In Ancient Domains of Mystery, play an adventurer who has traveled to a remote mountain range to save Ancardia, the world of the game, from the forces of Chaos. The player can either continue on with this quest or join on with Chaos, depending on the choices that the player makes in the game.

The game features a wide range of character races and classes, a point-based skill system, many subplots, and a detailed world that's inspired quite a few pieces of fan art and quite a bit of filking.