Developer’s Fool Theory, which has spent a lot of time supporting other studios' endeavors, is currently responsible for its brand-new IPThe Thaumaturgeand thedevelopment of CD Projekt Red’sWitcher 1remake, with oversight from the beloved studio. Fool’s Theory may not be a household name like CD Projekt Red, but it has worked on a handful of games fans will be familiar with.
Not only did Fool’s Theory provide support to Larian Studios onDivinity: Original Sin 2, but it also helped out with the2023 TGA Game of the Year winnerBaldur’s Gate 3,providing gameplay tools and programming support. While wildly different, Fool’s Theory also provided level design, meshing, and programming support with People Can Fly’sOutriders. It is all of these experiences that Fool’s Theory is bringing intoThe Thaumaturge. Game Rant recently spoke with Fool’s Theory design director Karolina Kuzia-Rokosz aboutThe Thaumaturge, which releases in February, and what all of these experiences bring to it.
For the uninitiated,The Thaumaturgeis an upcoming isometric story-focused RPG, set in 1905 Warsaw, Poland. In it, players take on the role of protagonist Wiktor as he returns home after 15 years away. Wiktor, like his father before him, is a Thaumaturge who can see and tame supernatural beings called Salutors that influence the world around them. Thaumaturgy, Karolina pointed out, cannot be proven, nor can it be disproven, giving Fool’s Theory a rich playground where it didn’t modify history with supernatural beings, but played with it. This story is supplemented with turn-based combat, engaging investigation mechanics, and unique character development features.
WhileThe Thaumaturgeis Fool’s Theory’s project, it would be impossible to deny all the experience that has gone into its development, as well as theWitcherremake. Karolina had nothing but praise for Larian Studios, stating that in exchange for Fool’s Theory’s assistance onDoS2/BG3, the studio’s developers got “the opportunity to learn from extremely talented developers—masters of their craft.” Kuzia-Rokosz would add,
“While The Thaumaturge may not be as extensive or intricate as Larian’s productions, we share similar principles and dedication when it comes to telling our stories.”
It is this very same experience, passion, principles, and dedication that Fool’s Theory brings to theWitcher1 remake. While this is pure speculation, these qualities likely played some role inCD Projekt Redhanding this project to Fool’s Theory (and it certainly helps that Fool’s Theory has someWitchervets on staff). CDPR would understandably be very protective of its most beloved IP, and Fool’s Theory has shown how capable it is. There’s little doubt that the development process behind theWitcherremake andThe Thaumaturgeare completely different, as the former is an established IP originally heralded by another studio and the latter is just starting its journey. Fool’s Theory would love it if the design and story ofThe Thaumaturgedrew in those very same fans, leaving them craving for more of the world in the future, and that’s certainly possible thanks to their shared DNA.
“These titles [Thaumaturge and Witcher] differ in their construction, but they share a common goal of telling impactful stories in vibrant and believable worlds.”
Of course, the jury is still out onThe Thaumaturgeuntil it gets into players' hands. It has the premise, the appeal, and all the makings of a great CRPG of 2024, especially as the genre continues to get even more attention than normal after thehighly-reviewedBaldur’s Gate 3. Genre fans may understandably be cautious, butThe Thaumaturgeleans into the very elements that made theWitcherIP so popular. And if CD Projekt Red is willing to trust Fool’s Theory withThe Witcher, then the studio has done more than enough to earn some goodwill from its targeted audience.
The Thaumaturge
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The Thaumaturge is an isometric, story-rich RPG with a unique take on turn-based combat, character development features, and investigation mechanics, facing you with morally ambiguous choices – set in a world teeming with mysterious powers and strange ethereal beings called salutors.The year is 1905. Warsaw lives under the yoke of imperial Russian tsardom. Its inhabitants constitute a diverse group of different ancestries, views, and beliefs with often conflicting interests: Russian soldiers, Jewish merchants, Polish townspeople, and more. Despite the circumstances, the city is a buzzing metropolis, where one can attend a breathtaking party with the high society, and later get robbed in one of the dark alleys of the Praga district. A city of great hopes and dreams on one hand and dark desires on the other.A thaumaturge bears both a gift and a burden at the same time. This parallel holds true for Wiktor Szulski, the game’s titular protagonist, who is drawn back to the tumultuous streets of 20th-century Warsaw by family matters. The gift of thaumaturgy is intertwined with family legacy, passed down through one’s ancestors. This mystical inheritance significantly shapes Wiktor’s life journey tied around a pursuit of unearthly entities and their hosts. As only a thaumaturge can tame these ethereal entities - known to a select few as salutors - utilizing their mystical abilities to discover secrets hidden within the human soul and speak to the Darkness, no one understands quite like Wiktor how everyone suffers their own demons.
