In the spirit of evil-themed games like Dungeon Keeper and Evil Genius, Overlord is a game that goes against the grain and puts you in the shoes of a bad guy. Of course, being the bad guy dictates several unavoidable conventions regarding the plot, your abilities, and the fantasy world you inhabit.

Firstly, you’re a faceless, nameless, all-round evil being hell-bent on taking over the world, which is currently filled with do-gooders and traditional Tolkien fantasy fare, like hobbits, elves and unicorns. So far, so evil, but what sets Overlord apart from other third-person over-the-shoulder action games is your tool, or rather tools, for getting the job done: minions.

Your minions are loyal, demonic goblins that follow you around and exact your every wish. You can order them to attack the enemy, retrieve items, cast spells and solve puzzles, and they’ll try their darnedest to complete the task. Not all minions are created equal, however, where some are better at fighting, others at swimming and throwing fireballs, and some at resisting magic. Making matters slightly complicated is that you can only control a limited number at a time, so selecting the right combination of minions for the job is a skill in itself.

Controlling your character, dishing out orders, and selecting your minions may sound like a hectic job, particularly in the heat of battle, but Overlord’s context-sensitive cursor makes it relatively simple. First, you scroll the mouse wheel to select which type of minion to activate, then you just click on an object in the world to send your minions toward it. The little guys will figure out what to do when they get there – if it’s an enemy, they’ll attack; if it’s some treasure, they’ll bring it back to you; if it’s a house, they’ll loot it and set it on fire. If you want to get tactical you can set waypoint markers on the ground to set up ambushes or, for example, place your fireball throwing minions at the top of a hill for a better vantage point.

As the Overlord, you have some tricks of your own. You can jump into the fray yourself with a melee attack or missile spells, or you can buff your minions with extra defense or damage capabilities. Then there’s your evil lair – a decrepit old tower that, once repaired, will let you unlock other special options in the game. Once the tower’s dungeon is up and running, for example, you’ll be able to wander down and set up a simulated fight with any encountered enemy. Compared to other games of its type, there’s a ton of things to do outside the main quest.

It does get quite repetitive and the console-like interface may feel too frustratingly simple at times, but it packs in such a wide range of content, gameplay and entertainment that you’ll overlook its flaws. It’s silly, wacky and fun – just don’t take it too seriously.