Story

Wizards is a game of high fantasy

High fantasy

High fantasy or epic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that is set in invented or parallel worlds. High fantasy was brought to fruition through the work of authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, whose major fantasy works were published in the 1950s...

 in the "Enchanted Isles". The game is set in an original fantasy world

Fantasy world

A fantasy world is a fictional universe used in fantasy novels and games. Typical worlds involve magic or magical abilities and often, but not always, either a medieval or futuristic theme...

. The players each take the role of a druid

Druid

A druid was a member of the priestly class in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, and possibly other parts of Celtic western Europe, during the Iron Age....

, a wizard, or a sorcerer (who get their power from the dragon

Dragon

A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...

s), and they must work together against the "Evil Spirit". If they are unable to thwart the Evil Spirit, all the players lose, but if one is able to complete enough "Tasks" and collect the "Sacred Gems" in time, that player alone wins the game.

Gameplay

There is a strong role-playing

Role-playing game

A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...

 element to the game, as each player controls a character and tries to advance the character through levels of power by completing quest

Quest

In mythology and literature, a quest, a journey towards a goal, serves as a plot device and as a symbol. Quests appear in the folklore of every nation and also figure prominently in non-national cultures. In literature, the objects of quests require great exertion on the part of the hero, and...

s (or "Tasks" in the game). Each turn represents a day, and every 14 days the Evil Spirit attacks unless 10 tasks have been completed. The attack usually involves removing one of the 18 island tiles from play by flipping it over. If one particular tile, the Sacred Circle, is removed, the game is lost.

Players who have advanced their characters to fourth level no longer need to complete tasks, but instead start collecting Sacred Gems from the High Wizards -- there are seven High Wizards, but one is the False Wizard, who works against the players. If the player's character can collect the six different gems without having them stolen by the False Wizard, he can move his character toward the center of the Sacred Circle. If he reaches that goal, Rüktal, the Druid High Priest, can cast the Spell of Spells to defeat the Evil Spirit, and the player wins the game.