Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree may not be a name that flows off the tongue, but this debut indie from Primal Game Studio should still be topping your wishlist when it launches on April 17.
Mandragora takes place in a daunting and terrifying world where mankind has surrendered to monsters, where leaders embrace the bliss of ignorance, and little more than brick walls protect the people. Set in the 2.5D side-scrolling fantasy kingdom of Faelduum, Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree marries classic Metroidvania gameplay with the brutal and punishing combat of a soulslike to create a uniquely blended experience.
A dark and dangerous world awaits
Image 1 of 12
Developed by Primal Game Studio and published by Knights Peak Interactive, Mandragora is a debut title for the studio, which has historically worked on games like League of Legends.
Mandragora comes to life thanks to a dark, compelling narrative crafted by Brian Mitsoda, who is best known for their previous work on Vampire: The Masquerade—Bloodlines. The beautifully brutal world is bookended with a hand-painted art style and an original soundtrack composed by Christos Antoniou (Septicflesh), primarily performed by the FILMharmonic Orchestra of Prague.
Unlike most metroidvanias, Mandragora invites players to shape their experience in Faelduum by exploring six different character classes, ranging from Vanguards to Spellbinders and all that falls between. The game features unique talent trees for each of the character classes, which expand out to include an astounding 96 passive skills and more than 200 active skill upgrades. Customization doesn’t end there, with players having full control of their playable character’s body type, voice, skin, hair, and even tattoos.
Faelduum is robust, with shiny objects to find, including more than 350 wearables, consumables, and crafting supplies littering the game’s ten explorable maps. Players will be able to equip gear in multiple item slots, including main and offhand slots of weapons. Each of the game’s six classes will begin with a default weapon, but players can ultimately choose to build their character as they see fit within the limits of the Equip Load. Players can find new loot by crafting, killing enemies, and completing any of the game’s 40+ quests. Players can build out two separate classes and switch between them dynamically, even in the middle of combat.
While you’ll have plenty of choices on how you’ll customize your character and gameplay experience, Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree’s harsh moral choices will grip you and pull you into this brutal story. As the world falls into the decay of Entropy, unique and deadly bosses fight to keep the people of Faelduum in a dire, joyless world. It’s up to you to choose your path through tears in the very fabric of reality or die (and die again) trying.
Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is coming to Xbox and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, as well as PlayStation. PC players can preorder now and receive unique rewards such as the Gildcrest Transmog Set, the Nimble Doeling pet follower, an exclusive in-game quest, and instant access to game preview. Mandragora was initially shown off at Gamescom in 2023, with plans for a 2024 release date. It was eventually delayed and given a new extended name, with a new release date of April 17, 2025.
