Baldur's Gate

Baldur’s Gate is a 1998 role-playing game developed by BioWare and published by Interplay Entertainment. Set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for Dungeons & Dragons, it follows a young orphan raised at Candlekeep, a fortified library on the Sword Coast. The protagonist leaves home with their foster father, Gorion, after unexplained threats make remaining there dangerous. Gorion is killed during their escape, leaving the player to investigate both the attack and a spreading shortage of usable iron. Early leads take the party to the mining town of Nashkel, where contaminated ore and hostile creatures point toward an organized conspiracy.

The investigation eventually exposes the Iron Throne, a mercantile organization manipulating the iron trade and regional politics. Its apparent leader, Sarevok, seeks to provoke a war between Baldur’s Gate and Amn. He also shares the protagonist’s divine ancestry: both are children of Bhaal, the dead god of murder. Sarevok intends to exploit the bloodshed for power, while the player pursues him through the city of Baldur’s Gate and its surrounding wilderness. The confrontation takes place beneath the city in a temple dedicated to Bhaal. The story makes the protagonist’s identity a central mystery rather than simply a routine character-creation choice.

Players create their protagonist by choosing a race, class, alignment, and abilities under the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons second-edition rules. Combat unfolds in real time but can be paused to issue orders, cast spells, or reposition a party of up to six characters. Recruitable companions have distinct personalities and conflicts: Imoen joins near Candlekeep, while the ranger Minsc travels with Boo, his miniature giant space hamster. Jaheira and Khalid form one possible partnership, and the mage Edwin seeks Dynaheir’s death. Exploration connects towns, forests, mines, and the titular metropolis, with optional quests drawing players away from the central investigation.

BioWare built the game using its Infinity Engine, which presented pre-rendered environments from an isometric perspective. The interface offered character portraits, inventory management, dialogue choices, and a journal for tracking quests. In 1999, the expansion Tales of the Sword Coast added areas including Durlag’s Tower and the village of Ulgoth’s Beard, alongside additional adventures. The original game launched a series continued by Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn in 2000, which carried forward the Bhaalspawn storyline. An Enhanced Edition, developed by Overhaul Games and released in 2012, brought the original adventure to newer platforms with interface changes and additional content.