Spells & Secrets

My only gripes are predominantly mechanical and slightly limiting options, as otherwise, Spells & Secrets is an easy no-brainer for magic lovers and enthusiasts looking for a wizarding home.

77%Game Brain Score

gameplay, story

stability, grinding

79% User Score Based on 232 reviews

Critic Score 72%Based on 3 reviews

Platforms

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About

Spells & Secrets is a single player and multiplayer casual action adventure game with fantasy and kids themes. It was developed by Alchemist Interactive and was released on November 9, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"Spells & Secrets" is a rogue-lite game with a focus on local co-op play, where you explore a magical academy and use spells creatively to battle creatures and solve puzzles. Customize your character's appearance and abilities as you uncover powerful artifacts and unravel the mysteries of the academy. Note that there is no online co-op mode. * Rogue-lite game with local co-op play * Creative spell usage for combat and puzzle-solving * Customizable character appearance and abilities

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

+15

Skip User Reviews

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 232 reviews

gameplay18 positive mentions

stability12 negative mentions

The game features a charming art style and engaging spell mechanics that allow for creative gameplay.
Co-op play enhances the experience, making it fun to explore and solve puzzles with a friend.
The game offers a variety of spells and artifacts, providing opportunities for unique strategies and combinations.

The game suffers from numerous bugs and crashes, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
Many players find the game too easy, with predictable boss patterns and a lack of challenge in later runs.
The progression can feel repetitive, with limited enemy variety and similar room layouts across runs.

gameplay
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
68%
5%
The gameplay is characterized by creative mechanics and engaging spell-based combat, allowing for environmental manipulation and puzzle-like encounters. However, some players find the controls unresponsive and the overall experience can become repetitive due to limited enemy variety and a lack of depth in the storyline. While the game offers a fun and charming roguelike experience, it may benefit from additional content and refinement to enhance replayability.
- “Fun little game, mechanics are solid and it's fluid enough to enjoy. The puzzles are fun to discover, while sometimes it is a bit unclear on how to approach the solution, but that's also part of the fun.”
- “Being able to manipulate objects and other parts of the environment is amazing, and it makes it so that the core gameplay mechanics never get dull.”
- “I actually really like the core gameplay, in which combat is more like a puzzle instead of a race to do damage.”
- “After 10 hours of gameplay, I had no motivation to play any more.”
- “The mechanics and controls are not tight or responsive enough for the gameplay type, and the trappings around the lackluster mechanical core did not compensate sufficiently to bring me back after my first foray into the game.”
- “Maybe they will update it with a better storyline or gameplay overall, but it's just not worth £20.”
story
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
82%
6%
The story is generally viewed as underwhelming, with many players feeling it lacks depth and originality, often relegated to the background in favor of gameplay. While some appreciate the character interactions and the fun of uncovering the narrative, others criticize the generic plot and repetitive dungeon design, expressing a desire for more engaging storytelling and character development. Overall, the game is seen more as a dungeon crawler than a narrative-driven experience, with potential for improvement in future updates.
- “Great roguelike with a decent story and fun puzzles.”
- “I just finished the main story, and I have to say I had a lot of fun.”
- “[*][b] story presence throughout the game [/b] - the story is great and I like how each rescued classmate actually appears in the courtyard so you can talk to them.”
- “The story starts out of nowhere; you don't even experience the school before being thrown to the wolves on your own.”
- “I suppose I was hoping for more of a story and less of a dungeon grind where every level looks pretty much the same.”
- “And second, there are loads of people to see, yet no one has any voice lines; it's just text boxes. There is a lot of reading, and the story is the most generic: you start school, that night a tower blows up, it's the work of a dark person, we are the only ones who can stop them, get XP, get stronger, a bunch of filler, stop the bad guy, the end.”
graphics
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
43%
7%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful and charming art style, featuring vibrant colors and a unique atmosphere that sets it apart from more realistic titles. Many players appreciate the cute visuals and overall aesthetic, describing it as a delightful experience that enhances gameplay, despite some minor graphical hiccups. Overall, the art style is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The graphics are beautiful and well composed.”
- “The art style of both the characters as well as the environment gives this game its own unique atmosphere and it's really wonderful to look at.”
- “Visuals: pretty, vibrant colors, nice monsters and generally pleasant to the eye.”
- “Looks fun, graphics are cute, but incredibly boring.”
- “I've encountered the odd bug here and there, but all graphic hiccups, nothing gamebreaking in any way.”
- “The graphics are so sweet.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is mixed, with some players reporting significant bugs and visual glitches, particularly with clothing clipping issues and freezing during remote play. However, others have noted a smooth experience throughout the story without major glitches, highlighting a disparity in stability experiences among users. Overall, while some enjoy a stable gameplay experience, many encounter frustrating bugs that detract from the overall enjoyment.
- “There are some visual glitches involving soft bodies (e.g. most clothing, especially skirts), mostly clipping through other clothing.”
- “If your partner accidentally levitates you, which is very easy to do due to the buggy targeting system, you are left to just stand there until they move you or the time on the ability runs out.”
- “The game freezes every time I use remote play with a friend; hope the developers add online multiplayer.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be overly tedious and repetitive, particularly due to the lack of checkpoints in randomized dungeons, which forces them to replay sections until they succeed. While the initial hours may be enjoyable, many feel that the excitement diminishes as they fall into a monotonous grind, despite some variation in battle challenges. Overall, the grind detracts from the overall experience, making it feel less engaging over time.
- “My only serious problem is that it feels too grindy.”
- “It can be tedious to play the same (randomized) dungeons again until you reach the place where you failed last.”
- “To sum up, I enjoyed my first 10-15 hours, grinding without excitement on autopilot through the rest.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game is highly praised for its fitting and enjoyable nature, complementing the cute art style and overall ambience effectively. Many reviewers note its resemblance to the Harry Potter theme, providing a nostalgic yet generic appeal that may attract players hesitant about supporting Hogwarts Legacy.
- “The music fits the game so well, and it's so fun to listen to.”
- “The art style is cute and the soundtrack fits the ambience very well.”
- “The setting, music, and style are very much Harry Potter, but in an enjoyably generic way that might even be appealing for those who felt uncomfortable supporting Hogwarts Legacy.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is criticized as a cash grab, suggesting a lack of genuine support from the developers, who seem to rely on a Harry Potter-inspired aesthetic to attract players. Despite these concerns, many users find the game enjoyable and fun to play.
- “This game is a cash grab with no real support.”
- “It kinda feels like the devs didn't have faith in the game, so they made the style a Harry Potter rip-off as sort of a cash grab - but like, the game is actually pretty dang good and a lot of fun.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally well-received, providing a lighthearted experience that is amusing without being overly challenging or frustrating. It draws comparisons to titles like Magicka and Nine Parchments, offering a comedic tone that enhances enjoyment without demanding high levels of skill.
- “It has some elements of Magicka or Nine Parchments without being overly punishing or frustrating—just enough to be funny.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
"Spells & Secrets" is described as a cute and wholesome roguelike that evokes positive emotions through its simple mechanics and forgiving design, allowing players to enjoy the experience without the frustration of harsh penalties for mistakes. The game's charm lies in its lighthearted approach, making it an emotionally uplifting experience.
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the game's strong replayability, particularly for fans of collectathons, as it encourages them to revisit and strive for 100% completion. The game's simplicity enhances the challenge without causing frustration, motivating players to engage repeatedly.
- “I think it's a really good game if you like collectathons and replayability. The ability to just go through and try to get everything is a challenge, but the simplicity of the game doesn't make me want to quit; it makes me want to 100% the game even more!”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's unique art style, encompassing both characters and environments, creates a visually stunning atmosphere that players find captivating and enjoyable.
- “The art style of both the characters and the environment gives this game its own unique atmosphere, and it's truly wonderful to look at.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is generally well-received, with solid character design noted as a strength; however, some players find the walk cycle to be somewhat odd, though this is considered a minor issue in the context of the game's overall design.