Near-Mage

One of my favourite games of all time! Incredibly charming game with highly interesting lore, a world that feels more alive than any other game I have played, and some cool new ideas. I had so much fun, I decided to replay it for achievements, just so I could stay in this little lovely Transsylvanian world a bit longer. Also please note that this is not a traditional point-n-click game with an inventory, but a narratively-driven adventure game with puzzles and slight RPG elements. It's a fresh take on the genre and I can't wait to see what else the developers come up with! P.S. Would take Samudia home with me any [strike]day[/strike] night, 11/10.

I have so many thoughts on this game. TL DR: [h1]PLAY THIS GAME[/h1] There are some really expensive, well-polished games that feel like a committee designed slog with no interesting ideas in them. We've all played at least one game, often a sequel, where all the unique ideas were sanded down to make something completely uninteresting and not fun to play. This game is kind of the opposite of that. It has the same kind of charm as Hanna-Barbara cartoons, a studio which specialized in cheaply made cartoons that they could make a lot of. What's really interesting to me is that this game clearly had a ton of effort put into it by a team of people who really cared. There are AGS games with more polish than this game has, but very few games at all that have as many little touches put in to flesh out the experience you get. You get magic in this game. The game doesn't force you to pick a certain spell first, you get to pick. The spells you get aren't mandatory solutions to puzzles,...

the game is set in a interesting, diverse and colorful world that i'd only wish it allow you to explore deeper. the entire game takes place in the transilvanian town and rakus (its magic counterpart) and it takes about 8-10 hours to complete. its an indirect sequel to their previous game? (haven't played the prev one, but i still recognized their adorable evil kitty :P ) it certainly looks more polished than the prev game, so i look forward to what games they come up with in the future all in all i would recommend it, if only to give the studio some love and encourage them to do more games

Such a good game

Near-Mage is a charming and imaginative adventure that instantly pulled me into its magical world. From the moment I arrived in Transylvania, I felt like I’d stepped into a parallel universe that could easily exist alongside Harry Potter’s — just with a Romanian twist. The game’s art style is beautifully stylized, with vibrant visuals and high-quality animations that make every scene feel alive and whimsical. One of the standout elements is the voice acting. It’s genuinely well done, bringing warmth and personality to the characters in a way that makes them easy to connect with. The dialogue is well-written and believable, striking a great balance between humor and sincerity. It’s rare to find a game where conversations feel this natural and engaging. The world itself is a delight to explore — filled with magical oddities, diverse species reminiscent of Star Wars, and a cultural richness that gives the setting real depth. The story is lighthearted but compelling, and the ...

Delightfully quirky - not as challenging as Gibbous, but just as oddball and entertaining. Superchill game.

tl;dr Near Mage isn't your classic point'n'click adventure. It's closer to a visual novel with exploration. No puzzles, no inventory. You wander a magical world, meeting people and helping with their problems. Early on, there's no strong central plot, but once the story kicks in, it feels like starring in a whimsical cartoon rather than playing a traditional adventure game. [hr][/hr] [b]I cannot recommend this game if you're looking for a classic point'n'click title with puzzles. Honestly, I almost gave up in the first few hours, but the extremely high ratings kept me going, and I'm glad I stuck around.[/b] There are only a few things I really pay attention to in adventure games: the story, the atmosphere (not necessarily tied to graphics), voice acting, and how the gameplay ties into puzzles and storytelling. That said... [h2]The Bad[/h2] [list] [*] Some voice acting is dull or completely lifeless, thankfully, tied only to a few side characters who don't play major roles [*] Illy's ...

Amazing game! I love how this game represents Romania and how well you get emerged into its lore and story. Very well done. This game remind me to feel proud to be Romanian. Can't wait to see what else you're cooking. God bless you!

If Romania looks as hyper coloured and frantic as this game wants you to believe, I may need something to protect my retinas whenever I decide to visit. I just hope I don’t accidentally stumble into a portal to another world… although that could be a fun adventure on its own. The presentation is vibrant and charming, with heavy use of colour that fits the whimsical tone but occasionally feels like visual overload. It definitely gives the game personality - A sense of wonder. Near-mage often resembles a walking simulator with a linear story more than a point-and-click adventure game. It’s frustrating because the game is well presented, but fails to engage in any way that doesn’t align with its own script; making puzzle solving rather frustrating because you figured out the solution about three steps in, but the game doesn’t actually allow you until it flat out gives you the answer. Puzzles are also fairly basic. Go to X place, talk to character Y. I’d hoped that the “ru...

Good game. Just played for the 2nd time back to back with Gibbous so picked up on the references more.