Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Game
Game2019
Mage's Initiation: Reign of the Elements
Developer Himalaya Studios
Mage's Initiation: Reign of the Elements is a 2019 adventure game created by Himalaya Studios for Windows, Linux, and macOS. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
143 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Jul 10, 2026 · last updated Oct 8, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
87
LovedLoved
123 positive · 18 negative
95% range 81–92%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 123 | 18 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
2 newer reactions are still waiting for a label.
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
143 of 163 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Summary pending — the reactions are listed below.
Reactions
60 of 143 · most liked firstI grew up on the Sierra Quest for Glory games and this is a fantastic take on that idea.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Though this game has some nice qualities, I can't recommend it. It's capably executed with nice retro-style visuals and an easy-to-learn interface. The puzzles are fine, for the most part, and the ability to play a multiple types of mages adds (a small amount of) replayability. The story of the world the game is set in is intriguing from what we can see of it. If you were looking for a quality love-letter to old Sierra-style adventure games, however, it misses the mark in a few important ways.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For such a short game (9 very casual hours playtime for me to complete it), there is a lot to like and a lot to not like as well. Good: the interface - there is actually a choice of THREE interfaces. a top of screen toolbar that reminds me of a king's quest or roger wilco game. a zork-esque radial menu, and a boxy context menu that seems familiar but I can't quite place it. choose whichever one you prefer. I love that part. CHOOSE your interface! 14/10 for catering to the player instead…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Well, I've made it about 1/3 of the way through the game, and I'm going to go ahead and give this one a thumbs down and put it back on the shelf. It's just not very good. Primary complaints: 1. Puzzles are not very interesting. I've already run into multiple "stuck at a room and just use the hand on everything until something does something" solutions. 2. Too much pointless backtracking across multiple screens. 3. I'm supposed to be a mage, but I only have one spell I can use to solve…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →BottomLine at the Top: Diet Quest for Glory. Low calorie, but leaves a weird aftertaste in your mouth. Good enough that I'm interested in a sequel. Intro: This is one of those games that I started then stopped then picked up again way later. ------------------------------------- Pros: ------------------------------------- -Decent background art and overall style. Best comparison is to QFG 3. -Some quality of life features (double click fast run, quick travel by hitting esc, some fast…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Everything I love about classic point-n-click RPG adventures, renewed and reimagined in a new title (I hope to be series!) So far reflective of the best fantasy elements without unrelated graphical kitsch (3D unbefitting, etc) I would like to have enjoyed more of from mainstream studios up to now. Thank you Himalaya! The voice acting is wonderful, the dialog is pointed but thoughtful. I'm still only beginning my initiation but this is a thoroughly enjoyable game!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really enjoyed playing this game and would love to see a sequel and additional games in a series! If you love classic Point & Click adventure games, I think you'll really enjoy this. Mage's initiation is very similar to the classic Sierra game series 'Quest For Glory' (QFG happens to be one of my favorite game series). It is a point & click adventure with some very minor puzzle solving (compared to most classic P&C Adventures anyways) and light RPG elements. The graphics are good,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I absolutely loved this game! Worth every penny. If you loved King's Quest or Quest for Glory, this game is definitely for you!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's with a heavy heart that I'm putting a red thumbs down at the top of this. I am a huge fan of the original Quest for Glory games. I kickstarted this project when it was first announced, what almost 10 years ago? And have been eagerly awaiting its release. And I gave it a fair try, and I will probably push forward to try and complete the game anyway, but it just doesn't capture any of the magic of its inspiration. Pros - 1. It looks and plays like QFG - nostalgia achieved 2. Mixes…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Waited 6 years for this after backing it on Kickstarter. Hated it from the first second. Voice-acting is mediocre at best. High-res characters on lower-res back-ground. And a glitch in the coin-dial.... Djeezz..
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Mage's Initiation is an excellent game. A love letter to the old Quest for Glory games. You can even choose the control layout to be a perfect copy of VGA QfGs. The default one is reminiscent of Monkey Island 3. There's a third one which I found confusing. The graphics and the atmosphere are great. The puzzles are relatively easy, but not offensively simplistic. They merely make sense. Got stuck a couple of times, but nothing too serious. No moon logic, no aggravating pixel hunts. It feels…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm very glad I bout this game! The graphics are pretty and the premise is quite interesting! I'd recommend it to those wgo enjoy adventure games, such as Quest For Glory.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you like the old Quest for Glory series, or the newer Quest for Infamy and Heroine's Quest, then this is right up your alley. The art is good, the music is good, and the puzzles are good. That being said, the voice-acting is good *except* for the protagonist, who has by far the most lines. While the regular art is very good and perfectly in the style, there are animated cut scenes that resemble those old CDI Zelda games (this is not a good thing). The writing is a mixed bag. There are 4…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A very charming RPG-Adventure hybrid in the style of Quest for Glory, radiating waves of nostalgia. Some of the rooms / screens are downright beautiful, such as the first chamber of the island castle. Story rich with really fun, clever puzzles. I’m enjoying it a lot!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I bought and played Mage’s Initiation when it came out. There were a lot of things I liked about it at the time. Recently, I have been playing through the Quest for Glory series for the first time, and it has inspired me to come back and leave a review for this game. First things first, I want to shout out the amazing soundtrack by Brandon Blume, who hit it out of the park with this game. It’s everything I could want in a game like this. In Mage’s Initiation, you are an…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Backed this game on Kickstarter a long while ago, and have been eagerly awaiting the time I could finally play it. I am not disappointed in the final product. The voice acting is well done, the puzzles are logical yet still difficult enough that I had to sit and work them out and not just breeze through. The fighting sequences are fun, it brought back memories of Quest for Glory while at the same time being different enough to be unique in its own right. If you are a fan of Point and Click…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wanting to scratch that Quest for Glory itch? This game got you covered. Great art and the fact that the game is fully voiced makes the pacing feel very good.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Mage's Initiation is a fine tribute to the legendary Quest For Glory series. As a hybrid RPG/adventure game it almost perfectly captures the spirit of the first Quest For Glory game. It's not as humorous as its source of inspiration, but the game is very well balanced and does a couple of things better than its classic counterpart. No repeated spell casting is required to improve your stats. You gain xp points by solving the puzzles and once you cross a threshold, additional points can be…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun, classic, Sierra-style point-and-click adventure game. A neat feature was being able to choose your menu display style. A good play for us old adventure game fans!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game has been out for a while and it doesn't seem like it got the attention it deserves. For anyone who grew up on the classic point and click games, this is a no brainer. It's worth every penny and really scratches that retro itch. I hope someday there is a sequel.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a fantastic throwback to the days of Quest for Glory and King's Quest (for us old gamers) I was a little concerned at first with the voice acting of the main character, but the rest of the game overcomes that. The painted backgrounds are beautiful, the puzzles are enjoyable, and the story feels like it could be the first chapter of a larger arc. They even have you save your character for future games like an old Quest for Glory game would. There are a few branching options so it has…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I tried to like it but it's just poorly designed and poorly implemented. The introductory cutscene is good but after that you're greeted to a horrible mishmash of the GUI, Sprites and the backgrounds being entirely different styles and resolutions that all seem to be improperly scaled. Then it holds your hand unnecessarily in some places but then lets you wander 4 screens over before telling you "I think I need something from X" in the irritating nasal voice of the protagonist who really…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was very exited to play this game, but found myself stuck in the very first gameplay scene. I left-click on the door to enter, can't enter. Right-click, can't enter (and no pop-up menu either). Use the WASD keys, can't enter. Try to check the manual, but it's zero bytes and thus non-existent. Great. Requesting a refund now.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you have played Sierra's King's Quest and Quest for Glory series before, then this is a game in the same point-and-click puzzle adventure genre that you might want to take a chance on. Not only does the game have a good story line, but it has many interesting puzzles as well. And the battle system is quite fun, too. With 4 different elements to choose from, the game can be played in multiple ways.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am a big fan of Himalaya Studios. I have Al Emo and waitd for and played their remake of QFG2 and have backed this project a long while back. These guy do great work and keep to the true spirit of the classice adventure games. I strongly recommend this.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My first impressions of the game: Charming handdrawn art style that is reminds me of the golden age of adventure games. A musical score that never distracts but always compliments the scene. A game UI that is intuitive and customizable, it lets you experince the game without getting in the way. It's early yet, but this game so far is everything that I could have hoped for!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Love the game. It reminds me of the old Quest for Glory games.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is the best game inspired by Quest For Glory which I have found so far. I want more!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Love RPG? [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/39973073/]Make sure to Follow my Curator Page for plenty more! A surprisingly successful successor to Quest for Glory, less humor, but the atmosphere was preserved. Unfortunately, there is only one class in the game, but there are 4 types of magic. According to internal impressions, the choice of magic changes the gameplay by about 15%. Is it worth playing? Without a doubt! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNDAerYekrw And don't forget to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Visit SaveOrQuit.com for detailed game reviews, posted daily! How epic can it possibly be if all you need to do is just pass 3 trials that are part of your final exam to graduate magic school and become a real mage? Well, apparently, a lot can happen, and you might just end up affecting the lives of many with your actions. This is a tale that starts off with a simple premise, but which unravels into a heroic plot, taking place in a well-crafted fantasy world and with some very interesting…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wow. They figured a way to make pixel hunting worse. You have a limited amount of mana to cast your spell. You have to *guess* the small area you need to cast the spell despite being in a fine position to already do so, and they still take your mana for the priviliege of hearing "this is the wrong position for this spell." ♥♥♥♥ these ♥♥♥♥♥♥ developers. Who the ♥♥♥♥ does this crappy ♥♥♥♥?
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game looks and acts like it was made 20 years ago. Very primative. I have played for 4 hours. Set combat on easy so one hit will kill the monster. Problem is getting the one hit. Put the cursor on the monster and fire. Sometimes it works. Sometimes I miss. Why? Miss enoough times and the monster kills me. Still don't know what's wrong. Occasional bug when my character is walking to a new screen. He disapears and game freezes. Need to load from a save. Controls are not…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I loved Quest for Glory. This does a pretty good job recreating the same style, but doesn't have quite the same depth. No day and night cycle from what I can tell and character stats are limited - No more climbing a tree until you're exhausted to build up your skills and then sneaking back into town to sleep for the night. Instead you level up and get points and I'm already bored... It doesn't look like you can accidentally kill yourself in irresponsible ways either. But where QFG had different…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I can think of a handful. I know Heroine's Quest is free on Steam--Quest for Glory homage. And there's been others, Thimbleweed Park, Mage's Initiation, Quest for Infamy, but it's definitely not a common choice for game devs.
unlabelledView post →Very well done, game similar to titles "Quest for Glory" or "Quest for Infamy" which are point and click RPG storybook-like games. Immersive story, interactive, very fun. Hoping to see more games like this being made in the future. Already know I'm going to enjoy this one!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a surprisingly fun game. It's an Adventure point 'n' click/RPG hybrid, like Quest For Glory back in the day. It's one of those games that doesn't really hold your hand, so you have to turn your brain on. Once you realize "it's one of those types of games", it becomes immersive. Great for a coffee buzz (+Bailey's Irish Cream!)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is is a lot of fun. Reminds of QFG. but also different. Excellent point and click with a good story, moral dilemmas and multiple choices.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I like it! if you enjoyed the Quest for Glory games then I think you're going to have a good time with this.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Although I am not that far into it, I have mixed feelings. The game is clearly inspired by Quest for Glory type games with a bit of Kings Quest (the winged guardians). Thus far, the biggest con of the game is the amount of dialogue which I get annoyed by. There is SO MUCH DIALOGUE. I mean geez. Way too much. My other second quibble with the game is how generic it is and how task like the story is set up as. The mage has an initiation and instead of something bad happening to propel the tasks,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm only a few hours in, but any fan of older Quest for Glory games should give this a shot. A bit slow to start but once you ease in it's quite fun and interesting. I'll update it later when I complete the game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I didn't like the story much and the game mechanics were clunky. I am very glad I got this on sale.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really fun and relaxing adventure game. Enjoyed it a great deal.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An homage to bad adventure games of yore. Lets you choose between 3 long obsolete interfaces, none of them remotely elegant or comfortable. A developer that doesn't understand the meaning of Point n' Click offers a tedious gameplay the Universe was glad to leave behind decades ago. Meanwhile, the dreaded pixel hunting is exacerbated by the fact that every single pixel of every single scenery is clickable. Everything displays a label when hovered over. Any action on anything elicits a comment…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is absolutely wonderful and a must play if you grew up playing games like King's Quest or Quest for Glory from Sierra. They've put so much work in this game. 8/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A Decent Quest for Glory like game. The story starts kind of slow and the combat is odd but it picks up and it's great by the end.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game would have been fine except for the INFURIATING sequence where you have to get a Griffon egg. It is inconceivable to get something like this is in a game of this type. You will be dying over and over until you get lucky - I still haven't solved this after 10+ deaths and am seriously considering giving it up. It is really not obvious where you can duck and not get noticed - an absolute necessity when there is a stealth sequence. For a few other things I had to look up a walkthrough…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very solid adventure.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not sure why it saids I've played for 35 minutes, for I completed the game... anyways! Pros : - Most of puzzles are fun, mostly on the easier side. - The combat system is slightly steep to learn, once it is learned, it is fun for a while, and once it stops being fun, the game ends. Good pacing there! - The vibe of each chapters is different, with small yet interesting mechanics twist, which keep the game fresh. - Amazing voice over! Neutral : - More of a fairy tale vibe than a "fantasy"…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great throwback to classic adventure games and the Quest for Glory series, which was an adventure/RPG hybrid. Beautiful artwork, clever puzzles, and an all-around enjoyable experience.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Had to give this game another go after getting stuck early on in my first run through - This game will immediately make you feel at home if you're a classic adventure games fan. The story is very fluid and the puzzles keep coming fast, keeping the game fun and challenging!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →No valley has ever been so cozy since 1989 Spielburg ! And this game even has proper morality; the Himalaya Studios don't send THEIR hero into the valley before the snow blocked the pass again to let you rob the houses of innocent sleepy old ladies or the local law enforcement as a "heroic" service to the community ^^ ... Unbelievable value for the money ! BUY BUY BUY ! Or shop 'til you drop ? Reason for a purchase: The music creates a wonderful atmosphere ♪♫ ; the scenery is marvellous ;…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have waited a long time for this and I was not disappointed. The game has the authentic classic Sierra adventure style feel and atmosphere. The story is compelling and versatile and I really, really enjoyed playing. The characters are fun to interact with and there are some interesting choices. The combat is just the right amount of challenging for an adventure game and involves dodging, firing, shielding and using the terrain. While you can avoid it by running away and cannot gain…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am in 1/3 of playthrough and will update the review later. Let's start with obvious: the game is freaking ugly. The moving characters just don't have the same style as background. The video between 1st and 2nd task was even worse - why not do it in same way as the intro? The controls are bad, all 3 sets available in game are equally bad. Using items from inventory takes too many clicks. Seriously - there are only 5 actions: walk, talk, use, cast spell, use item. Monkey island had like 12…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nice art, awkward writing. Still fun. Really impressed at all the background art and details put into this game. Unfortunately that sometimes breaks the immersion and make puzzles awkward. Like, why I can't I take (useful thing that's right there)? Instead I have to take just that one specific thing, with lots of pixel hunting, because (convoluted adventure game logic). They did a nice job having both the tower and town feel alive, with tons of different people. Unfortunately that means it's…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've just finished playing it and absolutely loved it, every piece of it. I was always hesitant to mix RPG and adventure games but this game is so brilliantly executed. Highly recommendable if you liked how Sierra games looked like but wanted more of a "no dead ends" LucasArts kind of thing.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There have been many Quest for Glory-inspired games over the years and Mage's Initiation is definitely one of the best. The option to adjust combat difficulty and eventually run from fights is still there, thankfully, for less combat-oriented gamers. Most of the spells are also fun to use and the overall story is entertaining. Definitely worth buying and playing. In the future I hope they will build a more complex world with multidimensional characters.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A nice game that brings back memories from Sierra games (that was the intention) like QfG. A bit glitchy combat, but it does prevent this from being an enjoyable game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Summary in English: Despite six years of development time, the game feels like it has been rushed. There is plenty of spoken dialog, but it mostly repeats itself when you ask for same thing from different people. Graphics are nice and charming, but pixelated text in books caused me migraine. The combat feel clunky, tacked on and there is no reward for it. If you like classic point and click adventures, you might want to explore this title, but for modern gamers it honestly is too clunky,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Feels more like Quest for Glory than Hero-U did. I consider the combat weak and the loss of stat points a negative, unlike some more purist adventure gamers. Both Hero-U and Mage's Initiation lack a sort of functional RPG risk/reward setup where you feel yourself get stronger than the enemies you need to fight and have to question strategies and scrimp and save for leverage. Starting combat is relatively identical to the end combat, at least as an Earth mage. And the only 2 areas where you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've just finished the game as a Water Mage and really loved it. If you enjoyed the Quest for Glory series or any of the previous games by Himalaya Studios, you will have great fun with Mage's Initation as well. It has a classic fantasy storyline with a couple of twists, the old-school adventure graphics are beautifully drawn, and the gameplay is enjoyable and easily understood. The mix between adventure and RPG worked out very well, and the strong focus on four different varieties of magic is…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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