Identify this shareware Mac RPG, please.

September 15, 2011 8:12 AM

1) What was the name of the shareware, turn-based, tile-graphic RPG for Mac I played in the late '90s? 2) Is there anything like it nowadays?

Late '90s, Mac System 7. It was a shareware fantasy RPG. You created a whole party of adventurers, and battles were turn-based and tactical (moving your adventurers around for advantage, and so forth), with 2D tile graphics. The gimmick, if you can call it that, was that it was completely modular, and people could create whole adventures that ran under the game engine and sell them. Does anybody have any idea what I'm talking about, and is anyone making games like this anymore? Nowadays everything seems to be action-based and/or multiplayer. I just want a good old-fashioned dungeon crawl.

posted by Faint of Butt to computers & internet (11 answers total)

Sounded like Adventure Construction Set, but doesn't look like that came out for System 7.
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 8:16 AM on September 15, 2011

I can't access Mobygames at work, but I know they have an extensive database of older video games including RPGs, which you can sort by platform.

Re: "Is anyone making games like this?" I was just looking at Adventure Creation Kit, which is a modern-day shareware remake of Adventure Construction Set, which as a version for OS X
posted by muddgirl at 8:19 AM on September 15, 2011

Was it Blades of Exile?
posted by Willie0248 at 8:20 AM on September 15, 2011 [1 favorite]

Could the game you are remembering be Realmz?. It was mac and shareware and I remember you could make your own adventures. The Mrs and myself had a lot of fun playing that together in about 1997.
posted by foleypt at 8:22 AM on September 15, 2011 [1 favorite]

Thanks for the suggestions, but none of them are right so far.
posted by Faint of Butt at 8:23 AM on September 15, 2011

From your question I can't tell how crucial the creation part is for 2. If it isn't, spiderweb has what you're looking for. Also, if you don't require fancy graphics, and enjoy permadeath, roguelikes offer the ultimate turn-based dungeon crawl experience. I particularly like dungeon crawl ss, as well as the more classic nethack.
posted by advil at 8:24 AM on September 15, 2011

Also, unlimited adventures ran on a mac apparently.
posted by advil at 8:27 AM on September 15, 2011

(Lack of preview) It was Realmz! Thank you, foleypt!

I'm not so interested in creating adventures, but I liked the modularity. The key appeal for me is that you got to create and control a whole party instead of just one PC.
posted by Faint of Butt at 8:29 AM on September 15, 2011

Oh man, I was trying to remember Realmz the other day! Thank you for asking this question.
posted by dismas at 8:42 AM on September 15, 2011

They ported Realmz to Windows but it's unplayably buggy, alas, at least on modern machines.
I agree that if you liked it you'll probably like Spiderweb Software's games. Spiderweb lacks some of the open-world WTF nonsensical fun of the Realmz games (like the encounter menu that's useless 99.99% of the time and completely crucial in like two places per scenario) but they're similar in style. Not modular, but you do get to control and create an entire party, at least in some of their titles.
posted by phoenixy at 9:04 AM on September 15, 2011

Thirding the Spiderweb suggestion. I've been playing Avadon, and it's the kind of fun I haven't had since the Ultima-on-my-apple-\\ days.
posted by capnsue at 10:16 AM on September 15, 2011