SpellForce 2 – Anniversary Edition

2006 Phenomic, THQ Nordic RPG, Strategy

Windows 11With a fix

MacNot sold

LinuxSilver

Steam DeckUnsupported

Gamicality score

Metacritic 804

OpenCritic Not rated

Steam players 721

How it’s combined

Playability today

Runs today3/5

Design today3/5

Steam user reviews

Mostly Positive

75%

1,234 reviews1

Get it on Steam Watch the trailer

Facts checked November 1, 2026

Does SpellForce 2 – Anniversary Edition run on Windows 11, Apple Silicon Macs, Linux and Steam Deck?

Windows 11With a fix

Runs with a fix. See the steps below.1

Mac (Apple Silicon)Not sold

No Mac version is sold.

LinuxSilver

Through Proton. ProtonDB: Silver, runs with minor issues.3

Steam DeckUnsupported

Unsupported, as rated by Valve.1

Played SpellForce 2 – Anniversary Edition lately?

One click, no account, so the next player knows. How we check where it runs

How to get SpellForce 2 – Anniversary Edition running today

Cap the frame rate at 60 or 120 FPS in the graphics driver, since the camera stutters at frame rates that are not multiples of 60 (PCGamingWiki).
If the game does not launch, delete config.xml in Documents\SpellForce2 and set the options again (PCGamingWiki).
Do not open the online account menu, since the shut-down online service makes the game freeze there; use LAN for multiplayer (PCGamingWiki).

Synopsis

SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars mixes a party-based role-playing game with real-time strategy, as a small band of heroes levels up and gathers gear while also building bases and commanding armies. The campaign moves across a fantasy world of islands linked by portals, with a long main story, many side quests, and the Dragon Storm expansion campaign included.

Developer: Phenomic, THQ Nordic
Released: 2006
Best version: The Anniversary Edition sold on Steam today is the one to play: it bundles the Dragon Storm expansion and adds native widescreen support and bug fixes over the original release.
Genre: RPG, Strategy
Where to get it: Steam

Reception

Critics liked how smoothly it blends hero-led questing with base building, and it holds a PC Metascore of 80. Reviews also faulted fiddly unit selection, fast map scrolling, a generic story and uneven voice acting. Recent Steam players still call it a fun and unusual hybrid with a long campaign, though some note the mouse-heavy controls and the lack of key rebinding. Steam reviews sit at Mostly Positive.

Trailer from Steam

Playability today

The average of two parts, each from 1 to 5. Tap a check to see why. How it works

Runs today

3/5

Sold or given away today by an official source
Needs fan patches to run well on Windows 11
?Not confirmed yetSingle-player works without an internet connection
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
Some content no longer works (servers, DLC, unlocks)
The official online multiplayer service has shut down and trying to create an account freezes the game; only LAN play remains (PCGamingWiki).
Supports modern resolutions and widescreen
The Anniversary Edition supports widescreen and ultrawide resolutions natively, though cutscenes and some portraits are stretched (PCGamingWiki).
No full controller support and no remappable controls
There is no controller support (PCGamingWiki).
Not Steam Deck Verified or Playable
No intrusive DRM or required third-party launcher account
No pay-to-win or pushy microtransactions
No known game-breaking bugs in the current version
PCGamingWiki lists a launch fix and one unconfirmed stutter report, with no open crash or progress blocker (PCGamingWiki).

Design today

3/5

Controls feel awkward on a modern controller or mouse and keyboard
Keys cannot be rebound, building and spellcasting need the mouse with no build hotkeys, and selecting enemies near obstacles is unreliable. Source: pcgamingwiki.com, steamcommunity.com, rpgfan.com.
Menus, text or interface are hard to read on today's screens
The interface does not scale with resolution and becomes very small at 4K, and hero portraits and cutscenes stretch at widescreen resolutions. Source: pcgamingwiki.com.
Saving is fair: free saves or frequent checkpoints, little lost progress
The campaign can be saved by hand, and a full strategy guide tells players to save often, including before conversations that force a choice; saves sync through Steam Cloud and GOG Galaxy. Source: gamepressure.com, pcgamingwiki.com.
It teaches itself: no guide needed to make progress
A quest log lists active and finished main and side quests, and the minimap marks the location of each current objective. Source: gamingnexus.com, rpgfan.com.
Pacing holds up: little grind, filler or forced backtracking
Quests stay varied across a 40 to 70 hour campaign, and journey stones allow instant travel to any activated point on a map, which cuts down on walking back. Source: gamingnexus.com, gamesfirst.com, rpgfan.com.
Camera or movement fights the player
Map scrolling is very fast even at its slowest, and the camera stutters at frame rates that are not multiples of 60 unless the frame rate is capped. Source: rpgfan.com, pcgamingwiki.com.