RoguedexPart 1 (Sep 2023) · #4 of 18 in that tierWatch the moment (3:09:25)
Wizard of Legend
- Developed by
- Contingent99
- Published by
- Contingent99, Balor Games
$15.99
Wizard of Legend is a no-nonsense, action-packed take on wizardry that emphasizes precise movements and smart comboing of spells in a rogue-like dungeon crawler that features over a hundred unique spells and relics!
Consensus
B71.5/100
Steam players90.5% positiveVery Positive21,076 reviews
Metacritic ↗79/100Users: 7.4/10
VG Insights estimate ↗≈1.5M copies · ≈$16.5M gross
What creators say
Ranked Jun 2023 · #15 of 18 in that tierWatch the moment (0:47:25)
Ranked Apr 2023 · #5 of 11 in that tierWatch the moment (2:03:54)
Ranked Apr 2025 · #5 of 6 in that tierWatch the moment (1:12:09)
What players say
A fast, spell-combo-driven top-down action roguelite by Contingent99 in which you fight through a dungeon of elemental trials to beat the Council of Magic, building a loadout of spells (Arcana) and relics.
Wizard of Legend is well regarded by players (Steam 'Very Positive', about 90% positive across roughly 21k reviews) and generally favorably by critics (Metacritic PC 79, Switch 76). Praise centres on the huge spell and relic build space, the power-fantasy combo combat, and the couch co-op. The recurring complaints are dashes with no invincibility frames, pit deaths, stunlock from crowds, a slow unlock grind that gates viable builds, and thin environment and boss variety. It is a full release (2018, all major consoles, mobile in 2023) rather than early access, and it has kept receiving content updates. Many current Steam reviewers also compare it favourably to the 2025 sequel, which they say disappointed.
Players love
- Enormous build variety: hundreds of spells and relics, and players report still finding new builds after 40+ hours
- Spell combo combat gives a strong 'feel like a real wizard' power fantasy once a build clicks (Avatar-style elemental play is a frequent comparison)
- Relics/Arcana have interesting effects rather than flat percentage stat bumps
- Local couch co-op is frequently called out as a highlight, by reviewers and players alike
- Polished pixel art, animated spell effects and music (Dale North soundtrack)
- Lots of challenge and endgame content: Chaos Trials, challenge modes, a Boss Rush mode and powerful unlockable 'dark spells'
- No microtransactions; Steam reviewers thank the dev for adding content rather than selling it as DLC
- Good short-session runs: players use it for a quick 20-minute run to test a new build
Common complaints
- Dashes have no invincibility frames and any enemy can stagger you, so crowded fights feel like stunlock rather than skill
- Easy to dash or get knocked into pits and void, described by several reviewers as a frustrating death source
- Environments and bosses are limited (three dungeon themes in the original release), so runs feel repetitive over time
- Combat can be cluttered by effects and cramped arenas, making telegraphs hard to read
- Spells and items give little information before purchase, so it is easy to waste currency on gear that does not fit you
- Early difficulty spikes; new players often stall on the second boss and some find the first waves brutal
- Basic attacks dominate while strong spells sit on cooldown, which some find dull
- Accessibility gaps, e.g. a colourblind player says ground markers are hard to see; Switch frame skips noted by Destructoid
Can feel tedious
- Unlock grind: guides say to grind certain items first, so the 'steep learning curve' is really a prerequisite grind (a widely upvoted negative Steam review)
- Buying and unlocking spells, relics and robes that many players never use feels pointless with no stat meta-progression
- Many unlocked spells are felt to be weak or redundant compared with the starting set
- Waiting out cooldowns while using basic attacks, and cornering/kiting enemies to pile them up
- Story and boss dialogue beats are disliked by some and felt to undercut the ending
What's unique
- Spell-crafting around four base Arcana slots with combo timing and cooldown management, closer to a fighting-game or spell-cast rhythm than a hack-and-slash
- Hard cap on how many unlocked spells you can start a run with, so it plays closer to a pure roguelike than most roguelites despite the unlock shop
- Elemental magic theme with a large cosmetic and signature-spell layer (outfits, signature attacks)
- Built-in local two-player co-op and Boss Rush / Chaos Trial modes
- Relics with build-defining effects instead of generic stat boosts
Players want
- Add dash invincibility frames or a more forgiving dodge
- Add some form of light meta-progression (starting stat boosts or more starting spell/relic options) so unlocking feels rewarding
- Show descriptions for cursed relics and spells in-game instead of forcing players to a wiki
- More environment, enemy and boss variety to reduce repetition
- Online co-op (the Destructoid review called out its absence)
- Better colourblind options and clearer hazard/telegraph readability
Summarised from Steam reviews and community discussion.
Steam tags
Action RoguelikePixel GraphicsRogue-likeDungeon CrawlerLocal Co-OpActionMagicMultiplayerAdventureRogue-lite
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Tier list Part 1 (2023)
Wizard of Legend is a flashy top-down hack-and-slash roguelite where you pick spells and feel extremely powerful. PepperHead has a deep personal history with it, having played since early access and followed every update, including on stream with a friend. He thinks it is really good but is disappointed it no longer gets updates and that it gets boring after a very long time. He places it as a high A, the last game of the night, and says it could be an easy S with more content and variety.
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