Part Disco Elysium, part dark ritual sim, this RPG blends old-school storytelling with haunting choices and a multitude of corpses.
The Necromancer’s Tale is the first role-playing game (RPG) from Psychic Software, an independent studio that has clearly chosen to eschew the power fantasy formula and dive straight into morally complex territory. It’s not your typical “loot and level” dungeon crawler; it takes place in a made-up kingdom on the border with Venice in the 18th century. It doesn’t want to give you power; it wants to make you think. And even though it has a few flaws, it does that completely.
You play as Mandel, a young nobleman who comes home from years of service to attend the sudden funeral of his father. But the death seems odd. He was discovered drunk in the bushes behind the house, with whiskey bottles all around him, even though he had never drunk whiskey.
Instead of a doctor, the village herbalist was summoned, and he was burned before anyone could say a word. As you look for answers, you quickly become caught in a web of family secrets, rumors going around town, old books, and strange rituals. This isn’t just a mystery; it’s a journey through moral ambiguity.
The Necromancer’s Tale has more than 400,000 words of story—that’s more than most novels. It’s full of Gothic atmosphere and is completely driven by choice. The people who will even talk to you are affected by what you say, what you reveal, and who you betray.
You don’t start The Necromancer’s Tale with a normal character creation menu. Instead, there is an interactive prologue about Mandel’s childhood. Do you like reading? Read for a while. Do you want charm? Spend time with your friends. Every choice you make in the game shapes your stats in its own way.
The dialogue is what makes The Necromancer’s Tale fun to play. If you pick your words carefully, you’ll be able to question people in the town, deal with creepy characters, and solve mysteries. This isn’t a passive readathon, though. Over 180 NPCs will react differently to you based on what they know about you (or think they know). Each character has a trust meter. Rumors spread. If your reputation becomes tarnished, holy places may close their doors to you.
Then there’s your spellbook, a gorgeous book full of spells, potions, and necromantic information written in a strange language. It will take you some time to figure it out. You can study in the library of the mansion or somewhere else. Avoid “fireball spam” and instead try “cautious experimentation with forbidden knowledge.”
There is a battle, but it’s not the main focus. It’s tactical, takes turns, and isn’t too rough when it does happen. You’ll have a small group of friends, different weapons, and more and more powerful necromantic abilities. Some skills, like Chilling Mist, slow down enemies, and Death Focus, help you keep track of your mana. You can even call on undead servants to help you.
The system isn’t very fancy. In fact, it’s meant to be very simple. Fights are slow and deliberate, with positioning and planning being more important than reflexes. You can also auto-resolve most encounters, which is great for story-focused players who’d rather talk about morality than keep track of their hit points.
The combat system is perfect for the mood of The Necromancer’s Tale —it’s simple, it works, and it never gets in the way of the story. However, fans of the genre who were hoping for deep tactical layers might be disappointed. But The Necromancer’s Tale isn’t trying to change the way CRPGs fight. It’s only there to add tension; it shouldn’t take over your screen.
Rituals are like a different kind of puzzle. To do necromancy, you’ll need to find the right parts, read old texts, and follow step-by-step instructions. Early spells, such as communicating with spirits and healing, seem remarkably effective. But as time goes on, you’ll start stealing from graves and forcing dead bodies to do what you want. The Necromancer’s Tale really shines when it shows how morals slowly fall apart.
Getting XP doesn’t work the way it used to. You can’t level up by killing enemies or finishing quests. You only get a certain number of skill points at the start of each chapter. In Story Mode, you get six, in Balanced Mode, five, and in Strategy Mode, four.
You can only use these points for passing skill checks during that chapter. Let’s say you need Constitution Level 3 but only have Level 1. You can temporarily raise it by two points from your chapter allowance. But that means you have fewer points for other checks. It’s a smart system that puts more emphasis on planning and results than on quick wins.
The Necromancer’s Tale chooses style over spectacle when it comes to how it looks. A painterly filter added after the fact makes every scene look like an oil painting that is moving. It’s bold, the art design is one-of-a-kind, and moody, which is perfect for the Gothic setting. For some, it may become tiring to look at after a while, but fortunately, it’s not required.
The character portraits are great. Each of the more than 180 NPCs features hand-drawn art that conveys their background, personality, and mood immediately. The art gives each interaction more depth, whether it’s with a nobleman who is sad or a herbalist who seems suspicious.
One more area where The Necromancer’s Tale really shines is its sound design. The music is mostly ambient and moody, with sounds that remind me of early Diablo games. It’s creepy without being too much.
The voice acting is really what makes it shine. Almost 80% of the dialogue is fully voiced, and it’s not just filler; each performance feels as though it was carefully thought out. The way the words are said, from quiet whispers to frantic accusations, makes the already heavy dialogue even more emotional.
Some people might not like The Necromancer’s Tale. If you want quick action, loot cycles, or dopamine hits all the time, the slow-burn story is probably not for you.
However, this is a rare gem for RPG fans who seek an adult, in-depth experience with necromancy, examining it through the lens of moral decay and psychological realism. It doesn’t hold your hand, give you upgrades all the time, or make you feel like a superhero. Instead, it slowly changes you, making you defend every choice, ritual, and lie.
Also, The Necromancer’s Tale is over by the time you realize how far you’ve come. It’s not great. Combat could use some improvement, and the game’s pace will always be sluggish due to its extensive text content. However, it’s passionate, literary, and distinct from anything else that has come out recently.
