Pool of Radiance
The first Gold Box computer role-playing game and the beginning of SSI’s major AD&D era.
Curated by Tronsoft Museum
Overview and Release Context
The first Gold Box computer role-playing game and the beginning of SSI’s major AD&D era.
1988 | Commodore 64, Apple II, DOS and others | SSI | Licensed AD&D
Gameplay and Design
Exploration and narrative screens lead into turn-based tactical battles using party formation, spells, classes, equipment, and AD&D rules. Characters could continue into later titles.
Topics to Explore
- Rules, interface, and player decision-making
- Historical or fictional setting
- Platforms, versions, and technical constraints
- Designers, developers, and publishing context
- Links to related SSI titles
Historical Significance and Legacy
Pool of Radiance demonstrated that SSI’s tactical expertise could strengthen computer role-playing combat and launched one of the most recognizable licensed RPG families.
Artifacts and Preservation
The planned collection for Pool of Radiance includes packaging, manuals, reference cards, disks or disk images, screenshots, maps, advertisements, reviews, patches, and development commentary where legally available.