KleptoMagia is a single-player real-time deckbuilding strategy game set in a fantasy world of magic and heists. Players control Sera in a narrative-driven campaign that blends card play with live combat timing, where the core loop revolves around planning a deck, stealing spells from enemies, and adapting builds on the fly during procedurally generated runs.
Gameplay
The gameplay centers on real-time deckbuilding without turns. Players prepare a deck in advance but must execute cards at precise moments while reading enemy actions and responding with Reacts to stay alive under pressure. Before each encounter, the system lets players examine the enemy loadout and select one spell to target for theft. Success in the fight grants the spell, which can then be kept for the deck or sold for gold.
Stolen spells form the foundation of progression. Players modify retained spells and pair them with Enchants to create synergies that define different strategies. The deck evolves based on choices made across runs, turning theft into the primary means of customization. Routes through combats, events, shops, and rest sites add layers of decision-making, as each path alters available rewards and risks.
Hand-drawn artwork by Emilio Pilliu supports the presentation, with expressive comic-style visuals for characters like Sera and Mira alongside key locations in the Arcanum. The story follows Sera's loss of magic and the resulting memory erasure, with Mira attempting to intervene through a high-stakes infiltration of The Chancery and the Registry.
Game Modes
The Early Access version includes two distinct game modes that support repeated playthroughs and varied deckbuilding approaches. One mode emphasizes the core heist progression across two acts with multiple playable classes, while the second provides an alternative structure for testing strategies in different contexts.
Both modes feature the same foundational systems of spell theft, real-time execution, and Enchant combinations, but they differ in pacing and encounter variety to encourage experimentation with different builds. Procedural generation ensures that routes and enemy compositions shift between runs, keeping the focus on adapting the deck through stolen magic.
Story and Setting
The narrative follows Sera after the Arcanum strips her magic, triggering a gradual forgetting process that affects everyone connected to her. Mira, working from inside the organization, slows the effect but risks losing her own memories of Sera. The pair pursues a final heist to alter the Registry and restore Sera's place in the magical order.
Key environments and characters receive detailed hand-drawn treatment that captures the tension of the heist in a comic-book aesthetic. The world of the Arcanum serves as the backdrop for the theft mechanics, where every stolen spell ties directly into the personal stakes of the story.
Is It Worth Playing?
KleptoMagia remains in development as an Early Access title with a planned exit in 2027. The current build delivers the complete core loop of real-time combat, pre-fight spell selection, modification, and route planning across two acts and two classes. No user reviews are available yet, as the game has not launched.
This title suits players who enjoy strategy games that combine deckbuilding with live timing and adaptive progression. The emphasis on theft as a build tool creates a distinct loop where choices in one fight shape options in the next. Those seeking a single-player experience focused on experimentation with synergies and run variety will find the systems align closely with that preference. The lower Early Access price reflects the work-in-progress state, with further content and polish planned.
