Master of Magic Classic

About

"Master of Magic Classic" is a turn-based strategy game that lets you lead a powerful sorcerer as they build their empire and master the arts of magic. Explore a procedurally generated world, research spells, summon mythical creatures, and conquer enemy civilizations through strategy and force. The game offers a deep and engaging experience, with a wide range of customization options to suit different playstyles.

Genres & Tags

Strategy

Play Modes

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

97%

Audience ScoreBased on 527 reviews

graphics17 positive mentions

stability5 negative mentions

Master of Magic is a classic 4X strategy game that combines elements of Civilization with magic, offering deep gameplay and high replayability.
The Caster of Magic mod significantly enhances the game, improving balance, AI, and adding new spells and features, making it a must-have for fans.
Despite its dated graphics, the game remains engaging and fun, with a nostalgic charm that appeals to both old fans and new players.

The game suffers from old-school UI and controls that can be frustrating for new players, making it difficult to navigate and manage units effectively.
The AI can be unbalanced, often feeling like it cheats by having superior resources or knowledge, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
While the game has been updated, some players still find bugs and crashes, particularly when using the Steam version or when alt-tabbing out of the game.

graphics
100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
70%
13%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated, reflecting a style from the 1990s that may deter younger players accustomed to modern visuals. While many acknowledge the low resolution and dated user interface, they emphasize that the gameplay experience remains enjoyable and engaging, often suggesting that players should overlook the graphics to appreciate the game's depth and mechanics. Overall, the consensus is that while the graphics are poor by today's standards, they do not detract significantly from the game's charm and replayability.
- “Despite the 30-year-old low-res graphics and dated UI, this iconic game is still a blast to play.”
- “Even with dated graphics and UI, it is still fun.”
- “The design is fun and enthralling, and the fact that it's 8-bit graphics doesn't detract from the way you interact with the game.”
- “The old graphics send you back 30 years in time immediately :)”
- “Yes, the graphics are terrible by today's standards.”
- “The graphics are from the 90's - they suck.”
gameplay
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
62%
7%
The gameplay of "Master of Magic" is a blend of dated yet engaging mechanics that continue to captivate players, offering a rich fantasy-empire-building experience. While some find the graphics and certain mechanics clunky, the game is praised for its depth, strategic spellcasting, and turn-based combat, which many consider superior to contemporary titles. Overall, it remains a classic that balances complexity and enjoyment, making it worth revisiting for fans of the genre.
- “Master of Magic is the most enjoyable fantasy-empire-building game ever, with a great balance between detailed spells and units and not-too-complicated mechanics.”
- “I do really enjoy the spell mechanics and the turn-based combat, which I actually believe is a huge step up from even contemporary Civ games.”
- “The gameplay is rock solid.”
- “It's ugly, clunky, and loaded with obtuse mechanics, but it's a classic.”
- “Master of Magic is extremely difficult, dated, and yet still has some unique mechanics that differentiate it from the likes of Sid Meier's Civilization or other 4X strategy games.”
- “It takes a moment to get used to its deeper game mechanics.”
replayability
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
63%
11%
The game boasts exceptional replayability, driven by its vast array of races, magic classes, and procedurally generated maps, allowing for unique experiences in each playthrough. While some players note imbalances that can be frustrating, the deep customization options and strategic depth keep players returning for more. Overall, it is celebrated as a classic with nearly infinite replay value, appealing to those who enjoy challenging and varied gameplay.
- “The limitless replayability makes me come back to this over and over again!”
- “Multiple magic paths, multiple races, and procedurally generated maps mean essentially infinite replayability.”
- “It's a wonderful strategy game with strong replay value due to its near-infinite character customization and map settings.”
- “Be advised there are a lot of imbalances in the game between units/races which can frustrate some players, but there's a lot of variety of starting races and magic classes/spells to experiment with and offer that 'just one more click' replayability.”
- “It's a long-winded game, but the replay value is through the roof.”
- “With this mod, it breathes so much replayability into what was, frankly, an unbalanced game.”
music
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
58%
16%
The music in the game elicits mixed reactions from players, with some feeling nostalgic about its orchestral and retro sound, while others find it jarring and outdated. Many users recommend turning off the music to enhance their enjoyment, as it can become annoying quickly. However, there are suggestions for optimizing the audio experience through specific sound settings to better appreciate the compositions crafted by notable composers George Sanger and David Govett.
- “I get nostalgic just listening to the menu music.”
- “The music composers George Sanger and David Govett from MicroProse apparently loved the Gravis Ultrasound, which was the best sounding gaming soundcard at the time - in 1994. They loved this famous soundcard so much that when they composed the music of Master of Magic, they especially refined and designed the composition for the latest patches of the Gravis Ultrasound!”
- “As with all of SimTex’s games, Master of Magic is beautifully presented, with bright, colorful and interesting character and creature design, a dynamic music system with some fantastic tunes, and high-quality animations for many of the player actions such as spell casting, diplomacy, and banishing rival wizards into the void.”
- “The music is jarring and horrible, and I generally don't mind the soundtracks of older games.”
- “The audio is not good; you either get blasted with music or some sparse sound effects when it is turned off.”
- “Graphics and music are very old and do not match today’s mainstream.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
83%
Overall, users report that the game has improved significantly in terms of stability, particularly on Windows 10, with fewer bugs compared to its initial release. However, some players still experience glitches and express concerns about the game being rushed to market, resulting in a problematic launch.
- “Now it runs great on Windows 10.”
- “Perhaps it's a well-designed game that was released too soon with too many bugs to attempt to meet quarterly earnings reports and ended up with a buggy, crashy mess.”
- “Does it ever end the glitches with Steam?”
- “Though very buggy in the beginning, it was a hell of a time.”
story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The reviews highlight a contrasting experience with the story aspect; some players enjoy crafting their own narratives of epic empire creation, while others note the absence of a structured story altogether.
- “Hours of fun telling yourself a story of epic empire creation!”
- “There is no story to speak of.”
- “The game lacks any meaningful narrative.”
- “The storyline is completely absent.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a variety of funny and useful spells that contribute to its humor, making it enjoyable despite its outdated graphics. Overall, it is considered a charming and amusing experience.
- “Lots of funny and useful spells.”
- “Perhaps not a great appeal for its graphics (it's 30 years old), but a very nice and funny game!”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players note that grinding in the game can be extremely time-consuming, often requiring significant effort and strategy to build powerful armies and conquer territories. The process involves careful planning and resource management, making it feel like a second job for some.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Every game I've played with at least death3 (darkness + ghouls), I overwhelm my immediate neighbor by picking fights carefully and creating a huge undead army, then assaulting their fortress with ~6 ghouls + ~3 injured spell/bolt fodder (or hero), kill all ranged, then finish them off with the free undead army I just got conquering their territory and farming their huge quantity of summons.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
Users emphasize the importance of researching and adjusting configuration files to achieve optimal performance tailored to their systems. Additionally, the AI is noted for being well-optimized, providing a challenging experience as it effectively counters player strategies.
- “The AI is pretty good, so you'll be constantly fighting an opponent optimized to challenge you.”
- “Do research on optimizing the configuration files for optimal performance on your respective system.”
- “The AI is pretty good, so you'll be constantly fighting an opponent optimized to fight you.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
The monetization model is praised for its absence of DLC and microtransactions, contributing to a complete and polished experience that contrasts with the unfinished feel often found in contemporary strategy games.
- “There's no DLC, no microtransactions, and none of the unfinished feeling present in every modern strategy game.”
- “The game respects my time and money, offering a complete experience without pushing for additional purchases.”
- “I appreciate that the developers chose to focus on delivering a full game rather than relying on monetization tactics.”
- “The monetization model feels exploitative, pushing players to spend more than they should just to enjoy the game.”
- “I was disappointed to find that essential features are locked behind paywalls, making it hard to progress without spending money.”
- “The constant barrage of ads and prompts to purchase in-game currency ruins the overall experience.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is polarizing; while some players have a deep affection for it, others find the experience frustrating and unenjoyable, suggesting that it may not resonate well with everyone.