Murder-mystery card-battler "The Magister" revealed for Switch

14 days to solve a murder mystery...think you can do it? That's your task in The Magister, and you get the job done with some cunning, along with card skills. Read full details on the game below.

Indie publisher Digerati is thrilled to announce that The Magister, a new card-battler murder-mystery RPG from developer Nerdook, will also launch on Nintendo Switch, in addition to the previously confirmed Steam version. The Magister will be available for Nintendo Switch and Steam early 2021.

Players take the role of a Magister – agents assigned to enforce the rule of law in the far-flung provinces of the Empire. Dispatched to the remote village of Silverhurst, you must investigate the grim demise of a fellow Magister. You have 14 days to solve the case.

Following a successful beta campaign on PC, development on The Magister has been extended to allow for continued improvements and new features to be implemented across both versions of the randomly-generated whodunnit adventure.

About the game

The Magister is a murder-mystery card-battler RPG. Build and customise your deck to fight in battles, or use ‘Tactical Diplomacy’ to pacify those who stand in your way. Gather clues and discover motives as you investigate the death of your predecessor and unmask the guilty culprit.

Key features

Randomly generated murder-mystery: A walkthrough won’t help here! The events, clues, motives, and murderer change with every playthrough. Only YOU can identify the guilty suspect.

Tactical card-based encounters: Your combat and negotiation skills are determined by the cards in your deck. Use a vast array of cards, such as ‘Heartstopper’, ‘Poison Slash’, ‘Weak Joke’, and ‘Long Talk’.

Pacify enemies for a peaceful outcome: Use ‘Tactical Diplomacy’ as an alternative to fighting and calm foes with your conversation cards to reduce their Rage level to 0.

Choose your Magister: Different Magisters come with their own specialities and flaws. From cunning alcoholic to intelligent insomniac – every variation defines a different adventure.

Recruit a human ally or furry companion: If needed, a Mercenary, Spy, or Sage can be recruited to assist in your investigation. You can also befriend one of the local cats or dogs to fight by your side in battles.

Set in a captivating fantasy world: You have 14 days to wander Silverhurst and befriend or intimidate its inhabitants as you race against time to unmask the murderer.

The Magister is developer Nerdook's fourth title to be released on console. The one-man studio's previous game, deck-building RPG Monster Slayers, has a Metacritic rating of 86 (PC) and was also well received by critics when it made its debut on Switch in 2019. NintendoWorldReport praised Monster Slayers as a "fun and deep adventure... one game not to overlook," and Nindie Spotlight called it a "deep and rewarding RPG experience."

Nerdook's previous games – Monster Slayers, Reverse Crawl, Vertical Drop Heroes – can be purchased on Switch as part of the Nerdook Bundle Vol.1, which is available to download now from the eShop.