Chambers of Devious Design
Chambers of Devious Design
Game
Game2021
The Magister
Developer Nerdook Productions
The Magister is a murder-mystery card-battler RPG. Build and customise your deck to fight in battles, or use ‘Tactical Diplomacy’ to pacify those who stand in your way. Gather clues and discover motives as you investigate the death of your predecessor and unmask the guilty culprit. From the Steam store page
183 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Oct 12, 2026 · last updated Oct 13, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
91
LovedLoved
109 positive · 11 negative
95% range 84–95%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 109 | 11 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 16 | 1 | 41 |
| Lemmy * | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
115 of 126 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
91% recommend · 110 yes, 11 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 121 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (134 of 149 positive).
Players praise the unique blend of detective work, deckbuilding, and RPG mechanics. [1][2][3] Some note that the procedural generation offers replayability but can feel shallow. [4][5][6] A few reviewers report bugs and UI issues that hinder the experience. [7][6][8]
Liked
Representative posts
- [7]
Unfortunately the game is too buggy. Many times it happened to me that I could not finish the quest because the option did not appear in conversation even though I did everything and it was even written in journal that it is done. Or I gathered all possible information but none of the villagers fit the description of murdered :/ or missing exit several times, sudden program crashing and other game-killing bugs.
- [1]
[url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/38553778-All-about-Strategy-Games/] Follow my Curator Page for more Strategy Games! The Magister is a detective RPG and deckbuilder. Story You are a Magister and need to investigate the death of another magister. You have 14 days to use everything to solve the mystery. "What's a Magister?" you may ask. A Magister is a judge, jury, and executioner in one. As every run is …
- [18]
Wow, this game is a hidden gem. It came in a bundle of deckbuilder games. This was the game I was least excited for, but it turned out to be the best one. The graphics and animations look like something from a crappy mobile port, but don't let that fool you. I fully expected an "RPG deckbuilder turn-based tactics murder mystery" game to just be a jumbled mess, but it's actually a very worthwhile experience. The game …
- [19]
Absolutely incredible. There are limitations to what it's able to do, but this thing is Dark Scavenger tier. It takes a wild unbelievable swing and makes solid contact with the ball. The Magister is like if Disco Elysium was also Road Warden and Slay The Spire. That's... that's a bonkers thing to even attempt, and Magister has tons of completely missable full-featured combat systems buried in it---not counting its …
- [5]
The detective elements are pretty bare bones and the card battling is a bit on the floaty and wonky side. In my opinion, a murder mystery falls flat when it's being randomly generated. This game is still worth a playthrough, which takes around 6 hours.
Summarised from 34 of the 184 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
91% of the 121 Steam reviewers we collected recommend The Magister. The complaint that keeps coming up: procedural generation can make mysteries feel shallow. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Reactions
60 of 183 · most liked first[url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/38553778-All-about-Strategy-Games/] Follow my Curator Page for more Strategy Games! The Magister is a detective RPG and deckbuilder. Story You are a Magister and need to investigate the death of another magister. You have 14 days to use everything to solve the mystery. "What's a Magister?" you may ask. A Magister is a judge, jury, and executioner in one. As every run is procedurally generated with its twists and events, you can replay it and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →heya! Meet the new update 0.5.5.4 in my game - Magic Academy ! Start building your romantic relationship with the cat girl - Audrey !🥰Available for supporters at the Magister tier and above~ patreon.com/WildPearGames
neutral · AI labelView post →My Magister, Mutants, and Possessed for the warband. The Magister Fisherman and Hellfish Possessed are assorted models from Reaper Miniatures. The Hammerhead Shark is from the boardgame Rum & Bones. The Sharkman is from the CMON Game Wrath of Kings.
neutral · AI labelView post →The idea of a procedural mystery RPG fascinates me so I had to pick this one up. I got the wrong culprit on my first playthrough, but did successfully uncover a cultist plot against my boss, killed the mastermind, and then felt guilty and quit my job in despair afterwards. So... success? The good: - Procedural fun! Was never entirely sure what was going to come next. - The mystery seemed to hold together. - Enjoyed the combination time-management and reputation-building system for uncovering…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →oh hai guys so funny story: I'm the voice of the Magister in the Freedom Planet games and also one of the writers for the second game! YOU HAVE ALL FALLEN FOR MY GENIUS MARKETING PLOY HO HO HO im so smrt
neutral · AI labelView post →I enjoyed it and don't regret getting it, but also felt a bit misled by some of the other reviews and alleged properties of the game. It was suggested that it's "roguelike replayable" with generated stuff, but really the differences between runs are negligible. The deduction aspect is unfortunately weirdly all done for you apart from comparing the list of properties of the killer, to the list of properties of the suspects. Once you have selected the killer, you just pick all the options…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →SOLASTA 2 will launch into early access in Q1 of 2026. You can download a free demo - which is what I did and ... Holymoly 😮 it says it's a pre-alpha build but it looks absolutely amazing and I experienced no technical issues. #RPG I enjoyed the first game, Solasta: Crown of the Magister.
neutral · AI labelView post →Please send help, I can't stop playing! The concept is, you play as a Magister sent to a small town to investigate the death of the previous magister. You must do sidequests for everyone to gain their trust, then find out where they were on the night of the murder - and present clues to break alibis and so on. However! It's not just a point n' click adventure game, it's also a deck-building turn-based tactical combat game... but it has a unique twist to all those words. Which is, in a sense,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It'd make me very happy if you picked up the Freedom Planet games this holiday session - where I voiced the Magister, and helped out with the writing for the second game: one of my most extensive on-going jobs! The other games from Galaxytrail are fabbo too, filled to the brim with retro goodness!
neutral · AI labelView post →Unfortunately the game is too buggy. Many times it happened to me that I could not finish the quest because the option did not appear in conversation even though I did everything and it was even written in journal that it is done. Or I gathered all possible information but none of the villagers fit the description of murdered :/ or missing exit several times, sudden program crashing and other game-killing bugs.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Solasta Crown of the Magister for $8.99. For me it's the best game ever to capture the D&D feeling. The custom Warlock subclass, Timekeeper, is ridiculously fun.
positive · AI labelView post →Wow, this game is a hidden gem. It came in a bundle of deckbuilder games. This was the game I was least excited for, but it turned out to be the best one. The graphics and animations look like something from a crappy mobile port, but don't let that fool you. I fully expected an "RPG deckbuilder turn-based tactics murder mystery" game to just be a jumbled mess, but it's actually a very worthwhile experience. The game works like this: you've come to a small town to solve a murder. Each day…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game has a few interesting twists on a standard deck building roguelike, because it's really three games in one. Game 1: A standard deck building roguelike, where you build up a set of combat cards, gaining boons that help give you more powerful combat cards. Playing cards costs you 'time', which changes your initiative. You can have a very lean turn, and play again soon, or have a really impactful turn, but might have everyone else moving twice before your next round. Additionally,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is mildly interesting. The style is ok. But there isnt much replay value. Yes, the game touts replayability, and you can replay with different variables like a clue game. But all the characters are the same, it's all just a matter of minor clue differences. Who has an injured arm, a dirty shirt, was near the scene, etc. It's all vaguely interesting, but nothing particularly well done. on the other hand, the only things i found really annoying were the unscaleable UI, condensed &…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →CRPG list I stole and condensed from Reddit. cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/57203969 > Credit where credit is due: [MEGA CRPG RECOMMENDATION LIST](https://old.reddit.com/r/CRPG/comments/136zqua/mega_crpg_recommendation_list_work_in_progress/). Tasty comments full of people disagreeing on the OP's categorization. Seems to have deleted their account, so no u/ I can direct you to. I left all the recommendations and categorization alone, but took out some of the color commentary (which…
neutral · AI labelView post →STREAM SCHEDULE: Mon - Pokemon Firered/Leafgreen Soul Link with @arknonthehero.bsky.social Tues - Solasta: Crown of the Magister Sat - Indie Game Grab Bag (we pick a random indie game that's nice and short and play through it fully) Sun - Love, Ghostie (Art by @scienceisanart.bsky.social)
neutral · AI labelView post →5 faves + 5 tags Game: Final Fantasy VIII 🗡️ Anime: Akiba Maid War Animal: Dog Book: The Magister Trilogy by Celia Friedman Food: Salmon 🎣 (in many ways) @cynthiaspickle.bsky.social @bearbatos.bsky.social @ghostcowboy.bsky.social @ririraji.bsky.social @walttt.bsky.social
neutral · AI labelView post →CRPG list I stole and condensed from Reddit. Credit where credit is due: [MEGA CRPG RECOMMENDATION LIST](https://old.reddit.com/r/CRPG/comments/136zqua/mega_crpg_recommendation_list_work_in_progress/). Tasty comments full of people disagreeing on the OP's categorization. Seems to have deleted their account, so no u/ I can direct you to. I left all the recommendations and categorization alone, but took out some of the color commentary (which to some might just be blandifying it, lol). # "Where…
neutral · AI labelView post →STREAM SCHEDULE FOR THIS WEEK: Mon - Pokemon Firered/Leafgreen Soul Link with @arknonthehero.bsky.social Tues - The Mythical Menagipelago (Ty The Tasmanian Tiger, Ocarina of Time & Lil Gator Game all randomized) Thurs - Love, Ghostie Sun - Solasta: Crown of the Magister (Art by Angyhamu)
neutral · AI labelView post →I'm not usually a big fan of procedural generation, especially for plot. But, this game really comes together. The connection between doing side quests to level up and also gain affection with the townsfolks so they will give you information works well. Your skills connect to activities just enough. The card based combat is simple but effective. The other side mini-games such as diplomacy or deduction are also nice for variation but they don't come up a lot. The ability to refute testimony with…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Back to Solasta: Crown of The Magister. Playing the Palace of Ice DLC. My wife and I keep looking for other co-op games like this, but the only one we've really enjoyed was Wasteland 3. If you have other suggestions, I'd love to hear them. What we've tried so far: BG3, Rogue Trader, Jagged Alliance 3.
positive · AI labelView post →The Magister is a really neat mix of detective work and RPG mechanics that kept me hooked longer than I expected. The randomized cases make each run feel fresh, and I liked piecing together clues while balancing skills and time. Combat is simple but does the job, and the story choices add some replay value. Definitely worth checking out if you enjoy mystery-solving with a bit of strategy.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →while we're (rightly) celebrating BG3's 2nd anniv., let's remember the other D&D 5e game, Solasta: Crown of the Magister. the first game from an indie studio, it nailed 5e gameplay and includes a level editor that lets you create original campaigns. #VideoGames #BG3 #Solasta #TRPG #DnD #IndieGames
neutral · AI labelView post →Programmer used to make flash games that were redundant, boring and free. After 15 years of dedication to their craft, they are no longer free. Tedious battle system, card game, UI, bought this game on sale and greatly regret it, how they could charge a higher price than that is absurd.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Like the investigation games of the 90s... This game reminds me of Grim Fandango and The Secret of Monkey Island from the 90s. It basically involves you running all over the place (from location to location), whilst trying to solve a mystery. You also occasionally encounter enemies that you have to battle, and the battles are your typical TRPG grid-based battles, but you use a card mechanic similar to Slay the Spire. Pros: #1. TRPG fans will like the combat #2. You don't always HAVE to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Donathon Day 5, playing some Solasta: Crown of the Magister! I've never beaten the game or gotten too far due to the constant updates it had, but this time we're in it to win it! See y'all there! www.twitch.tv/crimsoncleric #Orc #Femboy #VTuber
neutral · AI labelView post →And I don't think this is an unfair expectation. I can understand a few moments here and there utilizing the in-game assets, but these moments with Zul'jarra and the loa, or the Magister of Tranquillen talking with Xal, they all should've been hand animated.
neutral · AI labelView post →Absolutely incredible. There are limitations to what it's able to do, but this thing is Dark Scavenger tier. It takes a wild unbelievable swing and makes solid contact with the ball. The Magister is like if Disco Elysium was also Road Warden and Slay The Spire. That's... that's a bonkers thing to even attempt, and Magister has tons of completely missable full-featured combat systems buried in it---not counting its regular tactics rpg combat system and its social combat card game. It's got…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Underrated gem. I hover up every single detective/investigation game I can and this certainly stands out. Not sure why it had to be a completely randomised murder-mystery. To me it would have made more sense to craft a single interesting story with more bespoke dialogue and exposition, as I don't really see the appeal of multiple playthroughs. Especially when one takes several hours to see through. But maybe some people do so I can't complain too much. But that aside, the gameplay is…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a hidden gem, though one that could stand some more polish. The most similar game I've played is Griftlands, in that it has separate combat and social challenge deckbuilding mechanics. The deckbuilding itself isn't as engaging as Griftlands, but it compares very favorably in terms of variety from run to run and how the various character upgrades affect your approach to the story. That said, though the big strength of the game is the randomized content, there isn't enough content…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The detective elements are pretty bare bones and the card battling is a bit on the floaty and wonky side. In my opinion, a murder mystery falls flat when it's being randomly generated. This game is still worth a playthrough, which takes around 6 hours.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am surprised at just how good The Magister is for an indie game with relatively modest graphics, UI and sound design. It is a deck builder with separate decks for combat and diplomacy in a similar vein to Griftlands but I think the Magister does it better, also using a range of interesting mini-games to simulate the different parts of investigating clues and detective work. Really enjoy it so far and heartily recommend to people who like the deck-building mechanics used in innovative ways
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →peanut would love some pets and treats :) 🌸＞ フ | _ _ l ／` ミ＿xノ / | / ヽ ﾉ │ | | | ／￣| | | | | (￣ヽ＿_ヽ_)__) ＼二つ
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good game about crime solving. First time, solved crime with 100 % proof, Second time, solved with 70 % proof, accused wrong person. Do not be sloppy!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You play as a medieval fantasy Judge Dredd. One of your colleagues has been murdered while investigating in a remote provincial town, and you have been assigned to track down his killer. Interrogate suspects. Fight monsters and bandits. Do favors and quests for the suspects until they trust you enough to open up. The murder mystery is randomly generated, so there is some element of replayability here.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just to get thing straight, it's not a roguelike that you'll sink in hundreds of hours. It's a well crafted crpg type of game, where the randomized traits of the magister + the randomized battles + the randomized traits of the npcs mean you can't blindly follow a guide. The different skills, cards and perks mean that you can experiment with your build for a few runs. Another positive aspects is that none of the events and mini games included in the game feel bad to play. The main appeal of the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Magister is a game with 200% replayability, because no matter how well you know it, each run is brand new. I wish all CRPGs would someday be procedure-generated. The only downside is that you can't get back to the unfinished run and expect to remember anything, lol, yet still — your journal is just enough. Story, dialogues and characters are very vivid. Combat is fun and balanced, and if you 'die' — it's on purpose. Also, moral dilemmas in store. Character development is very smooth. There's…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game is not worth it. There's a game called Griftlands that uses two different decks that is far more replayable and worth it compared to this game. This one was fun enough for one play through but by no means is replayable. I dont recommend it for roguelike fans. I hardly even recommend buying it for one playthrough
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have been addicted to this game since the demo is released and now played for 13+ hours, completing the game twice (in Difficulty 1) so should have enough playtime for comment. Pros: 1. Unique playstyle of merging a bit detective with RPG element 2. Different way of completing games (focusing on peaceful way (a.k.a Tactical diplomacy) or by brutal force 3. Big replay value. Random storyline so the murder seems to be different at each playthrough, event the evidence is different. Also it…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cozy Dungeon & Dragons Game? Let's Play Solasta Crown of The Magister www.twitch.tv/niege #furrylive #furry #dragon #kobold
neutral · AI labelView post →Tentative yes, but only for the right, tactically minded patient reader. I apparently accused the wrong person and went on a(nother) murderous rampage until they captured me and put me to death. To be fair, she did try to murder me with cultists and evil elementals. I think that counts. Not a quick and exciting game, but kind of slow fun, like a procedural murder-mystery short story, with tactical deck-building mini battles. More cards and starting loadout unlocked as you go, with harder…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Appleseed's Indie Game Of The Day! Day 36) Solasta: Crown of the Magister by Tactical Adventures Solasta is a game set in a fictional world based in 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons. You can make a party of unique classes and races and explore the world of Solasta to your heart's content.
neutral · AI labelView post →My first play through took about 6 hours and it was very enjoyable. It was fun to go on all the side quests and gather the details to solve the murder mystery. I ran through it twice more (each time faster than the time before). Once as a physical only skill set and the next as a guile only skill set. I didn't do a intellect only skill set as it didn't seem to be that interesting or even that useful. I also left it at the default difficulty as I didn't see any bonus to playing it on a harder…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a really interesting game, I didn't realize how much so at first. It seems pretty straightforward at lower difficulties. But as you get higher, the game begins randomly locking various skills, forcing you to take alternative paths to being effective at combat, diplomacy, and clue-gathering all at once. It definitely takes some getting used to so you can play efficiently as the time limits get shorter, but I highly recommend it. Very fun and very unique.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Simple Time and Resource management game. Combat is difficult until you buy a Pet or recruit an Ally (you can have both), then it becomes easy to very easy even in higher difficulties. Tactical Diplomacy always felt skewed against the player with higher difficulties scaling it up to impossible. I would have liked to see Stats on the Pets before choosing which one to purchase. The Dog seemed like the Tank (1 Crown) - High HP, low DMG. The Cat might be an All-Rounder (1 Crown) - Med HP, Med…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →a couple of reviewers mentioned that they didn't understand why The Magister needed to be procedurally generated, and i can't see how i could be anything but that. it tickles a very specific itch that a lot of murder mystery lovers have, because it strips back all the fluff and gives us the necessary tools to investigate, interrogate, deduce and connect the "whos, hows and whys", to answer all by ourselves the eternal question: whodunnit. over and over again, with increasing difficulty. and The…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Technically a fanart from a character i made on the game Solasta Crown of The Magister (a dnd type of game) #oc #dnd #digitalart #illustration #anime
neutral · AI labelView post →INTRODUCTION Recommended with Caveats. "The Magister" is an unusual deck-building game in that Whodunnit type of murder mystery is at the center of it all. There are a fair amount of powers that you can acquire as well, which sort of makes it a limited computer RPG. The question is: how well does it execute on these themes and mechanics? DECK-BUILDING Depending on the Magister you pick (they are semi-randomized), you start off with slightly different starter decks. Yes, DECKS. You get one…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Magister is a hybrid "card battler" with lightweight procgen RPG elements and a somewhat tedious and badly written visual novel/e-book story stapled on. From a technical perspective, the game doesn't meet basic minimum requirements that most PC gamers expect as standard. While there are options to change the resolution for the game, all this does is scale up the simplistic low quality art assets used to make the game, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality. Without…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I tried to like it.. it certainly has its charm but .. not for me... sorry. Combat, as well as "tactical diplomacy" was just boring. it was tedious and felt like an afterthought to the game. The Graphics had some serious disconnect between the characters and the "map" you are moving on, it was incredibly uncomfortable to watch and play. The story is okayish as fas as I can tell, but there is certainly nothing great about it either.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Within the first hour my character was fighting specters alongside a cat named Lola - which he lured from the village - while singing "Froth On The Water" ( = the IRL Smoke On The Water from Deep Purple) to calm himself down because several of the enemies he sees are actually hallucinations (which is to say FAKE specters) caused by his alcoholism. Witcher 4 hunger satisfied, 10/10.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've only played one run-through, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I had a hard time pausing to go do something else and come back. The Magister is classic Nerdook, for better and for worse. The Magister is full of neat mechanics and a variety of choices. There's more than one way to do nearly everything in the game. The character development mechanics are well thought-out and fun to play with. There's a lot of variety and you can specialize or spread your abilities out. Abilities generally have…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am really enjoying it. Its a murder mystery RPG, tho its a little frustrating at times, u can work out on your next run how to be more efficient and find better ways to do things. Like buying the map to ancient crypts is a good way to make money once u have a companion and pet. 3 multi-class combinations to invest in. Graphics lovely, sounds apt, combat enjoyable, slightly taxing but easy if u know what u r doing. I haven't managed to complete it on easy tho, but I am happy to play it…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →every time when i want play further my savegames are gone. So i must start over and over again. Not with me. Junk and crap game. Not even worth on sale.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Solasta: Crown of the Magister is another D&D5e-based game like Baldur's Gate, but with a different setting. Crosscode is a single-player rpg ABOUT being in a game like this, but your character is not customizable. Very gool game nonetheless. I think there are some older Star Wars games like this.
neutral · AI labelView post →An unbelievably, incredibly deep procedural quest with an RPG system and battles. This game has huge potential to become an A or even AA title with some minimal investment.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →me, at Waldzell in Castalia, trying to impress the Magister Ludi like Lisa Simpson in front of Alison's father: the... ass... bead game
neutral · AI labelView post →The combat seems a bit too simple for me, I get that the game is meant to be repayable, but seems a bit too much like a mobile game
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun for a few runs but it get olds quick. I hope to see a more fledged out sequel.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a great RPG for those who also love murder mysteries. Just finished my first playthrough and really enjoyed myself. It keeps you engaged throughout, and it's pretty intuitive as to what you need to do next throughout the game. Not sure I fully understood everything going on with the battle system, but battles are fun, and the diplomacy "battles" are a unique touch. It seems like it should have pretty good replayability using different magisters and/or skill sets, and I intend to play it…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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