The Legend of Kyrandia

The Legend of Kyrandia was Westwood Studios' 1992 point-and-click adventure and the first chapter of a trilogy. You play Brandon, a young man whose peaceful fairytale kingdom is thrown into chaos when the court jester Malcolm murders the king, seizes a powerful magical gemstone called the Kyragem, and begins draining the land of its magic. Brandon's quest to stop him takes him through enchanted forests, dark caves, and a memorably maddening gemstone maze.

The game was one of the first to arrive on CD-ROM with a fully hand-painted, richly coloured look that stood out against the more utilitarian adventures of the time. The interface was famously streamlined, dispensing with the verb lists of Sierra and LucasArts games in favour of simple mouse clicks, which made it approachable even for newcomers. Its puzzles lean heavily on item collection and combination, and Brandon's ability to pick and use magical fireberries and other objects gives the world a tactile, exploratory feel.

Kyrandia is not without its frustrations. The infamous cave sequence, where you navigate pitch-black tunnels by lighting fireberries before they burn out, has tested the patience of many players. But its warmth, its gentle humour, and its lovely fairytale atmosphere have kept it fondly remembered. It launched a series that would grow more ambitious with each entry, and it remains an inviting entry point to early-90s adventuring.