King’s Bounty on the Genesis is one of those old-school strategy gems that doesn’t get enough love. You start off picking a hero—paladin, knight, barbarian, or sorceress—and right away, you realize each one plays totally different. The barbarian smashes through enemies, while the sorceress leans on magic, but good luck keeping her alive early on.

The map’s this big, colorful fantasy world where you recruit armies, hunt for treasure, and fight turn-based battles. The sprites are tiny but charming, and the music’s got that classic Genesis synth vibe. At first, you’ll probably wander into a fight with some goblins and get wrecked because you didn’t bring enough archers. Lesson learned.

It’s basically the granddaddy of Heroes of Might & Magic, just way simpler. No base-building, just pure adventuring with a side of “why did I think charging those dragons was a good idea?” You can play it in short bursts or lose an afternoon hunting down the last artifact. Still holds up if you’re into retro strategy.