Stronghold (1993 video game)

In 1993, Stormfront Studios developed and SSI published Stronghold, a real-time strategy game set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe that blends city-building with tactical defense. Players manage resources to construct a town composed of distinct neighborhoods, each featuring its own architectural style. When the city is attacked, residents and craftspeople from these neighborhoods can be called upon to defend any section under siege. A variety of neighborhood leaders are available, including Mages, Clerics, Thieves, Fighters, Elves (who combine fighter and mage traits), Dwarves (sturdy fighters skilled at mining), and Halflings (capable farmers with some thief abilities).

For instance, a spawned Elf might be used to erect a building on a plot or trained to gain levels, eventually leading an army overland to defeat a neighboring monster. Alternatively, a player can focus solely on urban development and win that way. The game’s maps are built from triangular wireframe tiles, with each tile’s color indicating terrain—water, plains, mountains, or hills—and a random map generator is included.

Reviewing Dungeons & Dragons Stronghold in White Wolf #39 (1994), James Trunzo gave it a “Very Good” rating, noting that the game is lengthy and can become tedious, especially early on when combat is years away. He observed that players must enjoy the mundane but crucial aspects of city management, and suggested setting the countryside to “hostile” rather than “peaceful” for more action. GameSpy reported that while cities could quickly become difficult to manage, devoted fans considered it one of the most addictive management simulations they had ever played.