5 Greatest RPG Series From the 1980s, Ranked

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During the 1980s, software developers were constantly innovating, particularly for personal computers. Role-playing games began to gain popularity, inspired by the tabletop game Dungeons & Dragons. Developers wanted to recreate that experience on computers, leading to a lot of experimentation. While many attempts were made, a few series truly defined the decade. Some of these became huge franchises, while others faded away, but they all captivated fans of the genre during the 1980s.

This list highlights the five top RPG series from the 1980s. We’re only considering games released during that decade, so later successes aren’t factored in.

5) Final Fantasy

Man, things were rough for Square back in the late ’80s. Seriously, if the first Final Fantasy hadn’t blown up like it did, they might not have survived! I remember being totally hooked by that game when it came out – it looked amazing for its time, and having different character classes to play as kept things fresh. It was a total lifesaver for both them and RPG fans like me.

If we were considering the entire Final Fantasy series, it would be much higher on this list. However, only the first two games, Final Fantasy 1 and 2, were released in the 80s. Both are excellent RPGs that demonstrated the potential of the genre on consoles. It’s also important to remember that Western audiences didn’t get access to Final Fantasy until 1990. While it’s unfortunate that it took so long, the absence of many other games from the series during that decade limits its ranking.

4) The Bard’s Tale

Unlike Final Fantasy, The Bard’s Tale started as a very different kind of game. The first installment was released by Interplay Productions in 1985, with two sequels appearing quickly in 1986 and 1988. Later, in 1991, a toolset allowing players to create their own dungeons was added – an interesting feature, though it didn’t satisfy those eager for a true The Bard’s Tale 4.

The game finally arrived in 2018, but it wasn’t a huge success. It felt more like a spin-off from the early 2000s than a proper continuation of the original series. Originally, The Bard’s Tale was a highly regarded PC role-playing game known for its excellent user interface and incredibly detailed story. However, it quickly faded away, leaving fans waiting for a sequel for many years.

3) Dragon Quest

Similar to Final Fantasy, many fans believe the Dragon Quest series peaked in the 1990s. However, Dragon Quest has a slight advantage – the original three games were released in the 1980s. Remarkably, the first game came out in 1986, and the developer, Chunsoft, released a new installment every year until 1989, when they paused to create the fourth game.

There’s no question that Dragon Quest is a hugely important game, particularly in Japan. While Final Fantasy is now more popular, a new Dragon Quest release is always a big deal. The original three games were incredibly successful because they combined easy-to-learn gameplay with memorable characters and beautiful art by Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball Z. It was the perfect combination, arriving at just the right moment.

2) Wizardry

Now let’s talk about the games that really defined the genre. Wizardry, along with the next game we’ll look at, was a pioneer in creating these virtual worlds. The developers at Sir-Tech took the popular gameplay elements from Dungeons & Dragons and adapted them for the Apple II computer, offering players a visually engaging world to discover.

The popularity of Wizardry came from its immersive dungeon crawling experience. Sir-Tech created detailed and challenging mazes, packed with monsters and traps for players to explore. The original game debuted in 1981, and fans enjoyed four sequels throughout the 1980s. While primarily available on PCs, limiting its reach at the time, Wizardry’s impact on the role-playing game genre is still significant today.

1) Ultima

While Wizardry focused on dungeon crawling with battles and treasure, Ultima offered a different approach to early role-playing games. Ultima emphasized exploration in a vast, open world. More importantly, it was a pioneer in RPG storytelling, moving beyond simple combat to offer players complex and engaging narratives – a significant step forward for the genre.

Beyond its core gameplay, the Ultima series became known for blending fantasy with science fiction – even introducing time travel. This willingness to experiment helped Ultima become unique and continues to influence games today. Throughout the 1980s, five major Ultima titles were released, and while it saw some success in the 1990s, the series has been mostly inactive since then.

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2026-06-13 01:11