"Computer Gaming World"s Scorpia in 1985 described "Bard's Tale" as "not to be missed!" In 1993 she criticized the game's starting difficulty and single save location, but stated that it had "many points of interest, particularly in the puzzles, and is definitely a game worth getting". The game was reviewed in 1986 in "Dragon" #116 by Hartley and Pattie Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers rated the game well, concluding that "Bard’s Tale, a game of high adventure ... is one we recommend for your software library." The game was revisited in "Dragon" #120. In a subsequent column, the reviewers gave the game 5 out of 5 stars.