A turn-based artillery duel
Arcanists is a multiplayer artillery game where players take turns casting spells at each other under a time limit. You build a spellbook before the match, then spend your turn aiming and firing to knock opponents down to zero hitpoints. The last player or team standing wins. The maps are procedurally generated, and most of them carry an Armageddon effect that starts a 10-turn countdown, gradually destroying the terrain so hiding spots run out.
Playing together
You can play casually in unranked games or climb the rankings ladder in Ranked battles. Free-for-all and team games support up to 24 players online. If picking spells feels like a chore, Random Spells Mode hands everyone a randomized set and lets luck decide. You can save replays after a match and watch them later, and share them from the Main Menu. Outfits and spellbooks can be shown off in the multiplayer lobby, and the tutorial framework lets you write custom guides for your group.
Before you start
Character creation offers over 100,000 costume combinations. Spell selection is the real strategic layer: there are 15 themed spellbooks with 12 spells each, but your book holds only 16 spells, so reading descriptions matters. Picking every spell from a single spellbook unlocks a Familiar effect with a special ability or extra spells. Achievements number over 100, some easy and some taking weeks of waiting for the right in-game circumstances, and they unlock outfits plus Orb Points and Orb Coins, some of which feed into Prestige requirements. Game data, including saved outfits and spellbooks, is stored locally on your PC.