Though it is primarily known as a tabletop roleplaying game, Dungeons & Dragons is no stranger to other mediums. Over the years, TSR and later Wizards of the Coast have sought to expand the D&D brand by releasing many tie-in products, with one of the most obvious choices being video games. D&D video games have been around since the 1980's with wildly varying levels of quality.
Some of the best video games of all time have been D&D games, including the Baldur's Gate series and Planescape: Torment. Unfortunately, not all of these games have been hits. The review aggregate site Metacritic shows some pretty dismal reviews for several of D&D's video game titles, though there are dozens more without Metacritic scores.
10 D&D Online Is The Weaker MMO (74)
First released as Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach and later rebranded as simply D&D Online or, DDO, is one of two currently supported D&D MMORPGs alongside Neverwinter. It features content from both the Eberron and Forgotten Realms settings, and uses a slightly modified version of the D&D 3.5 rules. DDO received some positive attention after it went free-to-play, but it still lags slightly behind Neverwinter in terms of ratings, with only a 6.8 out of 10 User Score.
9 Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes Isn't Much Beyond A Quick Co-op Game (72)
Released in 2003 exclusively for Xbox, Dungeons and Dragons: Heroes was a hack-and-slash game that allowed up to four players at once. It featured four playable characters, a human fighter, elf wizard, dwarf cleric, and halfling rogue, along with classic D&D monsters like dragons and fire giants.
Critics praised it as a somewhat fun, if mindless, game good to play with friends, but called it somewhat messy in execution. Players were a little more fond of it, as it has a healthy 7.8 User Score.
8 Temple Of Elemental Evil Is Not A Great Showing For Greyhawk (71)
Released the same year as Heroes, Temple of Elemental Evil is the only PC RPG to take place in the Greyhawk setting. It featured a detailed character creation system modeled after the 3.5 version of the rules, and some have called it the most faithful adaptation of those rules. Unfortunately, it faced criticism for stability and interface issues. It has received something of a fan revival in the past decade and has a User Score of 7.7.
7 Demon Stone Fails To Stand Out (PS2 and Xbox 71, PC 69)
Featuring a story written by notable D&D author R. A. Salvatore, Forgotten Realms: Dragon Stone features three playable characters that the player can swap between at any time. Each character has their own strengths and abilities that the player must use appropriately to finish the game.
There aren't a lot of reviews on Metacritic, but all of them call it a middling hack-and-slash game that loses its appeal very quickly. Users are similarly dissatisfied, though the PlayStation 2 version is the clear favorite with a 7.1 User Score.
6 Dungeons & Dragons Tactics Is A Portable Disaster (58)
D&D is known for its tactical combat, so it makes sense that there would be a few tactical video games released under the license. Dungeons & Dragons Tactics is a tactical RPG released in 2007 for the PlayStation Portable. It features a simple overworld with random encounters, shops, and missions. The main gameplay took place in a turn-based, top-down portion, much like similar tactics-based games. Though critics were very harsh, noting the game's challenging interface and controls, fans were a lot happier with this game and it has a 7.6 User Score.
5 Pool Of Radiance: Ruins Of Myth Drannor Doesn't Do Its Series Any Favors (57)
Though it is the fifth and final entry in the Pool of Radiance series, 2001's Ruins of Myth Drannor is the only one with a Metacritic score. It is an isometric RPG similar to Baldur's Gate, but Ruins of Myth Drannor uses a turn-based combat system instead of a real-time one. Like many D&D games, Ruins of Myth Drannor faced harsh criticism for simply being uninspired and dull, issues not helped by its technical issues. Fans have some slightly better things to say, but it still only has a 6.4 User Score.
4 Dark Alliance Besmirches The Name (Xbox Series X 58, PS5 57, PC 53)
Despite sharing a name with the exceptionally popular Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, the 2021 action RPG D&D: Dark Alliance was not very well received at all. It features iconic playable characters from the Legend of Drizzt series, including Drizzt Do'Urden, Catti-brie, Bruenor Battlehammer, and the barbarian Wulfgar. Some critics said it was ok when played with friends, but fans and critics alike pointed out game-breaking bugs and a lack of good enough content to appeal to people who were not already fans. Fans were even more disappointed, as the Xbox Series X version has the highest User Score with a 4.7.
3 Eye Of The Beholder Is Far From Beautiful (57)
Adapted from a 1991 game of the same name, Eye of the Beholder was released on the Game Boy Advance in 2002. It features just four character classes and a handful of skills and feats, making for a stripped-down version of the 3rd Edition D&D rules.
It's difficult to get ahold of today, but that might be for the best. Players and critics agree on its poor graphics and sound design, along with some gameplay issues, and it has only a 5.9 User Score.
2 Sword Coast Legends Is Legendarily Poor (PC 61, Xbox One 58, PS4 51)
D&D video games haven't been doing incredibly well in the last few years, and Sword Coast Legends is no exception. This action RPG, released in 2015, takes place in the Forgotten Realms region of the Sword Coast. It features a Dungeon Master game mode for multiplayer, but this couldn't make up for its shortcomings. It was lambasted for being full of cliches and having an overall lack of polish. Users were similarly dissatisfied, barely cracking a 6.0 User Score.
1 Daggerdale Is A Complete Flop (PC 49, Xbox 360 and PC 46)
The absolute worst D&D game with a Metacritic score is 2011's Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale. This game features third-person, real-time combat somewhat similar to the Baldur's Gate series. The developers also referenced D&D: Heroes as an inspiration, which might not be the best place to draw from. Critics tore this game to pieces, citing a grindy gameplay loop, unexciting combat, and inescapable gameplay issues. Fans didn't like it any better, as the most accurate User Score sits right about at a 5.0.