Fit check
Is The Great Tournament worth it for you?
We tell you who should skip it, too.
Play it if you…
Good fit- Interactive-fiction readers who want a long medieval fantasy narrative
- RPG players interested in training and tournament competitions
- Story-focused players who want choices leading to different endings
Skip it if you…
Saves you a refund- Players seeking graphics, animated scenes, or sound effects
- Players who prefer a fixed story instead of branching choices and repeated playthroughs
- Players looking for exploration-heavy action gameplay rather than text-based competitions
Our take on The Great Tournament
Its defining format is a 190,000-word, text-only interactive novel in which player choices determine the medieval story’s direction and ending.
What is The Great Tournament?
Play as a peasant boy who becomes the squire of a renowned knight, then travel through a medieval realm competing in jousting, archery, and melee events.
Choose attributes, develop skills, and prepare for the titular tournament, whose outcome affects the realm. This 190,000-word interactive fantasy novel uses text rather than graphics or sound, with choices determining the story. Character creation and combat vary between playthroughs, while branching storylines lead to multiple endings. The character can pursue glory, romance, or political control, including an attempt to seize the kingdom’s power.
How The Great Tournament plays
- 01Tournament Competitions
- Take part in jousting, archery, and close-combat contests while progressing toward the final tournament.
- 02Skill Development
- Select attributes and practice abilities to prepare the character for competition.
- 03Branching Storylines
- Decisions shape different narrative routes and lead to multiple conclusions.
- 04Variable Playthroughs
- Character creation and combat variations mean successive games can unfold differently.
- 05Text-Based Format
- The 190,000-word story is presented without visual graphics or sound effects.
The Great Tournament compared to similar games
The Great Tournament presents a text-based medieval rise to knighthood centered on training, tournaments, and branching choices. Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition focuses on exploring a strange and dangerous city, while Ghost of a Tale combines medieval fantasy with action, exploration, stealth, disguises, and conversations. Back to the Dawn instead centers on surviving and escaping a maximum-security prison through fighting and investigation.
The Great Tournament: platforms & release
Is The Great Tournament worth it?
It is worth it if: interactive-fiction readers who want a long medieval fantasy narrative. Skip it if: players seeking graphics, animated scenes, or sound effects.
Where can I download The Great Tournament?
Use the Download Now button on this page: it opens The Great Tournament's store page, where you can choose how to get it.
What platforms is The Great Tournament on?
Windows, macOS and Linux.
