Open Sorcery

About

In Open Sorcery, become a sentient magical fireplace controlling various elemental spells to protect your mystical library from threats. Interact with associates and make decisions in a visual novel-style format, shaping the story's outcome based on your dialogue choices. Solve puzzles and enhance your abilities to safeguard your home against supernatural dangers.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 550 reviews

story112 positive mentions

character development2 negative mentions

The game features a beautifully crafted story with engaging writing that evokes strong emotions.
It offers high replayability with multiple endings and choices that significantly impact the narrative.
The unique blend of technology and magic creates an intriguing setting that captivates players.

The game is relatively short, which may leave some players wanting more content.
Some players found the gameplay repetitive due to fixed story elements across multiple playthroughs.
Technical issues, such as problems with the Linux version and limited save slots, were noted by some users.

story
228 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
50%
1%
The game's story is widely praised for its creativity, emotional depth, and engaging narrative structure, allowing players to shape outcomes through their choices. While some find the story's brevity a drawback, many appreciate its impactful storytelling and the exploration of themes like identity and compassion, particularly in a queer and disability-friendly context. Overall, it is considered a well-written, immersive experience that resonates with players, making it a standout in interactive storytelling.
- “This game is a great example of the immersive effect of an interactive story, where the player gets to play the main character and whose decisions affect the outcome.”
- “The story is a beautifully crafted thing, the characters are all dazzlingly fleshed out, and the various endings and paths that can be taken give this game a ton of replay value.”
- “I truly loved this game, highly entertaining, fascinating story and interesting characters.”
- “As for the story/setting, it is odd.”
- “The injection of contemporary sexual fetishes and propaganda was extremely jarring and spoiled the game and story, at least for me.”
- “Main problem with replaying is that the story is rather fixed - you encounter the same problems, there is no variation.”
replayability
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
38%
6%
The game is praised for its high replayability, with many players highlighting the diverse endings and branching storylines that encourage multiple playthroughs. Despite its short length, the engaging narrative and various choices provide substantial replay value, making it a worthwhile experience for completionists and casual players alike. Overall, it is considered a standout title in interactive fiction due to its replayable nature and rich storytelling.
- “One of the best interactive fiction games out there; I highly recommend it for both its short but sweet and highly replayable nature.”
- “The story is beautifully crafted, the characters are dazzlingly fleshed out, and the various endings and paths that can be taken give this game a ton of replay value.”
- “It uses its minimal mechanics to maximum effect and has a surprising amount of replayability for such a short game.”
- “There's a fair amount of replayability, because you can't see everything the first time through (or in any one playthrough, really).”
- “It uses its minimal mechanics to maximum effect, and has a surprising amount of replayability for such a short game.”
- “The story is a beautifully crafted thing, the characters are all dazzlingly fleshed out, and the various endings and paths that can be taken give this game a ton of replay value.”
emotional
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its profound emotional impact, with players reporting strong feelings ranging from joy to heartbreak, often leading to tears during key moments. Its innovative storytelling and meaningful exploration of themes like depression resonate deeply, making choices feel significant and enhancing the overall emotional experience. Despite its brief playtime, it delivers a rich tapestry of emotions, leaving players shaken and reflective.
- “I cried at two points which I will not mention for spoilers, but I really think this is one of the best of this kind of game that I have played recently.”
- “I've just finished my first playthrough, my hands are shaking and I didn't know I needed this kind of emotional discussion about the internal feelings of depression.”
- “That was one heck of an emotional rollercoaster.”
gameplay
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
66%
9%
The gameplay is primarily text-based, involving reading and clicking on highlighted options to make choices and explore details, which encourages replayability through different decision outcomes. Players appreciate the minimal mechanics that effectively enhance the storytelling, resulting in a short yet engaging experience with over 10 hours of potential gameplay. The game is noted for its queer and disability-friendly narrative, making it accessible and relatable while maintaining a strong emotional core.
- “The characters, the gameplay, and story line are all so good, and though the same things happen each day, the reactions you're able to give based on your past decisions are so cool to see.”
- “It uses its minimal mechanics to maximum effect, and has a surprising amount of replayability for such a short game.”
- “Open Sorcery blends this puzzle-like, observation-based gameplay with an emotional story that's incredibly engaging.”
- “Gameplay consists of reading and clicking highlighted text to choose options or get more details on things.”
- “Sometimes, you can't go back to gameplay from the save/load menu.”
- “There are generally two options for gameplay:”
graphics
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
46%
13%
The game's graphics are minimalistic, with very few visuals and rudimentary sound effects, yet they effectively complement the strong writing and narrative. Players appreciate the unconventional presentation, which emphasizes imagination over high-end graphics, proving that a compelling story can resonate deeply even without elaborate visuals. Overall, the graphics serve as a backdrop to the excellent character development and storytelling, making it a unique experience in the choose-your-own-adventure genre.
- “It's absolutely beautiful, for all that it has very few visuals.”
- “A lovely little game that proves that AAA graphics are not needed if the story and premise are well-written.”
- “And it's not just the words and story that are beautiful and compelling, but the visuals too.”
- “It's a choose your own adventure (CYOA) affair where there's barely any graphics or sound, yet when those occasionally show, it's always in an unconventional way.”
- “No graphics to speak of and only rudimentary sound effects, but the sound effects do a good job of establishing some imagery, as does the text.”
- “To call the presentation minimalistic would be a huge understatement, but there is this thing called 'imagination' which we seem to be using too seldom these days, especially with modern graphics.”
music
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
55%
18%
The music aspect of the game is notably minimal, with no background soundtrack and only a few sound effects present. While some players found the absence of music to be a flaw, others felt it enhanced the atmosphere, allowing for a more immersive storytelling experience. Overall, the lack of a traditional soundtrack is a common design choice in similar games, and many players adapted by using their own music playlists to complement the experience.
- “However, I put on a 'peaceful piano' playlist and found it to be a good musical accompaniment.”
- “There is no music, but I felt it suited the atmosphere well.”
- “It's completely story and decision-based which at first seems like it would put you to sleep since there is no music, but it puts you on edge (especially at the end, but I don't want to give too many spoilers) and really tests your riddle-solving skills (depending on how you play it).”
- “My only complaint is the lack of a soundtrack.”
- “There's no background music, only a few sound effects from time to time.”
- “First up, there is no music, no voice acting, few images, few sound effects.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as good and inoffensive, effectively blending funny moments with sadness and tension. Players appreciate its ability to evoke a range of emotions, from laughter to tears, while maintaining a thought-provoking narrative. Overall, the humor contributes significantly to the game's charm and emotional depth, making it highly recommended despite its short length.
- “It was often funny, and sometimes sad, then funny again.”
- “From terrifying to funny; heartbreaking to daft, and a really tense climax. Thoroughly recommend.”
- “Yes, it's short, that's why the price is so low, but in its brevity the game manages to be so much; it's funny, sad, thought-provoking, frightening, and deeply moving.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in "Open Sorcery" is highly praised, with reviewers noting its depth and impact despite minimal visual detail. The game demonstrates that strong writing can outweigh the need for advanced graphics or audio, making character arcs a central focus of the experience.
- “The character development was astonishing considering the lack of visual detail; these kinds of projects prove that nothing, no strong graphics nor interesting music nor slick controls, trump good writing.”
- “Open Sorcery is a minimalistic text-based game that focuses heavily on character development.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is captivating, drawing players in with its simple premise and immersive environment. The absence of music enhances the overall experience, allowing the thick atmosphere to resonate deeply with players.
- “It drew me in immediately with its simple premise and thick atmosphere, and now my brain won't let me leave it.”
- “There is no music, but I felt it suited the atmosphere well.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally appreciate the grinding aspect of the game, noting that it is engaging and well-integrated into the interactive story, avoiding tedium and maintaining a good pace throughout.