Spellcaster University
This game straddles the line between game and simulator, and it might leave people looking for either one disappointed. I, however, love this game, so I want to talk about it a bit.
The gameplay almost exclusively involves making choices from a mostly-random selection. You draw from a deck or speak to a faction, and then you choose the option that seems to serve your needs best. You have a limited time to make these choices because the Lord of Evil makes you move along almost as soon as you get rolling. The overall idea is to emerge from the storm of randomness with a healthy selection of graduates who buff your stats for the rest of the campaign. Ultimately, you run out of places to hide, so you have to find a way to survive the final level.
– Real player with 74.8 hrs in game
Read More: Best Card Game Simulation Games.
Charming if a bit clunky Hogwarts Sim Tower, card-draw based room choices. Can generate different mana as resources, which allow you to draw more cards of that mana type.
The mechanics are enjoyable, and the game is a great calm, casual experience. The campaign could use a lot of adjustment, it can feel a bit arbitrary and the only real direction is either provided through trial and error or community written walk-throughs. There isn’t particularly a feeling of progressing difficulty or even a real link between the areas as you progress. Challenge cards (You can optionally set a challenge at the start of the campaign, and completing it will unlock the card for future runs) are a cool way to provide goals, but they feel like a side piece rather than a main progressing thread. Some functionality/depth seems underwhelming on it’s impact on the game. Cool ideas, but they don’t actually end up doing a lot for you if you spend time manage them (ex. get 3-5 school “houses”, set priority to different types of magic for the house, drop the people gifted in those types in those houses, stop thinking about houses. There’s rarely a benefit to tweaking house settings beyond the initial setup).
– Real player with 40.6 hrs in game