A Brief History of Conan the Barbarian Video Games

Conan the Barbarian is an enduring icon in American pop culture. Created by Robert E. Howard in the 1930s, our favorite sullen-eyed, raven-haired, hulking Cimmerian has more or less commanded the sword-and-sorcery genre for nearly a century. Between films, TV shows, novels, comics, tabletop games, and video games, Conan has cut a vast, bloody swath across most forms of media and entertainment. Here at Netto's Game Room, we enjoy chronicling the histories of various storied franchises and providing a sort of condensed record of a series' myriad entries across the generations. I've taken to calling my entries in this run of articles "A Brief History of..." and through these pieces I've covered niche franchises like Monster Rancher and ClayFighter. Ben, our site's founder, has also done several different extensive history articles, covering franchises like Ninja Gaiden, Resident Evil and Animal Crossing.

 

Today I wanted to dive into the surprisingly diverse range of Conan the Barbarian video games. Given the longevity of the character, he has starred in many different genres and styles of games across almost every generation of video game console, going all the way back to 1984.

 

Conan: Hall of Volta - 1984 (Platforms: Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, FM-7, PC-88, Sharp X1)

Hall of Volta was Conan's first foray into the video game medium, and it was marketed as a tie-in to the film Conan the Destroyer, complete with Arnold Schwarzenegger's iconic portrayal of Conan on the cover. Given the incredibly rudimentary graphics of this title, your in-game depiction of Conan looks a bit less like Arnie. In truth, Hall of Volta had essentially nothing in common with the film it was supposedly adapted from, and it was an original property called Visigoth before being converted into a Conan video game. While the game's primitive graphics can't really accurately portray the dynamic action that's happening on screen, this game's tone and setting does feel authentic for a Conan story. Our favorite Cimmerian is tasked with battling all sorts of otherworldly monsters, while navigating dangerous, lava-filled caves and dark, castle halls and searching for magic gems. One interesting feature of Hall of Volta is that the game contains numerous elaborate (for the time) still images that would pop up upon the player reaching a game over status, and these would often feature wry, lightly mocking statements themed around the game's myriad hazards that likely contributed to your game over.

 

Conan: The Mysteries of Time - 1991 (Platforms: NES)

Similarly to Halls of Volta, this title was actually just a reskin of another game called Myth: History in the Making, which released on a range of 8-bit home computers in 1989. Unfortunately, somewhere in the adaptation from Myth to Conan, they stripped out whatever made the game great, because the Conan version of this game has terrible reviews, while Myth is fondly regarded. The Mysteries of Time is a side-scrolling action title that has the player controlling Conan through six distinct stages, as he seeks to become the king of Aquilonia by fulfilling a prophecy in which he is required to find four missing urns from Aquilonia's distant past. Critics noted that The Mysteries of Time had the ingredients for a unique, puzzle-driven, action-adventure game, but that it was ultimately laid low by frustrating controls (which led to an absurd level of difficulty) and unremarkable stage backgrounds.

 

Conan the Cimmerian - 1991 (Platforms: Amiga, MS-DOS)

If you know anything about Conan the Barbarian, you can tell this is the first title that looks undeniably authentic in its presentation of the character and the overall aesthetic of his universe. Conan's sprite is instantly recognizable and the design of the in-game world looks like something you'd see in the Conan comics or read about in the classic novels. Rendered in beautiful 16-bit graphics, Conan the Cimmerian looks infinitely better than The Mysteries of Time on the NES. This is also the first Conan game to feature camera angles beyond the traditional side-scrolling that we had seen up to this point. The camera will shift between side-scrolling, to an overhead, almost isometric view, and then more of a zoomed out, map-like view where you can travel between towns and locations. This game also features many RPG elements, and a genuine attempt to tell a story through cutscenes and exposition via text. This is indubitably the most ambitious Conan video game up to this point, and it earned very strong reviews from critics.

 

Conan (also known as Conan: The Dark Axe) - 2004 (Platforms: PC, GameCube, Xbox, PS2)

Bizarrely enough, Conan fully skipped the SNES/Genesis and PS1 generations, and next appeared as a fully 3D action-adventure title in 2004. Conan was developed by Cauldron and was a European market exclusive. Conan featured hack-and-slash combat, featuring a range of different weapon types. There were also environmental puzzles to solve as you navigate through the surprisingly large in-game world. Over the course of the game, Conan faces a range of difficult bosses and seeks pieces of a famed Atlantean blade. While this game was praised for its authenticity to the IP, it's regarded as an awkward, stiff experience with cumbersome, tank-like controls and repetitive gameplay. There's an interesting component in Conan where you can earn your life back, by proving yourself to Crom in the afterlife by defeating a horde of enemies. If you can successfully defeat the enemies before you, Crom will bring you back to continue your adventure. If you fail, you'll be sent back to your last save. This game also featured online multiplayer, which apparently can still be accessed via fan run servers.

 

Conan - 2007 (Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

One of the decidedly bigger budget Conan titles, this game garnered attention for being inspired by the God of War franchise, not unlike my beloved Dante's Inferno. Conan is a gore-soaked affair, as our titular barbarian is constantly battling crowds of enemies and using his famous lethality to annihilate everyone in his path. This is the first Conan title to really lean into the combat mechanics and attempt to create a satisfying flow of battle. Conan has access to an arsenal of lethal weapons, and an extensive list of attacks and combos, and magic to unleash upon his foes. This title's art design pulled direct inspiration from Frank Frazetta's legendary depiction of Conan and his universe. Conan's soundtrack drew considerable acclaim, and even led to the composer hosting live performances of the game's music. The gravelly-voiced Ron Perlman lent his voice to the hulking title character, and his performance was also fondly regarded. Overall, this game performed poorly, as gamers at the time dismissed it for being a "God of War clone." In more recent years, it seems that people remember Conan as an underrated title.

Age of Conan: Unchained (previously known as Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures) - 2008 (Platforms: PC)

The first and only MMORPG set in Conan's universe. The title of the game changed from Hyborian Adventures to Unchained, once the game became a free-to-play title in 2011. Unchained, like many MMOs, is a massive title that allows the player a chance to create their own character and adventure across the brutal, primitive, mystical world of Conan the Barbarian. Pick your class from across many options to match your playstyle and enjoy the nearly boundless journey through fetid bogs, arid deserts, icy, sky-piercing mountains and venture down into uncharted caves and mysterious ruins to make your mark in this prehistoric realm. Unchained is unique to many MMOs, as the combat features a more action-focused gameplay style. The game features mature elements as well, like some partial nudity. There are also savage execution type moves where you can dismember enemies, both AI-controlled and player-controlled alike. If you enjoy the grim, mature tone and nature of the classic Conan stories, I recommend checking out Age of Conan: Unchained. The game has not received any updates in many years, but as of the time of writing this, it is still currently online and playable.

 

Conan: Tower of the Elephant - 2011 (Platforms: iOS)

Based on the classic Conan story, Tower of the Elephant was a mobile game that was available only on iOS. Unfortunately, like many mobile games from this era, it is completely unavailable now and has largely been scrubbed from the internet. There are some YouTube videos showcasing gameplay, and a single review that I can find, from the now shuttered mobile gaming-focused site TouchArcade. Tower of the Elephant was an isometric hack-and-slash title, with a vibrant, almost cartoonish aesthetic. You work on loads of different quests and travel around the in-game world as you work toward your main mission. Reading TouchArcade's review, it sounds like this was a legitimately decent game with some neat design choices, like including comic book-esque story cutscenes. It's a shame that Conan: Tower of the Elephant isn't playable anymore.

 

Conan Exiles - 2018 (Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)

 

It appears that Conan Exiles is the biggest, most successful Conan game ever made. To this day, Exiles seems to be one of the most visually impressive, AAA-looking survival games on the market. Exiles puts you in the tattered sandals of a convicted criminal who is crucified in the desert, only to be saved by Conan and made into an exiled person, who must venture into the untamed wilds to try and craft shelter and survive. True to the franchise's trademark gritty and barbaric tone and spirit, Conan Exiles features graphic nudity and extreme violence, including dismemberment. You can also enslave NPCs and turn them into your helpers. Religion plays a major role in Exiles as well, and you're able to pick your belief system at character selection, with various benefits and boons afforded to you as you make the necessary sacrifices to your god. Conan Exiles features many MMO-like features as well, like multiplayer servers, where you can battle other players and travel to and even destroy their bases. There's also a mount system in the game. While the game doesn't feature a traditional class system like you'd see in an RPG, you can allocate skill points into certain talents to favor a playstyle that you prefer, essentially creating a class. In many ways, it seems like Conan Exiles has taken the place of Age of Conan: Unchained, though both titles remain playable.

 

Conan Unconquered - 2019 (Platforms: PC)

The first and only Conan the Barbarian-themed real-time strategy title, Conan Unconquered was developed by the masterminds over at Petroglyph (developers of Command & Conquer and Star Wars: Empire at War.) Unconquered takes a unique approach to RTS mechanics by merging the base-building and army-amassing of a standard RTS title with the horde and wave management of something like a tower defense game. You can play this game in co-op as well, where you and a friend co-manage your base and army and jointly fend off the fiendish onslaughts. There are a few different hero units that can serve as a commander of sorts for your forces. You'll also have to manage the careful dance of sending units out to farm resources for your base, and hopefully avoid the bloodthirsty monsters that await you in the wilderness. Some other unique mechanics that Conan Unconquered features is a pestilence function where the rampant death can lead to the spread of disease. Also, like something from Conan Exiles, you can build a temple and summon an avatar of the god Mitra to lay waste to the invading army. Unconquered is well-liked, but it has drawn criticism for not being a typical RTS with a campaign or standard multiplayer like you'd find in something like Age of Empires.

 

Conan Chop Chop - 2022 (Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch)

This is indubitably the black sheep in the long-running range of Conan the Barbarian video games. Chop Chop reimagines Conan and his primal world into a lighthearted, more comical, stick figure-adjacent aesthetic that makes it look like some long-lost Flash game from Newgrounds. Chop Chop is a party-based roguelite action game where you and your friends team up, choose from a collection of Hyborian heroes and wade into a world of bloody, chaotic, madcap mayhem. Like with any good roguelike, you earn experience and can upgrade each of these heroes to unlock permanent abilities to give you an edge over the otherwise unpredictable nature of the world. The game give you access to a massive arsenal of weapons and abilities that you can experiment with across your numerous runs and find the loadout that works best for you. Conan Chop Chop's procedurally generated nature aims to give players endless potential for fun, especially when paired with up with your friends in online or couch co-op.

 

I've listed every Conan the Barbarian video game that has ever released, from 1984 to 2022. Our favorite barbarian appeared in many different video games, going all the way back to the nascency of console video gaming. While Conan Chop Chop was the last game he starred in, it actually wasn't the last game in which he appeared. Arnold Schwarzenegger's depiction of Conan appears as a DLC fighter in 2023's Mortal Kombat 1.

 

Update - 4/6/2026

 

This article went live on 4/6/26, and I was immediately made aware of a brand new Conan-themed expansion for the Vampire Survivors-like, Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel. This new content lets you play as Conan, and battle through the dusty wastes of Stygia, which is an iconic desert region from Conan's universe. He can fight in three distinct styles, with each favoring a different weapon loadout: sword and shield, two-handed sword and then dual-wielding swords. Each weapon class brings with it a unique playstyle for you to experiment with. Stygia itself is wonderfully represented in this iteration, and features both the blazing desert itself, and underground ruins that contain myriad ancient horrors.

 

Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel - Conan DLC Trailer

In the likelihood that we see more Conan the Barbarian titles in the future, I'll update this article correspondingly. I hope that you enjoyed learning about the long, storied gaming history of Conan.