Rather than releasing Dungeon Lords as a standalone title, JoWooD bundled the Collector's Edition alongside two of the biggest European fantasy RPGs of the mid-2000s.

The result was the Roleplaying Collection, a DVD compilation aimed at RPG fans looking to expand their libraries with three acclaimed fantasy adventures in a single package.

Although Dungeon Lords was no longer a new release by 2008, its inclusion alongside Gothic 3 and SpellForce 2 demonstrated that publishers still considered it worthy of standing beside some of Europe's most recognizable RPG franchises.

What's Included

The Roleplaying Collection shipped in a standard DVD case rather than the oversized packaging used for the original 2005 release.

Contents include:

• Standard DVD case
• Dungeon Lords: Collector's Edition (CDs)
• SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars (DVD)
• Gothic 3 (DVD)
• Multi-disc DVD tray (this version missing the middle plastic insert that held the Gothic 3 disc(s)

Unlike the original three-CD release, this version contains the fully updated Collector's Edition of Dungeon Lords on DVD, making installation considerably easier while incorporating years of post-launch fixes.

Vault Images of the JoWooD Roleplaying Collection

I was shorted the Gothic 3 disc, but since it had the Dungeon Lords discs and the JoWooD version is hard to come by, I didn't ask for a refund.

Box Description

The cover prominently features artwork from all three games, placing Dungeon Lords beside Gothic 3 and SpellForce 2.

The back of the package describes the collection as:

Gothic 3:
"Some of the greatest brands in RPG history now available as a unique collection." 

- IGN.com

It continues:

SpellForce 2:
"Award-winning role-playing games await you, offering many hours of pure RPG fun in huge worlds full of powerful weapons and ancient magic."

-GamesRadar

Dungeon Lords itself is described as:

Dungeon Lords Collectors Edition:

"Dungeon Lords blends the depth of an epic fantasy RPG with the flexibility of an FPS-style control system. Gamers journey through a land of ancient castles and dungeon lairs to engage in real-time tactical combat with a variety of deadly foes. It's not just about the battles though, as magic spells and hundreds of powerful weapons and artifacts play a role in the game."

- IGN.com

Why This Version Matters

By 2008, Dungeon Lords had moved well beyond its rocky launch.

The Collector's Edition had resolved many of the game's most serious bugs, refined gameplay systems, and delivered a far more stable experience than players received in 2005.

Rather than quietly disappearing, Dungeon Lords found a second life through compilation releases like this one. Being packaged alongside Gothic 3 and SpellForce 2 helped introduce the game to players who may have skipped it at launch, while reinforcing its place among the fantasy RPGs of its generation.

For collectors, this release also marks one of the few retail editions to include the Collector's Edition on DVD rather than the original CD release.

My Collection

This copy includes:

• Original Roleplaying Collection DVD case
• Dungeon Lords: Collector's Edition DVD
• SpellForce 2 DVD

My copy is currently missing the Gothic 3 disc, but the packaging remains an interesting piece of Dungeon Lords history.

Compilation releases like this often disappear quietly over time, making them easy to overlook when documenting every physical version of the game. While they aren't as visually striking as the original big box or Collector's Edition, they represent another chapter in how Dungeon Lords continued reaching new players years after its initial release.

From Compilation to Creation

This version of Dungeon Lords shows the game living on beyond its original launch, bundled beside other fantasy RPGs and given another chance to find players.

That same persistence is what drew me back to the name years later. I eventually acquired DungeonLords.com and the Dungeon Lords trademark, then began building a new fantasy world of my own through Dungeon Lords: Fate of Evania.

The old game remains part of the history. The books are where the next chapter begins.

Explore the Fate of Evania series →