From the back of the box:
Blazing above the wastes of the Carakesh plins, the Burning Citadel rises precipitously from the rim of a smouldering volcano.
Axe and sabre clash, armies advance and retreat, as rival princes slay and slay again in their ruthless pursuit of POWER - the incredible mind-scorching Throne of Fire!
This multi-player combat strategy designed by Mike Singleton, the mastermind behind the acclaimed Lords of Midnight and Doomsdark's Revenge [sic], offers limitless scope for tactical play, whilst at the same time demands quick thinking and rapid combat reactions.
Take up the cause - fight for the Throne of Fire!
User Summary
In Throne of Fire, three princes, Prince Alorn (Red), Prince Cordrin (Yellow) and Prince Karag (Purple) are fighting for the Crown of The Burning Citadel.
Up to two players take the role of one of the Princes each, along with their Men-at-Arms, with the remaining Prince or Princes being controlled by the computer. The aim of the game is to kill the other two Princes and become crowned King.
The Citadel is built around the caldera of a smouldering volcano and is completely circular. Therefore if the player moves in one direction they will ultimately end up where they started. The castle is also built over multiple floors and towers.
The Citadel is depicted at the bottom of the screen silhouetted against the sky. Windows are either lit, showing the colour of the Prince or Men-at-Arms occupying the room. In addition there are King's Guard depicted in Green. Rooms which are unoccupied are black and are therefore invisible against the castle wall.
The screen is split in two vertically. Each player can see the Citadel at the bottom and a view of the room for the character they are currently controlling (their Prince, or one of their Men-at-Arms). Only one character can be controlled at a time. Characters which are currently not being controlled will stay in the room where they were left and will defend themselves if attacked, but not as well as if they were under the control of the player.
Various weapons can be picked up with different strengths and weaknesses. Men-at-Arms can hold one weapon each, whereas the Princes can hold up to three and cycle between them.
Control of two types of room are key to the game. Gate Rooms are links to the outside world from which new Men-at-Arms occasionally enter. They side with the player who last controlled that room. The Throne Room is the ultimate objective. A Prince unopposed in the Throne Room becomes crowned King. At this point the Men-at-Arms of the opposing players become frozen, and in addition the King gains control of the King's Guard. The other players, while on the back foot at this point, still have hope, as killing the King will return the Crown to the Throne Room and return the King's Guard to neutral control.
Credits:
Game Design: Mike Singleton
Programming, Graphics and Music: Consult Computer Systems
Cover Illustration: David Rowe