The Bard's Tale on iOS is a rare example of a port that actually improves on the original console experience. It is a hilarious, self-aware RPG that spends its entire runtime mocking the tropes of the genre. You play as the Bard, a sarcastic, selfish protagonist voiced brilliantly by Cary Elwes, who is more interested in coin and women than saving the world.
The gameplay involves summoning creatures through songs to do your dirty work, which adds a tactical layer to the real-time combat. But the real draw is the writing—it is genuinely funny, with a narrator who constantly bickers with the Bard. As a massive bonus, this app includes the original 1980s Bard's Tale trilogy as free extras. It’s a massive amount of content and a must-play for anyone who wants an RPG with a sense of humor.
Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod
Version 1.9.3Fri Oct 14 2022
Fix Original Trilogy install which was causing it not to be playable.
Fix videos being cut off on iOS 16+ ultra wide devices.
#1 RPG in 75 countries, including USA, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia, Japan, and China!
Sync your saved games between iOS and Mac!
Includes classic games trilogy!
They said it couldn’t be done… a full-scale massive 3D epic role-playing game on iOS! See why it’s the BIGGEST iOS game ever made!
“The Bard’s Tale is easily the funniest game I’ve ever played, and I’ve played all the funny games out there.” – IGN
You are the Bard, a selfish rogue weary of pointless sub-quests and rat-infested cellars. Through magical song you summon characters to join your quest for coin and cleavage!
“Ready your weapon and bladder as you embark on this ridiculously addicting quest and the funniest adventure of the year, The Bard’s Tale” – Game Chronicles
Prepare to immerse yourself in over 20-30 hours of adventure, featuring:
• 50 enemy types (not counting bosses!)
• A vast world to explore with towns, wild forests, rivers, castles, towers, secret dungeons, snowy mountains, caverns, haunted tombs and more
• A full cast of bizarre NPC’s
• Over a dozen special boss enemies to defeat
• 16 magical characters to discover and then summon at will to aid you
• Over 150 unique items of weaponry, armor, instruments, tokens, artifacts and loot!
• More Song & Dance numbers than any other game, including a zombie dance-off!
• Over 14 hours of outstanding voice-acting from top Hollywood talent, including Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride) as the Bard, and the inimitable Tony Jay as the Narrator
But wait! That’s not all! Enjoy these great new additions in the iOS version:
New Features:
• Leaderboards—for accumulated Silver and Experience!
• Achievements—over 50 spread throughout the game!
• Autosave—option to save automatically when you near a save-book in game.
• iCloud Saves—option to save to iCloud, enables sharing saves across your iOS devices.
• Time-Savers—optional in-app purchases are available to pump up your Bard and save you time! (Note: All such items are attainable through normal game-play, with time and persistence, just as in the original console release.)
• Classics Games—includes original classic games The Bard’s Tale 1, 2 & 3.
• Supports 60beat® GamePad.
Universal App with Adaptive Rendering:
For a single low price, play on all your compatible* devices! The Bard’s Tale takes full advantage of your hardware to maximize your experience--including HD resolution and 60Hz video refresh on capable devices.** iOS adaptation by Square One Games.
“This game is satire in its sharpest form” – Cheat Code Central
Play The Bard’s Tale today!
* Compatible with iOS 4.0 and higher on iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod Touch 3rd generation, iPod Touch 4th generation, iPad, and iPad2&3.
** HD on iPhone 4S/5, iPad2,Mini,3&4, iPod Touch 5G. Enhanced rendering includes: environment mapping, dynamic water surfaces, full shadow cast, and 60Hz display-refresh (with in-game “Battery Savings” option turned off).
Support:
We are committed to improvement. Please send support requests through The Bard’s Tale Support link below.
IT IS HUGE!
Please note: Installation over Wi-Fi can temporarily require as much as 3.4GB of free space on your device.
Requires iOS 9.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone 5S, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone SE (1st generation), iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone SE (2nd generation), iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone SE (3rd generation), iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 16e, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPad Air, iPad Air Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 2 Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 2, iPad Air 2 Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 3 Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad mini 4, iPad mini 4 Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (12.9‑inch), iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (9.7‑inch), iPad Pro (9.7‑inch) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad (5th generation), iPad (5th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (2nd generation), iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (2nd generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (10.5‑inch), iPad Pro (10.5‑inch) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad (6th generation), iPad (6th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (11‑inch), iPad Pro (11‑inch) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (3rd generation), iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (3rd generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad mini (5th generation), iPad mini (5th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad Air (3rd generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad (7th generation), iPad (7th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (11‑inch) (2nd generation), iPad Pro (11‑inch) (2nd generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (4th generation), iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (4th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Air (4th generation), iPad Air (4th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad (8th generation), iPad (8th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (11-inch) (3rd generation), iPad Pro (11-inch) (3rd generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (12.9-inch) (5th generation), iPad Pro (12.9-inch) (5th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini (6th generation), iPad mini (6th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (9th generation), iPad (9th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air (5th generation), iPad Air (5th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad (10th generation), iPad (10th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (11‑inch) (4th generation), iPad Pro (11‑inch) (4th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (6th generation), iPad Pro (12.9‑inch) (6th generation) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 11-inch (M2), iPad Air 11-inch (M2) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 13-inch (M2), iPad Air 13-inch (M2) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 11-inch (M4), iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 13-inch (M4), iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini (A17 Pro), iPad mini (A17 Pro) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (A16), iPad (A16) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 11-inch (M3), iPad Air 11-inch (M3) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air 13-inch (M3), iPad Air 13-inch (M3) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 11-inch (M5), iPad Pro 11-inch (M5) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 13-inch (M5), iPad Pro 13-inch (M5) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPod touch (6th generation), and iPod touch (7th generation).#1 RPG in 75 countries, including USA, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia, Japan, and China!
Sync your saved games between iOS and Mac!
Includes classic games trilogy!
They said it couldn’t be done… a full-scale massive 3D epic role-playing game on iOS! See why it’s the BIGGEST iOS game ever made!
“The Bard’s Tale is easily the funniest game I’ve ever played, and I’ve played all the funny games out there.” – IGN
You are the Bard, a selfish rogue weary of pointless sub-quests and rat-infested cellars. Through magical song you summon characters to join your quest for coin and cleavage!
“Ready your weapon and bladder as you embark on this ridiculously addicting quest and the funniest adventure of the year, The Bard’s Tale” – Game Chronicles
Prepare to immerse yourself in over 20-30 hours of adventure, featuring:
• 50 enemy types (not counting bosses!)
• A vast world to explore with towns, wild forests, rivers, castles, towers, secret dungeons, snowy mountains, caverns, haunted tombs and more
• A full cast of bizarre NPC’s
• Over a dozen special boss enemies to defeat
• 16 magical characters to discover and then summon at will to aid you
• Over 150 unique items of weaponry, armor, instruments, tokens, artifacts and loot!
• More Song & Dance numbers than any other game, including a zombie dance-off!
• Over 14 hours of outstanding voice-acting from top Hollywood talent, including Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride) as the Bard, and the inimitable Tony Jay as the Narrator
But wait! That’s not all! Enjoy these great new additions in the iOS version:
New Features:
• Leaderboards—for accumulated Silver and Experience!
• Achievements—over 50 spread throughout the game!
• Autosave—option to save automatically when you near a save-book in game.
• iCloud Saves—option to save to iCloud, enables sharing saves across your iOS devices.
• Time-Savers—optional in-app purchases are available to pump up your Bard and save you time! (Note: All such items are attainable through normal game-play, with time and persistence, just as in the original console release.)
• Classics Games—includes original classic games The Bard’s Tale 1, 2 & 3.
• Supports 60beat® GamePad.
Universal App with Adaptive Rendering:
For a single low price, play on all your compatible* devices! The Bard’s Tale takes full advantage of your hardware to maximize your experience--including HD resolution and 60Hz video refresh on capable devices.** iOS adaptation by Square One Games.
“This game is satire in its sharpest form” – Cheat Code Central
Play The Bard’s Tale today!
* Compatible with iOS 4.0 and higher on iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod Touch 3rd generation, iPod Touch 4th generation, iPad, and iPad2&3.
** HD on iPhone 4S/5, iPad2,Mini,3&4, iPod Touch 5G. Enhanced rendering includes: environment mapping, dynamic water surfaces, full shadow cast, and 60Hz display-refresh (with in-game “Battery Savings” option turned off).
Support:
We are committed to improvement. Please send support requests through The Bard’s Tale Support link below.
IT IS HUGE!
Please note: Installation over Wi-Fi can temporarily require as much as 3.4GB of free space on your device.










You are the Bard, a selfish rogue weary of pointless sub-quests and rat-infested cellars. Through magical song you summon characters to join your quest, perform tasks, and heal your party. With over 20-30 hours of gameplay, 50 different enemy types, and a vast world to explore, this is the deepest and funniest RPG on mobile. Includes the original classic trilogy!
Full voice acting by Cary Elwes
Huge open world with 50 enemy types
Original 80s trilogy included free
Universal app with iCloud saves
Don't just stick to the 'Heavy' summons. The 'Light Fairy' is invaluable in dark dungeons, and the 'Explorer' will find traps and secret doors that save you from taking unnecessary damage.
You are the Bard, a selfish rogue weary of pointless sub-quests and rat-infested cellars. Through magical song you summon characters to join your quest!
Nintendo - Sat Jan 11 2025
inXile Entertainment has tried once again to breathe life into the decades old Bard's Tale, and it's certainly not a homerun, but it may,...
CGMagazine - Wed Dec 11 2019
SAN FRANCISCO—When it was published as Tales of the Unknown: Volume I in 1985, The Bard's Tale was the most popular PC RPG yet released.
Ars Technica - Tue Jun 11 2019
Latest ... “The Bard's Tale” and “Torment: Tides of Numenera” developer inXile Entertainment is joining Microsoft's growing stable of game studios...
Variety - Tue Feb 11 2020
The dungeon crawler series The Bard's Tale is one with a storied history. The '80s trilogy was a favorite of PC gamers in the know,...
Hardcore Gamer - Tue Dec 11 2018
We've played the opening hour of The Bard's Tale 4: Barrows Deep, which is coming this year to Linux, Mac and Windows PC.
Polygon - Fri Oct 11 2019
The game's focus is less on world-building than the simple, straightforward pleasure of its main mechanics: puzzles and combat.
Slant Magazine - Sat Jan 11 2020
Wanderword and inXile Entertainment's audio RPG The Bard's Tale: Warlocks of Largefearn is out now. The game is available on Amazon Alexa...
RPGamer - Sat Mar 11 2023
The last Bard's Tale that I played was that bawdy 2004 adventure on PS2 and Xbox, which was like Diablo but with occasional boob jokes.
GodisaGeek.com - Wed Dec 11 2019
This new set of games lets you pay as either a male or female character across all three of them as well, including alterations such as updated...
Shacknews - Mon Nov 11 2019
During dialogue, you can choose to be 'Nice' or 'Snarky.' Your choices won't change the plot significantly, but they will change the hilarious reactions of the NPCs and the Narrator.
Yes, The Bard's Tale has full MFi controller support for a console-like experience.