A Sceptic's Guide to Magic

About

In "A Sceptic's Guide to Magic," players assume the role of a skeptical forensic investigator, Lester Chapman, who gets drawn into a mystical world of witchcraft and primordial forces after witnessing a bizarre crime scene. As Lester delves deeper into the mystery, he forms an unlikely alliance with two teenage witches, Fianna and Val, to uncover the truth behind their friend's ritualistic murder. Along the way, Lester learns to reconcile his rigid scientific beliefs with the arcane mysteries of magic.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 84 reviews

story36 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

Engaging and well-written story with interesting characters and multiple endings that keep players hooked.
Fun and unique gameplay mechanics involving spell crafting and investigation, providing a cozy supernatural detective experience.
Improved graphics and sound design compared to previous titles, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.

The music can be grating and detracts from the overall experience, leading some players to turn it off.
Gameplay can involve tedious pixel hunting and backtracking, which may frustrate players looking for a smoother experience.
Some dialogue and character interactions contain anachronisms and cultural inaccuracies that may pull players out of the immersion.

story
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
49%
4%
The story is a blend of dark themes and humor, revolving around a skeptical scientist investigating a murder intertwined with magic and the occult. While it features intriguing twists and engaging characters, some players feel the plot loses focus at times and relies heavily on shock value rather than deep character development. Overall, the narrative is well-written and captivating, making it a highlight of the game despite its flaws.
- “The story is about an investigation into the gory death of a person found in an abandoned house.”
- “Dark, gritty, and with a fast pace, the story more than makes up for any shortcomings.”
- “It was a really interesting story that kept me hooked from start to finish.”
- “The plot twist of Lester's dead son felt like it came from nowhere, and perhaps too late in the story to add much.”
- “The plot kind of dithers here and there, and really loses focus in the middle of the story.”
- “I don't know, maybe I am just too stupid for this game, or its interface and story are not intuitive at all, but I really had to do every step only with the help of this guide... so there is no fun at all.”
music
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
43%
7%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the nostalgic 90s vibe and the fitting soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere, others find certain tracks, particularly the Halloween-themed chip music, to be grating. Positive comments highlight the variety in music, including witchy tunes and unique end credits songs that change based on the game's ending, contributing to an overall enjoyable auditory experience. However, the presence of recycled sound effects has been noted, which may detract from the overall originality of the sound design.
- “I love the upgraded graphics, music, and sounds compared to the old game.”
- “The soundtrack is excellent, the music sets the mood for every location on the map, and while there are a lot of recycled sound effects from the 'Space Pilgrim Saga', the sound effects are all realistic enough, including in those unrealistic moments like magic being invoked.”
- “The 90s vibe is excellent and can be felt in little touches throughout the game - the overhead perspective, the menu interfaces (where you purchase items, craft spells, and view your inventory), the retro art style, and even the music has a definitive MIDI quality.”
- “My one complaint is that the music is gratingly bad.”
- “The 90s vibe is excellent and can be felt in little touches throughout the game - the overhead perspective, the menu interfaces (where you purchase items, craft spells, and view your inventory), the retro art style, and even the music has a definitive midi quality.”
graphics
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
50%
12%
The graphics of the game are a mix of retro pixel art and upgraded visuals, appealing to fans of nostalgic aesthetics, though opinions vary widely. While some appreciate the cute character designs and the 90s vibe, others criticize the low-detail graphics and consider them outdated compared to modern standards. Overall, the graphics contribute to the game's charm, but they may not satisfy players looking for contemporary visuals.
- “I love the upgraded graphics, music, and sounds compared to the old game.”
- “Offers multiple endings, good gameplay, nice graphics and good believable characters.”
- “The 90s vibe is excellent and can be felt in little touches throughout the game - the overhead perspective, the menu interfaces (where you purchase items, craft spells, and view your inventory), the retro art style, and even the music has a definitive midi quality.”
- “They chose to use obsolete retro pixel 'art' as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “Crappy graphics and crappy gameplay with no real evidence the developers are capable of making any kind of modern PC game, confirmed by the way they dumped this into bargain basement shovelware bundles make this completely impossible to recommend.”
- “There is some nudity, but it’s drawn in a 'low-detail pixel art style', so they might as well not have bothered including it.”
gameplay
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
39%
17%
Gameplay reviews are mixed, with some players criticizing the graphics and mechanics of certain RPG Maker titles, labeling them as low-quality and derivative. In contrast, "A Sceptic's Guide to Magic" is praised for its engaging story, multiple endings, and enjoyable point-and-click adventure gameplay, featuring interesting mechanics like spellcrafting. Overall, while some games struggle with execution, others offer compelling experiences with solid gameplay and character development.
- “A sceptic's guide to magic provides a well-written and intriguing story with multiple endings and fun, fleshed-out adventure gameplay (point-and-click style).”
- “Offers multiple endings, good gameplay, nice graphics, and believable characters.”
- “The spellcrafting is an interesting mechanic because you must find both the ingredients and the apparatus as well as figure out which puzzle each spell would be useful for.”
- “The developers claim to be using point and click mechanics similar to LucasArts/Sierra adventures, but this is a blatant lie; the game is a JRPG ripoff using a poor retro pixel Final Fantasy look.”
- “Crappy graphics and crappy gameplay with no real evidence that the developers are capable of making any kind of modern PC game. This is confirmed by the way they dumped this into bargain basement shovelware bundles, making it completely impossible to recommend.”
- “A lot of people won’t bother with this game since it was made with RPG Maker, but I thought the gameplay was okay.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "A Sceptic's Guide to Magic" is present but less frequent compared to previous works by the developer, Pilgrim Adventures, and is often intertwined with a darker narrative tone. While the game features interesting characters and engaging dialogue that adds a humorous touch, the overall mood is more serious than in the "Space Pilgrim" series. A highlight is the bonus chapter, which humorously breaks the fourth wall, providing a comedic payoff after completing the game.
- “Once you complete the game for the first time, the bonus chapter is unlocked in the credits in a really hilarious breaking of the fourth wall.”
- “I liked the characters and enjoyed the story, humorous but sometimes with a darker touch.”
- “The dialogue has some humor to it so at least it isn't too monotonous.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate that there is no grinding involved due to the absence of combat, which alleviates the typical tedium associated with RPG Maker games. However, the engine's requirement for physical character movement can still make exploration feel cumbersome.
- “RPG Maker games usually make this more tedious just by being themselves: the engine usually forces the player to physically move the character to a spot, rather than using the mouse cursor, and then check the area.”
- “RPG Maker games usually make this more tedious just by being themselves: the engine usually forces the player to physically move the character to a spot, rather than using the mouse cursor, and then check the area.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express a desire for a return to more wholesome, emotionally uplifting gaming experiences, such as those found in the Space Pilgrim series, rather than the prevalent themes of violence and murder in current games. However, there is a recognition that this particular game avoids making players embody the murderer, which is seen as a slight positive.
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers decent replayability due to its multiple endings, providing players with a reason to revisit the experience for different outcomes. Overall, it is considered a good source of entertainment that encourages repeated playthroughs.
- “It's a good night's entertainment, and the multiple endings do add some replay value.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from optimization issues, particularly with OBS capture, which requires additional effort to set up correctly. This is noted as a common problem among RPG Maker style games.
- “The game is not optimized for OBS, so it took a little work to get it to capture correctly. This seems to be a common problem with RPG Maker style games I've been finding.”
- “The game is not optimized for OBS, which made it challenging to capture correctly. This issue appears to be prevalent among RPG Maker style games.”

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2h Median play time

2h Average play time

2-2h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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