King of Dragon Pass
A strategy simulation of a barbarian clan in Glorantha.
King of Dragon Pass is a strategy and simulation fantasy video game from 1999, released by A Sharp. It takes place in the fictional world of Glorantha, where players guide a barbarian clan trying to establish itself in the perilous frontier of Dragon Pass. The game first came out for PC and sold poorly, but after being ported to iOS in 2011, it became much more successful commercially. Versions for Android and a re-release for PC followed, and its mobile success led to a sequel, *Six Ages: Ride Like The Wind*, in 2018. The player leads a clan of Orlanthi, who worship the storm god Orlanth, across multiple generations. These clans resemble Iron Age Nordic peoples in some ways—such as having lawspeakers, fyrds, a thunder god, and a raiding culture—while their appearance draws from Bronze Age Celtic and Italic sources. At the start, the clan has fled its homeland of Heortland after a foreign magician called Belintar, or the Pharaoh, seized the throne. Along with many other Orlanthi clans, they seek a new home in Dragon Pass, an area left empty after the Dragonkill War centuries earlier. The clans feud, ally, trade, and raid each other, while nonhuman beings like elves, dwarves, and trolls also inhabit the region. To the west, the nomadic Horse-Spawn pose a constant threat. Over time, clans form loose confederations called tribes. A prophet visits the player’s clan, telling them of a great destiny. The player must guide the clan through seven heroquests—ritual reenactments of divine deeds—and handle events like cooperating with other clans to build a town and making peace with the Horse-Spawn by marrying their queen (or king, if the chieftain is female). Success leads to the chieftain uniting the Orlanthi tribes and the Horse-Spawn into a kingdom, becoming the King of Dragon Pass. Gameplay centers on the seven-member clan ring, which makes decisions about trade, warfare, agriculture, and diplomacy. The player makes two major choices each of the five seasons in the Gloranthan year. Hundreds of random events occur, from mundane legal disputes to spiritual or demonic attacks, often influenced by past choices. In battles, the player sets goals and preparations, and may direct nobles at key moments.
Quick Facts
- Title
- King of Dragon Pass
- Developer
- A Sharp · HeroCraft (Mobile version)
- Publisher
- A Sharp
- Producer
- David Dunham
- Designer
- David Dunham · Greg Stafford · Robin D. Laws
- Released
- October 1999 (PC, Mac) · September 2011 (iOS) · August 2012 (GOG.com) · August 2014 (Android) · September 2014 (Windows Phone)
- Genre
- Turn-based strategy, role-playing
- Modes
- Single-player
- Platforms
- Windows, Mac OS, iOS, Android, Windows Phone
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
King of Dragon Pass is set in the fictional world of Glorantha. The player controls a clan of Orlanthi, worshipers of the Storm God Orlanth, who bear similarities to Iron Age Nordic peoples in lawspeakers, fyrds, thunder god worship, and raiding, as well as Bronze Age Celtic and Italic peoples aesthetically. The clan has fled its home of Heortland after a foreign magician known as Belintar or 'the Pharaoh' usurps the throne. Along with dozens of other Orlanthi clans, the clan seeks to build a new home in Dragon Pass, a previously populated area left deserted after the Dragonkill War hundreds of years ago. The Orlanthi clans feud, ally, trade, and raid each other, while inhuman presences such as elves, dwarves, and trolls inhabit the region. To the west, the 'Horse-Spawn,' a society of nomadic mounted warriors, pose a persistent danger. Over time, clans form into tribes, and a prophet visits the player's clan to inform them of a great destiny. The player must guide the clan through seven heroquests and manage events such as building a town and making peace with the Horse-Spawn by marrying their queen or king. Success unites the Orlanthi tribes and the Horse-Spawn into a kingdom, making the chieftain King of Dragon Pass.
Reader's Guide
King of Dragon Pass was conceived and developed by David Dunham using Greg Stafford's setting of Glorantha. At peak development, the A Sharp production team consisted of 12 people. The game cost $500,000 to make but only sold 8,000 boxed copies, rendering it a commercial failure. It sold disproportionately well in Finland thanks to a glowing review in Pelit. The game had initially been conceived for the Apple Newton. Following Apple's announcement of the iPhone in 2007, Dunham was drawn back to the potential of the game for a handheld platform, and an updated version was released for iOS on September 8, 2011. This version was updated to be a universal iOS app for compatibility with the iPad on September 6, 2012. The original Windows version was re-released by GOG.com in 2012. Dunham announced in March 2013 that the iOS version had sold 30,000 copies. HeroCraft ported the iOS version to Android and released it on August 12, 2014. A Windows Phone version followed on September 23, 2014. A new PC version based on the Android version was released July 29, 2015, running on Windows or Mac OS X. The game received mixed reviews upon release and positive reviews upon its mobile release. According to Metacritic, the iOS version received 'universal acclaim.' The game's hand painted watercolor artwork won the Best Visual Art prize in the 2000 Independent Games Festival. Rock, Paper, Shotgun described the game in 2017 as 'a management game, yes, but at its heart is an ongoing RPG chronicle.' In 2016, the game placed 5th on Rock Paper Shotgun's The 50 best strategy games on PC list. TouchArcade's Eli Hodapp described it as 'one of the most in-depth and strategic gameplay experiences I've had so far on my iPhone,' calling it a conglomeration of Civilization and Choose Your Own Adventure.
Did You Know?
- King of Dragon Pass was originally conceived for the Apple Newton.
- The game sold only 8,000 boxed copies but sold disproportionately well in Finland.
- The iOS version sold 30,000 copies by March 2013.
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