Dark Sorcerer's Delight

Games where being an astonishingly evil wizard is possible and distinct from being a normal wizard, or even just the only option. Ideally very involved gameplay mechanics or changes the story. Probably won't include too many adventure games on here, but if there's notable examples I'll add them.

As the inclusion of ACS and Cultist Sim indicates, doesn't necessarily have to be a dnd wizard. That being said stuff like VTM: Bloodlines I'm not going to count because even the wizard vampires are more vampire than wizard in the end.

Geneforge Saga
Geneforge Saga
Shapers dress like what you'd find if you searched for "evil wizard costume" in a Spirit Halloween.
Wizards and Warlords
Wizards and Warlords
Evil Wizard
Evil Wizard
I'm going to trust the title.
Shadows of Forbidden Gods
Shadows of Forbidden Gods
More like playing Sauron but your henchmen can be evil wizards.
Conquest of Elysium 5
Conquest of Elysium 5
A lot of flavors of evil wizard here.
Disciples: Sacred Lands
Disciples: Sacred Lands
I only played a tiny bit of this but I remember one of the races is just actual demons.
Wizardry: The Return of Werdna - The Fourth Scenario
Wizardry: The Return of Werdna - The Fourth Scenario
Primordial example.
Dominions 5
Dominions 5
Like Shadows of Forbidden Gods going evil here is more like playing Sauron but you certainly will have some evil wizards as your followers. Starting the end of the world is an option.
Disciples II: Gold Edition
Disciples II: Gold Edition
Demons and undead.
Master of Magic
Master of Magic
Warlock: Master of the Arcane
Warlock: Master of the Arcane
Amazing Cultivation Simulator
Amazing Cultivation Simulator
Mortals might as well be consumables in this game.
Age of Wonders
Age of Wonders
Putting this because it's my favorite and there's a whole evil campaign in this.
Iratus: Lord of the Dead
Iratus: Lord of the Dead
Sacrifice
Sacrifice
Pretty much the entire reason this list exists.
Battle for Wesnoth
Battle for Wesnoth
Descent into Darkness campaign.
Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber
Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber
Enclave
Enclave
Even if the evil wizards are mostly indistinguishable from the good ones, the aesthetics sell it here.
Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen
Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen
Sunless Skies
Sunless Skies
I never got far enough to see if there's opportunities to be an evil wizard here, but I'd be more surprised if there weren't.
The Void
The Void
Gonna be honest I had no idea what I was doing in this one, but it felt vaguely sinister.
Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
Necromancers are pretty much the metabuild in this game.
Tactics Ogre: Reborn
Tactics Ogre: Reborn
Law route is more intense than a lot of the other games on this list, so I'm putting this here even if you're probably not making Denam a necromancer.
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth
Saruman is quintessential.
Cultist Simulator
Cultist Simulator
Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter Nights
Sunless Sea
Sunless Sea
Pathfinder: Kingmaker
Pathfinder: Kingmaker
I'm not sure how far you can actually go as an evil kingdom in this, but I imagine it counts if Morrowind counts because of the Telvanni.
Tyranny
Tyranny
Heroes of Might and Magic III: Complete
Heroes of Might and Magic III: Complete
Series I've always kind of neglected, but I believe there's some solid evil choices in these. 2 I remember letting you play on the side of the evil brother.
Total War: Warhammer
Total War: Warhammer
Comical amounts of evil wizards.
Fear & Hunger 2: Termina
Fear & Hunger 2: Termina
Baldur's Gate
Baldur's Gate
Planescape: Torment
Planescape: Torment
Shin Megami Tensei
Shin Megami Tensei
Just pick chaos. Counts for any of these games.
Divinity: Original Sin II
Divinity: Original Sin II
The gimmick here is you're evil wizards as far as I remember (I do not remember this game much at all.)
Fear & Hunger
Fear & Hunger
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Included just because the Telvanni are almost as definitional as Sacrifice.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Comments




Last updated: