Avadon: The Black Fortress
First entry in the Avadon trilogy, set in the continent of Lynaeus.
Avadon: The Black Fortress is a role-playing game for a single player, created by Spiderweb Software and launching the Avadon trilogy. It first came out on Mac OS X in February 2011, followed by a Windows version in May and an iPad release on June 18. Later ports brought it to Android and Linux, and it was part of the Humble Bundle for Android 2.
The game takes place on the continent of Lynaeus, where two main factions are at war, with internal conflicts also brewing. The Pact, an alliance of five nations, controls the continent’s center, while the Farlands—a collection of fading empires and barbarian lands—surround it. The Pact formed to repel invasions from the Farlands, whose territories include creatures like Wretches, Giants, and Titans; Dragons and other fantasy beings also inhabit Lynaeus. Within the Pact, the fortress of Avadon acts as a dedicated force: a small army of warriors, spies, assassins, and diplomats—called Hands, Eyes, and Hearts—whose job is to protect the Pact by eliminating threats before they grow, whether internal or external. Avadon’s servants hold immense power and answer to no ordinary laws; they are the law, though this authority can lead to corruption. The fortress is led by the Keeper, Redbeard, a powerful and enigmatic figure elected by the Pact’s council for an unnaturally long lifetime. Players control a group of Hands under Redbeard, tasked with uncovering and fighting a conspiracy against the Pact.
In gameplay, the player picks a character class—Blademaster, Shadowwalker, Shaman, or Sorceress—and can later recruit up to two additional characters from the same set of classes for missions given by Avadon’s leaders. This system adds a more developed companion feature than earlier Spiderweb games, as these characters have their own views on the Pact and the player’s actions. Each class has dozens of unique abilities, including damage-dealing spells, summons, blessings, curses, healing rituals, and physical skills. The game includes elaborate scripted encounters designed to encourage varied tactics and different party combinations.
Critics generally received Avadon: The Black Fortress well, earning a 77% score on Metacritic from seven reviews and 77% on GameRankings from nine. Reviewers praised its deep storytelling and gameplay but criticized its crude graphics and weak sound effects. Rock, Paper, Shotgun gave a positive re
- Developer
- Spiderweb Software
- Release (Mac OS X)
- February 2011
- Release (Windows)
- May 2011
- Release (iPad)
- June 18, 2011
- Genre
- Single-player role-playing video game
- Metacritic score
- 77% (from seven reviews)
- GameRankings score
- 77% (from nine reviews)
Lore & Background
The Avadon series is set on the fictional continent of Lynaeus, divided between two primary warring factions: the Pact, an alliance of five nations in the centre, and the Farlands, a loose-knit group of faded empires and barbarian territories on the outskirts. The Pact has banded together to fend off invasion from the Farlands, which includes such fantasy creatures as Wretches, Giants, and Titans, while Dragons also exist within Lynaeus. The fortress of Avadon is a force within the Pact, a small army of warriors, spies, assassins, and diplomats (known as Hands, Eyes, and Hearts) tasked to protect the Pact and eliminate threats. Avadon is led by its 'Keeper' Redbeard, a powerful and mysterious figure elected by the council that decides matters relevant to all members of the Pact, holding the position for his unnaturally long life.
Reader's Guide
Avadon: The Black Fortress is significant as the first game in the Avadon trilogy, establishing the setting and mechanics that define the series. The player assumes the role of a Blademaster, Shadowwalker, Shaman, or Sorceress and can recruit up to two other characters from the same set of four classes for missions, adding a more fleshed-out companion feature than in previous Spiderweb Software games. Each character class has its own set of several dozen abilities, including spells, blessings, curses, rituals, and physical skills. The game features elaborate scripted encounters intended to encourage a variety of tactics using differing party compositions. Reception was generally favorable, with critics praising its depth of storytelling and gameplay while criticizing its crude graphics and lack of better sound effects. Rock, Paper, Shotgun gave a positive review, and GameSpot awarded it 7/10, noting its engaging focus on storytelling and turn-based party combat reminiscent of Gold Box games.
Did You Know?
- The game was released for Mac OS X in February 2011, for Windows in May, and for the iPad on June 18.
- The fortress of Avadon includes warriors, spies, assassins, and diplomats known as Hands, Eyes, and Hearts.
- The player can choose from four classes: Blademaster, Shadowwalker, Shaman, or Sorceress.
- The game received a score of 77% on both Metacritic and GameRankings.
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