At one time, Game of Thrones was at the top of the television world, and Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons, was a household name. It is unlikely that she will appear in the upcoming House of Dragons show, but her character has lived on past the original show through video games.
Capitalizing on the success of the show, naturally, a handful of Game of Thrones video games were developed that crossed over with the show’s continuity to varying degrees. To that end, Daenerys has appeared in most of them, and in some cases, has been portrayed by Emilia Clarke herself.
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Though not the first game made to tie-in with the show or books, this is the first one to include Daenerys. This 2013 point-and-click role-playing game has the player swear allegiance to one of Westeros' Great Houses, and help build up an army to support them. Each house has its own family members who assign the player with quests to build their alliance, with Daenerys being a part of House Targaryen. Oddly, the icon used for her does not include the entirety of her body, only her torso, although she is wearing her iconic blue dress and cape from Season 4.
Telltale Game of Thrones’ Season 2 may never happen, but it was nonetheless an ambitious game. Set concurrently between Seasons 3 and 5 of the show, this 2014 game tells the story of the Forrester House, who must navigate the sea of treachery which is Westeros after being on the losing side of the War of the Five Kings. Inevitably, one of the characters named Asher Forrester meets Daenerys, whose voice and likeness was provided by Emilia Clarke. Again, due to the narrative’s timing, she is predominantly in her classic blue outfit. Following the traumatic history of Telltale in recent years, though, it is unlikely that Game of Thrones will ever get its second season.
When this game launched in 2017, its ads were inescapable, which remains one of the worst aspects of mobile games and was not a good sign for the game itself. Similar to Ascent, Conquest is a strategy game that tasks the player with building an army to try to ascend to the Iron Throne and rule the Seven Kingdoms. However, unlike that game, the player can collect iconic characters from the TV, each with their own special traits and abilities. Currently there are two variants of Daenerys in the game, “Mother of Dragons” and “Breaker of Chains,” using stills of her from Season 1 and Season 5 respectively.
The Reigns series is a perfect fit for a Game of Thrones crossover. This minimalist game launched in 2018 and places the player as one of Game of Thrones’ iconic principals, with the essential gameplay loop being to swipe left or right to make decisions determining how their kingdom is ruled. Depending on the player’s decisions, they can unlock new characters like Arya and Sansa, or will die and be succeeded by the next in-line ruler. Set within the Red Priestess’ visions, Reigns offers a glimpse at what the kingdom would be like if certain characters were in power, with Daenerys being the first character players inhabit. Her model is designed after her look in Season 7.
Winter is Coming is another roleplaying strategy game where players tackle the age-old quest of trying to obtain the coveted Iron Throne. Like Ascent and Conquest, players rally troops, build bases, and attempt to conquer the other lands of Westeros while meeting some familiar faces along the way. In this 2019 game, characters like Daenerys are recruitable commanders that offer unique stats when used in battle. She appears in her black Season 7 outfit, with the one pauldron and emblem of her dragons on her chest. Daenerys may not look as the books describe, but this appearance in the show is as iconic as it gets.
Game of Thrones: Beyond the Wall is the last game to feature Daenerys, and it does so in an interesting way. This mobile adventure RPG from 2020 is set many years before the events of the show, following the Night’s Watch as they try to protect Westeros from the north. Along the way, players can use the power of the Weirwoods to summon heroes from the TV show like Jon Snow, Jaime Lannister, and Daenerys. There are currently four obtainable variants of Daenerys in the game: “Queen of Meereen” in her white outfit; “Breaker of Chains” in her blue outfit; “Lady of Dragonstone” in her black outfit; and “Protector of the Realm” in her snow-white alternate Season 7 outfit. Each version has slight differences in abilities, meaning there is a Daenerys for every occasion.
Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon will debut on HBO Max in 2022.
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