Almost Out of Mana review - "Trying to make the most of magic!"

• You're almost out of mana, and the hordes are hunting you!
• Squads of monsters stand in your way, but you've still got plenty of spells
• Choose targets to do the most damage and clear your path forward

If you've been involved in any form of fantasy entertainment since the late 80s, then you've almost certainly come across the concept of mana. While the definition of this idea will change depending on the universe in which it exists, it is consistently connected to magic, frequently relying on it as a power source.

So many JRPG characters have an MP (or Mana Point) counter that allows them to cast a variety of spells, from light to extremely heavy. This also means that any magic-based characters are essentially useless when their MP drops to zero.

Tepes Ovidiu is putting us in the shoes of a spellcaster limping along on their last bit of mana in Almost Out of Mana. This 2D puzzler will challenge you to use what little magic you have to wipe out hordes of enemies, but let's see how that works.

What's happening in Almost Out of Mana?

There are so many classic fantasy story structures that the Almost Out of Mana scenario can be placed into any of them. The only bit of story seems to come from the title screen, in which a wizard has lost their pants, but can't afford the mana to magic up a pair of new ones.

A possible story follows a lone magic user who underestimated how long their quest was going to take and foolishly didn't bring enough mana potions. So, they have no choice but to push to the next town and hope that they get chances to rest and recover a little mana.

Unfortunately, the forces of evil and hungry monsters aren't giving them enough time to rest. This means you'll have to use what little mana you have to wipe out hordes of enemies with creatively cast spells. So, pull up your non-existent pants and get this mana show on the road.

The rush of Almost Out of Mana

The odd but understandable thing is that some of our most memorable, tense, and exciting experiences occur when we're pushed to the limits. Somehow, Almost Out of Mana has presented a challenge that constantly keeps us at our limits.

Each level shows our mana bar at the bottom of the screen and the paltry amount of mana we have left. It's a simple but definitive reminder that we will soon be out of mana, so we'd better make our final spells count. As we progress, we'll manage to gather more mana and spells, but the enemies will get stronger and more numerous to keep us from getting too confident.

But it's the enemies themselves that keep things interesting. They won't actively attack you, but will differ in both appearance and how much health they have. Depending on the spells you use, they can take anywhere from one to several hits to be eliminated.

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• Silt review - "Conquer the darkness by possessing its denizens!"

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Little do you know, you will have to use this trait effectively so that your spells can bounce off the most resilient enemies and take out the weaker ones. You're literally picking priority targets to guarantee that the whole army will fall just as you run out of mana.

Now, while the enemies shine bright, the spells are the real stars. All of them are based on the recognised elements and aspects of magic, from nature to the darker elements. Each spell differs in how much mana it costs, how much damage it does, and the area it covers when cast.

In many ways, you're learning to spend carefully so that you can cast the most powerful and effective spells where they'll be most effective. The problems push you to come up with solutions based on figuring out which spells make for the best opening attacks before cleaning up the remainder with your other spells.

The fatigue of Almost Out of Mana

Almost Out of Mana has taken something that every fantasy adventurer has encountered and turned it into a creative puzzle, but there are certain limits. The main being that the novelty of Almost Out of Mana runs out quite quickly, and if you're an experienced puzzle solver, you may find yourself getting through it faster than expected.

It's definitely something to consume in short bursts, doing one or two levels here and there when you have some free time. Based on the structure of the thing, there's potential to add more levels, spells, and enemies that can have more effects on the levels. But, until those are added in, we'll have to pace ourselves as we play with puzzles we've got.

Being Almost Out of Mana

Almost Out of Mana is a 2D puzzler about trying to eliminate all the enemies in your path using the limited mana and spells in your repertoire. It's a creative and engaging take on an established mechanic, presented in a fun, simple way.

It may not be the hardest series of puzzles out there, and it can be short, but the quality and enjoyment factor is definitely there, and you can come back to it over a number of days or even weeks. But let's be real: if you find yourself being almost out of mana for longer than four hours, consult your physician.