Item: Almost Out of Mana
Rating: 91
Author: Dinsun

Our Site Score

91/100

Tepes Ovidiu has a reputation for creating incredibly polished, thoughtful indie games, and 'Almost Out of Mana' is his best work yet. It strips away all the 'fluff' of modern gaming—no daily rewards, no battle passes, just pure, brilliant puzzle design.

The premise is hilarious (reclaiming a pair of lucky pants), but the gameplay is surprisingly deep. The 'limited mana' mechanic forces you to think three or four steps ahead, making it feel more like a game of wizard chess than a standard RPG. The art style is clean and charming, and the lack of a timer makes it the perfect 'thinking person's' game. It's a premium title that is worth every penny.

Reviewed on: Sun Mar 10 2024

Dinsun Review

This one actually caught my interest for a moment. The premise of being 'almost out of mana' forces you to think instead of just spamming your strongest attacks. It reminds me of some of the tighter tactical games from the late 90s. However, the 'RPG' elements are spread quite thin. It’s more of a logic puzzle with an RPG coat of paint. The art style is trying for a retro vibe but ends up looking a bit muddy on modern screens.

It’s a bit too repetitive in the mid-game. Once you figure out the optimal mana-to-damage ratios, the tension evaporates. It’s better than most of the trash on the App Store, but it’s not something I’ll be talking about in six months. It needs more variety in enemy behavior to keep a veteran like me engaged.

Overall Stats

Pros & Cons

Interesting resource mechanic
No hand-holding

Muddy art style
Repetitive encounters
Clunky UI

Technical Report

Performance: Very stable; some text scaling issues on smaller phones.

Accessibility:

Undo button
Static screens

Audience Fit

Buy if: You enjoy tactical puzzles and resource management.

Skip if: You want an epic story or high-fidelity graphics.

Similar Games:

Slay the Spire
Into the Breach

Reviewer Context

Reviewer: Dinsun, 40-year-old expert gamer
Hardware: iPhone 14
Playtime: 4 hours
Status: Finished the main campaign

The Game

Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod

6757761741

$2.99 📅🏆9+★4.3 18 reviews

Author : Tepes Ovidiu

Pubish Date : Thu Feb 19 2026

Last Update Date : Thu Mar 26 2026

Support Languages : N/A

Genres :

Version 1.2Thu Mar 26 2026

This update from Apple will improve the functionality of this app. No new features are included.
Level 19 critical fix!
Level 15 visual labels fixed.
Requires iOS 12.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
Almost Out of Mana is a tactical puzzle game where magical spells, quirky enemies, and limited mana turn every decision into a meaningful choice. Strategically cast spells to defeat every enemy before your mana runs dry.
Why all this careful planning?
A wizard is determined to retrieve his stolen lucky pants.
What to expect?
- Tactical spell-casting puzzle gameplay
- Limited mana forces meaningful decisions.
- Pure tactical gameplay without timers, no rush.
- Distinct enemies with expressive reactions that change how you think.
- A diverse spellbook with distinct mechanics
- Carefully crafted levels of rising difficulty.
- Relaxed pace, focused thinking.
- Hints and game guide available if you get stuck
- Game Center leaderboards, challenges & achievements
- Clean, minimal art with bold, expressive enemies and soundtracks
- Premium: no ads, no tracking, no distractions, no data collected.
- Accessibility features including contrast mode, multiple language support, haptic feedback, and reduced motion
I'm a solo game developer who made this game with lots of care and passion. I hope Almost Out of Mana brings you a little joy, a little challenge and plenty of fun!

In-Game Events

PREMIERE

When Mana Runs Out

A spellcasting puzzle with no room for waste.

A tactical spellcasting puzzle. Defeat quirky enemies before your mana runs dry.

Starts: 3/23/2026Ends: 4/13/2026

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Ratings & Reviews

4.3 out of 5 with 18 Counts

★★★★★

Age Rating 9+

Expected March 24, 2026! Almost Out of Mana is a tactical puzzle game where limited mana turns every decision into a meaningful choice. Strategically cast spells from a diverse spellbook to defeat expressive enemies in carefully crafted levels. With a relaxed pace and no timers, you can focus on outsmarting your foes in this clean, minimalist art-style adventure. A premium experience with no ads, no tracking, and full accessibility support.

Features

Pure tactical gameplay with no timers or rush

Premium experience: no ads, no tracking, no data collection

Diverse spellbook with distinct mechanics

Extensive accessibility features including high contrast and reduced motion

Tips

Mana Conservation

Analyze the entire board before casting your first spell. Often, a single high-cost 'chain' spell is more mana-efficient than several small attacks.

News on this game

Almost Out of Mana lets you experience the excitement and stress of wizarding in this new puzzler

As anyone who's played a magic user in any TTRPG or MMORPG will tell you, spells are stressful. And keeping track of all your resources,...

Pocket Gamer - Wed Feb 18 2026

Gameplays

Understanding Enemy Reactions

Enemies react expressively to your spells. Some might move closer when hit, while others might shield their allies. Use these reactions to manipulate enemy positions.