Once upon a time, the people of Holm lived happily and peacefully, protected by a powerful talisman. But one day, their land was attacked, and the talisman stolen. A brave warrior went out to investigate the talisman's disappearance, but returned mortally wounded. Before he died, he told his three sons that the talisman was stolen by the evil Necromancer, and must be retrieved at all costs...
The Faery Tale Adventure is a role-playing game in which the player can assume control of any of the three brothers - Julian, Philip, or Kevin. Each of the three has his own strengths: Julian is the archetypal melee fighter, Philip has high luck and intelligence, while Kevin is known for his kindness. Should the player fail while controlling one of the brothers, the next one will replace him. Each brother will be revived a few times when vanquished by an enemy, until his luck runs out, at which point he will die permanently.
The gameplay involves exploring the large world, interacting with non-playable characters and building up the brothers' combat abilities by participating in battles. The player's bravery grows as they defeat enemies, increasing their vitality (maximum hit points) over time. Combat is action-style, where the player presses a key or mouse button to navigate towards or away from an enemy.
The Faery Tale Adventure features a vast world with approximately 17,000 screens of terrain, which are all interconnected. Players can explore, find items and interact with NPCs and undertake quests. Enemies can drop items, and the protagonist must eat and rest to survive.