Sorcery! in IOS

Roleplaying

Walkthrough, Guilds, Tips on this special game

Our Expert Score

95/100

Steve Jackson's Sorcery! is a landmark in digital storytelling. Inkle has taken the classic gamebook and transformed it into a living, breathing adventure. The standout feature is the spellcasting system—you have to literally 'draw' constellations to cast magic, and you have to remember the three-letter codes for them, which makes you feel like a real wizard learning an art.

The writing is superb, branching in ways that actually matter. It’s not just about winning or losing combat; it’s about the moral choices you make and how they echo through the world. The hand-drawn map that you physically move your character across is a stroke of genius, making the journey feel epic and tangible. It’s a must-play for anyone who loves high fantasy or narrative-driven RPGs.

Dinsun reviewed on: Fri Feb 27 2026

The Game

Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod

Version 1.6.2Sat Sep 21 2019

Bug fixes for iOS 13


An epic four-part adventure through a land of monsters, traps, and magic. Start your story here! FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY!

*** Rock Paper Shotgun Best RPG of 2016 ***

"You should choose to own this adventure" -- Eurogamer

"Inkle's adaptation of Sorcery! takes the genre to a whole new level" -- Kotaku

"This is some of 2013′s best interactive storytelling" -- IGN UK

"Beautifully realised ... this gripping tale has us well and truly hooked" -- Pocket Gamer (Gold Award)

"Incredibly impressed" -- Touch Arcade

Top 10 Best Mobile Games of 2013, Mashable.com

Top 20 of 2013, Touch Arcade

Top 25 of 2013, Gamezebo

+ Plot your own journey across a hand-drawn 3D world map

+ Fully interactive story, with 1000s of choices

+ The story is rewritten on the fly based on how you play

+ Unique touch-based sword-duelling, with procedurally-generated descriptions of the action

+ Adapted from the best-selling gamebook series by legendary game designer Steve Jackson

+ Outwit monsters by learning their weaknesses and tells

+ 48 magic spells to master, with weird and wonderful effects that change the story

"Sometimes I feel like I'm wasting my time writing a review when I should really just be pointing at a game and demanding that people play it. This is one of those times. Steve Jackson's Sorcery! is an absolutely marvellous fantasy storybook adventure. Lushly illustrated and expertly told, it should not be missed by anyone even remotely interested in the genre." -- Gamezebo

"Let’s not mince words here... Sorcery’s unique blend of tabletop-like roleplaying (including an incredible combat system quite unlike anything I’ve seen before), and elaborate branching pathways with custom scripts preserving the feeling of Steve Jackson’s work make me now want to… no, HAVE TO acquire an iOS device" - Just Press Start

From legendary designer Steve Jackson, co-founder of Lionhead Studios (with Peter Molyneux), and Fighting Fantasy and Games Workshop (with Ian Livingstone); and inkle, the studio behind the award-winning, App Store featured Frankenstein, Sorcery! is an interactive adventure like never before.

The app uses inklewriter technology to tell your journey in real-time, shaping the story around your choices. The text itself changes based on how you play and what you do, and in combat, the action is description on the fly based on how you play.

Featuring original illustrations by John Blanche, new character art by Eddie Sharam (DC Comics), an interactive map by Mike Schley (Wizards of the Coast) and music by David Wise (Donkey Kong Country).

"The Shamutanti Hills" is Part 1 of 4. Part 2, "Kharé: Cityport of Traps", is out now, and will load all of your completed Part 1 games to continue your adventure. Part 3 is coming later this year (but while you wait, check out our new game, 80 DAYS).


Requires iOS 8.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

An epic four-part adventure through a land of monsters, traps, and magic. Start your story here! FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY!

*** Rock Paper Shotgun Best RPG of 2016 ***

"You should choose to own this adventure" -- Eurogamer

"Inkle's adaptation of Sorcery! takes the genre to a whole new level" -- Kotaku

"This is some of 2013′s best interactive storytelling" -- IGN UK

"Beautifully realised ... this gripping tale has us well and truly hooked" -- Pocket Gamer (Gold Award)

"Incredibly impressed" -- Touch Arcade

Top 10 Best Mobile Games of 2013, Mashable.com

Top 20 of 2013, Touch Arcade

Top 25 of 2013, Gamezebo

+ Plot your own journey across a hand-drawn 3D world map

+ Fully interactive story, with 1000s of choices

+ The story is rewritten on the fly based on how you play

+ Unique touch-based sword-duelling, with procedurally-generated descriptions of the action

+ Adapted from the best-selling gamebook series by legendary game designer Steve Jackson

+ Outwit monsters by learning their weaknesses and tells

+ 48 magic spells to master, with weird and wonderful effects that change the story

"Sometimes I feel like I'm wasting my time writing a review when I should really just be pointing at a game and demanding that people play it. This is one of those times. Steve Jackson's Sorcery! is an absolutely marvellous fantasy storybook adventure. Lushly illustrated and expertly told, it should not be missed by anyone even remotely interested in the genre." -- Gamezebo

"Let’s not mince words here... Sorcery’s unique blend of tabletop-like roleplaying (including an incredible combat system quite unlike anything I’ve seen before), and elaborate branching pathways with custom scripts preserving the feeling of Steve Jackson’s work make me now want to… no, HAVE TO acquire an iOS device" - Just Press Start

From legendary designer Steve Jackson, co-founder of Lionhead Studios (with Peter Molyneux), and Fighting Fantasy and Games Workshop (with Ian Livingstone); and inkle, the studio behind the award-winning, App Store featured Frankenstein, Sorcery! is an interactive adventure like never before.

The app uses inklewriter technology to tell your journey in real-time, shaping the story around your choices. The text itself changes based on how you play and what you do, and in combat, the action is description on the fly based on how you play.

Featuring original illustrations by John Blanche, new character art by Eddie Sharam (DC Comics), an interactive map by Mike Schley (Wizards of the Coast) and music by David Wise (Donkey Kong Country).

"The Shamutanti Hills" is Part 1 of 4. Part 2, "Kharé: Cityport of Traps", is out now, and will load all of your completed Part 1 games to continue your adventure. Part 3 is coming later this year (but while you wait, check out our new game, 80 DAYS).


Ratings & Reviews

4.5 out of 5 with 188 Counts
Age Rating 13+

Screenshots

Sorcery! screenshot 1Sorcery! screenshot 2Sorcery! screenshot 3Sorcery! screenshot 4Sorcery! screenshot 5Sorcery! screenshot 6Sorcery! screenshot 7Sorcery! screenshot 8Sorcery! screenshot 9Sorcery! screenshot 10

Sorcery! is an epic four-part adventure through a land of monsters, traps, and magic. Based on the millions-selling books by legendary designer Steve Jackson, the game features a unique touch-based combat system and a revolutionary spellcasting mechanic. Every choice you make is remembered, shaping a story that is uniquely yours. Move across a stunning 3D hand-drawn map and discover the secrets of the Shamutanti Hills.

Features

1

Branching narrative with thousands of choices

2

Unique constellation-based spellcasting

3

Stunning hand-drawn 3D map

4

Saves that carry over to Part 2

Tips

Promotion Videos

Sorcery! Parts 1 and 2 Official Trailer - YouTube

Related Videos

News on this game

Steve Jackson's Sorcery! PC review

Sorcery! 1 and 2 have finally arrived on PC as a single set. Should you play the texty adventures again or for the first time?

Rock Paper Shotgun - Fri Aug 11 2017

What we think of Inkle's Sorcery! on Xbox

For the first time, Sorcery! is available on consoles. The whole four-game series has been bundled up and released on Switch, Xbox and...

Eurogamer.net - Thu Jan 11 2024

Sorcery! Parts One and Two review: Choose your own adventure in this glorious Steve Jackson adaptation

Inkle's digital adaptation of Steve Jackson's Sorcery! is a glorious tribute to the paper gamebooks of yesteryear.

PCWorld - Fri Aug 11 2017

Review: Steve Jackson's Sorcery! – The Complete Collection (Nintendo Switch) – Digitally Downloaded

There was a time when video games were primitive enough that a book could be a more vivid gameplay experience. For example, the original...

Digitally Downloaded - Thu Jan 11 2024

'Sorcery! 4' Review – The End of an Incredible Journey – TouchArcade

It's been over three years since inkle released their adaptation of the first book in the Steve Jackson's Sorcery! series. In a lot of ways,...

TouchArcade - Wed Apr 11 2018

Steve Jackson's Sorcery! Review (Switch eShop)

Steve Jackson will remember that - Way back in the day, long before video games were any good, the cool new narrative mechanic was Choose...

Nintendo Life - Thu Jan 11 2024

From paperbacks to touchscreens: the making of Sorcery!

Sorcery! began life as a four-part gamebook series, released under the wildly popular Fighting Fantasy banner between 1983 and 1985.

Pocket Gamer.biz - Wed Apr 11 2018

The Best Video Games Are Also Books, Like Sorcery and 80 Days

Hi everyone, it's Jason. Today we're talking about video games that feel like books, but first...

Bloomberg.com - Thu Jan 11 2024

Sorcery! Part 4 Review

Inkle's Sorcery! series proves to be one of the best RPGs of all time.

Rock Paper Shotgun - Wed Apr 11 2018

Review: Sorcery! Parts 1 & 2 – Destructoid

For nerds of a certain age, gamebooks hold as much childhood influence as the most memorable classic video games.

Destructoid - Fri Aug 11 2017

Gameplays

Q&A

Absolutely. The game is a standalone digital experience that fully explains the world and its mechanics.

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