The mere mention of Dungeons & Dragons conjures up images of people excitedly unleashing a hail of dice onto a dining room table, and the best Dungeons and Dragons games do the same. From its appearance on Futurama to its inclusion in Netflix’s horror series, Stranger Things, DnD is arguably the most recognizable of all pen-and-paper RPGs.
DnD games on PC have also been a long-standing presence since Pool of Radiance in 1988. Since then, the ’90s saw some of the best RPG games ever, and more recently, we’ve seen plenty of games that use variations on DnD rules as the base for their gameplay but with a wholly original setting. So gather your party and venture forth with us as we look at the best DnD games on PC that you can play right now.
Here are the best DnD games you can play right now:
1. Baldur’s Gate 3
Not only is this one of the best Dungeons and Dragons games ever made, but also one of the best fantasy games. In fact, it’s even one of the best PC games ever made. Though it would (probably) be impossible to create a videogame that offered the same level of freedom in problem-solving as you get in the tabletop version of DnD, Baldur’s Gate 3 comes about as close as we could ever have hoped.
With a beautifully rendered world (made up of varied locales), a diverse range of likable and interesting characters, and problems that you can approach in countless ways, this is a landmark game. We’re confident that as the years go by, this will always be remembered as a classic – one of those games that absolutely every gamer should take the time to play through at least once.
Read our Baldur’s Gate 3 review.
2. Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition
Before Baldur’s Gate 3, there was Icewind Dale. Released by Black Isle Studios just a couple of years after Planescape Torment and Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale is one of our favorite old games that capture that magic of DnD on PC. The Enhanced Edition gives it a definitive facelift, and throws in two expansion packs with all the trimmings.
Set in the Forgotten Realms and governed by the 2nd Edition ruleset, it offers a very different experience from its modern counterparts. It’s also quite a bit more action-focused than its isometric view would have you believe, making it an ideal pick for anyone looking to skip the moral quandaries and get right into the thick of combat. Go for the eyes, Boo! Go for the eyes!
3. Divinity Original Sin 2
This list wouldn’t be complete without Larian Studios’ previous DnD game. Divinity Original Sin 2 may be slightly older than Baldur’s Gate 3, but it delivers in story, charm, and combat. Create a custom character or choose from six unique origin characters, each with their own backstory and narrative thread that you can pull in whatever direction you prefer.
Do you assume the identity of the arrogant lizard known as The Red Prince, or would you prefer to converse with animals as sharpshooter Ifan? If none strike you as a worthy protagonist, you can recruit them as companions during your travels across DOS2’s sprawling open world – or dispense with NPCs altogether and team up with up to four other players online.
In classic DnD fashion, every decision you make shapes your character and path, as you overhear conversations, charge into battle, and lockpick your way through dungeons – all culminating in a grand finale. Divinity Original Sin 2 raised the bar for RPGs and paved the way for the critical acclaim enjoyed by its successor. If you’ve exhausted your time in Baldur’s Gate 3, DOS2 should be next on your list.
4. Solasta: Crown of the Magister
Of course, not limiting ourselves to just games with the official Dungeons & Dragons branding gives us a few more worthy options to consider. One such game is Solasta: Crown of the Magister, a hybrid of XCOM and Baldur’s Gate using DnD fifth edition rules for its mechanics. Following the classic humble beginnings of your party meeting in a tavern, quaffing ale and regaling each other with tales of past exploits, your heroes soon set out on a fantastical adventure to search for pieces of an artifact that could prevent a second cataclysm.
You can check out the Solasta: Crown of the Magister review for a more in-depth look; our verdict is that “though most of the story and dialogue cover well-trodden territory, the combat is challenging and rewarding – even when it feels like the dice have a vendetta against you”. So, if you’re up for something set in a completely different world but with familiar mechanics, this is the RPG for you.
5. Neverwinter Nights Enhanced Edition
Neverwinter Nights is another classic old-school DnD RPG, and it’s a virtually endless font of DnD adventures. On top of the base campaign, the Enhanced version has dozens of hours of expanded content to play, but there’s plenty more beyond that; Neverwinter Nights’ Dungeon Master mode allows anyone to create their own adventures within Neverwinter Nights’ engine. Players can run these custom campaigns with friends and take on the role of the Dungeon Master, who joins the game as a referee that issues gold and experience points controls NPCs, and does pretty much anything a real Dungeon Master would do.
With decades of community-led support, this openly moddable RPG provides tilesets, monster models, and tools to allow budding Dungeon Masters to create ever more complex scenarios. You can even play recreations of classic pen-and-paper adventures, such as the much-loved ‘Keep on the Borderlands’ by none other than Dungeons and Dragons creator Gary Gygax.
6. Planescape: Torment Enhanced Edition
The Baldur’s Gate games may be the most well-known isometric RPGs of the ’90s, but Black Isle Studios’ Planescape: Torment deserves just as much acclaim. Unlike the traditional valiant heroes of other DnD games, Planescape: Torment’s the Nameless One is an unconventional protagonist with no memory of who he is and a back covered in runic tattoos.
Like Baldur’s Gate, Planescape: Torment’s gameplay is based on DnD systems but goes a step further, emphasizing the DnD character alignment system to determine how the Nameless One interacts with the world. You can change his alignment incrementally throughout the campaign with your actions, potentially adding or removing obstacles, as his alignment influences how others react to his presence. The enhanced edition of Planescape Torment includes never-before-seen cut content, making it the definitive version of the classic RPG.
7. Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara
For a completely different change of pace, Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara is a DnD game that’s more of a bundle of two arcade side-scrolling beat-em-ups than an RPG. Both Tower of Doom and Shadows of Mystara challenge players to team up together to slay kobolds, gnolls, and other DnD monsters, but without the maths and dice rolls.
They’re not long games, and they suffer a bit from coin-munching boss fights that are less a test of skill and more a war of attrition. That said, this home version of an arcade classic doesn’t require you to feed your PC pocket change, and you still get a fantastic DnD experience, flinging all kinds of spells at your adversaries.
Those are all the best DnD games. If you prefer a different battle system, there are plenty of options for the best JRPGs and turn-based RPGs that you can experience on PC. Our sister site Wargamer also has a regularly updated list of the best board games to play right now as well as information on the DnD races, DnD character sheets, and the DnD character creator. You couldn’t want for any more.