The Thaumaturge an upcoming RPG published by 11 Bit Studios and developed by Fool’s Theory is due out later this year. In the meantime, 11 Bit Studios, the publishers and developers behind Frost Punk, and its upcoming sequel, Frost Punk 2, have given us early access to The Thaumaturge.
The game centers around Wiktor Szulski, a man with mystical gifts that allow him to see demon-like entities known as Salutors. As well as the ability to see these entities, Wiktor also has a range of other gifts, which he can use to manipulate, calm, and even identify people’s true intentions.
The demo lasted for a little over one hour, and offered a decent look into The Thaumaturge, the titular protagonist, and his allies, as well as the games Baldur’s Gate-style turn-based gameplay.
The game manages to combine multiple genres together well, making a dark RPG game that is truly unique. On one hand, you play a detective, uncovering local secrets and confronting people to free them of their curses, while on the other hand, you have a well-made turn-based strategy with a hint of horror.
Strangely, The Thaumaturge also has an air of Pokémon games about it, as defeating a Salutor then adds that creature to your arsenal, letting you use it in later fights to help you progress. Before long, you start to build up a collection of new demon-like creatures that go from being your enemy, to ally.
If you want to get your hands on The Thaumaturge, the demo is coming out next week during the upcoming Steam Next Fest starting on Monday, October 9th. Make sure to add The Thaumaturge to your Steam wishlist for a reminder. The demo version of the game offers around one hour of gameplay, but it’s more than enough to see the massive potential The Thaumaturge has to be one of the best (and weirdest) RPGs this year.
