Best Dungeons & Dragons Computer Games

Dungeons & Dragons cRPGs have played a prominent role throughout cRPG History. Dungeons & Dragons cRPGs employ Wizards of the Coast's D&D 3rd Edition of 2000 or Tactical Studies Rules' AD&D 1st and 2nd Edition rulesets of 1977-89.

Six cRPGs in my current Best cRPGs are D&D-based, which I think is interesting because I don't consider D&D to be the best role-playing system for cRPG Design (though I'm fond of all versions up to 3.5).

As of 2024 I have published over 2,000 hyperlinked articles and two million words on Dungeons & Dragons computer games. In length the equivalent to one dozen novels, no one in the world has written more on D&D computer games than I have. In addition, my D&D computer game commentary is supported by 4,000 screencaps and infographics.

One great thing about D&D cRPGs is their sense of adventure. We start off weak and end strong: from zero to hero. There is a sense of landscape, of journeying and of a Fellowship or at least of companionship. We earn what we get and nothing is given without putting in the hard yards. There is usually a good sense of pacing, memorable characters, and decent dungeons, itemization and encounter design.

In addition, the lore is set in stone already and is not allowed to be messed with, so we don't get midwits trying to reinvent the wheel. Instead, developers tow the line of TSR/WotC: they focus on making a good cRPG or campaign with the material at hand rather than having to build everything from the ground up. The way it should be.

The reader is likely going to be surprised by my first entry. 95% of people reading this write-up would not have even heard of it, but that doesn't matter. I list the best, not what's popular with redditors.

List of the Best Dungeons & Dragons cRPGs

The best Dungeons & Dragons cRPG is Swordflight by Rogueknight 333 (2008-2022). And since Swordflight was built on the Aurora Engine, that means Neverwinter Nights is the best Dungeons & Dragons computer game.

Swordflight by Rogueknight 333. One of the startling things about Swordflight is that it isn't turn-based or big on party-based tactics, yet it gives me a more authentic D&D experience than cRPGs that are. This is due to its reactivity, resource management, dungeon design, quest structure and traditional principles of design.