Summary
- Games like Fictorum encourage players to invent spells on the fly with customizable effects.
- Lichdom: Battlemage offers alchemical spell customization with powerful combos.
- Citadel: Forged with Fire allows players to shape spells from scratch in a persistent online world.
Magic systems vary wildly in games, but these titles go beyond typical spell selection. They invite players to invent their own effects, mix elements on the fly, or build spells from scratch. Whether it’s shaping arcane elements in battle, combining runes, or scribbling custom incantations, these games reward imagination.
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Here’s a look at seven standout titles where creativity does more than matter; it becomes players' most powerful weapon.
7 Fictorum
When Chaos Isn’t a Bug — It’s a Feature
- Release Date: August 9, 2017
- Platform(s): PC
- Genre: Roguelike
- Developer: Scraping Bottom Games
Structures crumble and enemies dissolve under spells crafted in real time. Fictorum drops players into a sandbox where every battle involves drafting spells from basic runes, choosing shapes, modifiers, and area effects on the fly. Want a high-explosive firestorm or a long-range frost lance? Combine runes. Want a swirl that traps foes mid-air? Add modifiers and geometry.
Casting quickly becomes expressive art. Upgrades unlock more complex runes and shapes. The campaign stages, tower sieges, moving caravans, and battlefield assaults all feel different based on what spells players invent. Destructible environments set up strategic possibilities too. Custom spells might level an entire castle or carve trenches in the earth. No two encounters play the same.
6 Lichdom: Battlemage
Sorcery Refined by Formulas
- Release Date: August 26, 2014
- Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- Genre: Action RPG
- Developer: Xaviant, Bigmoon Entertainment
Here, magic is more alchemy than common sense. Lichdom: Battlemage lets players collect spell mods — shards that shift fire into poison, beam into area burst, and explosive into chain lightning — and slot them into custom combos. These build powerful spells with visual feedback. Want a poison fog that tracks enemies? Slot a poison shard into a freezing cloud and add duration and tracking.
The game tracks overheating and casting speed, so optimization becomes part of the core design. Mods scale with talent trees. Armor sets and shard sets reward specialized builds, making more creative spellcraft feel impactful. Later bosses demand clever combos, such as mixing slowing fields with explosive blasts for crowd control and stamina depletion. That formulaic system balances complexity and effectiveness.
5 Citadel: Forged with Fire
Shaping Spell Worlds from Scratch
- Release Date: November 1, 2019
- Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- Genre: Open-world RPG
- Developer: Blue Isle Studios
Players enter a persistent online world where magic is performance and customization is everything. Basic staffs and grimoires let players craft spells via sequences of runes. Want a ground-splitting shockwave? Charge wind then earth runes. Want a homing frost spear? Ice rune plus tracking modifier. Fire builds have incendiary ground effects or delayed explosions.
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Spells level up with use. Advanced grimoires unlock, combining runes in new orders or branching spells that detonate after reaching a trigger. PvP encounters pit custom mages against each other, encouraging defensive and offensive builds. Gathering components from the wilds and experimenting with them leads to spellcrafting that feels uniquely tailored.
4 The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind
Ancient Waters and Forgotten Runes
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
- Released
- May 1, 2002
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda Game Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda Softworks
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox (Original)
Vanilla Morrowind spellcrafting may lack polish, but it’s deep. Players assemble spells from elemental effects, duration, magnitude, and area. Want a 70-point fireball or a 30-second invisibility? Adjust variables. These spells cost Magicka based on severity. Unlike modern titles, there’s no preset list; every spell is hand-picked from raw values.
Spellcraft connects to lore and faction questlines. Crafting healing spells or paralysis bolts can unlock trainer factions or guild promotions. That sense of authorship extends to scroll creation and custom enchantments, creating a treadmill of experimentation. The system rewards spending time tinkering. Magicka potions, drawbacks, and skill training all feed into a custom magic identity.
3 Noita
Pixel Particles with Infinite Combinations
Noita
- Released
- October 15, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Nolla Games
- Publisher(s)
- Nolla Games
- Genre(s)
- Platformer, Roguelike
- Platform(s)
- PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Every pixel is simulated in Noita. Players draw wands, each with random modifiers: mana usage, projectile count, spread, recoil, and multishot properties. Wands behave differently, depending on the physics and fluids interacting in the world. A wand that fires water bombs may create steam clouds, then freeze into ice barricades when near a cold biome.
Mixed elements lead to unforeseen reactions. Chain lightning might arcs through conductive fluids, firestorms spread through oil puddles, acid melts stone, and droplets splinter into shrapnel. Custom wands feel personal. Many players spend hours chaining modifiers to craft perfect chaos. Every corridor can be rigged or improvised. Wild creativity meets harsh environments head-on in Noita.
2 Arx Fatalis
Subterranean Runes and Binding Magic
Arx Fatalis
- Released
- December 23, 2003
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Arkane Studios
- Publisher(s)
- DreamCatcher Interactive, JoWood Productions, Mindscape, Arkane Studios
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox (Original)
The magic system in Arx Fatalis feels ancient and tactile. Players trace runes on screen to cast spells, combining runes for elemental effects, healing, fire, invisibility, or summoning. Accuracy matters in this game. Tracing a rune wrong can result in a simple failure — or it could even backfire horribly. Combining flame and chain runes might yield firebombs; adding wind can change trajectory or area.
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Spellcraft ties deeply into the game's lore. Some incantations require finding lost runes in dungeon halls. Others demand trembling palm gestures. Magic can surprise enemies or open hidden passages. Because every spell is physically drawn, each carries its own risk and reward. Unique runic combos let players feel like true alchemists discovering lost secrets.
1 Magicka 2
Humor Meets Ingenuity
Magicka 2
- Released
- May 26, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Pieces Interactive
- Publisher(s)
- Paradox Interactive
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
This is a game that combines comedy with creativity. In Magicka 2, players mix eight elemental magicks (fire, ice, steam, shield, lightning, arcane, earth, and water) by tapping buttons in sequences. Casting becomes intricate finger work. Want to freeze and then shatter? Water into lightning into earth. Want to light the player character on fire in the process? Accidentally buffer fire. Friendly fire is inevitable and hilarious.
Beyond solo spells, cooperative chaos rules. Sharing bodies, accidental self‑incineration, or inadvertently launching teammates across the screen are all part of the game's charm. Status effects, potion brewing, and artifact customization deepen options. While this world leans campy, it teaches players that spellcraft is as much about discovery as precision.