Mind Over Magic

About

Mind Over Magic is a single player simulation game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Sparkypants and was released on February 12, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

"Mind Over Magic" is a simulation game where you build and optimize your own magic school, while also exploring the deadly Underschool and using raised undead servants to your advantage. The game features detailed design options, exotic plants, potion brewing, and a deadly fog to contend with. Respect the dead and use their spirits to further your school's progress.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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89%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,720 reviews

gameplay122 positive mentions

grinding64 negative mentions

Charming graphics and atmosphere that create an engaging magical school experience.
Unique building mechanics that require creative room designs based on specific requirements.
Fun blend of colony management and turn-based combat, providing a fresh take on the genre.

Gameplay can become tedious due to slow resource gathering and building processes.
Lack of clear objectives and endgame content, leading to a feeling of aimlessness.
Some mechanics, like the fog and combat, can feel unbalanced and frustrating at times.

gameplay
410 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
64%
6%
The gameplay of this title is often compared to "Oxygen Not Included," featuring similar mechanics like task prioritization and building systems, but it is generally considered more accessible and less complex. Players appreciate the engaging gameplay loop that combines school management, character development, and combat, although some find the learning curve steep and certain mechanics, such as the fog and resource management, frustrating. Overall, while the game shows promise with its innovative mechanics and charming visuals, it is still in early access and may require further refinement to enhance the gameplay experience.
- “The gameplay loop is enough to keep you engaged for hours, as my hour count probably makes quite obvious.”
- “A engrossing gameplay loop of building your school to accommodate students and staff, helping them level up their magic, and sending groups to battle monsters in the underschool for all kinds of rewards.”
- “Great inventive mechanics, gorgeous visuals, extremely polished product.”
- “Considering that’s the core gameplay loop for the entire game, it also won’t get changed for the better.”
- “My main gripe with the game is that the fog mechanic, the underschool, and the actual teaching of your magical students all feel like separate systems ripped out of different games with little meaningful synergy between them.”
- “Sadly the devs are making bad updates, removing gameplay mechanics in post of a faster and duller experience, and what made the game original and interesting in the beginning is now completely gone.”
graphics
204 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
49%
1%
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their charming and unique art style, reminiscent of Klei's signature aesthetic, particularly drawing comparisons to "Don't Starve" and "Oxygen Not Included." Players appreciate the polished visuals, smooth animations, and the whimsical atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience, although some express a desire for further graphical polish as the game develops. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal and immersive quality.
- “Great inventive mechanics, gorgeous visuals, extremely polished product.”
- “The art style is gorgeous, somewhat like 'Don't Starve' but in much greater detail and the music is pretty much what you get with any Klei game.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, but I doubt they'll be hard on your computer.”
- “The solution for me was to reduce the graphics as the game progressed.”
- “While I like the idea and graphics, the game lacks goals and replayability.”
- “I love the art style but I wish it looked more polished/graphically better... I feel like with games like this you could really push the visuals.”
grinding
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
5%
94%
The grinding aspect of the game has received significant criticism, with many players finding it excessively tedious and unengaging. Reviewers noted that the gameplay loop relies heavily on repetitive resource gathering and micromanagement, leading to a lack of variety and excitement, particularly in combat and building mechanics. While some systems offer automation, the overall experience is marred by a sense of monotony and frustration, making it feel like a long, grindy slog rather than an enjoyable challenge.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “I found the game completely boring, a long grinding that isn't fun, engaging or new.”
- “While it has all the right ingredients for another amazing Klei game, the current gameplay loop too heavily relies on grinding the necessary resources.”
- “Furthermore, some of the advanced research and crafting stations are locked behind an enormous amount of resource and research grinding which doesn't get any easier over time.”
story
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
85%
10%
The game's story is largely criticized for its absence, with many reviewers noting that there is no overarching narrative, characters, or lore to engage players. While missions exist to enhance student relics, they lack meaningful context or objectives, leading to a repetitive experience devoid of a compelling storyline. Overall, players feel the game lacks depth and emotional investment, making it difficult to stay motivated in building and progressing.
- “This game takes the best features from several genres and lets you live through a story of a magic school, where students come and go and only select few become staff members.”
- “Oni is a better game than Spellcaster University, but Spellcaster University is better in story-crafting (what The Sims and Dwarf Fortress are famous for).”
- “This is a good step forward from Oni in terms of overall game design (UI/UX mostly), and still a minor step backwards from Spellcaster University, but mostly only in gameplay and ludo-narrative; in that mom forces you to throw your students into a meat-grinder, while this is optional in Spellcaster University, which feels a lot more like an interactive procedural story-adventure.”
- “The story is non-existent in my opinion beyond the intro.”
- “There is no story, no characters, no lore, no campaign, no humor.”
- “It's lacking a story and a soul, but the mechanics are in-depth and are great.”
optimization
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
66%
8%
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while many players report smooth performance and no crashes during early gameplay, issues arise as the game progresses, particularly when expanding bases or increasing activity. Some users experience significant frame rate drops and lag, even on high-end hardware, suggesting that further optimization is needed, especially for late-game scenarios. Despite these challenges, the game is still considered polished for an early access title, with potential for improvement in future updates.
- “As of just over 80 hours of play, I have not experienced a single crash or performance issue, and no bugs that I actually noticed.”
- “The game looks very good, it's very optimized, and the turn-based combat is not too bad; it could use some improvement, but maybe that's in the pipeline.”
- “Pros include decent optimization, a good aesthetic, a great idea (heavily inspired by Spellcaster University), and generally good execution of the process and management of staff and students.”
- “The game runs smoothly at the start, but starts to lose performance as you expand your base and increase the number of simultaneous events.”
- “There are slight issues with the performance of the game at the time of writing, as many players are struggling to achieve more than 60 frames per second (fps) and frequently experience stutters and fps drops, even with moderate or high-end PCs.”
- “In reference to the performance issues, one user on the official game Discord server reported experiencing lag spikes and fps caps between 20-40 on hardware consisting of a 7900X3D (CPU) and an RTX 4090 (GPU), both of which are top-of-the-line components.”
music
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
50%
10%
The music in the game is generally well-received, described as atmospheric and fitting the overall aesthetic, with a mix of cute background tunes and more eventful pieces. While some reviewers note that it may not be award-winning, it effectively enhances the gameplay experience without being intrusive. However, there are mentions of a need for improvement in the soundtrack and sound design, indicating that it could benefit from further refinement.
- “A lot of care has been put into the music; it’s not going to win any awards, but it does what it needs to without getting in the way.”
- “Audio: the music is great, and in general the audio is very atmospheric, and gives your school a slightly Lovecraftian feel.”
- “The art style combined with the music and good sound effects makes a great ambience that feels awesome!”
- “Soundtrack is very weak.”
- “As of March 2024, it needs a ton of work on the UI, sound design, and music.”
- “I have misophonia and all music is hard for me to listen to, but I imagine it's pleasant for those who don't suffer with my ailment.”
atmosphere
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
34%
12%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its charming graphics and unique art style, blending elements of both creepiness and cuteness. Players appreciate the immersive audio, including atmospheric music that enhances the overall experience, although some sound effects can disrupt immersion. Overall, the game successfully creates a captivating environment that encourages exploration and creativity.
- “It has a unique atmosphere, and if you always wanted to build your own Hogwarts, now you can.”
- “Mind over Magic kind of reminds me of Fallout Shelter, but I absolutely love its artwork and overall atmosphere.”
- “The music is great, and in general, the audio is very atmospheric, giving your school a slightly Lovecraftian feel.”
- “Mind over magic kind of reminds me of Fallout Shelter, but I absolutely love its artwork and overall atmosphere.”
- “I am also a fan of the artwork and the atmosphere. On the one hand, it's very creepy and on the other hand, it's also very cute. I mean, look at the wolf wearing a magic cloak!”
- “Graphics are really nice and unique and, in my opinion, add a lot to the slightly strange atmosphere of the game.”
humor
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as whimsical and reminiscent of titles like "Oxygen Not Included," featuring funny animations and quirky character interactions, such as a student spawning ooze creatures. However, some players feel the humor is inconsistent and overshadowed by gameplay issues, leading to mixed feelings about the overall comedic experience. While there are moments of levity, the lack of content and frustrating mechanics detract from the enjoyment for some users.
- “One of the students got sick and he literally started spawning ooze creatures everywhere, it was funny for a second until he died.”
- “This game has some of the same humor and whimsy as Oxygen Not Included, but has much more compelling gameplay.”
- “Such a wonderful graphics style, great sounds, and lots of funny and cool animations.”
replayability
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
43%
19%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the variety of strategies and mechanics that encourage exploration and optimal play, others feel it lacks sufficient goals and content to sustain long-term engagement. The randomness in room tags offers some replay value, but many believe that without new content or additional design criteria, replayability may be limited. Overall, the potential for replayability exists, but it heavily depends on future updates and balancing.
- “If you want to play optimally, you need to balance a multitude of different priorities and mechanics, which provides it with excellent replayability.”
- “Better yet, there isn't just one perfect strategy, but rather, many different approaches one might take, giving the game a lot more to explore, and a huge amount of replayability.”
- “I'm finding there is a definite need for balancing, but as others have said, this feels very much like a Klei published game, with its quirkiness and fun replayability.”
- “While I like the idea and graphics, the game lacks goals and replayability.”
- “The only 'replayable' element here is a randomness in room tags (which is off by default), but there are build strategies already that would allow you to easily make rooms with any tags you like.”
- “Not much of a replay value until new content drops.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
80%
Overall, the game demonstrates impressive stability for an early release title, with minimal glitches, bugs, or crashes reported by users. While gameplay is generally smooth, some minor issues, such as characters getting stuck after battles, have been noted and may require future fixes. Players appreciate the solid content and performance, indicating a well-fleshed-out experience despite these small concerns.
- “The gameplay has been smooth and not buggy at all.”
- “If I could start over, I would do that for sure - conviction is a pain to maintain. It's a fairly bug-free experience, but there are a few little things that I hope will be fixed. The biggest issue is that sometimes rooms in your school get invaded by enemies, creating a fog that is impassable until you clear the battle. After these battles, always make sure all your characters are moving around. Several times, one of my wizards has 'respawned' after the fight stuck behind stairs or other objects, preventing them from getting to food or bed. On relentless difficulty, missing one night in bed or skipping one meal can lead to death.”
- “For being an early release title, it feels well fleshed out, with a solid amount of content, but there are minimal glitches, bugs, and crashes. However, the stability could still use some improvement.”
- “So far, I can't find any bugs, glitches, or anything that sticks out, but I remain cautious as I continue to play.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development is praised for its integration with various gameplay elements, including resource gathering and base building, enhancing the overall experience. The character design is particularly highlighted, contributing to the game's engaging atmosphere and diverse activities.
- “I like everything from the character design to the building system and the turn-based fighting in the underschool.”
- “A great art style and atmosphere, with a ton of stuff to do, including resource gathering, base building, character development, random events, and even turn-based combat.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report that the game evokes a sense of emotional engagement, often feeling a strong connection to the narrative and characters, which enhances their overall experience. However, some users noted that the emotional impact may be diminished by the game's perceived ease, suggesting a lack of challenge could lessen the intensity of their feelings.