''Challenge of the Five Realms: Spellbound in the World of Nhagardia'' is a

role-playing video game Role-playing video games, also known as CRPG (computer/console role-playing games), comprise a broad video game genre generally defined by a detailed story and character advancement (often through increasing characters' levels or other skills) ...

created by

MicroProse MicroProse is an American video game publisher and video game developer, developer founded by Bill Stealey, Sid Meier, and Andy Hollis in 1982. It developed and published numerous games, including starting the ''Civilization (series), Civilizat ...

for

MS-DOS MS-DOS ( ; acronym for Microsoft Disk Operating System, also known as Microsoft DOS) is an operating system for x86-based personal computers mostly developed by Microsoft. Collectively, MS-DOS, its rebranding as IBM PC DOS, and a few op ...

and published in 1992.

Tommo Tommo Inc. is an American video game publisher based in City of Industry, California. Founded in 1990, Tommo started out as a small independent distributor of imported video games. Since 2006, Tommo also operates a publishing subsidiary, UFO In ...

purchased the rights to this game and digitally publishes it through its

Retroism Tommo Inc. is an American video game publisher based in City of Industry, California. Founded in 1990, Tommo started out as a small independent distributor of imported video games. Since 2006, Tommo also operates a publishing subsidiary, UFO In ...

brand in 2015.

Plot

''Challenge of the Five Realms'' is a game in which the Prince of Castle Ballytogue awakens from being hit on the head to find out that his father, King Clesodor of Alonia, has been killed by the evil

sorcerer Sorcerer may refer to: Magic * Sorcerer (supernatural), a practitioner of magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources * Sorcerer (fantasy), a fictional character who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sou ...

Grimnoth. As the prince seeks to avenge his father and defeat Grimnoth, he must explore the five realms and their numerous cities, and visit many people within only 100 game days.

Reception

James Trunzo reviewed ''Challenge of the Five Realms'' in ''

White Wolf The Arctic wolf (''Canis lupus arctos''), also known as the white wolf, polar wolf, and the Arctic grey wolf, is a subspecies of grey wolf native to the High Arctic tundra of Canada's Queen Elizabeth Islands, from Melville Island to Ellesme ...

'' #37 (July/Aug., 1993) and stated that "Overall, here's a fantasy role-playing game that doesn't try to be something totally new and different. Instead, it takes the basics of the genre and improves upon them. Take a close look at ''Challenge of the Five Realms''. You'll like what you see." The game was reviewed in 1993 in ''

Dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...

'' #196 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 3 out of 5 stars. ''

Computer Gaming World ''Computer Gaming World'' (CGW) was an American Video game journalism, computer game magazine that was published between 1981 and 2006. One of the few magazines of the era to survive the video game crash of 1983, it was sold to Ziff Davis in 199 ...

'' stated that "though, at times, ''Challenge'' rates highly on the esteemed fun-o-meter, there are still several elements of game design where ''Challenge'' is lacking", criticizing the apparent lack of "an adequate beta testing program—there are simply too many oversights with a certain awkwardness to gameplay that shouldn't exist in a final version".

Reviews

*'' PC Player'' (Germany) - May, 1993

References

{{reflist

External links

Challenge of the Five Realms
at

MobyGames MobyGames is a commercial website that catalogs information on video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controlle ...

Walkthrough
at

GameFAQs GameFAQs is a video gaming website that hosts guides and other resources, as well as an active Internet forum, message board forum. It was created in November 1995 by Jeff Veasey and has been owned by Fandom (website), Fandom, Inc. since October ...

1992 video games Classic Mac OS games DOS games Games commercially released with DOSBox Linux games MicroProse games Role-playing video games Single-player video games Tommo games Video games developed in the United States Windows games