The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard

1998 Bethesda Softworks Action, RPG

Windows 11With a fix

MacNot sold

LinuxGold

Steam DeckUnsupported

Gamicality score

Metacritic Not rated

OpenCritic Not rated

Steam players 621

How it’s combined

Playability today

Runs today3/5

Design today2.5/5

Steam user reviews

Mixed

65%

192 reviews1

Get it on Steam

Facts checked November 1, 2026

Does The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard 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.

LinuxGold

Through Proton. ProtonDB: Gold, runs perfectly after tweaks.3

Steam DeckUnsupported

Unsupported, as rated by Valve.1

Played The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard lately?

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

How to get The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard running today

If the game crashes when picking up a quest item, switch to windowed mode or try picking the item up from a different distance or angle (Steam Community).
Keep only a handful of save games, since many saves make the game unstable (Steam Community).
If an area such as the catacombs hangs at 95 percent while loading, copy that area's .TSG file from an older save folder that loads it into the current save folder (UESP).

Synopsis

A third-person action-adventure spin-off of The Elder Scrolls set on the island of Stros M'Kai, where the mercenary Cyrus arrives to search for his missing sister. You talk your way through a fully voiced cast, explore the island town and its ruins, fight with a sword, climb and jump through platforming sections and solve puzzles.

Developer: Bethesda Softworks
Released: 1998
Best version: Steam sells the software-rendered DOS build, while the GOG release uses the 3dfx Glide build, which players describe as more stable with better lighting but a less even frame rate.
Genre: Action, RPG
Where to get it: Steam

Reception

Players still praise its writing, voiced characters and the detailed island that later returned in The Elder Scrolls Online. The gameplay draws heavy criticism: combat is called obtuse and drawn out, the platforming angular and unruly, and the controls laggy. The Steam version in particular is widely described as crashing or softlocking often, especially when picking up quest items, and several players needed console commands or save editing to reach the end.

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
All of its content still works (servers, DLC, unlocks)
The full single-player game is included and no content depends on servers (PCGamingWiki).
No proper support for modern resolutions and widescreen
Widescreen, ultrawide and 4K resolutions are not supported (PCGamingWiki).
Full controller support or remappable controls
Controllers are supported with remapping, sensitivity and inversion, though not for every function (PCGamingWiki).
Not Steam Deck Verified or Playable
No intrusive DRM or required third-party launcher account
No pay-to-win or pushy microtransactions
Known game-breaking bugs in the current version
Many players report frequent crashes and softlocks in the Steam version, especially when picking up quest items, plus areas that hang while loading (Steam Community, UESP).

Design today

2.5/5

Controls feel awkward on a modern controller or mouse and keyboard
Cyrus moves with stiff tank-style controls that players describe as laggy, and the combat and platforming built on them are widely called clunky. Source: steamcommunity.com, steamcommunity.com.
Menus, text or interface are hard to read on today's screens
The game runs only in 4:3 with no widescreen option, and its menus cannot be used with the mouse. Source: pcgamingwiki.com.
Saving is fair: free saves or frequent checkpoints, little lost progress
The game saves to numbered slots at any time from the main menu, but there is no autosave, so players save before every risky jump and loot pickup to survive its pits and crashes. Source: en.uesp.net, steamcommunity.com, steamcommunity.com.
It teaches itself: no guide needed to make progress
The story is linear and focused on one quest, and Cyrus keeps a journal that records events and leads, so the next step is usually clear. Source: en.uesp.net.
Pacing drags: grind, filler or forced backtracking
Players describe a slow, dialogue-heavy opening and sword fights that drag on, with some guard types seen as pure time wasters. Source: steamcommunity.com, steamcommunity.com.
Camera or movement fights the player
The camera has to be turned by holding a key while pressing movement keys, and players call the platforming angular and unruly, with jumps hard to line up. Source: en.uesp.net, steamcommunity.com, steamcommunity.com.