Tales of the Unknown: Volume I - The Bard's Tale

About

Tales of the Unknown: Volume I - The Bard's Tale is a classic dungeon-crawling RPG where you lead a ragtag party of Warriors, Bards, and Rogues to stop the icebound wizard Mangar. Combat and exploration drive the action as you navigate labyrinths, solve environmental puzzles, and collect gear to power up your characters. The game's 3D-like character portraits and turn-based battles stood out in 1985, blending resource management with tactical choices in a straightforward fantasy setting. Its success came from being one of the first RPGs to appear on the Commodore 64, the era's dominant platform, giving it a leg up over competitors. Players appreciated the clean, focused design that prioritized grinding through dungeons and upgrading stats without overcomplicating things. Though simple by modern standards, its mix of puzzle-solving and combat earned it a lasting reputation as a foundational title in the genre.

Storyline

The Bard's Tale is a typical dungeon crawl styled game, where the objective is to gain experience and progress each character's skill level through combat and monsters. This is done by working through a number of labyrinths, solving puzzles, and upgrading equipment. In this particular dungeon crawl, the story is centred around the evil wizard Mangar, who must be defeated by a small band of unproven young Warriors, Magic Users, a couple of Bards, and a few Rogues, led by the player. Mangar has brought evil creatures into the town of Skara Brae and cast a spell of Eternal Winter, isolating Skara Brae from outside help.