King of Dragon Pass Review
Posted: 12 weeks ago, last updated 11 weeks ago.
Author: Andy Robertson and Rich Adams.
Overview
You play as the Orlanthi clan, who have fled from their home after a foreign magician has usurped 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.
You control the seven-member clan in all aspects of its life, such as trading, warfare, agriculture and diplomacy. The game is played in seasons, in each of which you can make two top-level decisions. You then see how events play out (mundane law disputes, spiritual or demonic incursions, political disagreements).
To succeed you must balance resources and manage clan individuals to your benefit. A lack of food might be solvable by clearing more farmland, but when the forest responds by sending a talking fox to urge leaving the trees alone, a wrong choice could bring the clan hunters to war with their environment. Likewise, should a member of the clan act in a selfish and foolish manner, action needs to be taken to stabilise and defuse the situation, if necessary.
King of Dragon Pass is unusual in that it depicts action with hand-drawn artwork rather than animation. It was originally a commercial failure, but became a cult classic. This led to it coming to other platforms, and the spiritual successor, Six Ages: Ride Like The Wind, being released in 2018.
Details
Rating: PEGI 7+, ESRB EVERYONE 10+
Release Date: 01/01/1999
Platforms: Android, PC and iOS
Genres: Narrative, Role-Playing, Simulation, Strategy and Turn-Based
Developer: @kingdragonpass
Tips
View our choice of games like King of Dragon Pass. This game is good if you want to:
Commitment
Costs
Age Ratings
Rated PEGI 7 for mild violence.
ESRB EVERYONE 10+ for fantasy violence. The PC version was originally rated TEEN when released in 1999.
Accessibility
Difficulty
How you can adjust the challenge of play, and assistance the game offers when you fail or get stuck.
Cognitive Pressure
Reaction-time Not Critical: Individual game actions don’t need quick reactions.
Low Pressure: Game tasks aren’t time-limited or with a high emphasis on performance. Or there is a low pressure play-mode available.
Save Anytime: The game automatically saves progress or you can save any time, and not lose progress.
Tutorials: There are helpful tutorials, instructions and tips.
No Unlocking Required: Access any mode, location, character, weapon or vehicle from the start.
Reading
How much reading or listening comprehension is required, and how accessible this is.
Moderate Reading: Moderate reading required.
Voiced
All Dialogue is Voiced: All of the game dialogue and narrative can be voiced.
Menus are Voiced: All of the game menus can be narrated for easier navigation.
Controls
How you control the game, different options for alternative inputs and whether you can remap these settings to suit your needs.
Touchscreen
Touchscreen controls for this game are:
One Tap Anywhere: Play with touchscreen, tap anywhere.
One Motion Targeted: Play with touchscreen, tap and swipe or hold gesture.
Image
How you can adjust the visuals to suit your needs, and offer additional information if you can't hear the game.
Colourblind friendly: Game doesn’t rely on colour or can switch to colourblind friendly mode.
Play Without Sight: The game can be played without visuals.
Audio
How you can adjust the audio of the game and whether audio cues compensate for aspects of the game that are hard to see.
Play Without Hearing: No audio cues are necessary to play the game well
System Settings
Android has accessibility settings including ways to navigate and interact, although not all games support this. Windows has extensive accessibility features. Some, like colour correction, work with games. Lots of accessibility software can be used with PC games, from voice recognition to input device emulators. iOS has a very extensive suite of accessibility settings including ways to navigate with voice and comprehensive screen reading, though most of the features don't work with games... read more about system accessibility settings.
Supported by PlayabilityInitiative and accessibility contributors: @superblindman
Games Like King of Dragon Pass
The following games are like King of Dragon Pass. They address a similar topic or offer a similar way to play. They are good options to play next and also good alternatives to King of Dragon Pass for younger age ratings.
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