| Publishers | Adventure Simulations Games (US), Standard Games (UK) |
|---|---|
| Years active | 1988 to unknown |
| Genres | play-by-mail, fantasy |
| Languages | English |
| Playing time | unlimited (open ended) |
| Materials required | Instructions, order sheets, turn results, paper, pencil |
| Media type | Play-by-mail or email |
Dark Blades is a computer moderated, fantasy play-by-mail game published by Adventure Simulations Games in the United States and Standard Games in the United Kingdom (UK).
Dark Blades was published by Standard Games in the UK. [1] It was based on Standard Games' Dark Blades board game. [2] It was one of the play-by-mail games represented at Origins Game Fair 1990. [3]
Dark Blades is a play-by-mail game in which the Isle of Labrynthia is the setting, and players are either human or mon-oger. [4] It was a computer moderated, open-ended fantasy game. [5] [4] There were 100 players per game which occurred on the "island continent of Labrynthia, and around a mammoth race war between the Humans and the Mon-Ogres" a hybrid race of humans and ogres. [1] The game's purpose was to be the first player to complete ten interim and a final task. [6] Players could create characters choosing among ten races and then assigning them as a Trader or Warrior. [6] Movement occurs on a hex map. [6]
Stewart Wieck reviewed Dark Blades in White Wolf No. 24 (Dec./Jan., 1990), rating it a 1 out of 5 and stated that "With the color box and map, this game looks nice, but it plays poorly. Because the turnsheets are messy with repetitious messages, I cannot even recommend this game to PBM newcomers despite the simple order structure and interesting setting.." [4] Wayne reviewed the game in a 1988 issue of Computer and Video Games , praising the quality of the game materials including the cover artwork. [5]