Al-Qadim: The Genie's Curse

Lore & Background

The game's plot begins with a genie freed from his master by mysterious forces working for the Nameless Masters. The player character, a young corsair named Hakim, son of Sultan Al-Hazrad of Huzuz, has just completed his training. He is betrothed to the daughter of a caliph, but a hurricane-induced shipwreck sweeps the girl overboard. The corsair and his family are blamed, and he must find his bride-to-be and restore his family's honor. The character can interact with his family, including his parents and sister, and must explore the mystery of who is unleashing genies and investigate the Genie's Curse.

Reader's Guide

Al-Qadim: The Genie's Curse represents a departure from SSI's earlier Gold Box series, offering a simplified character generation with no race, class, or skill selection. The player controls a single 2nd-level corsair with predetermined statistics, unable to change weapons or armor except for improving his starting sword. The game emphasizes adventure-game elements such as problem-solving and object manipulation over traditional RPG exploration and combat. It features real-time combat, icon menus, and a smaller world to explore, with travel shown overhead via ships and flying carpets. Reception was mixed: Petra Schlunk of Computer Gaming World praised its charming story and clever blend of genres, while PC Zone's David McCandless called it 'not very good' with poor graphics and awful combat. The game sold over 90,000 copies and was later included in the 1996 AD&D Masterpiece Collection. It was re-released in 2015 on GOG.com with support for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Did You Know?

• The game was developed by Cyberlore Studios shortly after the company was founded in 1992, taking fourteen months to complete.
• Images from Al-Qadim were used in the MMORPG Dark Sun Online: Crimson Sands to finish the title on time despite a low development budget.
• The game was reviewed by Rick Swan in Dragon #208, who gave it four out of five stars, calling it 'heaps of fun'.
• The player character begins as a 2nd-level corsair with no race, class, or skill selection, and cannot change his weapons or armor.