I had not played Paraworld since I switched to Windows 7 (or Vista even) because I simply could not get the game to work. Years later I found a blog post explaining how to get it to run on Windows 7. However, the download link for the fix the blog provides is no longer working and the post only mentions Windows 7. People looking for solutions to get Paraworld to run on Windows 8 or Windows 10 probably will not find that post. Thus, I reuploaded the fix (which you can get here) and created this post so people can find it.

The Dustriders show signifcant resemblance to ancient, middle-asian tribes. They are thought to be the second tribe ever to founded in the paraworld. The goverment of the Dustriders is situated mostly around the existance of the Holy city: This is where all the afairs of the Dustriders tribe are discussed, consulted and solved. Click the 'Install Game' button to initiate the file download and get compact download launcher. Locate the executable file in your local. ParaWorld takes you to a prehistoric world where creatures long extinct come to life. Experience the hostile environment as you fight more than 50 types of animals and enemy tribes. Over the course of the game, you can gain experience to help you acquire special moves, collect armor and objects, and become promoted to chief.

But how do I get the game to run?

Step 1: If you have ParaWorld installed (and it is not working), uninstall it.

Step 2: Install the game, but DO NOT use the default install path. Use something like C:/Games/Paraworld or similar and install the game into that folder. The default path seems to cause issues.

Step 3: If you have the German version of the game, but don’t have the Gold Edition, download and install the official booster pack.

Step 4: Download and install the fix.

Done! You should now be able to launch and enjoy ParaWorld again.

Short disclaimer

I do not know where this fix came from, who wrote it or how it works. I have been using it for 2+ years now and have not had any issues with the game. However, your results may vary.

Source: http://blog.nn2k.de/2013/03/29/paraworld-unter-windows-7-spielen/

Something to watch while you are fixing your game install

It looks like YouTube user Oliver Lugg had faced the same challenges with ParaWorld and newer versions of Windows. But he managed to get the game to run on Windows 10 using this post and posted a great review of this gem from 2006.

Paraworld Game

Did anybody here hear about Spieleentwicklungskombinat? Or maybe SEK? I?m sure that if you?re German you most definitely know of their work (yes, it?s one and the same). Their fist game, Wiggles/Diggles made a lot of fuss. Unfortunately, it wasn?t very well known outside the German boundaries. It was a funny strategy game that involved? lots of dwarves. More to the point, it was about 4 clans of dwarves that hosted characters from absolutely awful to utterly adorable. Their main target was to chain up a ruthless hellhound and? Oh, well. That?s a totally other game. The point was ? SEK already proved to be able to get something catchy. What is even more important is that they are partners of Sunflowers ? the creators of the highly appreciated Anno series. Now they?re tempting us with a story about the controversial dinosaurs that will guide (or hunt) you along a very imaginative RTS that takes you to? ParaWorld.

StoryThe background story says that this all happened in the 19th century and that the evil mastermind behind the events that are to come was a certain Jarvis Babbit ? an exceptional mathematician that managed to find a way of traveling to another dimension. Like any dark genius, he felt the need to be adulated and be covered in riches. Hence, he establishes a group of scientists (SEAS) that can keep a watchful eye on the new universe. ParaWorld, as they called it, was a primitive world inhabited by dinosaurs and archaic tribes. The great thing about the parallel dimension was that it acted as a fountain of youth enabling everybody to life forever without aging a day. Obviously, they decided to stay there and rule over the mystical world.

Unfortunately for SEAS, the existence of this parallel universe is detected by three brilliant young scientists ? the American Geologist Anthony Cole, the Swedish Biologist Stina Holmlund and the Hungarian Physics genius Bela Andras Benedek. Of course this doesn?t bode well with the society?s plans so Jarvis sets up the three and traps them into the salvage ParaWorld. From here on you guide the trio on their quest to get back to their home dimension. They?ll meet up with friendly tribes that will aid them in their journey, but they?ll also face ruthless enemies and too aggressive for their well being wild dinos. As if they didn?t have enough to worry about, the mad scientist and his group are determined not to allow them to escape alive from this world. Will they make it back home? Will they succeed in rescuing this innocent world from the evil masterplan? You?ll have to find out for yourself ?cause the story is really worth discovering on your own.

ConceptFortunately, the three heroes not only worked on their intellectual capabilities but also trained in some combat techniques. Bela mastered the all mighty long range bow and is even capable of influencing the archery skills of those around him. Stina, the beautiful blonde Swedish goddess, has a way with animals, while Cole is unbeatable in two weapons (swords) fighting. Along the way our heroes also meet other unique characters that join their just cause or that are in need of their help.

Three tribes ask our brave heroes for aid: the Norsemen, the Dustriders and the Dragon Clan. It seems like there?s an ever going battle with some Barbarians and some Amazons, not to mention the well trained army of SEAS that pops up from time to time to unbalance even more the battles. The intricate way home goes through five climatic zones (pretty big dimension, isn?t it?): the temperate Northlands, the dry Savannah, the tropical Jungle, the frozen Icewaste and the volcanic Ashvalley.

As they exterminate more enemies our group gains experience (represented by skull points). Obviously you think these will be used to raise your heroes in ranks. Well, you?re only half right, ?cause you could also promote any of your other troops if you wanted. So you?re allowed 25 level 1, 15 level 2, 10 level 3, 3 level 4 and just one level 5 unit. The funny thing is that your greatest unit could even be a worker that will work harder than ten level one workers. I guess that strategy is up to you to decide.

Helping out a tribe is equivalent to getting in control of their development so you?ll need to tell them what resources to gather (wood, stone and food), what buildings to erect and what units would be more appropriate for the approaching battles (long range archers ? always look for them, trust me). There are customized units for each of the three playable tribes. Each of them has strong and weak spots, advantages and disadvantages and a unique titan animal as they reach the top stage of evolvement (the fifth epoch).

GameplayJust so you get an even greater chance of getting safe back home, you can search the mystic lands for artifacts that will grant their powers to all the units that obey to you. Any of your units can carry one of these treasures (no matter whether it?s a hero character or not). Well, don?t worry too much about being able to carry just one object as these are rather scarce (they are treasures after all). Once the carrying unit is killed the treasure will immediately be laid on the ground ready to be picked up by another daring fighter.

Maybe you won?t experience a cr?me de la cr?me RTS, but you?ll definitely enjoy the close ups on the (Viking) Norsemen kind with their all mighty flotilla and their slow but strong land units, including the Triceratops Titan. The Dustriders (desert caravans) have the least buildings, but these are all ecological ? they can be disassembled at any time and be converted into the initial resources. Their town center is a mobile caravan that is extremely helpful as resources exhaust and you need to relocate the base. They are also the proud possessors of the widest variety of cavalry including the lizard king T-Rex Titan (they must have had a secret code with the cute dinos). The Dragon Clan tribe (inspired by the Asian cultures) is the