Avadon: The Black Fortress

Avadon: The Black Fortress is a role-playing game for a single player, created by Spiderweb Software and launching the Avadon trilogy. It first came out on Mac OS X in February 2011, followed by a Windows version in May and an iPad release on June 18. Later ports brought it to Android and Linux, and it was part of the Humble Bundle for Android 2.

Setting

The game takes place on the continent of Lynaeus, where two main factions are at war, with internal conflicts also brewing. The Pact, an alliance of five nations, controls the continent’s center, while the Farlands—a collection of fading empires and barbarian lands—surround it. The Pact formed to repel invasions from the Farlands, whose territories include creatures like Wretches, Giants, and Titans; Dragons and other fantasy beings also inhabit Lynaeus.

Within the Pact, the fortress of Avadon acts as a dedicated force: a small army of warriors, spies, assassins, and diplomats—called Hands, Eyes, and Hearts—whose job is to protect the Pact by eliminating threats before they grow, whether internal or external. Avadon’s servants hold immense power and answer to no ordinary laws; they are the law, though this authority can lead to corruption. The fortress is led by the Keeper, Redbeard, a powerful and enigmatic figure elected by the Pact’s council for an unnaturally long lifetime. Players control a group of Hands under Redbeard, tasked with uncovering and fighting a conspiracy against the Pact.

Gameplay

In gameplay, the player picks a character class—Blademaster, Shadowwalker, Shaman, or Sorceress—and can later recruit up to two additional characters from the same set of classes for missions given by Avadon’s leaders. This system adds a more developed companion feature than earlier Spiderweb games, as these characters have their own views on the Pact and the player’s actions. Each class has dozens of unique abilities, including damage-dealing spells, summons, blessings, curses, healing rituals, and physical skills. The game includes elaborate scripted encounters designed to encourage varied tactics and different party combinations.

Reception

Critics generally received Avadon: The Black Fortress well, earning a 77% score on Metacritic from seven reviews and 77% on GameRankings from nine. Reviewers praised its deep storytelling and gameplay but criticized its crude graphics and weak sound effects.