Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy gives Rune Factory Vibes!

venus14! · Post Posted: Apr 14, 2026 10:34 pm

New Game that came out recently on Steam seems fairly similar to Rune Factory and is very Cute!

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It is also available for Switch, PS4 and PS5 if you would prefer that!

Bluie · Post Posted: Apr 15, 2026 12:48 am

This is from a looooong running RPG series known as 'Mado Monogatari/Sorcery Saga'.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad%C5%8D_Monogatari

Sega owned Puyo Puyo is a spin off of this series. It's a dungeon crawler series with it's last entry (Sorcery Saga: Curse of the Great Curry « Harvest Goddess ») being a rouge-like Mystery Dungeon-esque game. Said previous entry wasn't allowed to use the characters (including the Puyos), so this is the series first return to form since 90s. I wouldn't really call this 'Rune Factory vibes' when it's just a dungeon crawler with some slight simulation elements. I don't think it'll have the same depth that RF offers.

venus14! · Post Posted: Apr 15, 2026 9:23 pm

Bluie wrote: ↑Apr 15, 2026 12:48 am This is from a looooong running RPG series known as 'Mado Monogatari/Sorcery Saga'.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad%C5%8D_Monogatari

Sega owned Puyo Puyo is a spin off of this series. It's a dungeon crawler series with it's last entry (Sorcery Saga: Curse of the Great Curry « Harvest Goddess ») being a rouge-like Mystery Dungeon-esque game. Said previous entry wasn't allowed to use the characters (including the Puyos), so this is the series first return to form since 90s. I wouldn't really call this 'Rune Factory vibes' when it's just a dungeon crawler with some slight simulation elements. I don't think it'll have the same depth that RF offers.

Yeah! Mado Monogatari is VERY old! I'm surprised someone here even knows it considering how old it is and how most of the Games stayed in Japan and only received Fan Translations fairly recently...

I have seen people compare the latest Entry to Rune Factory in the Steam Page possibly due to the Fishing and Crafting Items and Stuff but I have not tried it yet but I do think people who enjoy Rune Factory and Story of Seasons will enjoy it...

Assuming they enjoy more aspects of these Games than the Marriage Mechanics that is since it doesn't seem like this Game has any of it...

I think Atelier Fans will probably enjoy this Game a lot too since the Main Character is a Cute Witch Girl that can Craft Items and go on Adventures to learn more Magic and Recipes and Stuff...

The Mado Monogatari Series is kind of in a Weird Place due to Issues with the Copyright and Stuff since the Characters from the older Games like Arle, Rulue etc are owned by Sega now after Compile was forced to sell them due to being short on Money but the Name of the IP is owned by someone else... Namely Compile Heart who seems to be the Successor of Compile who are in turn owned by Idea Factory...

Kind of reminds me of the IP Issues with Bokujo Monogatari having to be split into Harvest Moon and Story of Seasons outside of Japan due to Natsume owning the Harvest Moon IP Name...

Kikki · Post Posted: Apr 16, 2026 4:15 am

I love RF and SoS, but I doubt I'd like this. I'm not fond of dungeon crawlers.

If anyone is interested in it, I wouldn't advise getting it based on one or two people saying it is like SoS and RF, or even if it were hundreds of people saying so...make sure YOU think it's like them, first. I'd suggest reading this review on Steam, since it gives a very thorough description of the gameplay/content (no story spoilers except a detailed description of the story set-up and main characters).

It gives the game a thumbs up, but the important part is how descriptive it is of what you'll be doing when you play, how you'll be spending your time and so on.

Bluie · Post Posted: Apr 17, 2026 10:44 am

Well, I bought it. I was always planning to, but decided not to get it on release for varying reasons. I love Puyo Puyo/Puyo Pop, I have for years but never have been overly vocal about it. I like the -Puyos- themselves more than than literally everything else, so I was really excited to see this series revived with the Puyos intact. I draw them fairly often, hell, I even have two Puyo related pieces in an upcoming Zine I can't talk about lol. I also have a Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (what Puyo Puyo was localized as before Sega dropped the Sonic skin) themed itabag that I put together last year (that is a roaring success each time I wear it out). Anyways, lol.

My husband owed me after I did him a favor, so I said 'I want a game' and this one was the only one in my Switch wishlist that was on sale (I wanted to get the new Groove Coaster, but it's sale went away a day or so ago, phooey!), so I got it. When will I play it? Not sure, honestly. Tomodachi Life has me in a chokehold until further notice, but when I DO play this game, I'll report back.

Kikki · Post Posted: Apr 18, 2026 1:49 pm

Is your avatar a Puyo? Well, anyway, hope it's good. I doubt it's for me, though, since I don't wanna do dungeon crawling. A review mentioned that the grinding is pretty high in this. (Not the review I linked.)

Bluie · Post Posted: Apr 19, 2026 12:19 pm

Kikki wrote: ↑Apr 18, 2026 1:49 pm Is your avatar a Puyo? Well, anyway, hope it's good. I doubt it's for me, though, since I don't wanna do dungeon crawling. A review mentioned that the grinding is pretty high in this. (Not the review I linked.)

It is, yeah. It's the 'Meteor Puyo' that hits your opponent's side if you combo them to death lol.

I was also interested in this game because it's developed by STING, which is a company that's made one of my favorite games of all time + a series I really like (that they haven't made a new entry for since I was in high school...). I'm not opposed to grinding, and if it's typical STING flavor, then I'll probably mind even less.

venus14! · Post Posted: Apr 19, 2026 4:50 pm

Bluie wrote: ↑Apr 19, 2026 12:19 pm
Kikki wrote: ↑Apr 18, 2026 1:49 pm Is your avatar a Puyo? Well, anyway, hope it's good. I doubt it's for me, though, since I don't wanna do dungeon crawling. A review mentioned that the grinding is pretty high in this. (Not the review I linked.)
It is, yeah. It's the 'Meteor Puyo' that hits your opponent's side if you combo them to death lol.

I was also interested in this game because it's developed by STING, which is a company that's made one of my favorite games of all time + a series I really like (that they haven't made a new entry for since I was in high school...). I'm not opposed to grinding, and if it's typical STING flavor, then I'll probably mind even less.

Oh what Game is that?

Bluie · Post Posted: Apr 20, 2026 12:27 am

venus14! wrote: ↑Apr 19, 2026 4:50 pmOh what Game is that?

Knights in the Nightmare. Its a gothic medieval fantasy following the tragedy of a fallen kingdom. You play as the disembodied soul of the king, at first wandering the remains of your kingdom listlessly, finding the stagnated souls of your knights and adding them to your ranks, but as the game progresses, a very alive knight you've unfamiliar with joins you. Said Knight has the possibility of being three seperate characters, and depending on which one it is, the story can take drastic turns. It's a story rife with mystery, tragedy, and intrigue.

The gameplay itself is a mix of RTS and Bullet Hell, which I have never seen before this game and have yet to see it get done again. STING today mostly makes games for other companies, but back in the day, they were THE company to be making JRPGs with wacky mechanics. The series Knights in the Nightmare belongs to is called 'Dept. Heaven', which has only had 4 games (not including spin-offs) and hasn't had a new entry since 2011. There seems to be plans to make more, especially considering they've been releasing the games out of order (see here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dept._Heaven), but I refuse to get excited until they actually announce something.

venus14! · Post Posted: Apr 20, 2026 6:42 pm

Bluie wrote: ↑Apr 20, 2026 12:27 am
venus14! wrote: ↑Apr 19, 2026 4:50 pmOh what Game is that?
Knights in the Nightmare. Its a gothic medieval fantasy following the tragedy of a fallen kingdom. You play as the disembodied soul of the king, at first wandering the remains of your kingdom listlessly, finding the stagnated souls of your knights and adding them to your ranks, but as the game progresses, a very alive knight you've unfamiliar with joins you. Said Knight has the possibility of being three seperate characters, and depending on which one it is, the story can take drastic turns. It's a story rife with mystery, tragedy, and intrigue.

The gameplay itself is a mix of RTS and Bullet Hell, which I have never seen before this game and have yet to see it get done again. STING today mostly makes games for other companies, but back in the day, they were THE company to be making JRPGs with wacky mechanics. The series Knights in the Nightmare belongs to is called 'Dept. Heaven', which has only had 4 games (not including spin-offs) and hasn't had a new entry since 2011. There seems to be plans to make more, especially considering they've been releasing the games out of order (see here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dept._Heaven), but I refuse to get excited until they actually announce something.

Oh I played Knights in the Nightmare and the other Games from the Dept. Heaven Series that were released in English on the DS and PSP! I never got very far in them though as they were too Difficult for me but I am definitely planning on returning to Yggdra Union at the very least now that it is on Steam...

I wish they would release Blaze Union, Gloria Union and Yggdra Unison in English on Steam too oh well...

The Dept. Heaven Series are definitely some of the most Unique Games I have saw out there and it is a Pity that Sting seems to have more or less almost abandoned it...