Wizardry Variants Daphne

About

Wizardry Variants Daphne is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Drecom Co., Ltd. and was released on March 5, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Wizardry Variants Daphne continues the classic RPG legacy, plunging players into a dark labyrinth where death and despair reign. With the king vanished and the world succumbing to an abyssal curse, players must brave perilous traps and fierce foes alongside unique allies formed from diverse class and race combinations. The game challenges adventurers with its signature high difficulty and deep strategic gameplay.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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69%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,035 reviews

gameplay69 positive mentions

grinding90 negative mentions

Great old-school dungeon crawler with engaging story and atmosphere.
Challenging gameplay that rewards strategic thinking and preparation.
F2P friendly; players can progress without spending money, using base characters effectively.

Buggy PC port with frequent crashes and poor UI design.
Predatory monetization model with high prices for gacha pulls and limited character access.
Permadeath mechanic can lead to frustration, especially for new players.

gameplay
278 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
68%
7%
The gameplay of this dungeon crawler is characterized by its blend of old-school mechanics and modern gacha elements, offering a challenging experience with permadeath and strategic depth. While many players appreciate the engaging combat, intricate dungeon design, and time travel mechanics, the gacha system has drawn mixed reactions, with some feeling it detracts from the overall experience. Despite its flaws, including a steep learning curve and occasional bugs, the game is praised for its nostalgic feel and rewarding gameplay loop, making it appealing to fans of the genre.
- “Great gameplay, gripping story, gorgeous art.”
- “Every dungeon is a puzzle that requires multiple replays to fully complete with the 'good ending', which makes for an enjoyable gameplay loop that gives you an excuse to revisit levels and grind for XP and loot.”
- “The gameplay loop is fun and stays challenging throughout the game.”
- “Story and gameplay are there, but being built around gacha mechanics just ruins it.”
- “The mechanics to the game seem solid, but they are paywalled behind poor systems.”
- “The game features classic wizardry mechanics, a promising story, and satisfying party-building—but all of that is held hostage by gacha mechanics and pay-to-progress design.”
story
264 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
56%
3%
The game's story is generally well-received, featuring intriguing plot twists, engaging character development, and a dark atmosphere that enhances the dungeon-crawling experience. Players appreciate the time travel mechanics and the depth of the narrative, which keeps them invested despite some criticisms regarding monetization and pacing. Overall, the story is described as captivating and immersive, making it a standout aspect of the game.
- “The story is engaging, and dungeon exploration is exciting and fun, with plenty of upgrade elements.”
- “The story itself is huge and the replayability is endless - at the time of writing this, the game is currently in its 1st year anniversary and I would gauge the story to be 5 core chapters, 3 replayable dungeons and 6 event story dungeons that are unlocked.”
- “The story is excellent, the gameplay is engaging, the characters are refreshingly unique, and I really enjoy how the ability to rewind time is handled in the game.”
- “The storyline progresses moderately (minus the grinding).”
- “The story is not great, with the contrivances required to move the plot along being a regular annoyance, but there is a level of intrigue pushing you to want to know more.”
- “The game features classic wizardry mechanics, a promising story (though currently unfinished), and satisfying party-building—but all of that is held hostage by gacha mechanics and pay-to-progress design.”
graphics
91 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
56%
13%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the art style and decent visuals, while others criticize the overall quality as outdated, resembling early PS2 or mobile graphics. Many users express disappointment with the lack of graphical options and optimization for PC, noting that the mobile version appears superior. Overall, while the aesthetic has its charms, the graphics could benefit from significant improvements and polish.
- “Amazing visuals, an extremely clever gameplay mechanic, so much to do and explore, and best of all that classic wizardry grind.”
- “Great gameplay, atmosphere, and retro graphics.”
- “The graphics are perfectly serviceable, but since they are meant to run smoothly on a mobile device, they are not exciting, and the resolution is capped at 1920x1080.”
- “Actually the worst game I have ever played; awful story, awful graphics, awful gameplay. It's clearly a phone port of a mobile game, gacha system with perma death. No wonder the game has less than 1k players even though it's new.”
- “The PC port leaves a lot to be desired; it doesn't even have 1440p as an option and minimal graphics options.”
- “The game feels worse than an emulation - the graphics and resolution do not fit to PC monitor screen; it feels cropped and blurry.”
grinding
90 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is heavily focused on grinding, particularly for gear upgrades, which can be both a rewarding and tedious experience. Many players find the grinding necessary for progression, but it often leads to frustration due to artificial difficulty spikes and time-gating mechanics. While some enjoy the grind as part of the classic RPG experience, others feel it detracts from overall enjoyment, especially when compounded by pay-to-win elements and scarce resources.
- “This is primarily a gear grinding game; if the idea of grinding long periods of time for gear to get small upgrades sounds awful, then this is probably not for you.”
- “While you can somewhat play without paying, you'll slam headfirst into artificial-feeling difficulty walls that can only be surmounted by waiting or farming for days or weeks, or paying thousands to overcome them.”
- “The amount of grinding eventually takes the fun out of the experience.”
monetization
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
59%
30%
The monetization in this game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players criticizing its aggressive gacha mechanics and high prices for in-game purchases, which detract from the overall experience. While some users note that it is possible to progress without spending money, the system is seen as exploitative and frustrating, leading to a sense of grind and dissatisfaction. Overall, the monetization model is viewed as a significant flaw that overshadows the game's otherwise enjoyable gameplay and mechanics.
- “If you want to play a hard game, play this. It does have microtransactions, but you can literally get everything from the base game.”
- “I usually have a personal policy that I don't do in-game purchases, and this game is very forgiving to those who only want to play for free.”
- “Legitimately unique, one of the only gachas with a permadeath mechanic, and gacha monetization is secondary to an immersive decision-based story and challenging gameplay.”
- “I would've paid premium for the game if all NPC party members were unlocked gradually through the story, rather than this strange monetization scheme that breaks the game for you.”
- “However, the monetization approach is frustrating—there are many expensive in-game purchases, and the reward outcomes are disappointing.”
- “The same old dodgy mobile cash grab conversion of a beloved franchise.”
stability
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
98%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of crashes, freezes, and various bugs that significantly hinder gameplay. While some players note that the game can be enjoyable despite these issues, many express frustration over the frequent glitches and unstable performance, particularly in the PC version. Overall, the game is described as a "buggy mess," with stability issues that detract from the overall experience.
- “Other than an issue loading, which I figured out was due to the servers being in maintenance, the game itself runs great!”
- “The stability of the game is impressive; I haven't experienced any crashes or major bugs during my playtime.”
- “I appreciate how smoothly the game runs, even during peak hours. It really enhances the overall experience.”
- “The game is very unstable; it freezes at random when I do mundane tasks like auto-equip.”
- “Visual glitches, UI issues, random crashes — you’ll run into them constantly.”
- “Sadly, it’s a buggy mess.”
music
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
33%
13%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its quality and fitting atmosphere, particularly in relation to the game's setting and character designs. However, several users express disappointment over the limited number of tracks and the overall soundtrack not living up to the high standards set by previous works from renowned composer Hitoshi Sakimoto. While many appreciate the music's contribution to the experience, others feel it could be significantly improved.
- “Might be one of the greatest games ever made, great character designs, great background music fitting the setting of the game, does not feel like a gacha game at all because you basically need one party to see you through the game.”
- “The gameplay, the music, the amazing characters, almost every individual is exceptionally built and has their own personalities.”
- “A big plus is the music, which is really very good.”
- “The soundtrack could be a lot better, especially considering some of the masterpieces from other games in the series.”
- “Can't adjust the music, and upon death, you are forced to watch the credits before you can retry or use Alt + F4... garbage.”
- “Believe it or not, this has a Hitoshi Sakimoto soundtrack, although the music is not particularly great.”
atmosphere
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
34%
14%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and gritty dark fantasy elements, effectively capturing a sense of tension and hopelessness reminiscent of classic dungeon crawlers. Many reviewers highlight the engaging story and eerie ambiance, which contribute to a unique experience in the gacha genre, despite some mixed opinions on the overall execution. Overall, the game stands out for its authentic old-school feel and compelling atmosphere that enhances gameplay.
- “Typical of this genre, it perfectly captures the atmosphere, tension, and bleakness of a grimdark fantasy, and the story has just enough mystery to keep you hooked.”
- “The gritty dark (a bit horroresque) ambiance & atmosphere is ironically such a breath of fresh air in the otherwise inundated market of pretty anime waifu gacha games.”
- “I love dungeon crawlers with a grimdark atmosphere and an eldritch horror vibe.”
- “The atmosphere is crap.”
- “The game itself has a very fun gameplay loop and I absolutely love the atmosphere of hopelessness.”
- “It's a dirty and dangerous dungeon crawler with all the difficulty and atmosphere one would expect from the Wizardry series.”
optimization
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
50%
33%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with many users reporting frequent crashes, poor UI design, and a lack of graphical settings beyond what is available in the mobile version. While the graphics are functional, they are capped at 1920x1080 and lack anti-aliasing, leading to a pixelated appearance. Overall, the port feels like a rushed adaptation of a mobile game, resulting in significant performance issues and a frustrating experience for PC players.
- “The game is obviously optimized for phones, but given how often my old devices overheat, playing on Steam is a functional, stable enough alternative.”
- “Essentially, it's just the mobile game with better performance and a bigger field of view.”
- “Most of the crashes above are fixed after changing in-game performance to speed priority.”
- “The game is obviously optimized for phones, but given how often my old devices overheat, playing on Steam is a functional, stable-enough alternative.”
- “Awful game that crashes 8/10 times I open it, not to mention all the other things with the ugly unoptimized UI with mobile controls still intact. You can't even increase the resolution over 1080p and there's no anti-aliasing, making the game look god awful and pixelated. It's just a super lazy port overall.”
- “The devs of this game are doing a phenomenal job at preventing as many players from playing their game as possible through stupid bugs, poor optimization, and making the game incompatible with half the devices out there.”
character development
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
31%
23%
Character development in the game is primarily driven by its diverse and visually appealing character designs, which blend anime and dark fantasy aesthetics. While the writing focuses more on world-building and lore than on individual character arcs, players appreciate the freedom to customize their party from a robust roster, enhancing gameplay variety. Overall, the character designs and their integration into the game's atmosphere are highly praised, contributing to an engaging experience.
- “The character designs are unique and most of the time very fun to play and build around, ranging from passives to inherited skills. The game offers you a lot of freedom in deciding how to play.”
- “The writing seems very deliberate; constantly trying to intrigue you with its lore and world, rather than focusing on character development per se, which makes sense as the customizable party is yours to make from a reasonably healthy roster of like 50 or so.”
- “Lots of challenge, fun, an incredibly engaging story, great character development, and all-around awesomeness.”
- “The writing seems very deliberate; constantly trying to intrigue you with its lore and world, rather than focusing on character development per se (which makes sense as the customizable party is yours to make from a reasonably healthy roster of like 50 or so).”
- “Character designs are unique and most of the time very fun to play and build around, ranging from passives to inherited skills. The game offers you a lot of freedom in deciding how to play.”
- “The core gameplay, its loop, the character design, the RPG, everything is honorable!!!”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the reviews is characterized by a mix of sarcasm and absurdity, with users finding amusement in the game's shortcomings, such as its poorly designed events, overpriced items, and the ineffectiveness of its online store. Many reviewers highlight the irony of the game's mechanics and the community's reactions, suggesting that the incompetence of the live service elements adds a layer of unintentional comedy. Overall, the humor stems from a blend of frustration and laughter at the game's flaws and the gaming culture surrounding it.
- “This is just hilariously incompetent for a live service game.”
- “It has an online store that doesn't work... which I find hilarious.”
- “Hahahaha, nprotect, so funny!”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a sense of dread and manipulation, likening the player's experience to an emotionally abusive relationship. Reviewers express frustration over the game's mechanics, which detract from the emotional investment, leading to feelings of disappointment and betrayal. Despite moments of respect through in-game rewards, the overall sentiment is one of disillusionment, as players feel trapped in a cycle of hope for improvement amidst poor design choices.
- “The feeling of incoming ambushes, deliberate emotional manipulation on behalf of the villains, and an underlying feeling of dread runs deep in the story.”
- “I'm not ignoring the many times you gave out gems, as that made me feel as a player that I was respected, even though deep down it made me think that this was just a gateway to get people hooked. Every purchase or time put into this game feels like I'm in a bad relationship, but I keep telling myself it will get better.”
- “What could have been an interesting dungeon crawler is held back by gacha mechanics and using the mouse to simulate touching a touch screen.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
Players highlight the game's extensive replayability, noting its five core chapters, three replayable dungeons, and six event story dungeons that remain accessible year-round. The inclusion of significant plot twists at the end of dungeons further enhances the incentive to replay, making the overall experience feel fresh and engaging.
- “The story itself is huge and the replayability is endless. At the time of writing this, the game is currently in its 1st year anniversary, and I would gauge the story to be 5 core chapters, 3 replayable dungeons, and 6 event story dungeons that are unlocked (rather than locked behind seasonal events like other mobile games).”
- “Without spoiling, the end of the dungeon has such a huge twist which greatly impacts the story and replayability going forward.”
- “Without spoiling - the end of the dungeon has such a huge twist which hugely impacts the story and replayability going forward.”

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66h Median play time

54h Average play time

5-100h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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