Death Becomes You - Mystery Visual Novel
I am currently aiming for a complete playthrough with all endings before I write an extended review for another outlet. It’s an intriguing tale that dances in that moral grey area, at least that’s where I’m at right now.
– Real player with 12.4 hrs in game
Read More: Best Magic Narration Games.
A very great game! It got me more and more hooked as I progressed through the story.
It’s a murder mystery that focus on the relationship of the characters and you can keep discovering their depths and how different they are. The routes have distinct vibes allowing me to get attached to each character’s personalities while also showing the different sides of Lyra, and how strong her presence is for better of for worse.
It deals with magic in a interesting way, in a dark tone that shows the multiple possibilities and the dangers of magic in thsi world.
– Real player with 9.5 hrs in game
Jiangshi x Daoshi
I absolutely love this game! It uses a refreshing mix of static avatars & backgrounds, with frequent animation and motion comic action panels reminiscent of Dead Leaves. This gives the game an extremely dynamic feel, which makes up for the lack of choices. Like many Visual Novels, heavy emphasis is on the word Novel, as such, interaction in this game is mostly limited to hunting for words that the in-game hover-dictionary may explain for you.
Jiangshi X Daoshi boasts a rich story packed with fantastic Chinese mythology/historical information, with a wholesome dynamic between the main characters.
– Real player with 9.9 hrs in game
Read More: Best Magic Swordplay Games.
Please be mindful that this is the censored version uploaded to steam.
I wish to bring awareness to this. Apparently this VN was banned upon submission because of certain scenes and they’ve fought tooth and nail the bring it back for us to enjoy. Bans usually mean end of the line for most games from what I have heard. I’ve went back in to check most of these scenes and they aren’t even close to becoming questionable. For more on that story for those interested: Fruitbat Blog Post
– Real player with 7.7 hrs in game
Amulet of Dreams
This was an average, but moderately entertaining HOPA game. Not the best out there, but definitely not the worst. Get it if you’re looking for a very casual, fantasy-style HOPA. Despite a few grammar mistakes in the text, I found very little fault with the vocabulary used in the HO scenes. I had more trouble figuring out the puzzle instructions (to the extent available), but no more than many games.
Many of the negative reviews are accurate, but maybe a little harsh. Know what to expect: basic, but nicely drawn and composed HO scenes; limited, but very pretty music; a few okay, but mostly less than stellar puzzles. The story isn’t very coherent, but I enjoyed the game since I like going to “different worlds” and figuring out what to do. Don’t play this game if you aren’t in the mood to tolerate tossing away perfectly good items. It usually annoys me, but I still felt like I got my money’s worth from the game overall.
– Real player with 24.4 hrs in game
Read More: Best Magic Indie Games.
First of all
it looks really nice, the graphic style seems fairytale-inspired and fits well with the overall theme of the game. The hitboxes are weirdly specific sometimes, especially when using the goblin. There’s no difficulty settings and no bonus, achievements are story-related and not missable.
The story
is your classic parallel worlds/save your friend plot but is told a little … randomly? Why would the evil guy show up in your living room and introduce himself? Why doesn’t he ever try to stop you except for setting the floor on fire once? It does also feel pretty rushed at the end, you suddenly just know how to defeat evil without explanation (
! plus the evil guy’s secret is – an egg?? )
– Real player with 9.2 hrs in game
Stardander School for Witches
In this SHATTERED world, humans cannot survive without MAGIC. Someone has to TEACH them. That someone is Darestrand - aka Professor Dare - a Celestial-class Fae cat, protector of humans and head of Stardander School for Witches.
As Professor Dare, you will select a few lucky witches to teach, and choose which classes to teach them.
Support your witches as they navigate magical school life, and decide when to help them, advise them, or punish them.
Guide your witches through perilous team battles to keep the forests surrounding your castle safe. Wild Fae are on the rise and a dangerous enemy lays siege - always ready for a chance to strike.
The World
Long ago, humans summoned Fae creatures to this world and bound them to their will. It was an age of power and magic. But when pacts were broken, that very power - the power of the Fae - turned upon humanity and brought chaos to the world.
Only the aid and protection of fifteen sympathetic Fae kept humans from being annihilated. These fifteen became known as the Protectors, and founded the human-Fae Alliance. But one notoriously powerful and malicious Fae - Apexsens - has a deep grudge against humans and has not given up his quest to exterminate them.
The safety of the Protectors cannot last forever - only through mastering their own magic do humans stand a chance. For nearly 300 years it has been Darestrand’s task - and atonement - to teach humans the very magic that once dominated and enslaved her.
After mysteriously vanishing for seven years, Darestrand is now back to re-open Stardander, the best school for witches and the hope of all humanity. Few now know that she was once a great friend to Apexsens, and it was her who long ago broke the pacts and unleashed him upon the world. When the world’s balance shifts again, where will her loyalties lie?
Features
-
Accept witches to your school, helping them grow and learn spells.
-
Battle dangerous Fae in a unique turn based battle system.
-
Talk to and form pacts with enemy Fae to increase your witch’s power.
-
Solve mysteries in a nine year story arc with a high-stakes conclusion.
-
Compete with your rival wizard’s school, Kragons, for the highest school rank.
-
Decide how to manage all the shenanigans young witches are bound to get up to.
Classes
-
Projection - teaches combat magic that banishes enemy Fae.
-
Protection - teaches defensive magic that keeps your witches alive.
-
Transmutation - teaches constructive magic that creates potions and enchants equipment.
-
Channeling - teaches support magic that heals and restores witches.
-
Telepathy - teaches mental magic that allows you to sense and communicate with Fae.
-
Spirit - teaches binding magic that lets you form pacts with Fae.
-
Illusion - teaches sensory magic that tricks and misleads.
-
Summoning - teaches transportation magic that brings objects and even Fae to you.
The Cabinets of Doctor Arcana
This game is beautifully drawn and is definitely challenging! I have a hell of a lot of fun playing this!
Edit for Details (3 years after purchase):
The art is top notch. I have been a fan of the artist for some time before the game came out, and I was excited for this game. I was not disappointed. Everything this group does is VERY well thought out and planned and everything tells a story. I quite love things that pay attention to plot and this does that completely.
The puzzles are fun to solve, and indeed become progressively more difficult. There’s one that deviously forces you to start the entire puzzle over again if you mess up one piece of it… No matter how far you came before that mistake, even if you are EXTREMELY close to finishing it, one wrong move and you’re done for.
– Real player with 69.7 hrs in game
A very engaging game with fantastic visuals. I love the narrator’s hilarious commentary on their surroundings and on Vargo’s artwork. It was also fun to see some expansion on existing Nox Arcana lore. Much of the music is new, but at least two tracks come from “Legion of Shadows.” The puzzles range from pleasantly fun to excruciatingly difficult. Definitely an exciting and immersive challenge for anyone who likes spooky point-and-click games. But be warned– that Doctor Arcana has high standards!
– Real player with 48.1 hrs in game
The Goddess of Time and the Ice Princess episode 1
The story follows Catherine, a single girl that lost her parents when she was very young and had to take care of the family’s book store. Even though she had a calm life, her world changes forever when she starts to develop confusing feelings for her mysterious classmate Sabrina.
For better or worse, Sabrina holds the key information about the disappearance of Catherine’s parents, and their relationship with the Ice Princess.
Wanting to know more about her parents, Catherine sets off on a journey to meet the Ice Princess accompanied by Lily, Victoria and Sabrina.
StoryArcana
The realm of Nox was created to separate magical and non-magical beings. Clay Quilt is an ordinary boy transported there and to attend Azufelt, Academy of the Arcane, as an exchange student. As the only one of his kind, he must learn what it takes to be accepted and stay true to himself!
-
Relive life in a realm of wizardry
Become the only earthly wizard in the realm of Nox! Learn about this new realm full of magical creatures, wizard duels and puzzles for those with a magical mind!
-
Balance Academics, Quests & Mystery Solving
Solve mysteries as you help out the locals in Noxrose City, earning money to upgrade your wand or cruise around on a new broom.
-
Customize your wand and make it yours
Unlock new parts as you progress in the story or try your luck with a gasha machine in Noxrose City.
-
Participate in side activities in your daily life
Find rare trading cards for Artimus and play against the other students attending Azufelt Academy. There’s never a dull day in the world of Nox.
Encore Illusions
A magician’s rivalry takes a diabolical turn on stage. Discover what’s in the cards for four characters entangled in a lethal web of illusion.
All isn’t well on the magical stage. A fierce competition intensifies between Johannes the Great and Merlin the Amazing. The rivalry takes a diabolical turn when Johannes’ assistant is kidnapped the night before the Battle Royale performance. The ransom terms are extreme — a death sentence for her boss performed live on stage, along with acknowledged defeat in the pending big show. Can you break Sophie free before the doomed performance sets the stage? Is there any hope for Johannes the Great’s survival? Are you ready to take on the role of poor, victimized Sophie and her sweetheart Peter? Find out what’s in the cards for four characters entangled in a lethal web of illusion. Their fate is in your hands.
Features in Encore Illusions
Find out what’s in the cards for four characters entangled in a lethal web of illusion. Johannes the Great, Sophie, Peter, and Merlin the Amazing are playing for keeps. Embark on a mystical magic hidden object adventure packed with great gameplay features.
-
More than 40 different breathtaking environments
-
Gorgeous cut scenes for story and transitions
-
Challenging mini-games and puzzles
Bonus: Unlockable Encore Card Games!
FAWE: Enchanted Forest
FAWE: Enchanted Forest - board card game about mystical forest where magic has been saved.
Fight 3 or 4 Players in FFA or Teamplay mode on 1 Board with unlimited amount of Cards of 5 types - 4 Base Cards and 1 Super Card. Every Card has Attack and Defense and gives Buffs and Debuffs. In addition Super Card gives you ability to Upskill.
Shattered Runes
Shattered Runes is a fast-FPS in which you fight your enemies with magic. Choose from 186 unique spells to shape your own playstyle and defeat your opponents.
Current features :
-
186 magic spells : Each one has its own effect on the environment
-
Innovative gameplay : Magic spells are composed by following particular combinations with your mouse position and pressed keys
-
Simple class system : Build your own set of 4 favorite spells to use in game
Important note : The game is on early development stage, if you want to learn more about it, join the official Discord server (link provided in the game). Also, if you need help understanding some aspects of the game, feel free to follow the official YouTube channel.