⚔️ Secret of the Silver Blades – The sequel to your epic AD&D adventure.
Secret of the Silver Blades (1990) is the third game in SSI’s Gold Box series and a direct sequel to Pool of Radiance and Curse of the Azure Bonds. You command a party of seasoned adventurers—either created from scratch or imported from the earlier games—who are summoned through a magic well and arrive in a snowbound town under siege.
The game is a turn-based tactical RPG based on the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules, delivering a new chapter in the epic fight against evil—this time focusing on the mysterious order of the Silver Blades and the threat of an ancient ice demon.
❄️ Story – a frozen secret
The town of Verdigris and its inhabitants are trapped in a frozen valley, plagued by monsters and dark magic. It’s up to your party to:
- Explore ancient ruins and caves
- Repel invasions and local threats
- Uncover the truth about The Dreadlord and the Silver Blades
- Gather magical items and gain enough experience to withstand an all-devouring evil
The game features multiple dialogue choices, secret areas, and lengthy dungeon crawls where attention to detail and careful mapping are key.
🧠 Gameplay – classic Gold Box with improvements
Secret of the Silver Blades uses the well-known formula:
- First-person navigation through towns and dungeons
- Top-down, turn-based combat with positioning and magic
- Character management with stats, spells, and levels under the AD&D rules
New in this entry:
- An extremely large dungeon (over 100x100 squares!)
- An upgraded XP system and new high-level spells
- More freedom to explore and tackle objectives in your own order
There are slightly fewer town elements and side quests than in the first two games—this one clearly emphasizes combat and exploration.
💾 Play today on modern systems
You can easily run the game via:
- DOSBox
- GOG’s Gold Box Classics collections
- Fan packs with guides and maps
You can also import your characters from the first two games and continue their adventure—with gear, XP, and story intact. This creates a continuous campaign that was revolutionary for its time.
🖼️ Graphics and audio
The visuals are classic EGA Gold Box—functional, readable, and colorful, but definitely dated. Audio is sparse, but the atmosphere is supported by simple music tracks and sound effects.
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