Although probably one of the most obscure titles I've ever encountered, I would count King of Dragon Pass as one of the games that I've always loved. It's set in the world of Glorantha, which is a world that was created for the pencil and paper roleplaying game, RuneQuest. It was later incorporated into a Dungeons and Dragons supplement. In Glorantha, magic is more focused around prayers and quests into a mystical realm inhabited by gods and monsters. If you are a fantasy buff, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by King of Dragon Pass. It stays true to form in the types of races you can meet, and some of them will likely be a surprise to people unfamiliar with the world. For strategy and simulation buffs, this game is an incredible simulation on managing and leading a tribe. There is a ton of replay value here. You encounter new and strange events throughout the game. You can go on quests with your heroes to try to find new magic items or bless your crops. It's a game of balance, where you must decide whether or not you should raid and risk losing some of your farmers in the battle, or if you should buckle down and wait until the crops are harvested. This game is truly a treasure; when I noticed that GOG had it up for sale, I bought it immediately. It's brought many a sleepless night on account of the fun and interesting ways that you can lead your tribe. It's a roleplaying game in some aspects as well - only your character is actually the tribe itself. During the beginning of the game, you select various traits and events that had happened in your tribe's history before starting. These events can color your whole tribe's starting point, creating new more feuds or restricting your access to certain quests and temples, as well as magic. Even some of the choices might allow you to ally yourself with other races. By the way, if (or when!) you do get the game and play it on the "Easy" setting, keep in mind that there's nothing really easy about it. The only real way to make the game easy is to do like the manual says: don't think of your tribe with the same ethics and logic that we have today; think of how to lead your tribe as an Orlanthi chieftan, trying to make it through a fairly dark (although wondrous) world and you should be able to get to the end. Speaking of which - while you can just jump right in and pick up the game, it's way more effective to read the manual. Either way will help you learn it, but to really master the game (I'm not entirely sure that this is possible, but regardless), you should read the manual. Good luck! May Elmal bless you with horses!
