Developed by Alchemist Interactive and published by Rokaplay, Spells & Secrets is a magical dungeon crawler roguelite set in a cute wizarding world that I recently had the joy of playing. You have the opportunity to personalize your character, align with a faction, harness a diverse array of magical spells, and even team up with a friend for co-op adventures, if that’s your preference. Be forewarned, however, as it proved to be more challenging than I had initially anticipated.
At some point in our lives, many of us have fantasized about being a wizard. Spells & Secrets allows you to bring that fantasy to life by offering a wide range of character customization options, including changing your attire to match the various factions within the school. Factions offer a wealth of benefits, including new clothing options, enhanced abilities, and valuable resources. After mastering all available spells as a First-Year student, you can approach a Faction Leader to unlock their unique spell. To gain access to their exclusive room or clubhouse, you must demonstrate your proficiency with this spell during a run. The first faction unlock grants you the convenience of carrying any previously used potions with you at the start of your run, eliminating the need to accumulate resources for purchasing them. Another faction extends this privilege to artifacts. Each faction brings its own distinct spell, attire, and method of enhancing your gameplay experience.
The first Faction Spell you unlock allows you to transform into the creature that’s attacking you. Personally, I love this spell because it enables me to morph into an enemy and use its abilities against it. Magical foxlings for example can be a bit of a pain. By transforming into them, I can use those teleporting jerks’ powers and get the heck out of a hairy situation to catch my bearings. Alternatively, the Mouse-form Spell offers a swift exit. as well. You can easily switch between active spells to suit your preferences, and artifacts you discover can provide additional bonuses and effects to enhance your spells. One of my favorites turns your Telekinesis Spell into a Slingshot Spell, making a low-damage spell significantly stronger. Teachers are also available to upgrade the spells you’ve mastered in exchange for experience points.
The inclusion of artifacts and the ability to change spells at will ensure that each playthrough is unique. This means that your character may have different upgrades than mine, resulting in distinct playstyles even in co-op mode. Furthermore, the random drop of artifacts and potions adds an element of unpredictability to the game. With over a hundred unique artifacts and a dynamically shifting dungeon, each playthrough presents a fresh set of challenges and puzzles, preventing repetitive gameplay.
Spells & Secrets appears to be worthy of your time, injecting a much-needed dose of coziness into the dungeon crawler genre. I’m excited to see what kind of characters you create and the spell combinations you experiment with. And who knows, maybe we’ll come across one another during a run and embark on a magical adventure together. Be sure to mark your calendar for its release on November 9th!
*Impressions based on a Playtest Version and not the final product.*
Wishlist Spells & Secrets today!
