The Magician's Workshop

The Magician's Workshop is a really interesting game with a few really glaring flaws. The writing is enjoyable, I like how the addition of magic doesn't change much about Renaissance-era Italy, and it ends up being a fun setting to play around in. The main path through the game is fairly linear, but a LOT of the side stories, descriptions and dialog changes significantly based on who you've befriended, what projects you work on, what magic you specialize in. I've done a few playthroughs and I get the sense there's a lot I still haven't seen. That, however, leads to the big negative. There are so many stats and reputations to try to keep track of that even playthroughs where you you focus on a handful of stats, you'll still be presented with several choices that your character seems woefully unprepared for. I'm more or less fine with this (it's realistic after all), but I feel like the execution in the gameplay is a little clumsy. This is especially evident in the romance options, wher...

This one is a mixed bag for me. The writting is good, the plot interesting, and there's the proverbial unexpected / unwanted monkey's wrench thrown in to make things more ominous. That said I wasnt happy with my first play through, and I almost always go with that in deciding whether Id recommend the story/game or not. In this play through i was successful in completing three tasks that were needed, and i got the backing of the people working for me, and still that wasnt enough to ensure my success. I was charming and kind and always looking out for the best for everyone. Almost all the skill challenges that I was presented with called on skills I didnt choose to persue. Furthermore I was unable to get any other characters disposition above 60 percent and only one of them went as low as 45 percent. It was like no body cared one way another, whether I had their back or not. Well except for the one who betrayed me (the 45er) and even before that betrayal id had forgiven them act...

I don't want to give a negative review, but this experience started well and then executed sloppily in my opinion. First of all, there seem to be too many stats to track, and many choices require a specific combination of those stats. Instead of giving you more freedom by giving you more builds, you feel constrained because you're not dancing to the specific tune the writer envisioned. I also don't like how the multiple plots resolve, I feel like the writer had a grand idea for how these intricate plot threads would coalesce, but in reality they fell flat for me. I wouldn't be so bothered, but I genuinely can't see the choices I missed on the road to get the outcome I need. Here are some examples. I kept no secrets from my rivals, and told them off the bat I believed in a triumvurate. Despite this, one of them felt like I was out to stab them in the back (I don't think I made one choice that involved lying, but ok). I tried to empathise with the apprentices in the workshop, and let...

An okay game, but extremely buggy towards the end; it forgot my romance, replacing the other apprentice with someone else, neglected when I chose to attempt to run the shop with her (it started acting as though I had, and then suddenly incongruous pages seemed to indicate that I had attempted to run it alone), and kind of fell apart. Not a bad game, but I find myself wishing I could leave a neutral review, as it is hampered by some strange bugs I more normally associate with the beta testing for Hosted Games.

Kinda cute, ngl

This game is honestly one of my favorites so far, I especially like the time and effort the creator put into making the choices you have are complex and thought out. One of my favorite things about the game, even though it seems small, is the effort to allow the choice to change genders throughout the story, little things like including the ability to be genderfluid in a game means a lot to me, and it's awesome. Otherwise all the the stats and the personality traits are really fun to play with as well as the different types of magics and the projects you can accomplish with different combinations, as well as ways to make each project your own instead of the cut and dry pick it and it'll be done however it's done.

so far looks interesting

Yet another fun COG game on steam that lets you make cool seeming choices that seems to have an effect. . . But like most of the COG games I recently bought on sale this is (better than some) only 60% of the story. This story has A LOT of variables intimating many possible long term consequences and stories but it ultimately is built around a single week, yes, thats right, a single WEEK of time. I can understand a story that is heavily focused on the 1st week about who is the most prevalent leader, but past that there is so much story that could still be told but this game/story just ends. i recommend because that week is a good choice of games example but it isn't finished in my opinion

Meh ! i replay the game to be sure. All path are shallow and don't bring munch. now that i play a lot of this devs game a pattern emerge. Its another political game. With oriented choice, that are suppose to shift your view on the last society trend. You know the trend that say you are a failure to all creation. All decisions made lead nowhere, the end of the story is all the same, so your choice doesn't matter. if you see this game on discount its worth it. Don't expect munch. It all distort view and you will learn a little about money in 15 century. Like always have a good game, its all that matters

By the same author as The Road to Canterbury, a Nebula nominee for Game Writing. Another Nebula nomination for this game this year and, imo, deservedly so. Check out her Alice Payne books, as well.