The entire game takes place in a very limited area, consisting only of a crime-ridden half of a city, bandit-filled woods north of the city, and the ruined remnants of the second half of the city to the south.

Overworld movement is done from a 2D top-down perspective through a map of grid squares, though the party can enter certain structures and shops. When the party enters a building or dungeon that requires exploration, it is brought into another map. Non-combat skills become important, as there are often locked doors and secrets to discover.

Similarly, when the party encounters enemies the game goes to a combat map, complete with walls and furniture that affect movement and line of fire.

Combat is really where this game shines. Here you can see the sort of design choices that would later come into play in the famous Gold Box series, which SSI began in 1988 with Pool of Radiance.

You start battles by positioning your heroes, and the direction a combatant faces is important, with better defensive values against frontal attacks, while attacks from behind are more devastating.

Once combat begins, there's an outstanding number of actions available. Characters can go prone or zig-zag to avoid arrows, sacrifice defence for a more reckless attack, spend an entire turn aiming their bow, break shields with axes, guard against approaching enemies, hide, etc. Besides hit points there's also a detailed injury system, and unconscious companions can die by bleeding out unless one of your characters stabilises them. Furthermore, if a battle takes too long, morale starts to drop, making it harder.

Wizard's Crown is by far the most tactical RPG of its time – battles are an elegant dance, with forward lines of soldiers protecting allied archers and spellcasters, while supporting healers running in between.