14 DAY TRIAL // 
Enemies have breached the camp and raided it. A major character is missing and it’s unclear how the party can find where her captors might have taken it. The fighter is new to all this and might have more to learn about the universe. The rest of the group is currently thinking about what kind of skill might unlock more clues.
But they are also bickering about their roles in this role-playing game and revealing more about both their character and the characters they are playing. The wizard is very proud of his pyromancy skills and is looking for a big occasion to show what he can do. The dungeon master is working hard to keep the adventure on track when the group is getting ready to derail it.
Video games have taken extracted a lot from tabletop role-playing, both in terms of universes and mechanics. They have managed to create big fictional worlds and given players more interaction options. Basements n' Basilisks: Storms of Sorcery tries to go back to the basics of the RPG concept, taking an ironic look at the genre and suggesting that something might have been lost in the move from the real to the virtual.
The game is developed and published by eNVy softworks. I played it on the PC via Steam. The title is a narrative adventure that gently skewers role-playing groups and the many tropes associated with them.
Basements n’ Basilisk is an obvious stand-in for Dungeons & Dragons, the system that has been powering adventures both real-world adventures and video games. The player is cast as the newcomer in an established group, taking on the role of the fighter. After a short intro that suggests a mysterious origin, he gets a character sheet and starts taking notes as the rest of the group introduces him to an ongoing adventure. The stakes are low but everyone is working hard to have a good time.
Everything that happens is orchestrated by the Basement Master, who is constantly talking with the group, taking in their criticism, and finding new ways to enhance the experience. Gamers will make some choices, both in dialogue and when it comes to actions, but the BM determines the flow of the story and the kinds of obstacles the group will have to overcome.
Basements n' Basilisks: Storms of Sorcery is ironic but its tone is gentle. The fourth wall is often broken, characters make references to their lives and modern pop culture, and there are plenty of moments when their choices don’t make all that much sense. But the creators clearly love the idea of role-playing and how it can create connections and hours of fun.
The other three characters in the party, Elana, Pavel, and Galskap. are the weakest part of the narrative thread. It might be because of the relatively short game length but they fail to develop personalities. They simply have quirks, which is something that Storms of Sorcery actually aims to critique.
Storms of Sorcery’s writing isn’t groundbreaking but walks the fine line between self-awareness and dedication to its world. I smiled a few times at the interactions and I appreciate the work required to create even those jokes that failed to land.
Basements n' Basilisks is limited when it comes to gameplay. Most of the time, players will read what their character and the rest of the party have to say about a situation, before voting on something or making a narrative choice. The replayability element is limited.
Dice are also part of the game, shuffled and released when the Basement Master asks for a check (the social one seems to be the hardest of them all). Other characters also throw dice to power their own abilities. The number of combat situations is relatively small, which is a great choice because they feel like the least interesting part of the universe.
Basements n' Basilisks: Storms of Sorcery captures why real-world groups play DnD or other similar game systems. There’s camaraderie, even if the players have different approaches, and a sense of discovery, even when the GM doesn’t react perfectly to a surprising choice.
Unfortunately, the game is too short to capitalize on its good idea and insights. The developers clearly work with limited resources but the narrative ends rather abruptly. The final chapter especially is rushed and there’s an unearned twist to cap things off. A few extra encounters would have made the entire experience more satisfying.
But for anyone who believes that video game role-playing has become too big and unwieldy, Basements n’ Basilisks shows the potential for short and more focused adventures. I just wished it had more room to develop its ideas.
Basements n' Basilisks: Storms of Sorcery aims to re-create the atmosphere of people sitting around a table, engaged in deep and sometimes silly role-playing. It mostly succeeds, with its special note-taking pad and personalized character portraits. It’s a shame that players never get to see a town in this fantasy world but I like the more innovative enemy designs. The typewriter sounds are annoying but easy to turn off from the Options menu, while the rest of the sound design works well with the game’s core idea and universe.
The Good
- Focus on relationships
- Basement Master choices
- Ironic without being tiresome
The Bad
- Limited gameplay
- World is a little empty
- Typewriter sounds
Conclusion
The title’s biggest problem is that it doesn’t fully use its universe. A few extra combat encounters, perhaps to underline how they can be handled creatively, and a few more nights around the campfire were needed. Basements n' Basilisks: Storms of Sorcery is a good proof-of-concept and I hope that its developers get a chance to revisit this universe and expand on their good ideas.
A review key was provided by the publisher.
