de_Monteynard: Well, you can always pick up Darklands. It's got a party, its real-time with pause and a sandbox (as much as a game from 1992 can have a sandbox) that will keep you entertained for many hours.
GoodOldJack: Thank you, I nearly didn't notice this game. I just picked it up and will install later. Does it have a set story or is it more nonlinear with regards to what you can do?
It's completely non-linear. Your main goal is to make your rag-tag group of "mercenaries" into a formidable force in any of the myriad situations that can arise. You get into dangerous spots because you need money, and when said money is acquired, it is promptly spent on gear, provisions, studies and transport, so you can get even more money and a cycle is formed. Because of the game mechanics, all the events feel very real and any one of them can become game ending very quickly. For instance, a gravely wounded party member can spend the better part of a month healing in the early stages of the game because you don't yet have a competent healer in your party. And because he has to rest, you can't do anything to make (any meaningfull) money, and so it slowly starts to drain from your strongbox. Well, at least that's true if you stay at an inn in a town. If you wish to rough it in the wilderness, you can heal him for free... if the wolves, demons, peasants, knights, taxmen, alchemists, pilgrims, witches, bandits, mad priests, alchemic experiments, gnomes.... etc don't get you.
No, seriously, you'll either quit after half an hour, or tough on through it and eventually start to really enjoy it.