Prince of Destruction

About

Prince of Destruction is a 1996 PC role-playing game where you control one of four heroes, a Barbarian, Assassin, Elf, or Macician, tasked with stopping a corrupt prince from plunging a kingdom into chaos. The story follows the fallout of a power struggle after a king’s mysterious death, leaving his ruthless son in charge. Players navigate turn-based combat and exploration, either solo or with up to three friends on a local network. The game emphasizes squad-based tactics and character progression, with each hero bringing distinct abilities to fights and quests. The game’s multiplayer focus using M.A.R.S. (Multiplayer Animated Role-Playing System) was notable for its time, allowing cooperative play before it became mainstream. While its pixel art and dialogue feel dated, retro RPG fans appreciate its straightforward approach to party-based adventuring. A small but vocal community still discusses its blend of dark fantasy and early LAN gaming. With no modern remaster, it remains a niche artifact of 90s PC RPGs.

Storyline

The story behind the game begins with archmage Nestar founding a kingdom where people could live in peace. Time passes and Nestar has both a son, Grishnák, and a daughter, Imiria. The son is expected to follow his father and become ruler but he is a bad sort and Nestar decides that Imiria should rule as queen. As Nestar is putting together plans for his succession he dies in mysterious circumstances and Grishnák ascends to the throne. His father’s fears were realized, rumours Grishnák‘s involvement in dark deeds, black magic and sacrifices abound. Only one of Nestar’s followers remains in office, he is ‘The Keeper’ and he maintains the bridges between Nestaria and the rest of the world. The Keeper issues a summons to four of Nestaria’s heroes The Barbarian, The Assassin, The Elf and The Macician who are abroad in other lands to return home to save Nestaria and defeat Grishnák aka ‘The Prince Of Destruction’.