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From 1988 to 1993 SSI released a series of computer role-playing games made with the Gold Box engine.

I would like to know their chronological order of release.

I know Pool of Radiance (1988) was first, followed by Curse of the Azure Bonds (1989), Champions of Krynn (1990) and Secret of the Silver Blades (1990).

I found the correct order of these last two in the book Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games that states, emphasis mine:

The first of SSI's"Gold Box" spin-offs is Champions of Krynn, released in 1990 for Amiga, Apple II, Commodore 64, and of course, DOS. Chronologically speaking, it was the third "Gold Box" game [...]

I tried searching for the rest of the games:

  • Neverwinter Nights (1991)
  • Death Knights of Krynn (1991)
  • Pools of Darkness (1991)
  • Gateway to the Savage Frontier (1991)
  • The Dark Queen of Krynn (1992)
  • Treasures of the Savage Frontier (1992)

But I have not found more info. Most pages about these games have them usually grouped under their respective trilogies.

So... what's their chronological order of release?

Note that there were also two Buck Rogers games made on the same engine, while I'm not particularly interested in those, maybe it would be nice to have this info for others.

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  • Man, it seems like you got it all figured out all ready.
    – The Mattbat999
    Mar 15, 2019 at 1:53
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    There was also Hillsfar released after Pool of Radiance, but before Curse. Not a Gold box, but it was in the same "series" in that you could take you game from Pool to it, then move it to Curse.
    – Zenzizenzizenzic
    Mar 18, 2020 at 15:53

1 Answer 1

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From the Neverwinter Nights wiki page

Case approved funding for NWN and work began with the game going live 18 months later in March 1991.

According to the wiki-page of Death Knights of Krynn, Scorpia reviewed the game in July 1991.

Pools of Darkness reviews point it towards December 1991/January 1992.

Gateway to the Savage Frontier has a direct release date:

The title was the #1 selling MS-DOS game in North America in August 1991

For Dark Queen of Krynn, we once again only have review dates. Scorpia reviewed it in September 1992.

Treasures of the Savage Frontier was reviewed in the Dragon magazine in August 1992.

This puts the six games you are missing in the following chronology:

  • Neverwinter Nights - March 1991
  • Death Knights of Krynn - July 1991
  • Gateway to the Savage Frontier - August 1991
  • Pools of Darkness - December 1991
  • Treasures of the Savage Frontier - August 1992
  • Dark Queen of Krynn - September 1992

This may not be 100% accurate, especially in the case of the two Savage Frontier/Krynn games, which released so close to each other, but I cannot find any more accurate information.

Buck Rogers was reviewed by Scorpia in January 1991, so we can put the release date to December 1990, which would put the game before Neverwinter Nights and after Secret of the silver blades.

Buck Rogers 2 was reviewed in May 1992, so would slot in after Pools of Darkness.

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  • Thanks for the answer (+1). I've found these Scorpia reviews referenced everywhere - I have even read the one about DKK. Now, checking the review dates in Mobygames for the last two (DQK, TotSF) shows indeed that dates are too close.
    – Mr. Flay Sepulcrast
    Mar 15, 2019 at 8:51
  • To answer the last part of my comment above, I've found this: "and The Dark Queen of Krynn, the very last Gold Box game, was released in 1992 and sold 40,640 copies." :) - I will accept your answer in a few hours, if nothing new is added.
    – Mr. Flay Sepulcrast
    Mar 15, 2019 at 9:45

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