About Master of Magic
Master of Magic is a turn-based 4X strategy game set in a fantasy world. Simtex developed it and MicroProse published it, and the MS-DOS version came out in September 1994. Steve Barcia designed it, Douglas Kaufman produced it, and George Sanger and David Govett wrote the music. Later versions were released in Japan: one for the PC-98 in December 1996, one for the PlayStation in January 1997 and one for Windows in December 1997.
You play as a wizard trying to dominate two linked worlds. Starting from one small settlement, you manage resources, build cities and armies, and research spells, growing an empire while you fight the other wizards. It is a single-player game. DOS.Zone’s short description puts the weight on the same things: exploring the two connected realms, casting spells and building an empire.
How it runs in your browser
Click Play and dos.zone opens the game’s page in a new tab. The site runs the original MS-DOS release in js-dos, its open-source DOSBox build for the browser, which imitates an old PC inside the tab. All the game files come from DOS.Zone, so you don’t install anything, supply your own copy or sign up for anything. DOS.Zone shows no ads.
The listing is filed under turn-based strategy for the IBM PC and MS-DOS, and it has a 4.8 rating from 13 player reviews. It doesn’t say which release of the game is included or whether saved games are kept between visits. A 4X campaign like this can stretch over many hours, so find out how saving behaves early on, before you put a long evening into one empire.
DOS.Zone doesn’t list a multiplayer room for Master of Magic, which fits the original: Master of Magic was made as a single-player game.
Controls and devices
Master of Magic is a keyboard and mouse game. DOS.Zone doesn’t list its controls, so the game’s own menus are where to learn them. When the game has loaded, click in the emulator window so it receives your clicks and key presses.
DOS.Zone gives phones virtual on-screen controls. The game was still designed for a mouse and keyboard, and a desktop or laptop suits it far better. Chromebooks haven’t been tested.
Who it’s for
Master of Magic is for players who remember fighting rival wizards across its two worlds in the 1990s, and for 4X fans who like the idea of an empire built on spells rather than science. Every turn waits for you, so there’s time to plan. Simtex also made Master of Orion II, a 4X game set in space that MicroProse published two years later, and MicroProse’s own Civilization is another turn-based empire builder you can play the same way. For fantasy strategy with heroes and armies, try Heroes of Might and Magic II.
Is Master of Magic Free, Safe and Official?
Can I play Master of Magic online for free?
Yes. DOS.Zone runs the original MS-DOS version free in your browser, with no download and no account. It’s a single-player game, so your opponents are the other wizards rather than other people.
Do I need the original Master of Magic files?
No. DOS.Zone loads the game files itself and runs them through js-dos, so there’s nothing to install and no copy of your own to find.
Does Master of Magic work on a phone?
DOS.Zone shows virtual on-screen controls on phones, but the game was made for a keyboard and mouse, and it’s far easier to play on a computer.
