I've snagged the Dungeons & Dragons: Classics Collection from Humble Bundle to begin archiving and eventually playing these retro RPGs. Over time I'll dive into each, but for now this post documents everything and hopefully inspires you too.
🎁 What’s in the Bundle?
🎮 Full List of Collections & Games in the Humble Bundle
Tier 1 – $5 USD
Includes:
A colorful, action-oriented RPG set in the Al‑Qadim universe of the Forgotten Realms, blending Arabian Nights-style adventure with classic D&D mechanics.
Well regarded for its unique setting and story, it remains enjoyable to fans of classic RPGs despite dated graphics.
A medieval city-builder with a Dungeons & Dragons twist. Command heroes, manage resources, and protect your growing settlement.
Mixed reviews historically; considered a niche title with basic mechanics, but fun for D&D strategy enthusiasts.
A 3D first-person dungeon crawler with action elements, originally made for the 3DO. Known for its fast pace and unusual controls.
Generally seen as flawed and clunky today, more of a curiosity for collectors.
A hybrid of flight simulator and RPG where you control a dragon-rider battling across Krynn (Dragonlance setting).Praised for its ambition but criticized for repetitive gameplay and dated mechanics.
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Forgotten Realms: The Archives – Collection Three
(This collection includes games like Menzoberranzan, Dungeon Hack, Hillsfar, and others in the context of late-'90s Forgotten Realms CRPGs.)
These titles are experimental or niche, generally mixed reception; collectors value them, but modern playability is uneven.
Tier 2 – $10 USD (All Tier 1 games plus the following collections)
🌟 Forgotten Realms: The Archives – Collection One
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Eye of the Beholder I: The Eye of the Beholder
A classic real-time dungeon crawler set in the sewers beneath Waterdeep.
🎬 Watch trailer
Highly regarded as a landmark RPG classic; still playable and beloved by retro CRPG fans despite dated UI.
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Eye of the Beholder II: The Legend of Darkmoon
Continues the story with deeper dungeons and richer environments in a mysterious temple.
🎬 Watch trailer
Generally praised as a solid sequel, with enhanced atmosphere; retains a strong cult following.
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Eye of the Beholder III: Assault on Myth Drannor
The final game in the trilogy, exploring the ruined city of Myth Drannor.
Received mixed reviews initially, less favored than the first two, but still enjoyed by series completists.
A Gold Box-style CRPG with strong Forgotten Realms lore and tactical combat.Well received for its challenging gameplay; still playable and rewarding for fans of turn-based combat.
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Treasures of the Savage Frontier (sometimes included)
Direct sequel with added features like romance options and improved story.Seen as a good step forward; retains niche appeal.
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Curse of the Azure Bonds
Puzzle-heavy storyline with an engaging mystery.Praised for its narrative depth, though some find the puzzles tedious today.
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Pools of Darkness steamgifts.com+3Wikipedia+3Reddit+3
Epic-level campaign featuring gods and massive battles.Loved for scope and ambition, but slow pacing can be off-putting.
A miscellaneous grouping of lesser-known or demo-focused titles, likely including Hillsfar, Dungeon Hack, Menzoberranzan, etc.—though it overlaps somewhat with Collection Three GameSpot
Mixed quality; mostly interesting for collectors or RPG history buffs.
🌟 Dungeons & Dragons: Krynn Series (Dragonlance Trilogy)
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Champions of Krynn
Gold Box-style combat set in the Dragonlance world.
Respected but often overshadowed by Forgotten Realms games; still enjoyable for Dragonlance fans.
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Death Knights of Krynn
Sequel featuring undead enemies and darker themes.🎬 Gameplay videoWell-liked for increased difficulty and atmosphere.
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The Dark Queen of Krynn Wikipedia+2Reddit+2
Final chapter of the trilogy.Mixed reviews; less memorable but valued by series fans.
Classic Black Isle / SSI titles set in Athas, including Dark Sun: Shattered Lands and Dark Sun: Wake of the Ravager IsThereAnyDealGameSpot
Highly praised for unique setting and mechanics; still cherished by retro RPG fans despite some bugs.
Includes Ravenloft: Strahd’s Possession and Ravenloft: Stone Prophet steamgifts.com
Gothic horror RPG with classic mechanics.
Atmospheric but less polished than other SSI titles; nostalgia-driven play.
A D&D-licensed strategy and war game within the Mystara setting IsThereAnyDealDLCompare.com
Simple RTS mechanics; mostly of collector interest.
An interplanetary AD&D space-adventure RPG with ship combat and trading mechanics IsThereAnyDealDLCompare.com
Ambitious but buggy; cult favorite with uneven gameplay.
📋 Summary Table
| Collection | Included Games |
|---|---|
| Forgotten Realms – Collection One | Eye of the Beholder I, II & III |
| Forgotten Realms – Collection Two | Gateway to the Savage Frontier, Treasures of the Savage Frontier, Curse of the Azure Bonds, Pools of Darkness |
| Forgotten Realms – Collection Three | Menzoberranzan, Dungeon Hack, Hillsfar, Blood & Magic demo, others |
| Silver Box Classics | Overlapping titles: Dungeon Hack, Menzoberranzan, Hillsfar, etc. |
| Krynn Series (Dragonlance) | Champions of Krynn, Death Knights of Krynn, Dark Queen of Krynn |
| Dark Sun Series | Shattered Lands, Wake of the Ravager |
| Ravenloft Series | Strahd’s Possession, Stone Prophet |
| Fantasy Empires | Single strategy-RTS title in Mystara |
| Spelljammer: Pirates of Realmspace | Classic space-fantasy RPG |
| Tier 1 extras | Al‑Qadim: The Genie’s Curse; DeathKeep; DragonStrike; Stronghold: Kingdom Simulator; Collection Three |
✅ Notes & Clarifications
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Collection Three and Silver Box Classics share many overlapping titles—especially smaller or experimental games like Dungeon Hack and Menzoberranzan.
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The Forgotten Realms Archives collections cover the core Gold Box era (Eye of the Beholder and the Savage Frontier/Pools of Darkness series).
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Tier 1 gives access to a small mix of standalone games plus Collection Three; tier 2 unlocks the main multi‑game series and strategy/adventure titles.
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Titles and grouping are based on community-verified bundle breakdowns and reputable gaming deal trackers DLCompare.com+3IsThereAnyDeal+3steamgifts.com+3GameSpotReddit+10barter.vg+10steamgifts.com+10DLCompare.comWikipedia.
🗂️ Archive-Style Game Listing
Here’s how I’ll archive them in my vault, noting what I’ve acquired:
| Tier | Title / Collection | Notable Contents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | D&D Stronghold: Kingdom Simulator | Classic kingdom-building sim |
| 1 | Al‑Qadim: The Genie’s Curse | Action‑RPG in Arabian‑style setting |
| 1 | DeathKeep | First‑person action dungeon crawler |
| 1 | DragonStrike | Dragon flight simulator |
| 1 | Forgotten Realms: Archives – Collection Three | Includes Menzoberranzan & Dungeon Hack |
| 2 | Archives – Collection One (Eye of the Beholder I–III) | Legendary dungeon‑crawl trilogy |
| 2 | Archives – Collection Two | More Forgotten Realms titles |
| 2 | Krynn Series | Dragonlance Gold Box trilogy |
| 2 | Dark Sun Series | Grim post‑apocalyptic setting |
| 2 | Ravenloft Series | Gothic horror CRPGs |
| 2 | Silver Box Classics | Misc early D&D games |
| 2 | Fantasy Empires | Strategy/wargame style D&D title |
| 2 | Spelljammer: Pirates of Realmspace | Space‑faring AD&D adventure |
🧠 Final Thoughts
This bundle offers a deep dive into D&D video game history—warts, outdated UIs, and all. Critics have called these games “crusty” and clunky, and they often demand patience or outside tools (like Gold Box Companion for quality-of-life improvements) Facebook+15YouTube+15YouTube+15Reddit+2Wikipedia+2MobyGames+1Wikipedia+2Reddit+2YouTube+1Wikipedia+7crpgaddict.blogspot.com+7Wikipedia+7WikipediaWikipedia+9Wikipedia+9MobyGames+9. But for fans of retro CRPGs, this is pure nostalgia academia.
My plan: catalog them now, then tackle at least one major series (maybe Eye of the Beholder or Pool of Radiance) before moving on to more obscure settings like Spelljammer or Ravenloft.
Let me know if you're interested in watching me play any of these—or if you have suggest
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