FAQ

Game Concept and Development

  1. What inspired the creation of Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree? How long has the game been in development?
    The idea was born during a trip to Ireland taken by our two creative leads back in 2016.
    In 2018, after several months of ideation based on inspiration from beloved games and from the epic dark fantasy aesthetic of Irish folklore, those two travelers – who worked as artists and game designers at Primal Game Studio – set things in motion.
    They were joined by others from the studio as more people began to see the game’s potential, and now, both the project itself and our team have grown way past our initial expectations.

  2. Can you elaborate on the game's unique blend of elements from various genres?
    Mandragora is an Action RPG that also merges the deliberate, skill-based combat of Soulslike games with non-linear exploration. The world is interconnected, requiring players to unlock abilities that grant access to new areas, while combat prioritizes precise dodging, parrying, and timing against formidable foes.

  3. What sets Mandragora apart from other games in the Action RPG genre?

  • Mandragora is a new generation of Action RPGs that blends the deep and complex gameplay systems and stories of RPGs with the challenging aspects of the souls-like genre, all while still allowing players to retain agency over the difficulty of the game.
  • Deep character customization via six unique starting classes and a flexible talent tree system.
  • A dark, hand-painted world with an immersive dark fantasy aesthetic.
  • An intricate narrative with multiple endings, written by industry veteran Brian Mitsoda.
  • Challenging but rewarding combat, demanding mastery of combat mechanics.

Gameplay and Features

  1. Could you walk us through the character classes and their distinct abilities?
    There are six starting character classes in total in the full game: Vanguard, Flameweaver, Spellbinder, Nightshade, Wyldwarden, and Vindicator.
    Each has their own unique style, although we also encourage players to mix and match between classes to find what works for them.

Vanguard: employs raw physical prowess, massive shields, and brutal two-handed weapons.
Flameweaver: has mastery over fire and great skill in wielding one-handed weapons.
Spellbinder: wields power over pure chaotic energies.
Nightshade: specialises in swift eliminations with poison and dual-wield daggers.
Wyldwarden: has a unique bond to natural forces.
Vindicator: has command over celestial energies.

  1. How does the talent tree system work, and how much customization can players expect?
    Players can combine skills across different trees, mixing abilities from multiple classes to create hybrid playstyles. With over 200 skill upgrades, every playthrough can be highly personalized.

  2. Can you tell us more about the boss battles and what makes them challenging?
    Each boss has a unique set of attacks and behaviors that need to be studied and learned if you want to defeat them. As you explore the narrative, you’ll find out more about their motivations as characters, but during combat, you’ll also learn more about them as enemies.

  3. How interconnected is the game world, and how does exploration factor into gameplay?
    The world is designed as a seamless, interconnected labyrinth, requiring players to backtrack with new abilities to uncover hidden secrets, shortcuts, and powerful upgrades.

  4. Is there a difficulty setting, or is the game designed to be a fixed challenge?
    Mandragora is aiming to become part of the new generation of Action RPGs, where the deep systems of RPGs are seamlessly blended with the challenges of a souls-like game, while still giving the ability to the players to customize the difficulty of their own experience. This is a crucial part of our design philosophy - we want to allow players to experience a genre that was previously not necessarily on their radar. During any point of the game, players can use difficulty slides to individually change the health and damage output of the enemies, and also the stamina cost of player actions. This way everyone can find the balance that fits them best, even if it is only for the duration of a single trickier boss fight.

  5. Will there be cooperative or multiplayer elements, or is Mandragora strictly a single-player experience?
    Mandragora is designed as a purely single-player experience, focusing on narrative depth, personal progression, and atmospheric immersion.

Story and Setting

  1. What can you tell us about the narrative of Mandragora without spoiling too much?
    In Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree there is a dark and mysterious force known as Entropy that is taking over the world you know. Tears in the fabric of reality are giving way to the spread of monsters and dark forces in your world. The lack of certainty has led to everyday people becoming terrified and gullible, giving way to the rise of manipulative leaders promising them safety. As an Inquisitor, your journey through Faelduum will be to stop the spread of this dark power. However, your journey will be fraught with obstacles - from mindless beasts hunting their next meal to the power-hungry leaders seeking to expand their control over this mysterious magic.

  2. How does the dark medieval fantasy setting influence the gameplay and story?
    The setting and atmosphere heavily influence the entire Mandragora experience.
    From a gameplay perspective, this oppressive atmosphere is reflected in a harsh world with challenging yet rewarding combat and exploration of crumbling cities and decaying lands. A key mechanic of the game - the Witch Lantern, which allows you to step into the dark parallel plane of Entropy - is also heavily influenced both visually and technically by this setting.
    From a narrative perspective, this dark medieval fantasy setting is the perfect backdrop to the narrative we crafted together with Brian Mitsoda, which weaves a tale of survival, sacrifice, and the struggle for power in a world that doesn't care whether you survive.

  3. Are there multiple endings, and if so, how are they achieved?
    Yes, Mandragora features multiple endings, influenced by player choice.

Technical Aspects

  1. Does my progress carry over from playtests, previews, or the Public Demo?
    Progression does not carry over, but starting fresh offers even more content at the start of the game, and also means choosing from all 6 Classes!

  2. Do you offer Steam Deck support?
    Yes! Mandragora is Steam Deck-optimized.

  3. How have you optimized the game for different platforms?
    Mandragora will run at a stable 60 frames per second on both the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X/S. On the PS5 and the Series X, the target resolution is close to native 4K, while the Series S is aiming for 1440p. Exclusively on the PlayStation 5 Pro, players will be able to choose between 2 graphical modes, including a 120 frames per second mode, for an even smoother experience. While we are still ironing out the details on Nintendo Switch, we are aiming for a stable 30 frames per second experience.

  4. Can you elaborate on the animation system and its importance to the game?
    Timing is crucial in our skill-based combat, so our animations have to be highly precise to provide players with the necessary information to react appropriately - whether by dodging, rolling, or parrying incoming attacks. To achieve this, our talented animators have spent the past eight years expanding and refining the animations in Mandragora. The player character alone has over 1,500 animation files, updated almost daily. Enemies have even more - over 2,500 animation files - amounting to more than 20,000 hours of work. And that’s not even counting the thousands of unique animations for NPCs and critters, which help bring depth and immersion to the world, both in gameplay and cutscenes.

Art and Sound

  1. What was the inspiration behind the game's visual style?
    Mandragora draws inspiration from dark European folklore, medieval art, and classic gothic horror. The hand-painted aesthetic enhances immersion, making every environment feel alive and foreboding.

  2. How does the soundtrack complement the game's atmosphere and gameplay?
    The orchestral soundtrack, composed by Christos Antoniou, blends haunting melodies and dark symphonic arrangements, reinforcing the mystical yet unsettling world.

  3. What languages are supported?
    Mandragora is available in English (VO and text); Hungarian, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Polish, Russian, simplified Chinese, Korean and Japanese (text only).

Release and Future Plans

  1. Are there any plans for post-launch content or DLC?
    Whenever we can share more specific plans for the future of our game after that, we’ll be sure to let you know.

  2. Is there a public demo?
    Yes! A free public demo is available on Steam, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5..

  3. What are your plans for the last-gen consoles and Nintendo Switch?
    We can only confirm support for PC and current-gen consoles - PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. We don’t currently have any plans to support PS4 or Xbox One.

Community and Marketing

  1. Are there plans for any special editions/collector's editions?
    The Digital Deluxe Edition is already available for pre-order on Steam and Epic Games Store and will be available for purchase from April 17 on supported platforms. We’d also love to introduce further special editions for players, and we’ll be sure to share news on that front as soon as we have something to share.

  2. How do you plan to support the game and engage with the community after launch?
    As we’ve always done, we want to encourage an open dialogue with our community. If we see that there is overwhelming interest or feedback, we’ll definitely do all we can to address it. Our social media channels, and in particular our Discord server, are the perfect way for our community to reach us.

Title Change and Future Plans

  1. The game's title was recently changed to "Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree". What prompted this change?
    When we first started working on this game, we had different ambitions. We always knew we wanted to make a great game, but the scope of what that meant for us changed significantly over the years. Expanding our title felt like a good way to reflect that change as we head to the finish line ahead of release.

  2. Does the new subtitle "Whispers of the Witch Tree" hint at any specific narrative elements or gameplay features?
    The subtitle was heavily influenced by the narrative and chosen because of its key relevance to the story. We don’t want to spoil too much, but players will discover what this subtitle hints at fairly early in the game.

  3. Are there plans for expansions or a potential sequel that this new title might be setting up?
    We’d love to keep the world of Mandragora alive for as long as possible. While we don’t have any news to share on that front right now, it’s definitely something we’ve been thinking about.

  4. How does the "Witch Tree" factor into the game's lore and gameplay?
    The Witch Tree is a key location discovered early in the game that will be an important part of the experience both in terms of lore and gameplay.

Competitive Landscape

  1. Why is Mandragora more expensive than other small indie Metroidvania games?
    Mandragora is a 40+ hour action RPG, with branching levels, over 75 locations to explore, six distinct Classes with Talent Trees featuring 200+ Active Skill Upgrades, dozens of Quests and NPCs to interact with, and so much more. As you explore the story of Mandragora and dig deeper into the gameplay, you’ll be fully immersed in a huge and engaging world.

  2. Mandragora features six character classes. How does this class system compare to similar games that typically focus on a single protagonist?
    As Mandragora is primarily an RPG, we wanted to offer players the opportunity to really customize their character to suit their playstyle. So a player who likes melee combat may choose to play as a Vanguard, while someone who enjoys wielding magic would likely select the Spellbinder class.