The Thaumaturge

The Thaumaturge is a deep, complex and expertly crafted RPG game. Ripe with engaging, layered stories that enthral and disgust in equal measure, this depiction of Warsaw overrun with the flaws of human nature is supremely compelling. It may be slightly too long and has the odd technical flaw, but this is a world worth delving into, a character study of the human condition brimming with intrigue. An excellent video game that may surprise some as a potential game of the year contender.

Despite its occasionally uninspiring gameplay elements, the story, dialogue, and exciting setting make The Thaumaturge an enthralling and unforgettable gaming experience.

The Thaumaturge is a thought-provoking and haunting RPG that expertly combines gameplay and narrative, leading to one of the most unique RPG experiences you’re likely to play this year. Its stunning setting and choice-driven narrative will undoubtedly stick with me for a long time as I reflect on the tough decisions I made with Wiktor as he comes to terms with this dark, fantasy-filled version of Warsaw. The combat arguably takes too long to reveal its riches, but once that initial barrier is overcome, it offers the same level of depth and choice present in other aspects of The Thaumaturge.

The more time I spend with The Thaumaturge, the more I settle into it. When you spend more time with any game you are bound to notice the edges of things, the literal and figurative invisible walls. But The Thaumaturge was more like a pair of shoes. As I learned the restrictions of what you couldn’t do in the game, it focused me towards things I could do, and they were all awesome. If you have been craving a dark fantasy RPG where you get to play as a John Constantine type, I have good news, The Thaumaturge is it. Anyone looking for their next interesting and original RPG, this is it!

With a wonderful setting in 20th century Warsaw, The Thaumaturge combines perfectly the fantasy of magic and the rawness of human nature.

All in all, The Thaumaturge is a game I won’t forget anytime soon. I even intend to play it again from the beginning as soon as Polish VO is added – and that’s something I didn’t declare for any title in a very, very long time.

There is a very specific person who will find this game utterly compelling and won’t be able to put it down. This tale of industrialisation colliding with culture and superstition in pre-WW1 Poland has every confidence in itself and begs for your curiosity as you get to know the mysterious Wiktor Szulski and his hunt for emotion-hungry demons. This game is an immediate, though flawed, all-timer and belongs in the Polish canon of interactive literature for generations to come.

The Thaumaturge is an atmospheric adventure that oozes character and matches sleuthing and combat in an engaging, enjoyable way.

The Thaumaturge, with its unique setting that combines Slavic folklore with a largely unexplored time in world history, is a title that oozes character. It's certainly not without its flaws, but as far as AA titles go this one is as solid as they come.

The Thaumaturge is a story game through and through, a game that has the thrilling power of a Netflix series, but in which you can play as yourself. Only the fighting is hardly worth mentioning.

The Thaumaturge might be a bit light for RPG lovers, but it’s a gorgeous, incisive look at a world long past.

The Thaumaturge is an unsettling RPG, offering a branching story set in a late 19th-century Warsaw from the perspective of a flawed, supernatural warrior. It is a dark and harrowing journey, fully committed to exploring the conflicting desires of the people in the city of Warsaw; there is little whimsy, less humor, and no distraction from this goal. This requires an equal commitment from the gamer to this flavour of the genre — there is no grinding, karaoke mini-games or creature-collecting distractions here: your prince is in another castle. The game narrative and combat systems build on these dark themes, cleverly framing them in how Wiktor uses his abilities as a thaumaturge. Even if the multiple story paths sometimes buckle under their ambitious weight, and combat can become a little too lacking in variety, this is a person, a city and a time worth visiting and learning from for those it ensnares. Just remember to bring pizza, a drink (or two), and turn the lights down low. Very low.

The Thaumaturge is a supernatural detective with good dialogs, strong characters, and a fun battle system.

Innovative detective role-playing game in a highly interesting world in which your decisions have far-reaching consequences.

In a medium full of spaceships and crumbling castles, The Thaumaturge is a singular sojourn to a time and place that many players will be unfamiliar with, presenting a dance through the sights and sounds of a turn-of-the-century Warsaw imbued with magic and terrifying creatures. Backed up by a solid combat system, compelling main narrative and diverging decision points, this supernatural adventure is one well worth taking.

While The Thaumaturge has a slow start there is a wealth of lore and tactics here to suck in players and a challenging combat to get to grips with.

I suspect I’m going to continue thinking about The Thaumaturge for a long time. The game is easy to pick up and very difficult to put down. While it might look like a very specific CRPG for a very specific type of audience, I feel like the way it combines its setting, storytelling, and mechanics makes for an extremely compelling game and a strong contender for those looking to get into CRPGs.

The Thaumaturge is a fairly unique RPG in terms of its setting and the themes it addresses. Narratively quite crazy and engaging from start to finish, it is worthy of a very good fantasy movie or a good gothic tale.

The Thaumaturge successfully delivers a weird and surprising RPG that is filled to the brim with narrative. Whether you’re chasing down demons, or manipulating the minds of the socially elite, you’ll feel the power of the Thaumaturge. With its complex turn-based combat and choice consequence system, there are plenty of opportunities for replayability.

Playing The Thaumaturge is like travelling back in time to Warsaw in 1905. It captures not only the look of the city, but also the unrest of the time and the way the people of Warsaw lived. The Polish team behind the game has created a very compelling story. Although the game's mechanics have some flaws, Fool's Theory's beautiful design makes these minor flaws easy to overlook.

The Thaumaturge's history and gameplay mechanics combines perfectly. It seems like a mistery novel meets RPG turn's based game which its exploration rewards you with more and more quality quests and new paths to follow.

The Thaumaturge is a narrative focused RPG with an interesting combat system and unique setting.

Anyone who is a fan of playing a supernatural detective will enjoy The Thaumaturge. Its dark atmosphere, engaging story, and tactical combat will keep you coming back for more.

The Thaumaturge is presented as an RPG, but you should not expect great possibilities for character interpretation or a plot that at any moment can be heavily influenced by our choices. If this is not a problem, however, what remains is an excellent game with an interesting plot, which transports us to one of the best cities seen in a video game.

The Thaumaturge is a breath of fresh air in the world of RPGs: its universe is quite new, and steeped in a culture we're not used to see in video games. Its imperfections are masked by its originality and effective art direction.

The Thaumaturge is a game made with a lot of love and hard work by Fool's Theory. That much is apparent within the first couple of hours and grows more obvious the longer a user plays. Its lack of a way to make searching for clues interesting may lead some players astray, but they will miss out on a demon-fueled magical adventure. It stumbles in other places, but it more than makes up for it with its monster designs and terrific storytelling. The Thaumaturge's mixture of 20th-century technology and magic should prove too fun to pass up, and players looking for a detective mystery with some intrigue and nightmares might have found something they can't find anywhere else.

The Thaumaturge is a riveting mix of investigating gorgeous environments, weaving together narrative threads and battling through punchy, stylish turn-based combat. It’s a story where it feels like the choices do matter, and that makes decisions feel weighty as you progress through the twisted and memorable supernatural setting. Some of the investigations hold your hand a little too much, and it’s lacking some overall polish in some areas. Even so, The Thaumaturge absolutely nails the brief in every other way, making for a compelling RPG that stands on its own as unique, visually impressive and deliciously dark.

The Thaumaturge is a slow, text heavy caper that is often curious and sometimes captivating, weaving revolutionary labor politics and mysticism together to create a unique and charming piece of historical science fiction. It is eurojank through and through, filled with criss-crossing systems like gathering observations, Thaumaturge abilities, and combat that are all fun and engaging despite the sometimes hitchy controls, clunky conversations, and odd voice overs that make this journey a bumpy one. But if a little jank didn’t stop you from enjoying RPGs like Vampyr or The Witcher, you’ll be well equipped for this otherwise exciting ghost story.

The Thaumaturge presents a fantastical look into history and allows players to take the wheel. With supernatural creatures, investigations spanning whole neighborhoods, and solid voice acting, there’s a lot to enjoy. It doesn’t get everything right, but it does provide enough depth and creativity to take the journey once or twice.

Developer Fool’s Theory has crafted a pretty solid turn-based RPG with The Thaumaturge. Its setting in 1905 Warsaw is fairly novel in games and at times, can feel like an intriguing, immersive documentary that educates its players on the harsh conditions during this time in history. The supernatural powers at protagonist Wiktor Szulski’s disposal pave the way to a satisfying battle system that carves out its own identity, despite looking like something out of Shin Megami Tensei or Persona upon first glance. There are technical rough edges here and there, but I firmly believe that RPG fans should definitely check out The Thaumaturge whenever they find time in this busy year of RPGs in 2024.

The Thaumaturge excels in narrative depth, character development, and atmosphere, offering a captivating experience despite its gameplay limitations. While its investigative mechanics feel lacking and combat could be more diverse, its compelling story, well-crafted characters, and impactful decision-making make it a standout adventure with a unique setting.

Exploring Warsaw at the onset of the 20th century and its many political and social topics is a fantastic experience. Expect intriguing characters, mature themes, enjoyable exploration and plenty of narrative role-play options. On the negative side, the combat quickly becomes repetitive, and some gameplay mechanics feel undercooked.

Clearly, Fool's Theory wanted to create a game that prioritized story, an uncluttered setting, and charismatic characters. And the studio succeeded. True, it is noticeable that they wanted a larger scope, but either there was not enough money or time. Closer to the end, even the animations seem very meager, and the endings seem chaotic. Overall, however, the team has succeeded in what they set out to do. With the success of The Thaumaturge, we can only hope they build on it and create the game of their dreams in their next outing.

The Thaumaturge is a well-written narrative adventure with an excellent setting. Its mechanics, borrowed from RPGs, are not overly complex, but contribute to the quality of the experience.

The Thaumaturge is a very strange title, both intentionally and sometimes unintentionally as well. On the surface level, it's a dark, narrative-driven game filled with morally-ambiguous choices which will oftentimes influence specific events in the story.

The Thaumaturge is a role-playing game that tries to go out of the ordinary with its intriguing plot, well-written dialogues, original characters and successful voiceovers. Travelling to 1905 Warsaw and experiencing the harsh conditions of that period first-hand adds a unique atmosphere to the game. However, the lack of enemy diversity, the weak detective mechanics, the simplicity of the side quests and some technical problems make it difficult to recommend it to those who are not hardcore fans of the genre.

The Thaumaturge is an ambitious isometric RPG with an interesting story, which the player can lead to ever-changing and unexpected situations with well-considered moral choices. The artistic direction is inspired and does justice to the historical setting represented. As for the salutors, we would have only liked to see more of them, which is an indication of the good quality and characterization of those present in the game. A somewhat repetitive combat system and the technical sector with too many uncertainties, unfortunately, partially slow down the enthusiasm, but all in all we would still like to say that The Thaumaturge is a recommended role-playing experience; if nothing else, to lovers of the genre who are always eager for narrative crossroads and well-written dialogues.

The Thaumaturge immerses players in a rich urban fantasy set in pre-World War I Warsaw, offering a blend of RPG and detective elements through the eyes of Wiktor Szulski, a mystic with the power to uncover hidden truths. With a story that weaves together political intrigue, historical figures like Grigori Rasputin, and supernatural themes, the game stands out for its detailed world-building and complex mechanics of puzzle-solving, stealth, and combat. Despite its deep narrative and unique gameplay, the game occasionally suffers from overly guided investigations and uneven combat pacing. However, its compelling setting and innovative use of Thaumaturgy ensure a captivating experience, even as some narrative and gameplay aspects feel underdeveloped.

Only for story fans: The dark role-playing game scores with its strong setting and a decent plot. However, exploration and combat wear out quickly, and a lot of potential is wasted in detective work.

The Thaumaturge is a conflicting game. It beautifully depicts an alternative history and Warsaw in 1905. However, the main character is challenging to connect with, and his story feels a bit hastily put together. Despite this, individual stories offer quality entertainment and tough moral choices. The Salutors are excellently rendered graphically, and their abilities in combat are enjoyable. If only the combat itself were better balanced, and the encounters were designed to have some narrative sense. Nevertheless, the overall game is entertaining; you just need to overlook some imperfections.

The game welcomes you to historical Warsaw surrounded by esoteric beings. If you are not afraid of them, you can tame them. Expect a rich story and dialogue, but the combat won't be for everyone.

The Thaumaturge is a game of undeniable cultural value, and the opportunity to explore early 20th century Warsaw (realistic, but enriched with fantastic elements) alone made it worth my time. I wish I could tell you that the rest of the game – the story, the mechanics – is on par with the unique setting, but sadly, that’s not the case, as we’ve already seen all of it done much better elsewhere.

With weak exploration which tends towards being more tedious, and even exhausting, combat which trips over itself to constantly interrupt the player, and an overall feeling of awkwardness in the presentation, getting through The Thaumaturge's low moments can be a real struggle. However, on the other side is a compelling and interesting political slow burn which weaves the role of magic and Thaumaturgy into real historical scheming, even if that means the more interesting aspects of the world take a backseat. This is alongside an engaging core combat loop and some excellent creature designs. If you can stomach the slow start and are willing to play into the game's more obtuse aspects, particularly the walls of emotive text, The Thaumaturge is sure to be another exciting CRPG for you.

The Thaumaturge combines an unusual setting in 20th century Poland with tactical turn-based battles and a supernatural plot revolving around hidden demons, sometimes exciting decisions and tricky (social) problems. However, the plot and characters tend to get in their own way and stumble over the stiff presentation.

The Thaumaturge’s biggest problems are a result of trying to do so many different things at once. It’s a juggling act on the best of days, and if you’re a working-class person in 1900s Poland you aren’t having a bunch of great days. Not consistently, anyway. This is a deeply interesting game with a lot of cool imagery, historical storytelling hooks and complex systems that are a blast to engage with. There are a ton of swings, and not every one is a hit. Sometimes the voice acting is wacky, the protagonist feels underdeveloped, and combat can be annoying and burdensome. But I also accidentally stayed up way past my adult, parent bedtime on multiple nights playing it. I feel and probably look like Wiktor after catching a new Salutor, but it was worth it.

You’ve got an interesting setting, a ton of material, all kinds of ideas, and a studio that clearly knows what it’s doing. That all of that got combined into something as forgettable as this is pretty disappointing, and it makes it awfully easy to skip past this game without a second thought.

In my humble opinion, The Thaumaturge is a AAA Open World wanna-be game but with limitations. In other words, a gem that is shaped but lack of fine edges. The story and background settings are amazing. Yet, from the world structure to minor details. The limitation of the game has many, such as loading section in between of traveling, the map for exploration isn’t that big enough, the animation lack of details, etc. Despite of all the mentioned, the game still has something to offer. The story campaign, the thaumaturgy and detective investigation puzzles. The Thaumaturge still worth to play if you love any gameplay elements I just mentioned.

Lurking behind a dated exterior is a limited but sophisticated RPG with a unique setting and some memorable new ideas.

It's got heart and charme. But strange narrative pacing, patchy writing and weak presentation slow down this original and pretty RPG considerably. Fans of historical fantasy are treated to a pleasantly sinister Warsaw excursion with a clever combat system.

The Thaumaturge shows plenty of promise, but lets itself down somewhat by failing to play to its strengths. Warsaw and its history and culture is a joy to experience when the game properly engages with it, but an insistent focus on a comparatively dull main story ultimately detracts from this for a fun yet frustrating experience.

What The Thaumaturge is, is as puzzling as its title. It's ostensibly an RPG, but with barebones RPG systems. It offers a large and rich world, but with nothing to do in it. It's supposed to last for twenty hours, but reveals all its cards after only two. Warsaw looks fantastic, with impressive atmosphere and detail - but it's the capital of boredom.

There’s a lot to appreciate about The Thaumaturge and that’s the stuff that will stick around. The weaknesses in the combat prevent some cool ideas from ever fully taking off. The rushed ending, whether the result of running out of time during development or an awkward playthrough, means the plot trips at the finishing line. But the uniqueness of the setting goes a long way toward making the game an interesting sell and the characters are fun to spend time with. So while far from perfect, there’s enough care in this project to make it a worthwhile visit.

The Thaumaturge remains quite special overall. Hanging out with Rasputin, shmoozing with turn-of-the-century elites, and exploring some unexpected golem developments with beset Rabbis make for compelling content, even when a few lines in the script fail to land. Anyone taken in by this setting will genuinely want to play The Thaumaturge, and it joins several other recent experimental Slavic fantasy adventures that prove the countless avenues video games have yet to fully explore.

The Thaumaturge is stuffed with ideas that sound great on paper, but the end result may have bitten off more than it can chew, as a lot of its concepts feel undercooked without delivering on their grandiose aims.

The Thaumaturge has a immensely interesting lore foundation but, alas, it never manages to build upon it. The plot development is highly derivative and just plain tiring and slow, while its combat system becomes repetitive quickly, despite having some nice ideas.

A historical supernatural role-player whose portrayal of Warsaw under Russian rule is highly compelling but where the combat and simplistic detective elements fail to engage.