5 Best Video Games Based on Dungeons & Dragons

The truth is… Dungeons & Dragons has been gradually aboard a sinking ship for a while now. Well, at least until Stranger Things thrust the anchor down, reinstating its place among the greats. But even so, Dungeons & Dragons has racked up praise through others, whether comics, books, movies, or game inspirations. A simple Google search will pull up overwhelming games that, in one way or another, borrow the ideas and gameplay of the original tabletop RPG.

If not to try something new, perhaps you’re on the market for a digitized version of the game. Or, maybe your usual party of friends can’t make it to your in-person adventure across the Forgotten Realms. Either way, we’ve scoured the gaming world for games looking to offer a similar experience. Some capture the Dungeons & Dragons fantastical setting ever so perfectly. Others build atop the magical creatures of the Dungeons & Dragons universe. While others adapt the latest fifth-edition ruleset, offering familiar gameplay to ease your way down a new role-playing adventure. 

For whatever goal you’re on the lookout for, here are the best video games based on Dungeons & Dragons you ought to try.

5. Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition

The Icewind Dale RPG and its expansions, Icewind Dale: Heart of Winter and Trials of the Luremaster, are among the most legendary Dungeons & Dragons RPGs ever made. And while the series launched as early as the 2000s, it’s been freshly remastered for modern adventurers.

D&D fans know one of the best parts of it is customizing your character down to the finest details. And Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition capitalizes on that. You can not only choose your character’s class but also take a step further to pen down their biographies. Imagine the boundaries you can break through with a blank canvas to express your creativity. Not to mention the connection you’ll feel to them and, inevitably, heartache upon their death.

But besides in-depth character customization, Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition looks wondrous to the eyes. Deeply varied to the core, the game takes you on an epic adventure across ice-frozen aquariums, old caverns, creepy tombs, and, of course, treacherous dungeons to brave.

4. Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms

Check out Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms, a D&D adaptation bringing to life characters you’ll likely find familiar from the D&D multiverse. Some iconic ones include Jaheira from Badlurs Gate, Bruenor Battlehammer from the Forgotten Realms novels, Arkhan the Cruel, and many more. 

The game takes on a strategy-management, turn-based combat system. Your job is to assemble a party of Champions and prepare to show the Formation Strategy who’s boss. You’ll also run into plenty of iconic locations from the D&D universe, like the Sword Coast, Icewind Dale, and much more. 

Worth noting is that popular games based on Dungeons & Dragons often infuse a rich story with strong writing. Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms, on the other hand, is more of a D&D character-inspired affair. Not to worry, though, as the core gameplay loop still harbors plenty of moments for fun and laughter.

3. Planescape: Torment – Enhanced Edition

In the same breadth as Icewind Dale, Planescape: Torment also carved its path to greatness around the same time period. But thankfully, it also has a remastered enhanced edition for today’s generation of players. 

But while Icewind Dale’s light shines brightest in the character creation department, Planescape: Torment soared highest thanks to its larger-than-life writing. You take on the multiverse of Planescape, which is a Dungeons & Dragons fantasy campaign setting, and embark on life-changing adventures with friends. 

Secrets unearthed from past lives. A floating skull abruptly interrupts your sleep to take the Nameless One on an epic adventure from the dangerous city of Sigil into the mysterious surrounding Outer Planes and to the depths of Hell itself.

2. Neverwinter Nights 2

If you’re not careful, Neverwinter Nights 2 can take up over 60 hours of your time. But it’s all welcome, given the well-rounded goodies it has to offer. Set in the Dungeons & Dragons realm, you’ll enjoy strong writing, detailed settings, and in-depth character customization. And with the sequel, you’ll enjoy enhanced visuals and mechanics of the Neverwinter Nights series to a compelling standard.

So, get ready to collect the mysterious silver shards in the Neverwinter universe. The King of Shadows, too, threatens the safety and peace of the people. So, it’s up to you to master the courage and skill to put him down. While Neverwinter Nights 2 is an older game, adapting the 3.5E D&D ruleset, it still holds up today, even against the almighty Baldur’s Gate itself.   

1. Baldur’s Gate 3

Hands down, Baldur’s Gate 3 takes the crown. Released in 2023, you can take it on without worrying about outdated rules and mechanics. And since its predecessors were already at the top of their game, Baldur’s Gate 3 somehow manages to live up to that expectation—in fact, more than that. It’s to be expected from the creators of the similarly spectacular Divinity: Original Sin 2.

Using the 5E D&D ruleset, Baldur’s Gate 3 ushers in the new modern era to perfection. It captures D&D’s iconic characters and Forgotten Realms setting perfectly. It could be the best video game adaptation of the latest D&D rules, so much so that critics and players worldwide are hailing it as one of the best games ever made.

Players return to Faerun on an epic new adventure. You’ll face a Mindflayer invasion that threatens to take over the minds of Illithid-infected protagonists. An all-around wonder, Baldur’s Gate 3 delivers a rich story, a detailed and expansive world, and challenging turn-based combat for both old and new D&D fans. Combined, Baldur’s Gate 3 has set a new benchmark for hopefully even more spectacular D&D video games to come.

So, what’s your take? Do you agree with our best video games based on Dungeons & Dragons? Are there more games we should know about? Let us know over on our socials here.