An Amazing Wizard is a fast-paced, 2D Metroidvania RPG where spellcasting is the cornerstone of combat. Read our review to see what it did well, what it didn't do well, and if it's worth playing.
Everything We Know About An Amazing Wizard
An Amazing Wizard Plot
In a realm where magic is as common as breathing, a child of prophecy is born, destined to become a legendary wizard. Yet, a twist of fate has rendered him powerless, unable to conjure spells himself. This anomaly is not without its unique gift, however. He possesses the ability to command Magic Hands, which are capable of casting any spell for him. With his true identity shrouded in mystery, trapped within stolen and replaced memories, he must break free from an ever-changing world and reclaim his lost past.
In the prologue, his journey begins adrift in a cosmic expanse surrounded by celestial rocks. En route, he encounters bizarre creatures who become his unexpected allies. As he conquers each new challenge, he pieces together fragments of his forgotten history. The more he uncovers, the closer he gets to understanding his true nature and the path to his liberation.
An Amazing Wizard Gameplay
An Amazing Wizard is a fast-paced roguelike that offers a blend of Metroidvania-style combat and procedurally-generated dungeons. Players take on the role of a Wizard, starting with a basic spell and collecting more powerful ones as the game progresses. Combat will have players utilizing a combination of spells and weapons to defeat enemies. Between successful and failed runs, players can trade gathered materials for power-ups to enhance their abilities and make future runs easier.
RNG dictates which spells become available in each run. With over a hundred spells, more than two-hundred Artifacts and Perks, and an expansive upgrade tree planned for the final version, the possibilities for customization and playstyles are virtually endless.
An Amazing Wizard Release Date
At the time of writing, An Amazing Wizard is still casting spells for a release date, but its Steam page promises that the game will debut sometime during the first quarter of 2025. While waiting for the official launch, you can request access to the game’s playtest, titled Prologue, on Steam.
We’ll keep this article updated with the latest news as soon as we have a confirmed release date and time, so stay tuned!
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| Price | Coming Soon | ||||
An Amazing Wizard Review (Playtest)
The Game's Title Says it All
Years have passed since I’ve felt the exhilarating rush of waking up in Dead Cells’ island prison, a lone soul driven forward by nothing but an unwavering objective. An Amazing Wizard comes close to this premise: a nameless Wizard adrift in a cosmic expanse, piecing together the truth of his existence and the realm he inhabits.
I approached An Amazing Wizard with tempered expectations, having learned about the studio behind it through their Kickstarter. Developed and published by Tiny Goblins—a two-person team consisting of writer and designer Jakub Dąbrowski and pixel artist Ivan David Fernández Morantes—the game had fallen short of their funding goal by a significant margin. They were only able to earn less than $5,000, not even half of their $11,000 goal.
Given the indie studio’s size and limited resources, I admittedly expected the game to stumble under the weight of its ambitions, as it attempts to follow in the footsteps of indie giants like Dead Cells, Wizard of Legend, and Binding of Isaac.
Turns out, I was dead wrong, and I couldn’t be happier for it.
I yearn for this game. The allure is simply irresistible. Each time I’m transported back to the Astral World, I’m overwhelmed by the desire to delve deeper into its dungeons. The thrill of collecting and merging spells, facing off against formidable bosses, and ultimately seeing the Astral World slowly return to its former glory is intoxicating.
The possibilities are endless, and I’m still trying to grasp the vastness of this game.
A Love-Hate Affair with the Game’s Audio and Visuals
Let’s start off with the nitpicks.
While An Amazing Wizard’s gameplay is top-notch, its audio and visual presentation could benefit from some polish. Don’t misunderstand; the visuals often impress with smooth animations and imaginative environments and character designs, reminiscent of classic GameBoy Advance Castlevania titles. However, the menus and UI feel like they’re stuck in the GBA era as well, their simplicity contrasting jarringly with the world around them.
Moreover, the game’s soundtrack is expertly crafted, perfectly capturing the atmosphere of its setting. However, the sound effects, especially those accompanying the jumping animation, could use some refinement. While they’re not overly distracting during intense combat, they can become intrusive during quieter moments or when platforming. The Wizard’s repetitive "shwoom" from platform to platform during jumps can quickly grow tiresome, and you will be doing them a lot.
While these are relatively minor criticisms, they highlight areas where the game could benefit from further polish as development continues.
More Spells Than You Can Shake a Wand At
Beyond its initial rough edges, you’ll find a game that gives and gives and gives.
The game begins with a simple yet intriguing premise. You awaken as a powerful wizard, guided by a towering skeleton. This entity reveals your extraordinary destiny: As a wizard born once in a millennium, you must venture beyond the Astral World to reclaim your lost memories. Armed with nothing but your magic and a burning desire to escape, you embark on a quest filled with wonder and peril.
The plot may not break new ground, but it serves as a solid foundation for the game’s engaging gameplay, which is undeniably addictive.
The Astral World serves as the game’s central hub, which houses the Eternal Portal that transports you to a procedurally-generated dungeon. Here, you’ll battle through mobs of random enemies in pursuit of reaching a challenging boss fight at the dungeon’s end.
In true roguelike fashion, the game offers surprising depth. In the Prologue alone, players can obtain over 120 spells spread across seven elements, while also gaining access to a wealth of customization options. With more than 200 Enchantments, Artifacts, and Perks at your disposal, you can tailor your Wizard’s abilities to match your preferred playstyle.
But the customization options don’t end there. One of the standout features introduced in the game’s Prologue is "Spell Merging." At the Spellweaver, you can combine up to five spells to create entirely new and powerful abilities. For instance, merging Lesser Fireball with Gravity Zone results in a spell that traps your enemies in place while engulfing them in flames.
The Merging system dramatically expands the game’s repertoire of spells, allowing you to create countless and unique combinations. Unfortunately, while this offers incredible customization, acquiring spells often relies on chance.
RNG is a Double-Edged Sword
Roguelike is a genre defined by their reliance on randomness. From dungeon layouts to item drops, every aspect of the game is subject to chance. While this can lead to exhilarating moments of triumph, it can also result in frustrating setbacks, as you are subjected to the whims of your own luck.
In An Amazing Wizard, the RNG can feel both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, the constant variety keeps the game fresh and exciting. On the other hand, the unpredictability can be disheartening, especially when a crucial Artifact or spell fails to materialize.
Despite the potential pitfalls of RNG, the game encourages experimentation and adaptation. Each new run presents a different set of challenges and opportunities, forcing me to rethink my strategies based on the hand I was dealt with.
While the thrill of random chance can lead to frustration when chasing specific spells, the game’s focus on experimentation and learning from failures ultimately rewards those who can embrace the uncertainty. It helps as well that this uncertainty is complemented by the game’s medium: a playtest—a medium where players can experiment and enjoy what the game has to offer at the moment.
If you’re craving for a more intense challenge than An Amazing Wizard’s default difficulty offers, look no further than the game’s optional challenges. These range from the straightforward, like defeating a specific number of enemies in a single run, to the downright absurd, such as completing the game with a severely zoomed-in camera.
For the truly daring, you can seek out cursed chests scattered throughout levels. These offer powerful spells and Artifacts, but at a price: a debilitating curse that will follow you for the rest of your run. For instance, during one of my runs, one such curse granted me a powerful Artifact that automatically attacks enemies, but at the cost of darkening my vision.
These offers can extend the game’s playtime from mere hours to tens, even hundreds of hours, if you’re up for the challenge. No matter how difficult the game may become, rest assured that your efforts will be rewarded handsomely. But if you’re truly seeking the ultimate test, dare to provoke the frog shopkeeper. Just try it. Go on. Do it.
Despite being an incomplete indie game created by a small team, An Amazing Wizard is an amazing game. It captured my attention with its surprising depth and difficulty, and I often found myself forgetting that I was even playing an unfinished game.
Each loss felt like a personal challenge, driving me to return and find the enemy that bested me. The Prologue’s randomness, though sometimes unforgiving, added an element of unpredictability, but I found myself embracing the chaos. The core gameplay loop of building your central hub, merging spells, and unlocking new abilities was incredibly satisfying.
The game’s potential is evident even in its current form. Its trailer even hinted at a vast array of possible builds. You could focus on casting spells from afar, summoning allies to do your bidding, creating a build that’s centered around dodging, and so much more! The foundation is there for a truly addictive roguelike Metroidvania experience.
An Amazing Wizard has some rough edges to iron out, such as reliance on RNG and certain audio and visual shortcomings, but its core gameplay is so engaging that I’m eagerly anticipating the full release. The Prologue was just a taste of the feast to come, and my appetite has been whetted to a fine point.
Game8 Reviews
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An Amazing Wizard Product Information
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| Title | AN AMAZING WIZARD |
|---|---|
| Release Date | Q1 2025 |
| Developer | Tiny Goblins |
| Publisher | Tiny Goblins, Erabit |
| Supported Platforms | PC(Steam) |
| Genre | Roguelike, Metroidvania, Indie |
| Number of Players | 1 |
| ESRB Rating | RP |
| Official Website | An Amazing Wizard Kickstarter Page |
