Magic & Mayhem (1998)
Genres:Role-playing (RPG), Strategy, Real Time Strategy (RTS)
Themes:Action, Fantasy, Historical
Game modes:Single player, Multiplayer
Story:Magic & Mayhem is a real-time strategy game. It combines elements of role-playing with strategy, action and puzzles. You play a young mage, Cornelius, who seeks to uncover the mystery surrounding the disappearance of his mentor. The result is adventures that will span three islands, which will uncover new mysteries and make new friends, and force you to face a multitude of challenges, puzzles and enemies.Show more
Vote to bring this game to GOG and help preserve it.1 718
I remember how, as a child, I first laid eyes on the Magic and Mayhem disc: it had a slightly worn cover featuring some strange magical creatures. I was about ten years old at the time and was just beginning to figure out how a computer worked. We had an old but trusty “iron friend” at home with a huge CRT monitor that made a loud crackling sound and flickered with a green light when turned on.
I asked my parents to install the game—they didn’t mind at all, since they always liked me exploring new things. When the menu with its mystical music appeared on the screen, I was mesmerized. Back then, everything felt like pure magic—strange Latin spell names, fantasy creatures, magical ingredients…
I started the first mission and spent a long time not really knowing what to do. I hopped around the map as a little wizard, collected odd items, and cast spells until I finally grasped how crucial it was to carefully pick out your deck and creatures. I can’t say I got it all at once—the game’s speed was new to me, plus I had to keep track of my troops, my mana was limited, and the enemies were cunning. But that sense of novelty, that urge to figure it all out, is still fresh in my mind, as though it happened yesterday.
With each new session, I got more and more excited: I tried different spell combinations, experimented with tactics for summoning all sorts of fantastical creatures, and used special totems. I loved feeling like I wasn’t just clicking the mouse, but truly becoming a mage defending my realm from devious foes.
Of course, I couldn’t spend all my time on the computer, but every day I looked forward to diving back into the world of Magic and Mayhem, ready to try another experiment—test a new spell or beat a tricky mission. Ever since, no matter how many games have come out, those childhood memories have stuck with me, and Magic and Mayhem remains my little “gateway” into the realm of thrilling computer adventures.
I was a Child and played it with my cousins, it was so great because of the story and the system of try, fail, change your spells till you can do it. Its so great!
Childhood memory, properly educated me before the complex D&D games come up. The role-play and spell experience was a gem. Story includes western mythology with some original idea.
I played this game as one of my first PC games ever. it was on my aunts brand new pc. and was desperate for a new game. sooo glad i got it! it is extremely fun. the music is freaking awesome! and the best part? you could put the game disc in a CD player and you get the whole soundtrack! VOTED!!! I want this game on GOG so I can give money and not have to play it through alternative means. and I wanna relive my very young adult years :D GOG pls do your best to obtain this game and its sequel I am begging you!!!
It was so compelling and atmospheric that I finished it over a long weekend. Lent the disc to a friend, and the same thing happened to him. To be honest, I've only completed about 5 computer games in my life.
It's an isometric version of Sacrifice – basically a fantasy tug-of-war game but fifty times better than that sounds. Hugely atmospheric thanks to the charming graphics, which still hold up, and the stunning music.
Probably Julian Gollop's best game. I wonder what became of him after this. Eh, who cares?
This being my first PC game and favorite game of all time, I would do anything to have this in my GOG library! I played this back in 1998 with my dad when he worked at a disc duplication job and printed disks for big name publishers including Bethesda Softworks. He brought home M&M and in that moment my gaming career kicked off. Please bring this game to GOG someday!
-The Druid
The underlying game concepts might be readily recognizable to experienced players, but the special approach to your spell list in this game adds a lot of ways for players to customize their play style. There's interesting level design, a lot to do, and a decent storyline. Julian Gollop was involved in this game, and some traits from the original X-Com games can be recognized here. Wooden walls can be burned through, and the fire will spread. A roof can protect you from lightning, though burning debris might fall on you shortly after. Some of the creatures you summon have hands and can activate things in the environment, others cannot. More people need to know this game.
Once upon a time...
I remember how much I enjoyed playing this game. Excellent interweaving of mythology and game legend, Strategy and RPG. Great balance and challenging battles.
Fighting cupids, join the battle!
Breath of Fire IVBreath of Fire IV is a single-player game that continues the story with these "dragon people," who gave their lives to eradicate the evil goddess and restore peace in their world. This time around, battle has broken out between two powerful continents, and the fair Princess Elena has disappeared during a tour of the war-torn region. The princess's sister, Nina, who reigns o'er the Windia Kingdom, vows to retrieve her missing sibling. She meets Ryu along the way, who joins the epic questOur Pick Trending Action Fantasy Science fiction
Panzer Dragoon SagaEnter the world of Panzer Dragoon Saga and experience a game like no other: a fusion of classic Panzer action with the most technologically advanced RPG to come to Saturn. Board your morphing dragon and behold as the mysteries of the Panzer world unfurl across four massive CDs. The new "rail free" 3D engine lets you soar deeper into role-playing adventure than you ever before imagined. Your destiny awaits.Fantasy
StarCraftStarCraft is a strategic game set in a Galaxy far away on multiple planets. Its style and balance between the three antagonistic species it features is unique and appealed to millions.Top Science fiction
Warcraft III: Reign of ChaosWarcraft 3: Reign of Chaos is an RTS made by Blizzard Entertainment. Take control of either the Humans, the Orcs, the Night Elves or the Undead, all with different unit types and heroes with unique abilities.Play the story driven single player campaign, go online to play default- or custom maps against people around the world or create your own maps with the map creation tool.Top Fantasy Warfare
XenogearsXenogears follows protagonist Fei Fong Wong and several others as they journey to uncover the truth behind mysterious, cabalistic entities operating in their world. The principles and philosophies of Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung influence the plot, character design, and world of Xenogears. Additionally, the symbols, theological concepts, and devotional practices of several world religions are represented in fictionalized forms in the game. Major psychological themes are the nature of identity and human memory, particularly as these relate to the phenomenon of dissociative identity disorder. The relationship between humanity and machines is central to the game's plot, as indicated by the presence of giant robots dubbed "gears," which almost each playable character can control.Fantasy Science fiction
Deus Ex: Human RevolutionIn Deus Ex: Human Revolution you play Adam Jensen, a security specialist, handpicked to oversee the defense of one of America's most experimental biotechnology firms. But when a black ops team breaks in and kills the scientists you were hired to protect, everything you thought you knew about your job changes. At a time when scientific advancements are routinely turning athletes, soldiers and spies into super-enhanced beings, someone is working very hard to ensure mankind's evolution follows a particular path. You need to discover why - because the decisions you take and the choices you make will be the only things that can determine mankind's future.Action Science fiction Stealth
The Legend of DragoonA peaceful beginning. The legend was born 10,000 years ago. A violent uprising. A civilization of flying creatures enslave the human race. A bloody war. In a bid for freedom, the humans harness the spiritual forces of Dragons and triumph. Tranquility and harmony exist between all. But the past and the future are about to collide...
Unveil a fantasy of magnificence, deception, magical combat and retribution. The journey that seeks the past ends. And the journey to discover today begins. Unleash the spirit of the Dragoons. And discover your destiny.Action Fantasy Historical Drama
Parasite Eve IIParasite Eve II is an action role-playing survival horror video game released exclusively for the PlayStation. The game was developed by Square and published in Japan in 1999 and in both North America and, unlike the previous game, in PAL regions in 2000. It is the sequel to Parasite Eve and the second game in the series of the same name.
Parasite Eve II is set several years after the events in the original game. The protagonist from the first game, Aya Brea, also features in this game as the playable character. She becomes involved with another outbreak of Mitochondrial creatures. Gameplay diverges from the previous game: battles take place in real time and the area of action is less restrictive. The approach is more typical of traditional survival horror games, although some role-playing elements are retained.Action Horror Science fiction Survival
Parasite EveParasite Eve is a survival horror role-playing video game developed and published by SquareSoft (now Square Enix) for the Sony PlayStation console. The game follows the story of Aya Brea, a rookie NYPD officer who becomes embroiled in a series of bizarre and deadly events related to a genetic mutation known as mitochondria. The game combines elements of horror, science fiction, and RPG gameplay, featuring real-time battles, exploration, puzzle-solving, and character development. The game's plot is inspired by the novel of the same name by Hideaki Sena, and its gameplay mechanics were influenced by the Final Fantasy series. Parasite Eve was critically acclaimed upon its release in 1998, and is widely regarded as a classic of the survival horror genre.Trending Action Fantasy Historical Horror Science fiction Stealth Survival
SunderfolkSunderfolk is a couch co-op turn-based tactical RPG where one to four players adventure together through the magical and dangerous Sunderlands.Fantasy