PC Review #109: Magicmaker

Title: Magicmaker
Developer: Tasty Stewdios
Platforms: PC
Price: $9.99
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You might not expect much adventure as a lowly security guard, but in Magicmaker's colorful world, you find yourself in a realm-spanning mystery, battling a variety of dangerous creatures and foes. Magicmaker is an action platformer; armed with your mystical gear and abilities, you set out on your quest to protect Dörwall Community College. Bosses and enemies of all kind await, across worlds brought to life in a vibrant, papercraft-esque style. 
What makes Magicmaker so fun is its titular concept: making magic. The player is equipped with a wand, spell, and robes and each can be customized in myriad ways, such as the colors and hues of each attack, but the most engaging part is how varied and diverse the magic is. You collect various elements on your quests, and then at certain academy stations, can stack abilities. For example, fire, feather, and rock creates fireblast that knocks enemies and burrows through walls. With slime and electricity, you'll fire an arcing attack that causes a damaging area of effect on surfaces. What's more impressive is that each element as two uses, one when equipped for your wand or spell and one when equipped for your robe. So electricity cause a shield when you walk. Slime lets you walk on walls. Metal creates a turret ally. Katana gives you a short range dash. These combinations offer so many possibilities, so many abilities, and modifiers, to use in combat; while the actual platforming can feel slow at times, without the flair and celerity of other games in the genre, the enjoyment of finding new powers to use and combine offers great motivation to venture into the dangerous lands 

Between the humorous story, the charming visuals, and deep customization that allows for myriad abilities to play around with, Magicmaker offers a fun challenging experience. You can purchase the game on Steam, GOG, and Shiny Loot.