Mage’s Initiation: Reign of the Elements

Last updated: January 16, 2026

Overview

Mage’s Initiation: Reign of the Elements is an adventure/RPG hybrid developed and published by Himalaya Studios, released on January 30, 2019 for Windows, macOS, and Linux¹. The game represents a loving homage to Sierra On-Line’s classic Quest for Glory series, blending traditional point-and-click adventure gameplay with role-playing elements including character classes, stat progression, and real-time combat². Development spanned over a decade, making its gestation period longer than the entire nine-year lifespan of all five Quest for Glory releases combined³.

The game was successfully crowdfunded through Kickstarter in early 2013, raising $125,174from3,157backers—nearlydoubleitsinitial$65,000 goal⁴. Himalaya Studios, known for their acclaimed VGA remakes of the first three King’s Quest games and Quest for Glory II under their previous name AGD Interactive, created Mage’s Initiation as their second original commercial project following Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman’s Mine in 2006⁵. The result is what Adventure Gamers described as “a modern-day Sierra On-Line gem, an extraordinarily polished adventure game”⁶.

Set in the medieval-styled land of Iginor, players assume the role of D’arc, a sixteen-year-old mage initiate who must complete three dangerous quests to prove himself worthy of joining the ranks of the Mage Masters⁷. With its beautiful hand-painted pixel art graphics, over 9,000 voiced and lip-synced speech lines, and four distinct playable mage classes, the game offers substantial replay value while evoking the nostalgic charm of classic Sierra adventures⁸.

Game Info

Developer: Himalaya Studios¹ Designer: Daniel Stacey, Chris Warren⁹ Publisher: Himalaya Studios¹ Engine: Adventure Game Studio (build 3.4.3.1)¹⁰ Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux¹ Release Year: 2019 Series: Mage’s Initiation Protagonist: D’arc Sierra Lineage: Spiritual Successor

Story Summary

The game takes place in the land of East Ele’Wold, in the medieval kingdom of Iginor, where magic has returned after the Elements destroyed technology in ages past¹¹. In this world, technology and invention are considered evils, and any remnants of the old technological civilization would be considered dangerous artifacts to be destroyed¹². Young individuals who display magical gifts are identified at an early age—much like Jedi—and taken from their families to be trained in the Tower of Iginor¹³.

D’arc is sixteen years old and has trained extensively in the elemental arts for the past decade of his young life, under the discerning eyes of the Mage Masters of Iginor⁷. Taken from his parents at the age of six on account of having rare magical gifts, he has known no other life than that of magical study⁵. Players choose D’arc’s elemental affinity at the game’s beginning—Water, Air, Fire, or Earth—which determines his magical abilities and approach to solving puzzles throughout the adventure⁸.

To complete his initiation and take his place among his fellow Mages, D’arc must complete three dangerous quests: retrieve a lock of hair from a priestess, obtain an unspoiled shell of a griffon’s egg, and acquire the horn of a tricorn⁷. His journey takes him through the perilous Bloodbark Forest where Redcap goblins stalk, across a barren desert wasteland rife with lawless Bandits and fierce Burrowers, over a vast lake where evil masquerades as beauty, and beyond the lofty mountain peaks where the mysterious and hostile Flyterians dwell¹⁴. A sinister plot threatens not only D’arc’s initiation but risks plunging the entire land of Iginor into conflict and chaos⁸.

The narrative ultimately builds to a confrontation between D’arc and the antagonist Fend, featuring choice-based dialogue that emphasizes the game’s philosophical themes—including the idea that “lashing anger against other people will not undo the pain a person has already suffered”¹². Remarkably, the entire game takes place within the span of a single day¹².

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

Mage’s Initiation offers players three different interface options to choose from, accommodating various playstyle preferences⁵. These include a classic Sierra-style icon bar, a LucasArts-style verb coin system, and a streamlined compact UI for modern sensibilities¹⁵. The game notably does not include a parser interface despite its old-school inspirations⁵.

The control scheme employs the traditional point-and-click adventure format, with players navigating D’arc through detailed environments, interacting with objects and characters, and managing an inventory of collected items¹⁶. Walking pace is notably slow, and while running is available, the animation for it was criticized as “awkwardly flailing and visually subpar”³.

Structure and Progression

Players begin by choosing one of four elemental mage classes, each offering unique spells and approaches to problem-solving⁸:

• Fire Mage: Offensive-focused with fire-based attack spells; features a unique sidequest with three exclusive enemies and a unique book, making it the only class that can earn certain achievements in a single playthrough¹⁷
• Water Mage: The only class capable of earning the “who put da lights out” achievement but cannot earn “card shark”¹⁷
• Earth Mage: Defensive capabilities with earth-manipulation magic
• Air Mage: Mobility and wind-based abilities

The game requires at least four complete playthroughs—one as each class—to achieve 100% completion¹⁷. Each playthrough involves completing three main trials to gather the required initiation items, with class-specific puzzle solutions providing variety between runs¹⁸.

A fast travel system becomes unlockable during gameplay, helping mitigate the slow movement speed¹⁶. The game features four character stats that can be raised to a natural maximum of ten, with bonus points potentially raising one stat to fifteen¹⁷. Notably, combat grinding provides no experience points—a deliberate design choice promoted as a feature, with stats rising in tandem with story progression to better integrate RPG and adventure elements²¹⁹.

Puzzles and Mechanics

The puzzle design emphasizes class-specific solutions, meaning different elemental mages may approach the same obstacles in entirely different ways⁸. Over 50 magical gemstones can be collected and equipped to enhance D’arc’s magical power⁸, and eleven class-based spells are available depending on the chosen element⁷.

Combat operates in real-time with pause functionality, closer in style to Diablo than the battle systems seen in Quest for Glory games¹⁹. Monsters drop loot that can be equipped to improve D’arc’s capabilities¹⁹. The game includes a combat difficulty slider with “easy” and “no combat” options, allowing players to treat violence as fully optional and experience it as a pure adventure game²¹⁷.

A mini-game called “Demon’s Deal”—described as a heavily luck-based gambling game—is available in the tavern¹⁷. In a standard playthrough, players typically kill approximately 200 enemies during combat encounters¹⁷.

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

Mage’s Initiation received mixed to positive reviews upon release, with critics praising its faithful recreation of classic Sierra aesthetics while noting issues with combat and certain design elements.

Adventure Gamers awarded the game 4 out of 5 stars, calling it “an extraordinarily polished adventure game” and “2019’s first great delight”⁶. The review praised the “incredibly beautiful pixel art” while noting that “battle mechanics are clumsy and simplistic”²⁰. GameCritics gave 85/100, stating “The game (like its hero) has issues, but its charms more often than not make up for them”⁶. Reviewer Jeff Ortloff completed the game in 11 hours playing as a Fire Mage¹³.

GameSpot awarded 6/10, with reviewer Edmond Tran noting that “its ambitions to incorporate a meaningful diversity of role-playing options fall disappointingly flat and feel inconsequential”²¹. PC Invasion gave 60/100, describing it as “like discovering a lost Sierra title from the VGA generation” while acknowledging “at its worst, it’s a bit of an uninteresting slog”⁹. VGU scored it 8/10, calling it “exactly what fans of traditional adventure games deserve in a spiritual successor”²⁰.

Ragequit.gr awarded 75/100, describing the game as “an honest, heart-on-its-sleeve tribute to the Quest for Glory games of yore”⁶. Impulse Gamer gave 72/100 (3.6/5), noting “This game isn’t Quest for Glory, but it felt similar enough at times that my nostalgia kept me wanting to play more”⁶. Linux Journal recommended the game, with reviewer Marcel Gagné praising its nostalgic appeal: “The colorful two-dimensional animation is reminiscent of games I played more than 20 years ago, and it’s wonderful”²².

The Gaming Outsider awarded 8.0/10 after 22 hours of play, declaring “Himalaya Studios have created a fantastic game, with a massive franchise potential”²³. Games Xtreme stated “Mage’s Initiation: Reign of the Elements is a game that simply can’t be missed if you’re a fan of classic point and clicks”²⁰.

Modern Assessment

The game has maintained a modest but dedicated following among fans of classic adventure games. User reviews on Steam show 89% positive ratings from 105 reviews⁸, while GOG.com users have praised its “Quest-like charm” despite acknowledging combat issues²⁴.

Aggregate Scores:

• Metacritic: 70/100 (based on 8 critic reviews)⁶
• OpenCritic: 62/100²⁴
• Steam User Reviews: 89% positive (105 reviews)⁸
• Metacritic User Score: 7.8/10 (14 ratings)⁶
• MobyGames Critics Average: 72%¹
• IMDB: 6.1/10 (9 ratings)²⁵

Community reception on Reddit has been warm among Quest for Glory fans, with one Kickstarter backer noting “It was the closest thing I experienced to Quest for Glory and really reminded me of all the fun I used to have as a kid”²⁶.

Development

Origins

The project that would become Mage’s Initiation began in September 2009, when Himalaya Studios sought to create an original commercial property after years of producing free Sierra remakes⁹. The development team, comprised of people “all in their 30’s and 40’s” who “grew up on Sierra’s and LucasArts’ Point & Click adventures,” wanted to recapture the magic of games they had experienced during the Golden Age of adventure gaming in the 1980s and 1990s⁵.

In 2008, Himalaya Studios conducted a fan poll to determine what type of game they should create next. The RPG/Adventure hybrid genre won, leading to the conception of Mage’s Initiation⁵. The magic school concept was partly inspired by Harry Potter, though filtered through the lens of classic Sierra design sensibilities⁵. The team originally planned to release the game in late 2012, a target date that would prove wildly optimistic²⁷.

The studio’s history with Sierra properties had been complicated. Operating previously as AGD Interactive, they had reached a legal agreement with Vivendi-Universal that allowed them to release free remakes of classic Sierra games. However, deals for commercial King’s Quest titles were reportedly “bungled,” leading the team to focus on original intellectual property⁵.

Production

Development proved far more challenging and time-consuming than initially anticipated. Lead developer Chris Warren acknowledged in 2012 that “There’s so much work to do on a multi-class RPG-style game (in hi-res, no less) that it’s easy to underestimate the amount of work involved”¹⁹. The team lost several animators during development, significantly slowing progress²⁷.

The Kickstarter campaign launched in February 2013 with a goal of $65,000andconcludedonMarch22,2013,havingraised$125,174 from 3,157 backers⁴. The campaign originally promised a February 2014 release date², a deadline that would be missed by five years. The game was successfully Greenlit on Steam in February 2014²⁸.

The voice recording and lip-syncing process became a major bottleneck in the final development phase²⁸. With over 9,000 voiced speech lines—including more than 5,000 lines for protagonist D’arc alone and 3,247 NPC voice lines—it represented the largest voice acting project the team had ever undertaken¹⁵²⁸. One developer estimated that “voice recording and lip-syncing took almost one full year”¹⁵.

By late 2018, the game was approximately 95% complete, with “only the aforementioned voices and a handful of bug-fixes outstanding”²⁸. Rather than rushing release during the hectic holiday season, the team chose to delay until January 30, 2019 to avoid having the game “get buried”¹⁵.

Development Credits:¹⁹

• Lead Designer/Director: Daniel Stacey
• Designer/Producer: Christopher T. Warren (Chris Warren)
• Lead Background Artist: John Paul Selwood
• 2D Cutscene Artist: Akril
• Composer: Brandon Blume

Technical Achievements

Mage’s Initiation was built using Adventure Game Studio (AGS) build 3.4.3.1¹⁰, the same open-source engine Himalaya Studios had utilized for their previous Sierra remakes. The game features hand-painted pixel art graphics at a native resolution of 640×400 in 32-bit color, maintaining a 16:10 static aspect ratio that displays with vertical black bars on 16:9 monitors¹⁰⁴.

The art direction received widespread praise, with Adventure Gamers noting “the background pixel art is simply extraordinary, across the board and in every scene”²⁰. One MobyGames reviewer declared the game has “some of the most beautiful graphics ever”¹². The visual style was designed to be reminiscent of classic Sierra, LucasArts, and Revolution games¹⁵.

The soundtrack, composed entirely by Brandon Blume, spans over 2 hours and 20 minutes across 80 tracks plus 12 bonus tracks of ambient, alternate, and unused themes²⁹. All music was “composed, recorded, produced, mixed, and mastered” by Blume at his home studio in Manitoba, Canada³⁰. The soundtrack was released separately on February 10, 2019²⁹.

Technical Specifications

PC Version:⁸¹⁰²⁴

• Resolution: 640×400 (minimum), 1280×800 (recommended), 16:10 aspect ratio
• Color Depth: 32-bit color
• Gameplay Framerate: 45 FPS cap
• FMV Framerate: 25 FPS
• Graphics API: DirectX 8.0 compatible, OpenGL 2 compatible
• Executable: 32-bit
• Storage: 2 GB available space
• Minimum RAM: 64 MB (Windows/Linux), 2 GB (Mac)
• Minimum CPU: Pentium or higher (Windows/Linux), 700 MHz minimum, 2 GHz (Mac)
• Video Card: 32-bit SVGA, 4 MB Video RAM
• Audio: Digital sound card, DirectX 5 or higher

macOS Compatibility Note:⁸

• Not compatible with macOS 10.15 Catalina or above

Cut Content

The soundtrack release includes 12 bonus tracks of “ambient, alternate, and even unused themes,” indicating some musical compositions were cut from the final game²⁹. Forum discussions noted a female character was removed from the cover art between 2012 and 2018 preview materials, though the reasons remain unclear¹⁵.

Version History

Version	Date	Platform	Notes
1.0	January 30, 2019	Windows/Mac/Linux	Initial release1
1.1	2019	All platforms	Major bug fix update, added “no combat” mode31
1.3 Beta	2018	Windows	Beta version with all character voices15

AGS Engine Version:¹⁰³¹

• Engine: Adventure Game Studio v.3.4.3.1

Technical Issues

The version 1.1 patch addressed numerous issues identified after launch³¹:

• Steam/GOG plugin crashes resolved
• Combat freeze bugs fixed
• Inventory GUI issues corrected
• Soft-lock problems addressed
• Various stability improvements

User reports also noted issues with losing loot when changing screens and difficulty dodging consistently during combat²⁴. Some puzzles required clicking “a very small, non-apparent part of the screen”²⁶. Players noted D’arc could get damaged by his own spells, and easy navigation issues when running from enemies into scenery¹³²³.

Easter Eggs and Trivia

• The game features hints suggesting it takes place in a post-technology future world where the Elements destroyed civilization and magic has returned²²
• A post-credits sting sets up potential sequels²³
• The price point of $14.99wasdeliberatelysettobeaccessible,withdevelopersoriginallyplanning"$15-$20 USD for the digital download version” with a more expensive boxed collector’s edition¹⁹
• Four alternative soundtrack album covers feature each of the four playable elemental mage classes wearing different colored robes²⁹
• The character name “D’arc” is notably unusual for fantasy naming conventions

Voice Cast

The game features full voice acting with over 9,000 voiced and lip-synced speech lines⁸. Protagonist D’arc alone has more than 5,000 lines of dialogue²⁸, with 3,247 additional NPC voice lines¹⁵.

Critical reception to the voice acting was mixed, with some reviewers praising the performances while others found fault. Sprites and Dice noted that “D’arc, while voiced in what I can agree is a rendition of a teenager set in a fantasy world of yore, is downright painful to listen to”¹⁶. One RPG Codex user more bluntly stated “The protagonist’s VO is the worst i have heard in my life”²⁰.

Legacy

Sales and Commercial Impact

Post-release sales data suggests the game struggled to find a wide audience despite positive reviews from adventure game enthusiasts. Forum discussions indicated the game “hasn’t broken 10 simultaneous players in a week” shortly after launch, with “only seven reviews posted in the past 30 days”³¹. Community members suggested the long development cycle “killed a lot of excitement and buzz. People were way more excited for this stuff 5-6 years ago. The goodwill wore out”³¹.

The game was available for purchase on Steam, GOG.com, and Humble Store at launch, priced at $14.99⁶³². Suggestions were made for the developers to pursue inclusion in Humble Bundle, Fanatical, or Groupees bundles to boost visibility³¹.

Collections

Mage’s Initiation has not appeared in any major compilation releases as of the last update.

Fan Projects

The developers included a character export feature designed to allow players to carry their D’arc character into potential sequels²³, similar to the Quest for Glory series’ character import system. However, sequels remain contingent on finding “a publisher/sponsor for financial security”¹².

Related Publications

Pre-Order Collector’s Edition Contents:⁷

• Official Collectible Game Packaging
• Game and Soundtrack discs
• 18” × 24” Game Poster
• 11” × 17” Cloth Map of the Land of Iginor
• 8.5” × 11” Signed Art Lithograph
• Black Mage’s T-shirt with Color Print
• 2 Foil Trading Card packs (16 cards total)
• Ancient Spellbook Page
• 4” × 3” × 3” Polyresin Figure of D’arc
• 2 Colorful Sheets of Character Stickers

Soundtrack Release:²⁹

• Mage’s Initiation: Original Game Soundtrack by Brandon Blume (February 10, 2019) – 80 tracks plus 12 bonus tracks, available in 16-bit/44.1kHz, MP3, and FLAC formats

Awards

• Aggie Award winner³
• Readers Choice winner³

Critical Perspective

Mage’s Initiation represents both a labor of love and a cautionary tale about extended development cycles. As one of the few modern games to authentically recreate the Quest for Glory hybrid adventure/RPG formula, it occupies a unique niche in contemporary gaming. The game succeeds admirably at evoking nostalgia for Sierra’s golden age—PC Invasion’s description of it as “like discovering a lost Sierra title from the VGA generation” captures both its greatest strength and its limitation⁹.

The project demonstrates the viability of Kickstarter-funded adventure game revivals while highlighting the challenges of managing scope and community expectations over extended development periods. Developer Chris Warren’s philosophical observation that “anything ‘retro’ sells because, in effect, you’re selling nostalgia and a taste of one’s childhood back to them” proved accurate for core fans, though the game’s commercial performance suggests this audience may be smaller than hoped⁵.

Critically, the game’s insistence on maintaining combat mechanics that many found “clumsy and simplistic”²⁰ rather than focusing purely on adventure elements proved divisive. The addition of a “no combat” mode in version 1.1 acknowledged this feedback, allowing the game to be enjoyed as a pure point-and-click adventure³¹. For fans of the Quest for Glory series, Mage’s Initiation remains “exactly what fans of traditional adventure games deserve in a spiritual successor”²⁰—imperfect but earnest, and crafted with genuine affection for its inspirations.

Downloads

Purchase / Digital Stores

• GOG
• Steam

Soundtrack

• Bandcamp – Brandon Blume

Speedrunning

The game has a small but dedicated speedrunning community. The current Any% world record for Water Mage is 41 minutes 17 seconds, held by davidtki³³. Earth Mage Any% record stands at 54 minutes 49 seconds by legostevey³³. The runner notes that “sub-40 might be possible but it’s going to be a heck of a lot of effort away”³³.

Series Continuity

Mage’s Initiation was designed as the first entry in a potential saga of sequels, with the character export feature allowing players to transfer their D’arc to future installments²³. The post-credits sting explicitly sets up continuation of the story²³. However, the developers have indicated that sequels are contingent on securing additional funding or finding a publisher for financial security¹².

The game exists as a standalone title with no direct predecessors, though it serves as a spiritual successor to Sierra’s Quest for Glory series (1989-1998). Himalaya Studios’ previous commercial release, Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman’s Mine (2006), exists in a separate continuity as a Leisure Suit Larry-inspired comedy adventure⁵.

References

Footnotes

1. MobyGames – Mage’s Initiation: Reign of the Elements – release dates, developer/publisher credits, engine, platforms, critics average ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

2. Adventure Gamers – Hands-on Preview – release date, development timeline, combat system, violence optional feature ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

3. Adventure Gamers – Review (Archived) – development length comparison, awards, walking pace criticism ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

4. Kicktraq – Campaign Data – funding amount, backer count, campaign dates ↩ ↩² ↩³

5. Arcade Attack – Developer Interview – development timeline, Harry Potter inspiration, fan poll, developer quotes, legal history ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰

6. Metacritic – Mage’s Initiation – aggregate scores, individual review scores, user score ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

7. Himalaya Studios Official Website – story details, quest items, collector’s edition contents ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

8. Steam Store Page – platforms, user reviews, speech lines count, gemstone count, macOS compatibility ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹

9. Wikipedia – Mage’s Initiation – designer credits, development start date, Kickstarter goal ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

10. PCGamingWiki – Mage’s Initiation – engine version, resolution, framerate caps, technical specs ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

11. Brandon Blume Official Website – setting name, location list, soundtrack details ↩

12. MobyGames – User Review by Nowhere Girl – story takes place in one day, post-technology world, sequel plans ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

13. GameCritics Review – Jedi comparison, character analysis, self-damage bug, playtime ↩ ↩² ↩³

14. Reddit – Quest for Glory Community – location descriptions, journey details ↩

15. RPG Codex Forum – Page 7 – voice line counts, interface options, development timeline, cover art changes ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

16. Sprites and Dice Review – voice acting criticism, combat description, fast travel, death mechanics ↩ ↩² ↩³

17. Steam Community – Achievement Guide – playthrough requirements, class differences, stat system, enemy kill count ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

18. Walkthrough King – game structure, three item quest ↩

19. AGDI Forum – Development Discussion – combat system description, pricing plans, development challenges ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

20. RPG Codex Forum – Page 9 – review compilation, pixel art praise, voice acting criticism ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

21. GameSpot Review – score, reviewer name, RPG diversity criticism ↩

22. Linux Journal Review – post-technology world hints, nostalgia appeal, recommendation ↩ ↩²

23. The Gaming Outsider Review – playtime, XP total, character export, post-credits sting ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

24. GOG.com Store Page – system requirements, OpenCritic score, user reviews ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

25. IMDB – user rating ↩

26. Reddit – Kickstarter Backer Review – user experience, combat feedback, pixel hunting issue ↩ ↩²

27. AGDI Forum – Early Development – 2012 release target, animator loss, pre-order success ↩ ↩²

28. AGDI Forum – Development Timeline – Steam release, backer count, voice acting scope, completion percentage ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

29. Bandcamp – Soundtrack Release – track count, runtime, bonus content, release date ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

30. Bandcamp – Composer Bio – composer location, production credits ↩

31. RPG Codex Forum – Page 11 – sales data, patch notes, development cycle criticism ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

32. VOGONS Forum – launch platforms, development time, composer identity ↩

33. Speedrun.com – speedrun records, runner quotes ↩ ↩² ↩³