Magical Diary: Wolf Hall

About

"Magical Diary: Wolf Hall" is a visual novel and dating sim set in a magical school. You play as a student who must balance academics, extracurricular activities, and relationships with other students, including potential romantic interests. The game features branching storylines, multiple endings, and a variety of customization options for your character. It is the sequel to "Magical Diary: Horse Hall."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 176 reviews

story25 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

The game features well-written characters and an engaging story that expands on the lore of the Magical Diary universe.
The dungeon mechanics are improved, offering multiple solutions to puzzles and making them more enjoyable to navigate.
The art style has been upgraded, providing more distinct character designs and a visually appealing experience.

The romance elements feel underdeveloped, with some routes lacking depth and emotional connection.
The game can feel repetitive, especially with the stat-raising mechanics and dungeon exams that may become tedious over multiple playthroughs.
Some players may find the main character's background and personality limiting, reducing the sense of agency in shaping their character.

story
100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
70%
5%
The story aspect of the game is characterized by a mix of episodic narratives and slice-of-life elements, often lacking depth and coherence, which leaves some players feeling unsatisfied. While there are engaging character arcs and multiple romantic routes that provide replayability, many reviews highlight the overall shallowness of the plot and the absence of a compelling central conflict. However, some players appreciate the unique storytelling and character development, particularly in the sequel, "Wolf Hall," which expands on the lore and offers a more intricate narrative experience.
- “The storyline(s), even if you fail to get the romantic path you're going for, is more engaging with a greater variety of outcomes and more hidden and secret content locked behind your choices that makes every play-through feel uniquely one of a kind and yours, and makes playing through the game time and again to complete all the storylines a task that is not only fun, but compelling as well.”
- “The story is fourth dimensional and believable; the characters are all unique: some pure good, some pure evil, a lot in between; and I love that!”
- “Magical Diary: Wolf Hall builds and improves on every aspect of Magical Diary: Horse Hall, staying very respectful to the lore and established events of the previous game, while focusing on aspects of the story that you simply could not have experienced in the alternate timeline that is its 'prequel.'”
- “The story is really, intensely episodic, meaning the plot will not go anywhere.”
- “The plot is told through hearsay and these are not plot beats; they don't go anywhere.”
- “What suffered though, is the characters and the story.”
graphics
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
69%
10%
The graphics in the game have received significant praise for their improvement over the previous installment, with a fresh art style that enhances character engagement and background complexity. While some players miss the distinctiveness of the original art style, many appreciate the streamlined visuals and unique character designs that better complement the story. Overall, the new graphics contribute to a more polished and visually appealing experience, making it a worthy successor to its predecessor.
- “The characters, even those carried over from the first game, are fleshed out and more engaging with a more robust art style that really brings them to life.”
- “Yes, overall, the aesthetics of the game itself improved; backgrounds are more complex and there are more different locations and complex scenes.”
- “The graphics are also a marked improvement over the first game - I really liked all the new character designs.”
- “The art style is too drastically different from Magical Diary: Horse Hall for me.”
- “Having more options does not automatically make them 'better' options, and they could have made more unique characters available in the same art style as before.”
- “The art style is streamlined compared to the previous game, and while it makes it more conventional and hence easier on the eyes, it's lost a tiny bit of its distinctiveness, I think.”
gameplay
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
71%
14%
The gameplay of this visual novel combines casual scheduling mechanics with engaging dungeon crawling and RPG elements, offering a unique blend of interactive storytelling and magic-based puzzles. While the game features solid mechanics and improved visuals, it retains a significant amount of text, which may detract from the interactive experience for some players. Overall, it enhances the established lore and character backgrounds, though some aspects, like the dungeon crawling, may feel underutilized compared to the narrative focus.
- “Very cute visual novel with creative dungeon mechanics!”
- “Overall, presentation-wise, and in terms of gameplay balance, this game is a huge improvement -- that's not to say the previous one was bad, but this one is even better.”
- “Unique game that is a mix of a dungeon crawler/RPG with some visual novel or dating sim mechanics thrown in there too, and honestly it's a really good combo for a game like this.”
- “If you do not care about the art downgrade or care about what the characters looked like before, it seems like more of the same gameplay-wise.”
- “There will be a lot of text along with the interactive parts; more specifically, it makes 60 or even 70% of the whole gameplay.”
- “The dungeon crawling, in the form of exams where you get to utilize your magic for combat and/or puzzle solving, was one of the weaker aspects of the first game, being a bit underutilized (unfortunately the final exam abandoned these mechanics completely).”
music
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
24%
18%
The music in the game is largely a repeat of the original soundtrack, which some players find nostalgic while others consider it repetitive and in need of updates. While the background tracks are generally well-received, with highlights like the ending song being particularly praised, opinions vary on its overall impact, with some players noting they rarely focus on this aspect. Overall, the music is described as decent but lacking in innovation.
- “Emotionally and intellectually engaging, with great artwork and music, too!”
- “Gorgeous artwork, really nice soundtrack (the ending song is magical - pun fully intended).”
- “The game offers a lot of unique choices, beautiful art, breathtaking music (seriously, I can't stop listening to the soundtracks, especially Americana!), some interesting dungeon designs (there are 8 dungeons/exams in the game).”
- “Music is exactly the same as in the first game, as far as I can tell.”
- “Could have benefited from some updated music, but the nostalgia carries it through.”
- “A lot of it is from the old game, and that had okay music.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
13%
38%
The game offers high replayability due to its numerous branching paths, character romance options, and in-game achievements, encouraging players to explore different routes and stories. While some players feel the replay value is only significant due to a lack of alternatives, many find the charm and depth of the game make it worth revisiting. Overall, it is praised for its engaging content that keeps players coming back even after completing the main story.
- “Almost impossible to explore all the branches in one sitting; the replay value is very high.”
- “There are a lot of creative options and replayability when going through the dungeons and exams in the game, along with the opportunity to choose a different character to romance.”
- “Tons of side routes (thanks to Kickstarter!) have their own quirks and charms, giving the game pleasant replayability after the main story and romance routes are complete.”
- “So there are a lot of creative options and replayability when going through the dungeons/exams in the game, along with replaying to choose a different character to romance as well.”
- “Well, I think there is some replay value here, but all in all, I'll only be replaying it because there is literally nothing decent out on Steam at the moment.”
- “The price to playtime ratio is weaker, but the game has a lot of replay value and achievements if that is your thing, which may make the price match.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its memorable characters and a narrative that skillfully balances adorable and heartbreaking moments, addressing heavy topics with sensitivity. However, some players feel let down by the limited impact of their choices on relationship development during significant emotional scenes, which detracts from the overall engagement. Despite this, the game remains intellectually and emotionally stimulating, complemented by impressive artwork and music.
- “Wonderful, memorable characters inside a narrative that switches between adorable and heartbreaking without ever leaving you with a sense of tonal whiplash or feeling like it isn't handling some of the heavier topics with the care they deserve.”
- “Emotionally and intellectually engaging, with great artwork and music, too!”
- “There's also the fact that certain choices seem to have pretty much zero impact on the development of your relationships and serve only to give you two or three different lines, which is okay with small dialogue options on minor events, but it's not okay during a big emotional scene.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a contrast between the female main character's struggles and the seemingly effortless success of the male characters, leading to some genuinely funny moments. However, the humor can sometimes feel overshadowed by serious themes, and the emotional depth of the characters may be lacking. Overall, it offers a lighthearted experience that keeps the gameplay engaging without overstaying its welcome.
- “That being said, it's hilarious how in Horse Hall the female MC feels like she's fighting for her life at every turn (auto-demerits from Grabiner, William sees her as a little sister, too beta to run for president, can easily fall for Damien) and meanwhile Chad Gary Stu is just strolling on through (knows Grabiner, can date William, can run for president, trick Damien).”
- “It had me laughing a few times, but I will say that nothing really bad happens, and that sometimes when the storylines take on a serious topic, the characters lack emotions.”
- “Overall, an interesting and unique production in the dating sim genre and is just about funny enough to not overstay its runtime.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
Character development in the game is noted to be uneven, with side love interests receiving less attention but remaining fully dateable. While the overall character designs have improved, some players express mixed feelings about specific redesigns, such as Virginia's new hairstyle.
- “The side love interests are secondary characters with less character development, but they are still fully dateable.”
- “The graphics are a marked improvement over the first game - I really liked all the new character designs.”
- “Character design is generally great, just like in Horse Hall. I'm really fond of the new art style.”
- “The side love interests are secondary characters with less character development, making them feel less impactful despite being fully dateable.”
- “The character development feels shallow, leaving many characters underexplored and lacking depth.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be boring and tedious, often feeling that it lacks meaningful engagement, especially after multiple playthroughs.
- “Well, it's boring, tedious, and feels hollow.”
- “Several playthroughs can get tedious.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is enhanced by recognizable background music and effective sound effects, creating a fun and fluffy environment that players appreciate. The consistent audio elements contribute to an engaging and immersive experience.
- “The sound consists of several very recognizable music tracks that play nicely in the background, along with sound effects and atmospheric effects for creatures or events.”
- “I love games that are fun and create a fluffy atmosphere, and this game does just that.”