Spellmasons

About

Spellmasons is a single player and multiplayer strategy game. It was developed by Octavia Blue and was released on January 31, 2023. It received very positive reviews from players.

"Spellmasons is a turn-based strategy roguelike, offering both single-player and local/online co-op modes for 2 players. In this game, you'll combine spells to fight enemies and navigate procedurally generated levels, saving friends and battling a dark wizard. With each level, you'll unlock new spells and hone your skills, leading to increasingly powerful magical combinations."

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94%

Audience ScoreBased on 839 reviews

gameplay58 positive mentions

stability23 negative mentions

The spellcrafting and combination mechanics are incredibly satisfying, allowing for creative and powerful combos.
The game is highly engaging, especially in multiplayer, where players can collaborate on spell strategies and experience chaotic fun.
The developer is very active in the community, regularly updating the game and responding to player feedback.

The game currently lacks depth and variety, with limited content and repetitive gameplay after a few runs.
There are significant balance issues, particularly in the late game where players can become overpowered too quickly.
Multiplayer can be buggy, with desync issues and performance problems when too many spells or enemies are on screen.

gameplay
110 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
44%
3%
The gameplay of Spellmasons is praised for its engaging mechanics, particularly the unique spell-casting and combination systems that encourage creativity and experimentation. While the core gameplay loop is solid and addictive, some players note a lack of depth and content, leading to repetitive experiences over time. Overall, the game offers a fun and inventive tactical roguelike experience, though it could benefit from further refinement and additional features.
- “The gameplay is incredibly compelling, chaining spells into incredible combos to deal with the myriad threats, whilst building up your spellbook, skill points, and rune page level by level.”
- “Spellmasons is a refreshingly inventive turn-based tactical roguelike that stands out through its unique approach to spellcasting, emergent gameplay, and cooperative chaos.”
- “The core gameplay is very solid: puzzling out a turn just right, seeing the payoff of a nice chain, figuring out new ways to manipulate the systems, it all feels tight and makes me want to keep playing.”
- “There's no meta-progression or story, it's just gameplay, which I wouldn't really mind if you didn't have to spend $20 to get it.”
- “The gameplay loop is quite repetitive, so most of the replayability comes from different spell builds, and by the end of each run, you will often screen wipe every turn.”
- “This game is a bugfest, has very little content, no complex mechanics, and no perceivable attempt at balancing.”
humor
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is consistently praised for its cleverness and chaos, with players enjoying hilarious spell combinations and the resulting antics, especially in multiplayer settings. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to create funny moments, whether through unexpected spell outcomes or friendly competition among players. Overall, the game is described as a delightful mix of strategy and humor, making it a fun experience that encourages laughter and creativity.
- “Whether you’re solving tactical puzzles solo or laughing through fiery chaos with friends, Spellmasons delivers a kind of magical strategy experience that feels fresh, challenging, and—above all—fun.”
- “You get to slap together spells from runes and half the time you either pull off something insane or completely nuke yourself, and both are hilarious.”
- “It's hilarious and definitely worth your time and money, especially at this low price.”
stability
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been a significant concern among players, with numerous reports of bugs, crashes, and freezes, particularly during multiplayer sessions. While some users find the gameplay engaging and fun despite these issues, many express frustration over the frequency of glitches and the impact on co-op play. Overall, the game is described as "janky" and in need of further polish, especially in its online functionality.
- “Countless bugs and glitches truly make me wonder how this game is out of early access.”
- “The game freezes too easily.”
- “Great game, but even after all the updates still buggy and laggy as all hell.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
45%
14%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a simple yet charming pixel-art style that evokes nostalgia for '90s-era visuals. While some players find the graphics modest and lacking in detail, many appreciate their clarity and the overall aesthetic, which complements the engaging gameplay. Despite mixed opinions on the visual quality, the art style is often described as fun and fitting for the game's mechanics, enhancing the overall experience.
- “At first glance, its modest pixel-art style and top-down grid-based combat might appear simple, but what lies beneath is a highly intricate and rewarding system built on magical experimentation.”
- “Absolutely one of the most fun and intriguing roguelites I've played, I love the art style and I love the whole concept of chaining spells together, amazing game, 100% recommend.”
- “Great pixel art graphics, especially the death scenes of enemies, a pleasant OST and a really fun combat system.”
- “Terrible graphics, it wouldn't have been hard to make them better... but the mechanics more than make up for it.”
- “Graphics are not pretty.”
- “I did not expect performance for this game to be an issue with how simple the graphics are.”
music
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
19%
14%
The music in the game has received widespread praise for its charm and quality, with many reviewers highlighting the engaging soundtrack that complements the gameplay well. While some players noted that the soundtrack can become repetitive after extended play, the overall consensus is that the music enhances the gaming experience, making it enjoyable and immersive. Additionally, the sound design is described as satisfying, contributing to the game's fun and engaging atmosphere.
- “The soundtrack is unexpectedly good too.”
- “Great music, fun builds, go at your own pace, great with friends, quality of life and UI is workable and looks nice, overall great game.”
- “The music and sound design fit the game very well, and the visuals are great, clear and easy to understand.”
- “I really liked the soundtrack, but it's short and was getting played out by the 3-hour mark, which was about the time I had done everything in single player.”
- “Edit 1: There are some issues with the music playing multiple things at once and a few quality of life improvements that could be made.”
- “I don't have much to say about the art or music in the game.”
replayability
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
52%
16%
The game offers a mix of high replayability through diverse spell builds and procedural generation, allowing for unique experiences in each run. However, some players note that the gameplay loop can become repetitive, and the lack of meta progression or content variety may limit long-term engagement. Overall, while many find the replay value strong, others feel it falls short compared to other roguelikes.
- “Haven't even made it beyond floor 12 yet and I can say this game has so much replayability with how you can approach combat in all kinds of ways with different builds.”
- “I can see a lot of replay value because every run is different.”
- “The variety of spell combinations is probably its strongest aspect, giving it some much appreciated replayability.”
- “The gameplay loop is quite repetitive, so most of the replayability comes from different spell builds, and by the end of each run, you will often screen wipe every turn.”
- “With no meta progression or even a log of things you've discovered, the replayability hinges on randomizing the same few parts.”
- “Aside from that, it'll just take a bit more variety across the board to make this a heavily replayable title.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its absence, with players noting that it lacks depth and narrative elements, making it feel bare bones despite enjoyable gameplay. Many reviewers express a desire for a story mode or additional challenges to enhance the experience, as the current gameplay is fun but feels incomplete without a compelling storyline. While there are minor hints of lore through mob descriptions, the overall consensus is that a more developed narrative would significantly improve the game.
- “But to make a great game you also need depth and storytelling and something that makes you want to dive into it other than the gameplay being fun.”
- “Cannot stop enjoying, but damn a story around it would be so cool!”
- “There's no meta-progression or story; it's just gameplay, which I wouldn't really mind if you didn't have to spend $20 to get it.”
- “It seems a bit bare bones at the moment and would be better if it had a story mode.”
- “No story or exploration.”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it allows for extensive customization and strategic planning, players report significant performance issues, particularly in late-game scenarios with complex builds. Although recent updates have improved stability and performance, ongoing concerns about late-game balance and optimization remain, indicating that further enhancements are needed. Overall, the developers are actively addressing these issues, showing commitment to improving the game's performance.
- “New updates come out regularly, usually for balance or optimization, but new content is also introduced every so often and there's clear passion by the devs to expand even more.”
- “Being able to craft spells at your own turn-based pace lets you put as much optimization as you wish into your actions, puzzling out the best outcomes possible in any given situation.”
- “Edit: the stability and performance of the game has been greatly improved in recent patches.”
- “There are a decent amount of late-game builds that have poor performance; for example, multiplying AoE target modifiers like cone and circle will quickly slow the game down, as will spells that spawn a lot of arrows or clones.”
- “The game needs some optimization for late-game levels of strength, which is quickly reached.”
- “I did not expect performance for this game to be an issue with how simple the graphics are.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the late-game grinding experience tedious, often resorting to repetitive spell combinations that require excessive clicking, leading to a loss of enjoyment and engagement with the game.
- “In the late game, it becomes common to repeatedly use the same combination of spells, such as 'Last Will + fifty repetitions of Rend + Execute', which is tedious to click on each spell over and over.”
- “At that point, my build became too tedious to keep playing.”
- “It was just tedious.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy is primarily based on video ads, which users feel are adequately represented in promotional materials, though some suggest there may be a lack of overall advertisement for the game.
- “It's basically just like the video ads show you.”
- “Maybe a lack of advertisement?”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express that the game evokes a strong sense of immersion, allowing them to feel as though they are part of a fantastical group, engaging in spellcasting and adventure. This emotional connection enhances the overall gaming experience, making it feel more personal and impactful.