Play Orcs & Elves (sUppLeX) (E) Online

Orcs & Elves, released for the Nintendo DS in 2007 by id Software, was a welcome surprise for players who missed the straightforward dungeon crawlers of earlier systems. It arrived during a time when the DS library was diversifying rapidly, offering a more deliberate, tactical alternative to the action-heavy titles that were becoming common. The game didn't try to reinvent the wheel; it just delivered a solid, focused adventure built on a classic formula.

You control a young elf named Elli, armed with a talking wand that offers both guidance and sarcastic commentary. Your goal is to descend through the dungeons of a mountain stronghold to rescue your father and stop an army of orcs. Movement and combat are turn-based and grid-based, played out on the dual screens; you explore room by room, tapping the stylus to move, attack with your sword or bow, or interact with objects. You'll search every wall for hidden switches, manage a limited inventory of health potions and magic rings, and solve environmental puzzles to progress. The pacing is methodical, demanding careful thought with every step, and the difficulty steadily increases as you face tougher monsters and more complex traps. It feels like a thoughtful, condensed version of a much larger RPG adventure.