Riddle of the Runes

US Gold

Although there are a large number of screen savers out there available for the PC, they all look similar with only the pictures and transition effects changing from one to another. In this very conservative world, "Riddle of the Runes" from US Gold is a model of innovation.

If I think of all the screen savers I have tried out on my machine, there is only one word that comes to my mind: pictures. Whether they were animated or not, they were still images with nothing more or less. With "Riddle of The Runes", not only do you get the pictures but also music and entertainment with the Treasure Hunt.

A priceless treasure was stolen a long time ago by a Fiend and was never retrieved. It is said that servants were summoned by the Fiend and that one of them was given charge of the treasure's security and became the Fiend's Guardian. As an adventurer, it is now your goal to identify the nature of the treasure, the Guardian's identity, the place where the treasure was stolen from and the place where it is buried.

The hunt is based on a series of pictures about various expeditions led throughout the magical worlds of the TSR universe. With the help of the twenty-four pictures and enough concentration, you should find the solution according to rumors.

Apart from the Treasure Hunt, "Riddle of the Runes" features two other modes: adventurer and seer. The first one will allow you to explore the different worlds through maps and images. Select your destination in a specific world, and choose your path or let the computer walk you in at random. The Seer mode is more like a database in which you can watch a large set of pictures about places, characters and monsters of the seven fantastic worlds of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Sun, Ravenloft, Forgotten Realms, Al-Qadim, Planetscape, Mystara and Dragon Lance.

Conclusion

More than just a screen saver, "Riddle of the Runes" is a must have for TSR collectors and a very good occasion for testing your puzzle solving ability. Plus if you live in one of the countries where the competition is being held, you might win first prize!!

System Requirements:

486 SX-25 MHz or higher,
Min 8Mb memory,
Windows 3.1 and later, Windows 95,
Hard drive required,
Double speed CD-ROM drive or faster,
SVGA video graphic card.

Windows compatible sound card optional.