The Bard's Tale
You are the Bard, a selfish rogue weary of pointless sub-quests and rat-infested cellars. Now includes original classic games The Bard’s Tale 1, 2 & 3!
- Released
- 1985
- Developer
- Interplay Entertainment
- Platforms
- 1 systems
- Critics
- 70
- Steam Deck
- playable
- Download
- Not stated
What is The Bard's Tale?
You are the Bard, a selfish rogue weary of pointless sub-quests and rat-infested cellars. Now includes original classic games The Bard’s Tale 1, 2 & 3!
Description as published by the developer on its own store page, read 30 August 2026. It is marketing copy, not our assessment.
The record
| First released | 1 January 1985 |
|---|---|
| Developer | Interplay Entertainment |
| Publisher | Electronic Arts |
| Platforms | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| Genres | Role-Playing |
| Languages | 7 supported |
Source. Catalogue facts from Wikidata Q1415070, seeded 30 August 2026. Store data from Steam, read 30 August 2026.
How was The Bard's Tale received?
Method. Player figures are Steam's own totals for the PC version, read 30 August 2026. The Metacritic score is the one Steam publishes on its store page and can lag the site itself. Metacritic page. Neither is our opinion. We have not published a review of this game.
Accessibility
Seeing
None declared
Hearing
None declared
Input
- Partial Controller Support
Difficulty
None declared
Method. Features the publisher declared on its own store page. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
What does it support?
| Capability | Support |
|---|---|
| Controller | partial support |
| Cloud saves | No |
| Cross-platform play | No |
| Mod support | No official workshop |
| Online play | Single-player only |
| In-game purchases | No |
| Steam Deck | playable |
| Download size | Not stated |
| Add-on content | None listed |
| Age gate | None |
Method. Read from the publisher's Steam listing on 30 August 2026. Describes the PC version. Console versions differ.
What does it cost?
Steam price in US dollars, read 30 August 2026. Prices move hourly and vary by region. Check the current price.
Problems players report
We read the 278 most recent negative Steam reviews of The Bard's Tale on 30 August 2026 and counted what they mention. These are complaints, not confirmed defects: we have not reproduced any of them, and a review describes one person's machine. What the counts tell you is which problems more than one person ran into.
- Crashes and freezes27 of 278 (10%)
BTW, the game 1/3 (silently) crashes on quit with Windows 10.
Steam review, 27 May 2018 · 4 hours played · 15 readers marked it helpfulHere are some issues I had while playing: - First and foremost, this game crashes.
Steam review, 20 August 2024 · 20 hours played · 13 readers marked it helpful - Will not launch or install12 of 278 (4%)
Too bad the port doesn't run well, its choppy, controler support is terrible, and theres not much you can do to improve it.
Steam review, 7 January 2018 · 9 hours played · 4 readers marked it helpfulIf this doesn't run on deck that's fine, but it should be labeled as such.
Steam review, 30 June 2026 · 0 hours played · 2 readers marked it helpful
A further 23 reviews call the game buggy or broken without saying how, which is why they are counted separately rather than assigned to a theme. Counted by keyword across review text, so a review discussing two problems is counted under both. Read the reviews yourself.
Games like The Bard's Tale
24 games overlap with The Bard's Tale on the tags Steam players applied to it, on genre, and on theme. The closest are Stories: The Path of Destinies, Divine Divinity and Fable.
Common questions about The Bard's Tale
What platforms is The Bard's Tale on?
The Bard's Tale is available on Nintendo Entertainment System. It first released in 1985.
How much does The Bard's Tale cost?
$19.99 on Steam in the United States, read on 30 August 2026. Prices move often and vary by region, so check the store before buying.
Do players recommend The Bard's Tale?
75% of 1,453 Steam reviews are positive, which Steam rates Mostly Positive. That is players rating it, not our review. We have not published a review of this game.
What is the Metacritic score for The Bard's Tale?
70 out of 100 for the PC version, as published on the game's own Steam store page. Steam can lag Metacritic by a few points.
Does The Bard's Tale work on Steam Deck?
Valve rates The Bard's Tale as playable on the Steam Deck, from its own testing.
Who made The Bard's Tale?
The Bard's Tale was developed by Interplay Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts.