Pool of Radiance

Pool of Radiance
Commodore version of the box cover for the game
Developer(s)	Strategic Simulations, Inc.
Publisher(s)	Strategic Simulations, Inc. Pony Canyon (Japan)
Distributor(s)	Electronic Arts
Composer(s)	David Warhol (Computer versions) Seiji Toda (NES/PC-98 versions) Wally Beben (Amiga version)
Engine	Gold Box
Platform(s)	Amiga, Apple II, C64, MS-DOS, Apple Macintosh, NES, PC-9800
Release	June 1988 1989 (Mac) April 1992 (NES)
Genre(s)	Role-playing video game, Tactical RPG
Mode(s)	Single player

Review scores
Publication	Score
Dragon
Amiga Action	79%
Commodore User	9/10
G.M.	n/a
The Games Machine	89%
Zzap!64	80%

Pool of Radiance is a role-playing video game developed and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc (SSI) in 1988. It was the first adaptation of TSR's Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) fantasy role-playing game for home computers, becoming the first episode in a four-part series of D&D computer adventure games. The other games in the "Gold Box" series used the game engine pioneered in Pool of Radiance, as did later D&D titles such as the Neverwinter Nights online game. Pool of Radiance takes place in the Forgotten Realms fantasy setting, with the action centered in and around the port city of Phlan.

Just as in traditional D&D games, the player starts by building a party of up to six characters, deciding the race, sex, class and ability scores for each. The player's party is enlisted to help the settled part of the city by clearing out the marauding inhabitants that have taken over the surroundings. The characters move on from one area to another, battling bands of enemies as they go and ultimately confronting the powerful leader of the evil forces. During play the player characters gain experience points, which allow them to increase their capabilities. The game primarily uses a first-person perspective, with the screen divided into sections to display pertinent textual information. During combat sequences, the display switches to a top-down "video game isometric" view.