Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap is a 1989 action-adventure developed by Westone for the Sega Master System, expanding the series with exploration and role-playing elements. After being cursed into a lizard-like form, the hero must journey through an interconnected world seeking a cure.
Its defining hook is transformation: the hero takes on different animal shapes, such as a mouse that scales certain walls, a piranha that swims, a lion with a strong attack, and a hawk that flies, each with unique abilities needed to reach new areas. This encouraged constant backtracking and discovery in a way that anticipated later exploration-driven platformers, and money earned from enemies could be spent on better equipment.
Praised for its ambitious structure and charm, it became a cult favorite that aged gracefully. The game received a faithful modern remake with hand-drawn art that also let players toggle instantly back to the original 8-bit graphics, introducing its clever, shape-shifting adventure to a whole new audience.
Play it today
Modern alternatives to Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap, with the devices they run on and their price. Ordered editorially by how well each one stands in for the original, with community votes weighted in as they accumulate.
Prices, platform availability and Steam Deck compatibility can change at any time. Always check the store page before buying.
| Alternative | Price | Steam Deck | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap Indie | € 19,99 | Steam Deck Verified | PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch |
| Hollow Knight Indie | € 14,99 | Steam Deck Verified | PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch |
| Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom Indie | € 39,99 | Steam Deck Playable | PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch |
| Astalon: Tears of the Earth Indie | € 19,50 | Steam Deck Playable | PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch |
| Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights Indie | € 24,99 | Steam Deck Verified | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch |
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap Indie
€ 19,99The acclaimed official remake with hand-drawn art and modern polish.
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap runs on PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. Not available on iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet.
Hollow Knight Indie
€ 14,99A vast indie Metroidvania in the exploration tradition Wonder Boy pioneered.
Hollow Knight runs on PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. Not available on iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet.
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom Indie
€ 39,99A spiritual successor with transformations and rich exploration.
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom runs on PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. Not available on iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet.
Astalon: Tears of the Earth Indie
€ 19,50Swap between three characters with different abilities to open up one interlocking tower.
Astalon: Tears of the Earth runs on PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. Not available on iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet.
Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights Indie
€ 24,99A beautiful, melancholy exploration platformer with transformation-style summoned allies.
Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights runs on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet.
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