Solstice: The Quest for the Staff of Demnos, or simply Solstice, is a 1990 puzzle video game developed by Software Creations. It was published by Nintendo in Europe and CSG Imagesoft in North America for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game focuses on the wizard Shadax’s bid to defeat the evil baron Morbius and rescue Princess Eleanor, whom Morbius plans to sacrifice. Shadax aims to gather the six pieces of the titular Staff of Demnos hidden within the fortress of Kâstleröck. The game’s setting is non-linear, and consists of 250 rooms, each with a particular puzzle to solve.
Solstice is the first original game to be developed by Software Creations, which had previously only worked on converted titles between 8-bit consoles. The game features a musical score by Tim Follin, who has named the game’s title track as his favourite among his compositions. It became one of his best-known tracks. Solstice was received positively by critics for its puzzles and graphics, and the audio was singled out for praise. A sequel, titled Equinox, was released for the Super NES in 1993.
