The Baldur’s Gate series has had plenty of rivals over the years, but one of the best competitors never managed to carve out much of a space in the market. The 1998 release of Baldur’s Gate set a new standard for isometric fantasy RPGs, and it’s no surprise that other D&D games and fantasy titles followed in short succession. While some of these are still popular today, others have largely been consigned to the sidelines of history.
One such game is Siege of Avalon, a fantasy RPG that originally released in an episodic format in 2000. With the first chapter available for free, Siege of Avalon made an admirable gambit to hook players into its six-part story, but the year 2000 might not have been the ideal time to try out the model. While there’s no detailed public information about just how well the game sold, a planned sequel was canned after developer Digital Tome shuttered, and it didn’t receive much attention from either mainstream publications or major game communities at the time.
Siege Of Avalon Is A Great Baldur’s Gate Alternative
Another City Under Siege
Siege of Avalon popped back up on digital PC storefronts in more recent years, so if tracking down a CD-ROM sounds like a hassle, you can just buy the complete anthology for $9.99 on Steam. While it’s far from the only compelling CRPG on the platform, there are legitimately good reasons for Baldur’s Gate fans to check this one out.
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It’s one of the more story-driven games of its time, and the chapter-based concept aligns with its stated conceit as a “new type of book” focused on immersion. You’ll be doing a lot of reading, but with complex NPCs that have their own stories to tell, it’s worth your time. The flavor of the narrative is relatively close to the Baldur’s Gate series in nature, and the game’s focus on a refugee-filled city under siege might ring a bell for Baldur’s Gate 3 players in particular.
25 Years Later, Siege Of Avalon Stands The Test Of Time
The Essentials Are All Strong
July 19, 2025 marks the 25th anniversary of Siege of Avalon‘s release, although the complete anthology didn’t show up until a year later. Despite all that time, the game hasn’t aged badly, tapping into the same enduring appeal that games like Baldur’s Gate, Fallout, and Diablo have managed. It obviously lacks some of the heights of Baldur’s Gate 3‘s presentation, but getting the hang of its systems shouldn’t take long.
If you haven’t yet played games like Planescape: Torment or even the original Baldur’s Gate titles, you might want to check them out before Siege of Avalon, and you’ll certainly have more people to discuss them with after playing. However, if you’re looking to dive a little deeper into an underappreciated classic of the genre, Siege of Avalon could be exactly what you need.
- Created by
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Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk
- Video Game(s)
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Baldur’s Gate, Baldur’s Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast, Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn, Baldur’s Gate 2: Throne of Bhaal, Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance, Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance 2, Baldur’s Gate: Siege of Dragonspear, Baldur’s Gate 3
- Character(s)
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Gorion’s Ward, Minsc, Jaheira, Sarevok, Imoen, Viconia DeVir, Shadowheart, Astarion
