Darkmere: The Nightmare's Begun

About

Darkmere: The Nightmare's Begun is a 1994 isometric adventure RPG set in a decaying fantasy realm. You play Ebryn, heir to a fallen kingdom, navigating a cursed land plagued by orcs and fractured alliances. The story unfolds through exploration and dialogue, blending resource management with strategic combat. Each decision impacts the fragile balance of a world on the brink of collapse. Developed by Zero Hour Software and published by Core Design, the game stands as the studio’s lone release before the publisher shifted to better-known titles. A follow-up, Dragonstone, arrived the same year but failed to match its legacy. With a cult following among retro gamers, Darkmere remains a curious relic of early 90s RPG design on the Amiga platform.

Storyline

High atop the crag the castle sits, bearing silent witness to the evil that has overcome the land. Beneath it, the village, bathed in darkness save for the faint glow of the flickering torches as they struggle to stay alight. In its deep shadows creeps evil in all its forms. Whilst overlooking it looms the castle. It's towers seem to reach up, struggling to escape the darkness that is all around. Amongst them screams the wind, lashing its way from spire to spire, seemingly trying to draw the castles very walls crashing down. In a tower which the wind seems even more intent on destroying, a window is illuminated by a strange light. Within its walls he sits, alone, dying. His hand rests on a glowing orb, its eerie light throws his drawn features into high relief. His eyes focus and the interminable blackness as his mind escapes to happier times.