Overall most helpful review

Posted on: September 17, 2015

jcservant

Games: 1013 Reviews: 4

A review based on the game, not price!

This game combines elements of D&D 1st edition, Civ and Majesty. You will direct various groups of your population to build structures, farms, etc., which, in turn, bring you various benefits. At the same time, hordes of monsters build their own strongholds and dens across the lands just outside of your town. You will not only feed your people and keep them happy, but also equip them with gear and experience so they can defend their homes from invaders, and eventually take the fight to classic monsters who threaten their way of life! I played the heck out of this game back in the 90s, and cannot wait to do it again. While the decades have only aged the graphics, the timeless gameplay will hook anyone with patience. Warning: Make sure you take the time to read the instructions. PostScript... The other written review (at this time) assigned a two star because of the price. (Really?) For what its worth, I hold the opinion that this game is well worth the asking price here on GoG.

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Posted on: September 19, 2015

gumonchoji

Verified owner

Games: 17 Reviews: 2

Old love of mine

The memories. "what sound card do you have" Still scary. Ok so now on to the game. It is a fantasy city builder. It can be tough. This game is from a time when your first choices could ruin your game So I will include some advice. -Stats: Get max stats if your field. 18s they make a difference. Then get a good charisma. Yes in this game it is important as it sets how fast your groups draw members. INT will set yow you learn and level. Wis is magic resistance. CON hit points and poison resistance. DEX dodging of hitting with arrows (you don't dodge really). Walls: you must upkeep them by being on the square. So only walls on your north are safe . South will take a soldier and without a person they deteriorate. Tavern: best housing. Choose who you team of 5. Theif- you get a cool looking base and glass works. This makes lenses that increase you sight range a lot. This building also makes mirrors for beating an unstoppable monster otherwise. They steel from other members of your team and have large homes. This is the worst choice except for the one item which can make maps unbeatable. Fighter- Only group to give 2 types of units.Fighters and archer.They have the best house in the game but no unique buildings.Can improve armor. Dwarfs:Magic resistant sword fighters.Good at finding minerals and make a building that helps you build faster.Can improve armor. Elves: Magic using archers. They make trees into housing with storage and are great later game. also improve arrows. Cleric: Heal and hit with clubs. They only heal above level 1. Have the best keep. Public baths let your groups get bigger. This is a must. Just not your boss. Mage: Glass cannon. No armor buffs. Special ring place to improve stats. Expensive. But makes magic mill. Only way to make +3 or more items. Great late game. Halfling: Do you like food? Do you like money? They make farms 150% better. They also have bakeries that have the best output during winter. They start strongest.

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Posted on: October 6, 2015

Endlessinstant

Verified owner

Games: 60 Reviews: 1

Delightful classic city-building game

I've played D&D Stronghold heavily since it was originally released back in the early 90s and consider it one of the best city builders I've ever played. Built around the original Dungeons and Dragons ruleset, Stronghold focuses heavily on one of my favorite aspects of the original ruleset: Stronghold building. You create a party of 1-5 characters while choosing between the original seven classes of D&D (fighter, thief, cleric, mage, dwarf, elf, halfling). These characters serve as the lords of your city and attract followers based upon their class (so fighter characters recruit fighters, dwarves recruit dwarves, etc.) Each class can also build their own set of buildings (as well as a few generic staple structures like farms). The objective of the game depends on your alignment (lawful characters must run successful cities, chaotic characters must defeat all their enemies, etc.) and a sliding range of difficulties make it easy to build a game that will be a real challenging nail-biter or a casual and relaxing city builder. D&D monsters pose as rival cities (and on harder difficulties they get their own lord) that you must battle against. Training and gearing your followers is a crucial management aspect and ultimately you must choose between expanding your city and combating the enemy. I highly recommend this game for anyone who enjoys strategy and sim games.

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Edited on: September 25, 2025

Posted on: March 9, 2016

Dre2Dee2

Verified owner

Games: 78 Reviews: 5

An Unknown Treasure from the D&D Archive

Stronghold is a game hardly anyone knows about, but should. Not only is it a totally unique game within the D&D franchise, but it's a great and worthwhile sim. In Stronghold, you create a character who will lead your realm. You choose a class and roll stats, in the great D&D tradition. The class you chose will determine your followers, how they fight in battle, and what unique structures they will bring to your kingdom. Each one is different enough to add unique wrinkles into how you will use them in your kingdom. Halflings for example, excel at food and income production, but are among the weakest in combat. Your stats (STR, DEX, INT, CON, WIS, CHA) will be inherited by your followers, so it's important to choose your stats wisely. This wouldn't be D&D without a party of allies, and so Stronghold allows you to bring 4 other lords with you, each with their own stats, class, and followers. Just like in D&D, having a well rounded party that works together will ensure a strong and prosperous land. Of course no D&D game is complete without horrible monsters ravaging the land, and this time it's YOUR lands being ravaged! There's a whole slew of monsters from the simple and easy (like giant ants or kobolds) to the truly terrifying and powerul (vampires and blue dragons). There's plenty of variety here to keep each game a surprise, and each monster provides it's own challenge. For the most part, this game holds up very well. The graphics are charming, and the animations still hold up very well. The UI is pretty clear, and the game provides helpful hints to novices. The only blemish to this game is unit movement. The system uses an esoteric "magnet" system to order your followers around. Once you get your head around it, it'll be be quick to use. It's not anything that should deter you from playing. If you enjoy civ building games, I think this is a must buy. It's straightforward with plenty of challenge for kings and warlords alike. Good luck!

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Posted on: December 24, 2015

thenate

Games: 408 Reviews: 3

Excellent ideas but mediocre execution

First and foremost: The music is catchy. I still hum it from time to time. This was one of those games that played at the edges of what computers were capable of doing at the time. The map was huge. Good stuff. The interface is fair. You can often figure out how to do a thing, but executing it is usually cumbersome. Adjusting the speed of the game is required to not get bored but not be overwhelmed when things happen. Couple bits of advice: Halflings and Dwarves have a really nice bonus to avoid getting hit. Halflings' food bonus is really nice, too.

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