Scholar of the Arcane Arts News

Greetings, Scholars!

The wait is over! Don your fanciest cloak and your pointiest hat, and ready your spell tome as you step into Scholar of the Arcane Arts 1.0, which is available now on Steam.

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New Features in the Full 1.0 Launch

🔥 Spell Rebalancing – Fireball can now combine with other spells, Seren’s Falling Star evolves faster, Tar’s Rock has a reduced cooldown and more!
⏩ Faster Gameplay – Domains reduced to 2 floors instead of 3, cutting playtime from ~1.5 hours to ~40 minutes per run.
💥 Bigger Damage, Bigger Impact – Damage numbers grow in size based on how much power you unleash!
🛍️ More Quality-of-Life Tweaks – Vera’s Shop now displays monster levels, and Sky Castle puzzles can be completed with walls.

What Awaits You in Scholar of the Arcane Arts?

🔮 Unleash the power of magic – Explore procedurally generated realms and upgrade spells to create devastating new combinations.
🕵️ Solve ancient puzzles – Unlock dungeons filled with hidden secrets and forgotten lore.
🛡️ Battle monstrous foes – Face relentless hordes and the demi-gods that rule the magical planes.
🎨 Beautiful hand-drawn pixel art – A dark fantasy aesthetic blended with modern visual effects.

“If you would have told 10-year-old me that I’d be launching a video game, I would have said, ‘What took you so long? This is a dream come true, and I want to thank all the Scholars who have supported me along the way. Let’s combine some spells!”

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1650200/Scholar_of_the_Arcane_Arts/

Greetings, Scholars!

Don your fanciest cloak and your pointiest hat, and ready your spell tome as you step into Scholar of the Arcane Arts 1.0, available March 11 on Steam.

1.0 Launch Key Features

• Spell rebalancing: Fireball can now combine with other spells; Bubbler can be cast while moving; Seren’s Falling Star requires half as many spell hits to change form; Decaying Touch will always poison; Tar’s Rock cooldown has been reduced; and Solaris absorbs more spells per level.
  
• Less floors, quicker gameplay: Each domain has been reduced from 3 floors to 2 floors. This significantly reduces the time it takes to complete each run ~ 1.5 hours to ~ 40 minutes.
  
• Bigger damage, bigger numbers: Damage numbers increase in size in relation to how much damage you’re doing
  
• Additional updates: Vera’s Shop now displays current monster levels, and the Sky Castle puzzle can now be completed with walls.

Oh, and feel free to wishlist and buy Scholar of the Arcane Arts! It’s really fun, okay?

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1650200/Scholar_of_the_Arcane_Arts/

Greetings, Scholars!

Long time no hear, huh?

Well, there’s a good reason for that—I’m still deep in production, but trust me, big things are coming! Today, though, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on how Scholar of the Arcane Arts came to be and tell newer players what makes it so exciting. And it all started with…

[h3]A Unique Spell System[/h3]

There are certain mechanics I believe every character class should have. An archer should deal more damage the longer they pull back their bowstring. An assassin should get a bonus for backstabbing their target. And a wizard? A wizard should be rewarded for combining their spells.

Yet, for some reason, I struggled to find games where spell combinations were a core mechanic. Most treat spells like ammunition—you just keep spamming fireballs until the enemy drops. That doesn’t make me feel like a wizard. That makes me feel like a machine gunner whose ammo just happens to be on fire.

This frustrated me so much that I had to make a game myself to see if it was possible. And thus, Scholar was born! There’s something deeply satisfying about understanding how your spells interact with each other. It gives you true ownership over your magic. You and I might have the same spells on our hotbar, but depending on the order we cast them, we can achieve wildly different effects. That was my vision for Scholar. After watching hundreds of hours of gameplay, seeing players post their builds in Discord, and studying speedrun after speedrun, I can confidently say: Scholar hit that goal. To beat Scholar, you need to truly understand how your spells work.



So, how does the spell system work? If a spell can be combined with others, it will have unique interactions with each school of magic. Take the spell Thornpatch, for example. Cast a Pyromancy spell at Thornpatch, and it will catch fire, dealing more damage—but it will burn up quickly and disappear. Cast both Geomancy and Hydromancy, and Thornpatch will grow. Geomancy makes it muddy, Slowing enemies that walk through it, while Hydromancy causes vines to lash out and Snare foes. This is where strategy comes in. Some spells gain bonuses based on an enemy’s status—so do you have the right spells to trigger transformations and take advantage of Snaring or Slowing? Or maybe you need a quick burst of damage, making Pyromancy the better choice? And down the rabbit hole you go.

If Scholar makes you pause to think about your spells instead of just spamming them, then I consider the system a success. Because, like a true wizard, research is time well spent.

And you know what else is worth spending time on? That’s right—game development. So, it’s time for me to dive back into the sorcery behind Scholar.

Let me know if you enjoyed this format, and stay tuned for more updates on Scholar of the Arcane Arts!

Oh, and feel free to wishlist and buy Scholar of the Arcane Arts! It’s really fun, okay?

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1650200/Scholar_of_the_Arcane_Arts/

Scholar of the Arcane Arts has joined the eerie lineup for Steam Scream Fest with a 25% discount! From October 28 to November 4, tap into mystical powers, face dark creatures, and explore enchanted realms in this thrilling adventure. Seize this magical Halloween deal before it vanishes!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1650200/Scholar_of_the_Arcane_Arts/

We’re thrilled to announce that ESDigital Games is heading to Tokyo Game Show 2024! From September 26th to 29th, we will be presenting a wide selection of exciting titles from our portfolio. With support from our distribution partners, we’ll have hands-on demos available for attendees, along with the chance to take photos with cosplayers inspired by our games!
We will be present across four booths at the show, with demos in multiple languages. Whether you're a fan of action, strategy, or adventure, we have something for everyone.

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[h2]ESDigital Games - Booth 09-W11[/h2]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1716310/AWAKEN__Astral_Blade/

[h2]Galaktus (Polish Indie Booth) - Booth 10-W14[/h2]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/458430/Steel_Seed/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1716310/AWAKEN__Astral_Blade/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1384060/BattleJuice_Alchemist/

[h2]Gamersky - Booth 09-W84[/h2]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/458430/Steel_Seed/

[h2]Game Source Entertainment - Booth 08-C08[/h2]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2447260/Cats_on_Duty/

We’re also excited to announce that a representative from Dark Pigeon Games, the team behind AWAKEN - Astral Blade, will be at our booths during the business days (September 26 and 27) and will be available for interviews and questions.
Come visit us, try our games, and don't miss the chance to connect with our amazing development teams!