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Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - Pool of Radiance
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Pool of Radiance is a turn-based RPG developed by Strategic Simulations in 1992 for the NES. The game lets players create custom adventurers and lead them through grid-based dungeons filled with monsters and treasures. Combat is turn-based, with attacks, spells, and special abilities resolved in sequence. Players manage character attributes, equipment, and spell inventories while navigating various dungeon levels with different layouts and enemy encounters. The game features a party system where multiple characters can be managed, each with distinct classes and abilities. Exploration requires careful resource management as healing items are limited. The level structure progresses through increasingly challenging dungeons, with players returning to towns between expeditions to rest, heal, and obtain better equipment. The controls use the NES controller for menu navigation and movement, with selection-based menus for combat and spell casting.
- Developer
- Strategic Simulations
- Released
- 1992
- Platform
- NES
- Genre
- RPG
- Players
- 1P
- Rating
- 4.4 / 5 (1.6K)
- Last updated
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - Pool of Radiance Controls — NES Keyboard Keys
Default keyboard bindings for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - Pool of Radiance on our in-browser NES emulator. Plug in a USB or Bluetooth gamepad to auto-detect mappings, or rebind any key from the emulator settings menu.
| Keyboard | Console button | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| ↑ | D-Pad Up | Move up |
| ↓ | D-Pad Down | Move down |
| ← | D-Pad Left | Move left |
| → | D-Pad Right | Move right |
| X | A | Primary action (jump / confirm) |
| Z | B | Secondary action (attack / cancel) |
| Enter | Start | Start / Pause |
| Shift | Select | Select / Mode |
Rebind any key from the EmulatorJS in-game settings menu (gear icon → Controls). A connected gamepad auto-maps to the same buttons.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - Pool of Radiance Longplay & Gameplay Videos
Watch a full playthrough of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - Pool of Radiance on NES before you dive in — recommended for getting a feel for the game's pacing, story beats, and difficulty curve.
Watch longplay on YouTube
"Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - Pool of Radiance" NES longplay 1992
External references
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - Pool of Radiance released?
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - Pool of Radiance was released in 1992 for the NES.
Who developed Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - Pool of Radiance?
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - Pool of Radiance was developed by Strategic Simulations, available to play in your browser on RetroGameSpace.
How many players does Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - Pool of Radiance support?
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - Pool of Radiance is a single-player RPG game for the NES.
What type of game is Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - Pool of Radiance?
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - Pool of Radiance is a RPG game for the NES, playable instantly in your browser — no downloads, no installs.
How can I play Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - Pool of Radiance for free?
Open this page and click "Play Now" — Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - Pool of Radiance runs free in your browser via WebAssembly emulation. No account, no payment, no installer.
Do I need to download anything to play Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - Pool of Radiance in the browser?
No. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - Pool of Radiance streams from a public archive into a browser-side NES emulator. Nothing is installed on your computer.
Can I save my progress in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - Pool of Radiance?
Yes. Save states are stored in your browser (IndexedDB) per game, and you can also use any in-game save the original NES cartridge supported.
Does Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - Pool of Radiance work on mobile devices?
Yes — the NES emulator runs on iOS Safari and Android Chrome. Touch controls overlay the game; landscape mode is recommended.
Is it legal to play Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - Pool of Radiance this way?
RetroGameSpace is a transient caching reverse-proxy and does not host first-party copies of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - Pool of Radiance. Game files are fetched on demand from publicly-accessible archives. You are responsible for compliance with your local laws and the bring-your-own-ROM principle.
