I waited a long time for this Steam re-release of Temple of Elemental Evil. Originally announced for September, then delayed at the very last moment to December, I assumed the extra time meant we’d finally get a respectful, properly updated version of this classic.

What we got instead is the absolute bare minimum effort—and frankly, it’s shameful.

This release feels like a quick cash grab riding on nostalgia. The developers did not meaningfully update the game. They simply bundled long-standing community bug-fix patches created by modders over the years, slapped them together, and called it a day. No new content. No quality-of-life options. No optional house rules. No Steam Workshop integration. Nothing that would justify calling this a modern re-release.

Even basic options that players have been asking for for decades—like a simple “max hit points per level” toggle—are missing. These are not complex features. They are standard quality-of-life settings in almost every classic CRPG re-release, yet somehow too much effort here.

Ironically, it’s actually easier to mod the GOG version than this Steam release. That alone says everything you need to know about the care put into this project.

This game deserved love, respect, and thoughtful modernization while staying true to its roots. Instead, it was treated as a low-effort product pushed out the door for a quick profit. The developers should be embarrassed by how little they contributed beyond packaging existing community work.

I refunded it immediately.

Do not waste your money on this version. If you want to play Temple of Elemental Evil, buy the GOG release instead. We shouldn’t keep rewarding companies for releasing lazy, bare-bones cash grabs...

Experienced TOEE player here feeling frustrated and disappointed. (Spoilers ahead!) Played this on GOG multiple times and was hoping the bugs would be fixed. Some were, some were not, and somebody's attempts to make the AI harder led to new ones. The unfixed bugs still include your characters being unable to act in the middle of combat for no reason (i.e., no indications character is being affected by a spell , disease, or something else). It does not happen all the time but just enough to be genuinely annoying.

The new "bugs" include the monsters from tangential areas now acting en mass to get you. Example: In Imeryds Run, you could normally just attack the giant frogs when you enter the area but now ALL monsters (frogs, sea hag!, lizard men & giant gar) all attack. There is no avoiding this. In the Earth temple, ALL bugbears and men from multiple nearby rooms rush out, making it a much more challenging battle (i.e., reload six times challenging). As usual, the bugbears tumble past your fighters to attack your mage with prejudice. A mage without mirror image and/or stoneskin is a dead mage after you enter the temple. Also the monsters on level 2 are now concentrated: For some indecipherable reason the hydra and it's troll keeper are hanging out in the room with the fire temple chief. The owlbear as well as the water temple staff (including the very tough water temple construct/monster) are all in the adjacent room with the water snakes, Tried attacking with all characters at level 8 but gave up after 4 tries. Maybe I'm just whining but the game is now much harder thanks to the AI and monster placement changes.

Never played it in my childhood, only tried with temple+ mods and never sticked to it because I wanted more vanilla feeling.

I have some minor grips with the game(the biggest one being a diced hp on lvl ups). And some weird crashes mid-fights, but without losing any progress.

Game itself is a bit clunky, quest design is completely esoteric but I had an immense amount of fun.
It is probably my favourite implementation of turn-based combat so far.

Visually its crisp and beautiful to this day, music is complementing the atmosphere, while not being generically medieval, somehow this game has better animations than modern rpgs(with a custom crit animations for a different weapons), combat encounters are challenging but fun and managable, not mindless slop like in bg3, and I find scrolls and potions usable probably for the first time in any of dnd games.

I got filtered by a last boss hence I was playing as a group of 5, but thats a me-issue(and regarded summoned balrog which kept dispelling me, instead of fighting the boss).
Game is amazing tho and a has a rightful place in troikas cult-classic trinity.

What a good ass game

Firstly, the graphics are dated af.
Secondly, it's still a bit buggy and you're going to want to look up the console commands to remove curse and set character experience (raise dead sends you half-way to the level below).

And with that out of the way and understanding it's a game from the 90s - aka hard - then you can have a ton of fun with all the modern quality of life changes (teleport map for the temple areas) greasing the wheel. I'm over 50 hours in and I'm enjoying it so much I'm running two parties in tandom (one good, one not) just to see how its different.

In all likelihood - I'll do a 3rd run through - This is great classic D&D from a time period where people survived being out until the street lights came on and drinking water straight from the garden hose because your parents didn't want you inside until 5pm.

Best adaptation of DnD 3.5 rules I've seen. Get a quest hook, go to a place, immediately die to a pack of giant frogs. 10/10

APPARENTLY: They didn't fix the screen, from just randomly fling off that way or that way. Apparently, there is still know way to center the screen on the party nor battlefield.
When trying to slide your character back in initiative. It clicks though and moves your character unexpectedly across the playing field. After a few spells are casted, you can know longer find/see your party.
What the Fudgecake! I have 18 strength and I can't carry 100lbs. ??? Still some mapping problems, movement!
Some characters/classes start with equipment they are not proficient with. There is more!
On steam I pay only $9.99. Well worth it if this is the game you want to play!
If there is a way to center the screen, please let me know!

Troika Games did a lousy job 'Remastering' this game.
STILL has all the yank and jank of the original that made the game unplayable.

1. You have to disable anti-virus just to install the game.
2. You have to install a Circle of Eight Mod just to make the game playable (Troika Games did not even bother to add workshop support for modding or adding new content/modules)
3. You need to install Java Runtime just to install the Circle of Eight Mod.

For $16 or more you should expect MORE like maybe a Steam achievement just for putting up with their crapware.

It is a great remake of the old game from around 2012, but with many bug fixes. Captures all the fun of the 3.5 system again

The overall difficulty with the combat and quests is ridiculous. You can't even grind to build up your characters without getting half of your party waxed. The level generation is too slow and the monsters hit points start at least double what your party members have. One hit and I'm dead at level 1. I would have to spend 6 months just to reach level 5 after getting waxed over 100 times. Not worth the effort. And not being able to see through objects makes it almost impossible to target the monsters in heavily wooded areas. Now go ahead and criticize away.

This game is Malicious Feldspar deftly used Ray of Enfeeblement on the Ogre only to have the Strength listed as 1 but incur no penalty so no effect ! KABOOM