Fallout creator’s decades-old D&D RPG that controversially allowed same-sex marriage finally makes its Steam debut

The Temple of Elemental Evil, a Dungeons and Dragons CRPG by Fallout creator Tim Cain, is making its way to Steam over 20 years after its initial release. A CRPG praised for its art direction and lambasted for allowing same-sex marriage, The Temple of Elemental Evil is a truly underrated classic.

Now, 22-years after it released on PC, The Temple of Elemental Evil is back via publisher SNEG games, a group that recently released the once-cancelled Xbox 360 game Captain Blood. Back for modern systems, more gamers than ever before now have a chance to try out this largely forgotten gem.

The Temple of Elemental Evil returns

Releasing in September 2025, Tim Cain’s Dungeons and Dragons CRPG doesn’t use the same ruleset that many Baldur’s Gate 3 players will be used to. Instead, the classic PC game is a very faithful adaptation of 3.5e D&D rules.

Based on the tabletop scenario of the same name, you’ll fight a number of elemental cults threatening the town of Hommlet. You’ll explore the world, find new companions and fight to stop Zuggtmoy, the Demon Queen of Fungi and Rot, from taking over.

The new remaster is based on decades of fan work to make the game run well on modern systems. SNEG’s remaster appears to make use of modern resolutions and a number of new features, but the game does appear to still be limited to a 4:3 aspect ratio.

“The Temple of Elemental Evil first came out in 2003 and has had a passionate community around it ever since,” the Steam store description reads. “Over the years, fans have added a lot to the game and kept it alive in ways we really admire. This version builds on that work, and we’re genuinely thankful to everyone who’s helped along the way.”

Tim Cain’s D&D game was the draw of some controversy two decades ago for its inclusion of same-sex marriage. In the game, male players are able to meet Bertram, a pirate that they can eventually marry. Back then, the move was controversial. A decade after, it was seen as brave and boundary pushing. Now, some red-faced loser will probably complain about it.

As it stands, same-sex relationships have been a major component of pretty much every D&D themed RPG since. Baldur’s Gate 3 goes above and beyond in its LGBTQ+ diversity, but it always has to start somewhere. While The Temple of Elemental Evil isn’t the first game to add same-sex options—Tim Cain himself added same-sex marriage to Fallout 2 years before—but it’s another step on the ladder to progress.

About the Author

Lewis White

Lewis White is a veteran games journalist with a decade of experience writing news, reviews, features and investigative pieces about game development with a focus on Halo and Xbox.