Crystal Shard is not new to adventure games. This indie studio has been developing them since 2001, but most of them are made with Adventure Games Studio and, on top of that, they are all free. So I didn't expect much of Heroine's Quest.

I was wrong. Imagine a parallel universe where Sierra released Quest for Glory in 2013, with the same VGA graphics, but bigger, with more RPG stats, and tuned to the Norse mythology. That's Heroine's Quest. Yes, it's that good.

Any fan of QfG will immediately feel at home. It's all very familiar: the similar graphics, the good old Sierra interface, the three classes – Warrior, Sorceress and Rogue – and the distinct battles with monsters. But it's a parallel universe, remember? So, apart from some jokes about Harry Potter, The Hobbit and other modern references, the game is quite original.

Your heroine arrives in a small town during an unusually long winter. As it happens, this winter is unnatural, a sign of the forthcoming Ragnarok – the end of the world at the hands of monsters and frost giants. And, of course, it's up to you to save the world, regardless of your initial less-then-average physical conditions and zero equipment.

The Adventure part is quite solid: most tasks are logical, and very rarely require guessing. Moreover, key tasks are marked on your map, so you'll never lose track. Most quests can be solved in several ways, and each class has their own personal quests and goals. As a result, playing each class feels like a distinctively different game that follows the same plot and setting, so you could easily play it at least trice.

The role-playing aspect is also very well-thought-out. Your success in certain puzzles is determined by several stats and skills, which improve during your adventures while you use them, quite naturally.