A member of the development team behind Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree recently revealed where the idea for the game’s medieval story came from. Mandragora is a sidescrolling, Metroidvania-like action RPG that tasks the player with saving the world from an encroaching alternate reality named Entropy by fending off monsters and leveling up their character through one of six playable classes.
Mandragora wears the influence of classic RPGs and Metroidvania-style side scrollers on its sleeve, featuring experience-based skill trees and backtracking through old sections of the map after the player unlocks new abilities or gains new items. The game’s world could easily draw comparisons to dark fantasy titles like Elden Ring and Dark Souls, with plenty of blood, grime, and gruesome creatures standing between the player and their next objective.
The Best War Games recently interviewed Alex Pearson, Community Marketing Manager at Primal Game Studio, to learn more about Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree following its full launch on April 17. One of the first topics discussed was how the developers first came up with the idea for Mandragora’s story and setting, to which Pearson explained that the game’s two creative leads were inspired by a trip to Ireland back in 2016.
Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Inspired By Trip to Ireland
Pearson went on to say that Mandragora’s story went through many iterations before the team at Primal Game Studio came up with the version that players can experience today. Having legendary Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines writer Brian Mitsoda on hand as the Narrative Lead for the project certainly helped, with core elements like witchcraft, secrets, and corruption being part of Mandragora’s story from the start.
[Mandragora’s creative leads] were deeply inspired by Ireland's natural beauty and rich folklore, which was then blended with influences from other mythologies around the world and elements they admired from their favorite games.
Alex Person says that it has been a rewarding experience to read players’ feedback from playing Mandragora, with certain characters already becoming favorites among the game’s fanbase. So far, Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree’s story has been considered by some players as a high point for being more direct and easier to follow than other titles in the growing soulslike genre. Mandragora features 60 playable quests, so there is plenty of lore for gamers to sink their teeth into if they wish to uncover all this dark world has to offer.
Mandragora
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 77 /100 Critics Rec: 72%
- Released
- March 27, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Primal Game Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Knights Peak, MY.GAMES
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
WHERE TO PLAY
Mankind has surrendered the world to the monsters. The people of Faelduum hide away behind walls of brick and palisades of ignorance, constructed by their leaders. Joy and delight are coveted jewels, out of reach of the masses. This is not the world you were promised. Travel by night and take it back.
Journey through a world in decline, slowly falling prey to the damaging effects of Entropy. Fight vicious creatures, challenge nightmarish bosses, meet new allies, enemies, and every shade in-between, and make harsh moral choices. There are many paths worth taking. Choose yours.
UNIQUE SIDESCROLLING SOULSLIKE: Enjoy a rare combination of 2.5D side-scrolling levels and skill-driven combat that deals punishment and reward in equal brutal measure. From the leering Caretaker to the Vampires of Braer Island, face ruthless foes and uniquely horrifying bosses that will make or break you.
FALL INTO A DARK FANTASY WORLD: Get lost in a rich and atmospheric world brought to life by timeless painterly art direction and the epic twisted music of Christos Antoniou. Discover every detail with Metroidvania exploration, tearing down crumbling walls, utilizing new skills such as ground strike, and scaling buildings with your grappling hook.
