Challenge of the Five Realms

Microprose released this top-down VGA role-playing game in the same year as Darklands. The setting is a fantasy world called Nhagardia, where the player, as the Prince of Alonia, leads a party against the evil lord Grimnoth.

Character creation uses a questionnaire to define the protagonist's class and attributes, similar to some other RPGs of the era. A wide array of skills influences how puzzles and situations can be approached. The gameplay is challenging due to a time limit; a spreading Plague of Darkness must be stopped within one hundred in-game days.

Party management is a notable feature, allowing control of up to ten characters. These characters operate with defined personalities through a system where they will autonomously suggest actions based on their own proficiencies.