This Long-Lost Classic D&D RPG Is Finally Coming to Steam Soon
A 2001 follow-up to one of the most influential PC RPGs ever is returning after 25 years with 4K support, modern controls, an improved UI, Steam Deck compatibility, bug fixes, and an optional Legacy mode.
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Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor, a largely inaccessible Dungeons & Dragons RPG from the same era of BioWare’s original Baldur’s Gate games, is finally returning to PC. You can see the trailer on the Steam page.
Boutique publisher SNEG is working with Wizards of the Coast to restore the 2001 dungeon crawler for modern PCs. The new version launches for Steam and GOG on November 6, while a Steam Next Fest demo is currently available through October 26. Progress made in the demo will transfer to the full game.
Developed by Stormfront Studios and originally published by Ubisoft, Ruins of Myth Drannor arrived during an important period for D&D video games. BioWare had revitalized the computer RPG with Baldur’s Gate in 1998 and Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn in 2000, establishing a style built around memorable companions, expansive storytelling, player choice, and tactical real-time combat with pausing. Both of those followed the original Pool of Radiance games from the late 1980s and early 1990s. The original Pool of Radiance, released by Strategic Simulations in 1988, was the first officially licensed Advanced Dungeons & Dragons computer RPG.
Ruins of Myth Drannor approached the same tabletop license from a markedly different direction. Although it similarly presented its Forgotten Realms adventure from an isometric perspective, it emphasized dungeon exploration and turn-based tactical combat over BioWare’s dialogue-heavy, companion-driven narrative formula.
SNEG’s restoration will introduce widescreen resolutions up to 4K, upscaled backgrounds, full controller support, reworked camera controls, and an improved interface featuring a new action bar and additional tooltips. Players will also be able to adjust combat animation speeds, use Steam Cloud saves, unlock achievements, and play on Steam Deck.
An optional Legacy Mode will preserve the original presentation and gameplay for players seeking an experience closer to the 2001 release. SNEG also promises numerous bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements, which could be especially important for a game historically remembered as much for its technical problems as its ambition.
“Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor was an ambitious game for 2001. It has its own place in Dungeons & Dragons gaming history, but for years it has been challenging to experience on modern systems. Our goal with this re-release is simple: preserve what made the original special, fix what needs fixing, and make it accessible again to both longtime fans and a new generation of CRPG players.”
- Artem Shchuiko, SNEG Director
More than two decades later, Baldur’s Gate has become one of the defining names in modern RPGs, while Ruins of Myth Drannor largely disappeared from circulation. Its arrival on Steam and GOG offers players an opportunity to explore a different branch of D&D’s PC history, and to see how another ambitious studio translated tabletop adventuring during the genre’s turn-of-the-century resurgence.
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