King’s Bounty – The Conqueror’s Quest is one of those old-school Sega Genesis gems that still holds up if you’re into turn-based strategy. You start off picking a hero—knight, paladin, barbarian, or sorceress—and honestly, I always went sorceress because magic just feels right in these kinds of games.

The map’s this big, colorful grid of castles, forests, and dungeons, and you’re basically running around recruiting armies (elves, skeletons, dragons—the usual) while trying not to get wrecked by the enemy generals. Battles play out on this little chessboard-style field, and positioning matters way more than you’d think at first. That one time I sent my knights charging straight into a pack of archers? Yeah, don’t do that.

It’s got that classic 16-bit charm—chunky sprites, chiptune fanfares when you win a fight—but what really sticks with me is how weirdly addictive it is hunting down treasure and leveling up your hero. Just one more turn, right? If you missed this back in the day, it’s still a solid time for strategy fans who don’t mind some retro jank.