Magin: The Rat Project Stories

Seems to be working to try to bridge turn-based RPG storytelling with deckbuilding, but doesn’t do either terribly well in the end

Fun Rated M for Mature narrative-driven adventure game deckbuilder

While an interesting concept, Magin: The Rat Project Stories just falls short in every department after the beginning. The writing is so filled with profanities that it comes off as immature rather than adult. What is worse, though, is that the card-based combat system becomes repetitive because the game punishes the player for experimenting. Great concept on paper, but poorly executed.

Is a game that earns genuine admiration even as it frustrates. The core concept — emotions as cards, narrative as deckbuilding — is one of the more original ideas in the genre, and the world The Rat Project has built around it is atmospheric, beautifully drawn, and fully voiced in a way that belies the team’s size. These are real achievements worth celebrating. But the execution doesn’t always match the vision. Balance issues, a rigidity to the deck system, and pacing that occasionally loses momentum prevent Magin from reaching the heights its ambition promises. For players who embrace commitment, enjoy dark narrative RPGs, and are willing to build with intent rather than experiment freely, there’s a genuinely compelling experience here. For everyone else, it’s a game that’s easier to respect than to love — but respect it you will.