Witches & Wizards

A puzzle game with many twists. Each puzzle contains several different “wizards” with their own very specific type of magic. You’ll be switching between characters all the time, applying their unique skill, to solve the puzzle.

Input/Platforms

Playable by using the controller or keyboard. (We hate mice and mobile!)

So, it’ll be playable on computers.

Gameplay

It’s a turn-based, relaxed puzzle game.

Each level can earn you three stars:

  • One star for solving it
  • One for solving it with the best possible solution
  • One for an extra objective (different/special for each level)

You play as characters. On your turn, you can:

  • Move a character left/right/up/down
  • Switch between characters (if there are multiple)
  • Use special ability 1 or 2 (if available)

How do you win? TO BE DETERMINED.

  • IDEA: You are friends who want to be reunited. So you win if all characters are touching each other ( = adjacent to each other). To be more dramatic: maybe you are all wizards, who are weak when alone, but only strong when together!
  • IDEA: You need to get somewhere/find something.
  • IDEA: You need to repair all damage to your ship/remove all threats. (Or just survive until you’ve reached some destination?)

Campaign

The game is split into worlds. Each world ends by “freeing” a captured character. The next world is all about learning the abilities of this new character. This cycle repeats.

There is a story. (Something FANTASY and INTERESTING and URGENT.)

Characters

We want each character to have:

  • One unique POSITIVE aspect
  • One unique NEGATIVE aspect
  • Exactly two special abilities

These must be really simple and perhaps silly things, for example:

  • This character always walks two spaces at once
  • This character can only move backwards
  • This character can walk through fire, or walk over water, or jump higher than anyone else.
  • This character cannot jump

Additionally, I think it’d be fun for each character to have a unique link to potion ingredients and spells (the two core parts of the game). For example:

  • Each character is related with an ingredient. They are the only ones who can harvest/get this ingredient.
  • Each character is related with a spell type. They are the only ones who can discover/use/cast this spell type.

Mechanics

Here’s a list of interesting stuff:

  • Different characters give completely unique abilities.
  • Each level has a core threat: something that can destroy you within a few turns if you don’t watch out. (This creates urgency and a looming threat.)
  • You can collect ingredients.
    • There are only a few basic ingredients in the whole game, but you can combine them in any way, creating all sorts of interesting effects.
    • For example: a berry alone gives you extra speed, but a berry +
  • You can create spells. How?
    • IDEA: You can collect/type letters or syllables. Combine them in any way to create a spell, which does unique stuff.
    • IDEA: You collect scrolls/pieces of paper. Once you know a spell, you can always use it? And combine it with other spells? But how?
  • There are special tiles, which can give you temporary boosts/obstacles. (Space and location is very important in this game.)

IDEA: Each character is linked with exactly one ingredient/spell type? Only they can use/find/extract that type?

IDEA: Each level is inside a spaceship (or fantasy-equivalent of that). You’re cramped for space and for oxygen, so more characters give you more possibilities … but also deplete your resources. Should lead to an interesting balance.

IDEA: We should name the game “I need more space!”

IDEA: There’s water around the levels. Slowly, levels disappear as the water rises and consumes the land. In other words: WATER IS AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT.

Also, there might be currents. Dropping something on a current will move it along the water every turn.

A nice name would be something like “Liquid Luck” or “Liquid Love” or something else with liquid.

And we might play with the properties of objects? They can be solid, liquid or a gas?

IDEA: One character can “interact” with statues. These are statues of old/legendary/mythical wizards, which are mentioned subtly during the story, including their powers.

The trick? When you interact with their statue, you get their power (for that level/several turns/whatever).

This is something the player should remember/figure out. The powers of these old wizards are very subtle, so you can’t just grab the statue and try it out.

IDEA: A character that is very tall. Is able to reach high places/ingredients that grow in high trees, but can’t go into small places (and is generally slower?)

IDEA: One character has a spell that can make things move. Things only move when influenced by “magic” (could be from the start, could be the result of a spell).

Spell casting: press a button (special ability), the spell starts at your position, then just moves one extra square after the end of every turn.

(Maybe, when you hold the button, controls are overridden so you can aim the spell.)

Research / Links

Since 2026 · Made by Tiamo Pastoor · Visit my Online Store · All 498 ideas can be used for both non-commercial and commercial projects, no attribution required.

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