Developer: Tiny Goblins
Publisher: Tiny Goblins, Erabit
Platform: Steam (PC)

The first spell I cast wasn't to summon light, it was to keep the darkness from swallowing me whole.

When you conjure up images of wizards, Gandalf, Merlin, and Glinda from The Wizard of Oz usually come to mind. There’s something inherently imposing about these figures. They’re strong, mighty, and always seem to be on a quest to make things right with the world.

So that’s why I was intrigued—okay, more like delightfully blindsided—when I got my hands on this little indie game from Tiny Goblins called An Amazing Wizard.

Unlike the towering magical titans I mentioned above, this wizard is a far cry from greatness in stature—but don’t let that fool you. He’s not tall. He’s not intimidating. But he’s feisty. And in the magical food chain, feisty beats flashy any day of the week.

Born Special, Kidnapped Early

The game kicks off in the land of wizards, You were born a special wizard—the kind that only comes around once every two lifetimes. Revered in awe, but like all things wrapped in mystery, you were feared just as much.

Kidnapped by dark forces before your powers could blossom, your memories wiped clean, you must now survive a gauntlet of trials, escape the clutches of your captors, regain your identity, and reclaim your rightful place in wizardry lore.

You would think by now that the bad guys take a yoga class and move on. But as with most things in video game logic, dreams tend to get sideswiped.

Metroidvania Mayhem With a Twist

The gameplay is structured as a 2D Metroidvania platformer where you move left to right, top to bottom, and—because wizards love drama—reverse direction to open doors and defeat enemies guarding those very doors. The enenies range in whimsical to fantastic and make each level unique.

Your scrappy little wizard starts off with a modest spellbook: some small spells, not-so-mighty magic, and a chip on his shoulder. But as the game progresses, he finds runes and scrolls to boost his powers, turning his incantations from "meh" to "massively devastating."

Spells, Scrolls, and Surprises

As expected for a platformer, most of your time is spent—what else?—platforming. You’ll be leaping from ledge to ledge, climbing precarious platforms, and trying not to fall to your doom while figuring out how to reach the next objective.

Along the way, you’ll face off against other wizards, dragons, and other things that really should’ve been dealt with by the school’s admissions office. Defeated enemies drop soul orbs, which you collect to level up your abilities. Combine them strategically, and you’ll unlock even more powerful spell combos.

One of the cooler aspects of the game is that you’re not stingy with your spellcasting. Even early on, you can wield five or six spells at once. The spell system is flexible and fun, and the game encourages you to mix and match your arsenal without punishing you for experimenting.

Art Design Done Right

Visually, the game rocks a vibrant pixel-art style. And no, it’s not trying to blow you away with hyper-realistic graphics. This is retro charm turned up to eleven. Characters are pixelated but easily recognizable, and the explosions and spell effects make your screen pop without frying your GPU.

The developers have done a great job crafting a world that’s both atmospheric as it is magical. The levels have a parallax design, with a layered look that contrasts beautifully with the action happening front and center.

I really like this approach as it shows the developer understands that adding depth through layering can enhance immersion without muddying the gameplay. And let’s be honest, not every game background knows how to stay in its lane, but this one does.

The gameplay holds steady with responsive and intuitive controls. There’s none of that dreaded “too much game, too few buttons” syndrome. Everything feels smooth, and more importantly, fair.

A Quirky Wizard Worth Your Time

If there’s a hiccup in this spell-slinging adventure, it’s the occasionally tedious platforming. Some levels overstay their welcome, dragging on longer than they should. Take, for example, the classic “run to the top, press a button, then hike back down” routine.

Really? I’m a wizard—I should be able to fly, or at the very least, float! But hey, this is video game logic. Sometimes we just nod and accept it, while quietly muttering about teleportation spells being suspiciously absent.

In the end, though, An Amazing Wizard is a genuinely fun ride. Hats off (preferably a wide-brimmed, pointy one) to the developers for bringing this quirky, compact wizard into an already saturated genre—and giving him just enough personality and spark to stand out on his own.