Pool of Radiance on NES is one of those old-school RPGs where character creation feels like rolling dice at a real D&D table—except you can't cheat. You pick your party (max five, so choose wisely), then the game slaps random stats on them, no take-backs. Ever get a mage with the strength of an ox but the brains of a brick? Yeah, that happens. Or a fighter who folds like paper because they rolled 4 HP. The game plays fast and loose with AD&D rules too—clerics swing swords, armored mages cast spells, and nobody seems to care about the handbook. It’s janky, frustrating, and weirdly charming if you can stomach the RNG.

Just don’t expect it to hold your hand when your perfectly planned party gets wrecked by a lucky kobold.