Seize the throne in the age of King Arthur! Lead an army of Britons against the darkest of enemies in this epic interactive medieval fantasy novel.
User reviews:
Overall:
Very Positive (73 reviews) - 83% of the 73 user reviews for this game are positive.
Release Date: Dec 4, 2015

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Includes 5 items: The Hero of Kendrickstone, Choice of the Petal Throne, Champion of the Gods, Pendragon Rising, Choice of Kung Fu

 

About This Game

Seize the throne in the age of King Arthur! Lead an army of Britons against the darkest of enemies in this epic interactive medieval fantasy novel.

"Pendragon Rising" is a thrilling 112,000-word interactive novel by Ian Thomas, where your choices control the story. It's entirely text-based--without graphics or sound effects--and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

As the bastard offspring of the aging ruler Pendragon, you’ll fight to save Britain from a demon-tainted enemy and claim the crown you deserve. Command an army as Arthur, brave son of Uther, or Arta, fearless daughter of Utta.

Charge heroically to the front of battle, or use tricks to defeat your foes. Dally with your childhood companion, or seek romance elsewhere. Hold the line with your closest friends against foreign invaders and their sinister magics. Find friendship, forge alliances, uncover plots, and triumph over creatures of nightmare to win a future for your people and your kingdom.

Will you be mercenary or merciful? Seductive or solitary? Most importantly, can you lead your allies to drive back the darkness, and seize your place as Pendragon of Britain?

  • A 112,000-word fantasy set in medieval Britain.
  • A Celtic take on the story of King Arthur against a dark background of war and strange magics.
  • Play as male or female, gay or straight.
  • Win over allies to swell the ranks of your army as you fight for the future of the kingdom.
  • Earn the acclaim of your people by performing heroic deeds that will turn your name into legend.
  • Claim your place as an unmatched warrior, a silver-tongued diplomat, or an inspirational leader.

System Requirements

Windows
Mac OS X
SteamOS + Linux
    Minimum:
    • OS: Windows XP
    Minimum:
    • OS: 10.6
    Minimum:
    • OS: Ubuntu 12.04
Customer reviews
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Overall:
Very Positive (73 reviews)
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63 reviews match the filters above ( Very Positive)
Most Helpful Reviews  Overall
60 of 61 people (98%) found this review helpful
Recommended
4.1 hrs on record
Posted: December 21, 2015
Ever wanted to take part in the Arthur saga? Now is your time to change one of britains most famous stories.

While it differs in quite some things from the original (naturally), it catches the dramatic events of Arthurs way from ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ son to Ruler of the Kingdom in it´s war against the evil Saxon invaders.
Offering a special treat, Pendragon Rising includes the option to change the whole main cast from male to female, which also presents a different take on the story itself.

Will you strive to make peace via diplomacy wherever possible or be a revengeful ruler without mercy? An opportunistic coward or a true hero, who inspires your folk with brave speeches?
The writing is also enjoyable enough to fit the theme, while friends of the classic adventure topic, where you rally your allies together with your close group of friends should feel right at home.

Conclusio: This has to be one of my favourite CYoA books up to now, as the atmosphere is really enjoyable, the characters likeable/hateable and it has enough content, to play it more than once, and even get a fully different setting.

Rating: 8/10
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43 of 52 people (83%) found this review helpful
77 people found this review funny
Recommended
4.4 hrs on record
Posted: December 6, 2015
Well, I got pregnant with my brother's baby. Other than that, FANTASTIC!
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35 of 43 people (81%) found this review helpful
1 person found this review funny
Recommended
4.9 hrs on record
Posted: December 4, 2015
Bought it due to my love of the show Merlin, and did not even realise it was a text RPG at first. Tried it out regardless, and I definitely do not regret these past 3 hours.

It's very immersive if you do read it through, and definitely worth a second, or third, or fourth playthrough, to see what would happen if you were a pious madman, or a greedy ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, or a humble ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ trying to avoid the throne.

All the choices you make will affect the things that happen to you, how people will respond to your actions, and so on. Sometimes, if you think you're making the wrong choice for the wrong reasons, you end up making the right choice for the wrong reasons... And sometimes it's the wrong choice for the right reasons that ends up being the reason your potential ally is now your enemy!

Great, short game, worth the money. Live through Arthur's fight for the Kingdom.

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17 of 21 people (81%) found this review helpful
Not Recommended
1.7 hrs on record
Posted: December 6, 2015
Very much a big Choice Of Games fan, but I wouldn't recommend this particular one as an example of their output.
The setting is interesting and seldom used, but compared to their better-composed RPG-style games I just couldn't get into this one; your character stats are in perpetual flux, so you cannot seem to make any decisions without undoing your other stats with no particular rhyme or reason.
E.g. You've chosen to be a mighty Warrior thus far, then in the set-up for a battle you choose a solid not-too-crafty strategy option - come the finale for that scene you might be shocked to find suddenly your low Leadership and high Warrior scores have completely switched, meaning "challenge their leader one-on-one" puts you on the receiving end of a almighty whupping.
It is - as ever - a robust game regardless, I just found this one quite flawed in terms of supporting role-playing.
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18 of 23 people (78%) found this review helpful
19 people found this review funny
Recommended
9.9 hrs on record
Posted: December 4, 2015
A story based on british folklore of the rise of King Arthur, there are lots of different endings, and meaningful decisions. Make sure you use protection
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10 of 10 people (100%) found this review helpful
Recommended
0.7 hrs on record
Posted: December 26, 2015
Do not buy this expecting a game in the common sense of the word. It is interactive fiction. The author obviously knows quite a bit about Arthurian legend and pre-Medieval Europe, and they have used this knowledge to weave a well-written narrative with compelling characters. If you enjoy reading and fantasy fiction, I highly recommend this. People looking for visceral and visual action should look elsewhere.
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10 of 11 people (91%) found this review helpful
Recommended
6.6 hrs on record
Posted: December 5, 2015
I have just finished my first playthrough and I plan on doing more to see what other endings I could find, though it did not took me very long, just over 3 hours, it was time very well spent and engaging enough to make me want to come back to it for another round which is rare for me. I will say that going into it I didn't expect much as my past experience with text based games was not great, however I am happy that Pendragon Rising was able to reverse that. It had some great reveals and for the most part delivered on the promise of the choices you make being something that matters. It is by no means perfect as sometimes I felt a lack of depth in the alliance building you can engage through diplomacy, but as I've only got 1 playthrough under my belt I bet that there is a lot I missed.
Over all for the price it asks and the replay value I would suggest to pick this game up you won't regret it.
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12 of 15 people (80%) found this review helpful
11 people found this review funny
Recommended
2.6 hrs on record
Posted: December 4, 2015
Another great product from COG. An alternate take on Arthur's legend (I think). A great story with political intrigue and battles. Had fun playing as it also worth my money and time.

8/10 Incest. Ah, the good old medieval times of shagging that will make Cersei proud. Although I was not aware of it. Blame my lover-stealing father for that.
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7 of 7 people (100%) found this review helpful
Recommended
2.1 hrs on record
Posted: January 26
With Pendragon Rising, you can play a Choose Your Own Adventure Game in which you take on the role of a young Arthur or Arta, just having returned to your homeland of Britain after your education in Rome. Against your will, you get caught up in the war with the Saxons, and unwittingly become the Warleader of your people. Will you be able to gather enough allies to help you stand against the Saxons? And what kind of leader will you be -- a fearless warrior or a more peaceful diplomat? But the most important question of all: will you eventually take the crown for yourself?

Pros
+ The atmosphere is fantastic; it oozes mythic warriors of long-forgotten times
+ The author obviously knows a lot about Arthurian lore
+ The relationships between the characters were superb; I felt really invested in my protagonist's friendships
+ Despite it being shorter than most CoG games in length, it feels just as rich as the others
+ You actually get to pick choices that are not "canon" in Arthurian legend

Cons
- Despite the relationships feeling so real, there was no stat for them per character
- No save points
- Limited romance options (be warned of the famous incest relationship if that freaks you out)

Great game, and I was invested in my character and their relationships right from the start. Recommended for fans of interactive novels with Arthurian themes!

Note: choosing to play as either the male Arthur or the female Arta swaps all the main characters' genders around to match that of the protagonist (except for Morgan/Morgana). Playing as Arta, it was actually really cool to imagine all those massive armies of women marching through old Britain!
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10 of 13 people (77%) found this review helpful
Recommended
5.0 hrs on record
Posted: December 4, 2015
Damn 3 hours passed,

Great if you like the genre and text based rpgs
interesting developments. worth the money
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Recently Posted
Sen Mysrana
2.9 hrs
Posted: August 15
A rich and immersive take on the Arthurian legend, and a worthy addition to Choice of Games' library.
Helpful? Yes No Funny
TheCakeIsNotALie
45.5 hrs
Posted: July 6
Fantastic choice-based game! High replayability (as you can see based on my how many hours I have spent on it).
Helpful? Yes No Funny
Asuranaga
6.4 hrs
Posted: July 3
A really good choice-based game, interesting story. I'm hoping for Pendragon Rising 2!

Pros:
+Good plot
+Good choices, it's actually difficult to get some of the achievements (I like a little challenge sometimes)
+Definitely rewards multiple playthroughs

Cons:
-Definitely needs a sequel--it's not quite a cliffhanger ending, but it's clear that there's more story to tell, so if you're looking for a game that's totally complete at the end, maybe wait?
Helpful? Yes No Funny
Little Boat Man
7.4 hrs
Posted: June 30
Too scary I had to close my eyes.
Helpful? Yes No Funny
C4M1L0CH4
6.8 hrs
Posted: April 23
Completed quite a few playthroughs, not much difference in scenarios but endings were quite different.

I'd recommend it to fantasy literature fans.
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FaZe Acne
0.2 hrs
Posted: April 22
pro tip: make sure your BF/GF isnt related to you before you get it on
11/10 would impregnate long-lost sister by accident again
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asleepsheep
4.4 hrs
Posted: April 8
Great game! I had alot of fun with it and look forward to playing again to get another ending!
:)

Helpful? Yes No Funny
LittleKing8
3.7 hrs
Posted: March 2
It's not the old king Arthur story that we know, wasn't what i expected at all in a good way. The story is brand new but there is bit here and there that still relate to the old myth. However, it do feel like another game cause it is not the well know story, it kind of feel like those other person who have the same name but doing different thing, and the personality of each character is also different than how you expected.

I'm personality a bigger fan of queen Guinevere, then Arthur acturally, so that was a down side for me, cause there are no sing of Guinevere in the story at all.

But over all, it is a great game like the rest of the "Choice of Game" games, totally worth buying, it is just fun reading it as well. I do wish there is more of it, cause the story feel kind of left off in the middle, without fully explane or express itself.
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COLLAPSED
98.5 hrs
Posted: February 22
failed game of thrones
Helpful? Yes No Funny
Simon.cleric
1.6 hrs
Posted: February 2
I am a fan of "Choice of Games". And this one was one of the most boring ones I have ever played.
The stats in this one are a real chore to manage. The relationships are basically none. And the story itself is way too mundane to entertain.
Of all Choice of Games products, this will be one of the few that I would not recommend. There are simply better ones out there. Try "Champion of Gods" or "Samurai of Hyuga" for something truly amazing.
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