role-playing game published in 1994 for MS-DOS.

Year: 1994 Genre: Role Playing

action-rpg fantasy medieval non-linear open world rpg sandbox sword and sorcery

Hexen: Beyond Heretic dos

Hexen: Beyond Heretic is a fantasy first-person shooter developed by Raven Software. It was released in 1995 as a sequel to Heretic, which had been published one year before. It is the second chapter of the Serpent Riders series.

Year: 1995 Genre: Shooter

2.5d dark fantasy doom engine fantasy first-person fps shooter texture map

Golden Axe genesisamiga

Golden Axe is a side-scrolling hack and slash fantasy game created by Sega and released for arcade machines in 1989. The game was ported the same year to the SEGA Mega Drive/Genesi...

Year: 1990 Genre: Brawler

2 players arcade brawler co-op coin-op conversion fantasy hack and slash progressive beat-em-up sword and sorcery

The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall dos

The Elder Scrolls II - Daggerfall is an open-world single-player action RPG by Bethesda Softworks. It was released in 1996 on the PC. It's the second entry in the popular Elder Scr...

Year: 1996 Genre: Role Playing

action-rpg fantasy freeware medieval non-linear open world procedurally generated rpg sandbox sword and sorcery

Heroes of Might and Magic II dos

Heroes of Might and Magic II: The Succession Wars is a tactical turn-based strategy game developed by New World Computing. It was published by The 3DO Company in 1996. Although the...

Year: 1996 Genre: Strategy

4x fantasy rpg elements strategy turn-based strategy

Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss dos

Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss is a fantasy action RPG developed by Blue Sky Productions (Looking Glass Studios). It was published by Origin Systems in 1992 for DOS. It was l...

Year: 1992 Genre: Role Playing

3d dungeon crawler fantasy first-person rpg

Diablo windows

Diablo is a famous "hack and slash" role-playing game created by Blizzard and released at the end of 1996 for Windows. Two years later, it was released to Macintosh. It is not only...

Year: 1996 Genre: Role Playing

action-rpg fantasy hack and slash isometric real-time rpg

King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder! dosamiga

King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder! is the fifth chapter of the famous fantasy adventure series created by Roberta Williams. It was released in 1990 for MS-DOS, Amiga, Macintosh, and other platforms.

Year: 1990 Genre: Adventure

adventure fantasy graphic adventure point and click

WarCraft: Orcs & Humans dos

Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, also known as Warcraft I, is the first game in the popular Warcraft series created by Blizzard Entertainment. It's a fantasy real-time strategy game (RTS) ...

Year: 1994 Genre: Strategy

fantasy multiplayer real-time rts strategy war

Shadow of the Beast amiga

Shadow of the Beast is a side-scrolling brawler created by Reflections for the Amiga and published by Psygnosis in 1989. It is often remembered as one of the most visually striking and technically ambitious games of its era.

Year: 1989 Genre: Brawler

amiga original game basher brawler fantasy progressive beat-em-up