The final season of HBO's Game of Thrones was unanimously, a dumpster fire. Fans might never recover from the series of narrative mistakes and shortcomings which marked the finale of the popular show. Thankfully, Game of Thrones is but one adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire, other mediums exist, such as video games, to relive those glory moments and possibly stir them into more favorable seas.
Throughout the previous decade and the one before that, there have been a handful of Game of Thrones video games that fans of dialogue-based titles or fans of the fantasy franchise ought to give a try. Here's how they fared, ranked by their critic scores-- they're not exactly stellar but should still be more acceptable compared to Season 8.
BLOOD OF DRAGONS - TBD
A few years before A Song of Ice and Fire became popularized by HBO's Game of Thrones, the franchise attempted a simple browser game called Blood of Dragons. This was back in 2007 and browsers were still relatively weaker back then.
As such, Blood of Dragons was a simple text-based video game or the so-called MUSH. Given how A Song of Ice and Fire was heavily reliant on narrative, this was enough for the fans. However, didn't receive the recognition it should have prior to Game of Thrones' existence.
GAME OF THRONES: CONQUEST - TBD
Ever wanted to experience what it's like to be a lord of a castle in Game of Thrones? Then Game of Thrones: Conquest offers that but without the dangers of getting killed while sleeping. It's a mobile-only Game of Thrones video game released back in 2017.
Game of Thrones: Conquest was an interesting dark fantasy take on the tried and tested mobile-kingdom simulator that games like Clash of Clans have popularized. Still, it's not really that well-reviewed due to the limited platforms.
GAME OF THRONES: WINTER IS COMING - TBD
Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming is one of the latest video games in the franchise and true enough to its roots, it's also browser-based. Compared to Blood of Dragons, Winter is Coming shows off just how much browser technology has improved.
Winter is Coming is a fully 3D kingdom management simulator complete with animations of the noble lord feel.
GAME OF THRONES: BEYOND THE WALL - TBD
Released just this April this year, Game of Thrones: Beyond the Wall went relatively unnoticed due to more pressing worldwide concerns but Android and iOS s who are fans of the franchise should give it a try.
It's a free-to-play turn-based strategy based on Game of Thrones' events. It doesn't exactly follow the show canon but it still captures the spirit of the series. Players get to control a small band of soldiers and manage castles and keeps when not in combat.
GAME OF THRONES: TALE OF CROWS - TBD
One of the most recent Game of Thrones video game, having been only released this back on August, Game of Thrones: Tale of Crows has yet to be reviewed en masse by critics. Still, those looking for a good narrative gameplay treat ought to give it a spin.
It's a text-based adventure game that also doubles as a Night's Watch management simulator. Players get to decide what to do with the happenings in and around the Wall. This one's one of the more unique titles here and should be worth trying for that alone.
A GAME OF THRONES: GENESIS - 53
Back in 2011, Game of Thrones first aired and it wasn't the big notorious hit it was today. It needed some promotional mediums to go along with it and A Game of Thrones: Genesis filled in that role for the video game industry.
Much like other Game of Thrones games, Genesis is a strategy game, particularly a top-down RTS that was only released for Windows PCs due to the inherent control complexity of RTS games. Sadly, it didn't do well in critical reception despite trying out some unique RTS mechanics in a genre that needs new twists.
GAME OF THRONES - 58
About a year after HBO's Game of Thrones was released and has proven its success, the franchise tried to get the same success in the video game industry with the aptly titled Game of Thrones video game. It's available for the consoles and PC, meaning the developers were aiming for the stars.
Sadly they missed. Game of Thrones was an odd action-adventure game with clunky combat and a horrid A.I. It tried to keep up with its RPG contemporaries such as The Elder Scrolls or The Witcher but ultimately failed due to the poor design.
GAME OF THRONES: ASCENT - 67
Game of Thrones: Ascent was one of the earliest mobile Game of Thrones video games and was released a few years after Genesis' failure. It was available for iOS, Android, and even Facebook for those on browsers.
Despite the limited mobile or browser-based platform, Ascent was rather ambitious with its additional and even released expansions that let players journey beyond the Wall. Unfortunately, it was shut down in 2019 after a six-year run for undisclosed reasons.
GAME OF THRONES: A TELLTALE GAMES SERIES - 69
One of the most popular Game of Thrones video games out there would be Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series. Unlike most Game of Thrones games, this one plays on the strengths of the show and the books: dialogue.
It's a full-3D game with voiced dialogue options and motion-captured characters for full immersion. They even brought in some of the show's stars to voice their video game characters. Players get their own inserted and generic characters to interact with the power players of the series which is pretty much the main selling point.
REIGNS: GAME OF THRONES - 84
Here we are, the by far the most decent and respectable Game of Thrones video game (and also the most highly-rated), Reign: Game of Thrones is a breath of fresh air. It's a text-based mobile RPG that puts players in the role of a monarch whose standing in their kingdom changes with every decision.
The art style is certainly the most unique out of all the Game of Thrones video games. The gameplay is also simple yet more exciting than its failed siblings. All players have to do is swipe to make decisions (which is easy enough if they're into online dating). Except the swiping here can actually kill someone or be more successful.
