Near-Mage

The age of the hand-drawn adventure game has long since passed. It’s been literal decades since gamers have been graced with a title that combines the skillful art of a high-quality animated movie, with the engaging story of a mature novel. Near-Mage seeks to bring it back.

Thankfully, the developers at Stuck In The Attic remain dedicated to keeping that nearly-forgotten style of game alive, and their latest game proves that point. Near-Mage has all of the intrigue, character, and eyeball-searing art you could possibly want, and the story it tells will resonate with gamers of all ages. If that sounds like the kind of game you could really sink your teeth into, then here is everything you need to know about Near-Mage.

A Narrative/RPG Throwback

The first time you lay eyes on Near-Mage, you might confuse it for a brand-new Disney movie in the classic animation style of something like The Black Cauldron. It eschews the Monkey Island-style character and environment designs of Stuck In The Attic’s previous game, Gibbous - A Cthulhu Adventure, instead choosing to go all in on an art style that is more cohesive.

The story follows a young girl named Illy Varja who has been invited to visit Transylvania for her Summer vacation, only to uncover a family secret that has huge implications for her own life. She’s a witch! As the latest of a long lineage of practicing witches, she must attend the Transylvanian Institute for Magick and hone her powers.

Balance Work With Fun

At the Transylvanian Institute for Magick, Illy will study the art of spell crafting and master it to the point where she can develop her own arsenal of spells to keep in her inventory. As she completes her studies, she will interact with all of the students and staff of the institute. These compatriots consist of mythical beings such as vampires, shtima, ghouls, moroi, strigoi, and even pricolitch.

Using your new powers, you will help the people you meet by completing side quests, potentially changing their lives for the better. The choices you make won’t always be the best, and it will result in these NPCs’ lives being affected in different ways across different playthroughs.

A Game About Transylvania, Made in Transylvania!

All of the magic and supernatural goings-on within the game are in line with what people expect from Transylvania, but this fantasy game was also made in that real-life location by a team of real Transylvanians! Enjoy a game that was developed by a group of people to show their pride in their heritage, even if they don’t have a single fang between them… that we know of…

Pros

• Gorgeous hand-drawn art and animation
• Lots of interesting characters
• Engaging spell crafting mechanic

Cons

• Probably too many characters to keep track of
• Outcomes can vary wildly in sidequests depending on what spells you choose to use