Solasta: Crown of the Magister is an RPG on Steam, based on the popular “Pen & Paper“ game Dungeons & Dragons. It is mainly praised as the digital adaptation of the tabletop game by players. Currently, the game is on sale, costing only €14 instead of €40.
What kind of game is Solasta: Crown of the Magister? It is a turn-based RPG that functions in the manner of Dungeons & Dragons. It is officially licensed by D&D creator Wizards of the Coast and is based on the 5th Edition of the well-known tabletop game.
In true DnD fashion, you explore ruins and dungeons in Solasta: Crown of the Magister and search for legendary treasures. You must uncover secrets and prevent a great catastrophe that threatens the world of Solasta.
You experience adventures in a group of four characters, fighting against enemies and making decisions that influence the story.
Here you can see the release trailer for Solasta: Crown of the Magister:
Character creation and turn-based combat with dice
How does gameplay work in Solasta: Crown of the Magister? The player can either create a character themselves or choose a pre-made character. There are various classes available, each with different abilities.
Additionally, other aspects of the character are defined, such as backstory, moral values, and virtues. This way, you build a versatile character whose traits then affect their behavior – and also how the NPCs in the game react to you.
The battles take place in rounds. You can move, cast spells, or attack the opponent. The order of who gets to act is determined by a dice roll.
Is there a multiplayer mode in Solasta: Crown of the Magister? At the release of the game in May 2021, it was initially a single-player title. However, this changed when a coop update allowed playing with others in Solasta: Crown of the Magister on April 14, 2022.
In multiplayer mode, depending on the number of players, you control one or more characters of the group. You are usually independent of the other players regarding movements and actions.
Certain decisions, such as taking a rest, are made collectively, and cutscenes are also played for all players.
Here you can see a video with the most important information about the coop mode in the game:
Players recommend it especially for DnD fans
How does Solasta: Crown of the Magister rate on Steam? The game is rated very well by the Steam community. Of the 12,127 reviews, 89% are positive (as of November 15, 2022, via Steam).
In reviews, players especially praise the game as a good implementation of tabletop D&D as a digital game:
- User Smidling: “Fantastic game! The closest thing I’ve seen to D&D in digital form! Congratulations!”
- User Dababa: “If you grew up with D&D, it’s a great game with a lot of potential to get even better in the future.”
A D&D player elaborates in his review of Solasta:
If you like D&D, you will love this game!
It’s a great game that you can play with friends or alone. It follows the main rules of D&D 5e. The DLCs have all been worth it, as they added great party and class options.
There are the main scenarios that provide many hours of gameplay, as well as a range of player-created workshop scenarios!
I really enjoyed playing it with my gaming group when we couldn’t meet in person. It really gave me more ideas on how to better use my spells in my D&D games in the future, from light spells to spells that control an area.
User Tigerdrow via Steam
Is Solasta: Crown of the Magister worth it? MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus checked out Solasta: Crown of the Magister and even played coop with the developers. Although he has only spent a few hours in the game itself, he can draw on many games as a reference:
First of all: I am a huge fan of tabletop role-playing games, have been playing Dungeons & Dragons and Das Schwarze Auge in several groups for years. Accordingly, I am always excited about pen-and-paper implementations on the PC.
Solasta is still very high on my “Pile of Shame” of games I urgently need to finish. However, I have looked at it for a few hours and really had fun with the character creation and the world. All characters feel like they fit well into the world.
However, this is also a certain weakness. Solasta feels a bit like a pre-scripted D&D adventure, where everything is scripted. Since the player characters, unlike in the Pathfinder games, are always player-created, they have no personal interactions with the world or with one another – at least not outside their pre-scripted behaviors.
Nevertheless, after just over 20 hours, I already like the storytelling a lot and I would probably have finished the game already if Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous hadn’t come in the way some time ago. During my next vacation, I will probably finish both. Perfect while waiting for Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader, the new game by Pathfinder creator Owlcat.
Note that Benedict, with about 20 hours, can only provide an insight into Solasta and make brief comparisons to other games. You can find a detailed review of Solasta: Crown of the Magister from the colleagues at GameStar.
How much does Solasta: Crown of the Magister cost on Steam? The game is currently on sale on the gaming platform. You save 65% of the normal purchase price: Instead of €39.99, you currently pay €13.99. The offer is valid until November 22, 2022.
Here you can find a comprehensive special on Solasta: Crown of the Magister and its coop mode.
