GamesHorrorAfter stealing the show at Steam Next Fest, The Witcher 3 remake devs' horror CRPG with scary Pokemon fully launches to glowing reviewsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesHorrorAfter stealing the show at Steam Next Fest, The Witcher 3 remake devs' horror CRPG with scary Pokemon fully launches to glowing reviewsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
The Thaumaturge, a brand new spooky CRPG with Pokemon-like collectible creatures that I will never fail to misspell on my first try, is getting rave reviews on Steam after a successfulSteam Next Festdemo.
We liked The Thaumaturge’s Steam Next Fest demo so much we called it a “must play,“and now that it’s fully out on PC, Steam users seem to largely agree. The premise is, well, it’s a little all over the place. It’s a fairly traditional isometric story-driven CRPG with turn-based battles and “morally ambiguous” choices that’ll challenge your sense of right and wrong and lead you down various narrative paths and toward one of several endings. It also a mystery game where you explore an alternate history early 20th century Warsaw as an investigator with the ability to manipulate the temperaments of other characters. It is also horror Pokemon.
“Salutors, much like Pokémon, roam wild, seeking out humans to bond with, amplifying their flaws the longer they latch on,” reads a press release accompanying the game’s launch. “As a Thaumaturge, you’re tasked with both cleansing normal human folks of their Salutor woes, but also using a sacred pact to bond with them. This, much like the interdimensional confines of a Poké Ball, lets you wield the unimaginably spooky creatures in battle.”
As protagonist Wiktor, you’ll put on your detective hat and snoop around Warsaw to uncover secrets and unravel complex political conspiracies. And in between turn-based battles, you’ll encounter the genuinely unsettling Pokemon-like Salutors and, after defeating them in battle and capturing them, use them to “discover secrets hidden within the human soul and speak to the Darkness.”
Look, I don’t claim to know what’s going on in The Thaumaturge either, but86% positive Steam reviewsat the time of writing - with the majority of complaints being performance related - suggests it’s a wild trip worth taking. Reviewers generally praise the writing, worldbuilding, detective mechanics, visuals, and combat, whileone reviewin particular sums up why I’m excited to dive in: “You get to go on a buddy cop adventure with Rasputin and your Zombie Pokemon.”
The Thaumaturge is coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X also, but there’s no release date yet for those platforms.
Here are someupcoming indie gamesto put on your radar.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”