There is something inherently appealing about seeing a developer known for one particular type of game step well outside its comfort zone. Realmforge Studios has spent years building the Dungeons series around dungeon management and strategy, but Rise of the Spellbaker takes that familiar sense of humor and fantasy and applies it to something considerably more unusual. Combining action-adventure, village building and a touch of life-sim progression with a magical baking system, the game certainly has no shortage of ideas. After getting hands-on with the PC version during Gamescom, however, it is clear that there is still quite a bit of baking left to do before the final recipe is ready.
What we know
Rise of the Spellbaker is a hand-crafted fantasy action-adventure set in Khemia, a once-peaceful fairy-tale world that has been consumed by a mysterious plague known as the Rot. Following a disastrous Harvest Festival, the land’s food begins to decay and the corruption spreads to the creatures living there, leaving the Witch as one of the few remaining hopes of restoring the world. Accompanied by her cat familiar, she must rediscover the forgotten art of spellbaking, gathering ingredients and turning recipes into magical attacks that can be used against the creatures spawned by the Rot.
The baking concept forms the centre of the game’s progression. Rather than simply collecting conventional weapons or learning spells, players gather ingredients, discover recipes and create magical pastries that can be equipped and used in combat. These include attacks based around things such as croissants, cakes and other baked goods, with different recipes and variations offering different ways of dealing with enemies. The game also combines these expeditions with a more relaxed village-building element. The Witch can restore her home and the surrounding settlement, customise her surroundings and work with characters such as Hermann, a talking sourdough, while the village gradually becomes a safe haven in contrast to the corrupted areas outside it.
That contrast extends to the game’s structure, which moves between exploration and combat in the Rot-infested wilderness and the more peaceful activities back at the village. There are different environments to explore, ingredients to collect, creatures to fight and bosses to defeat, with clearing areas of corruption opening them up for further exploration and resource gathering. The Witch can also be joined by up to five other players, allowing a six-player coven to work together in cooperative multiplayer. Rise of the Spellbaker can alternatively be played entirely solo. The game is currently scheduled for release in 2027 on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
What we saw
Our preview was based on a demo build of Rise of the Spellbaker that we got to see during Gamescom, where we met with the team behind the game. The demo provided an early look at the combination of exploration, combat, spellbaking and village development, although the build was clearly still some way from completion. As a result, it offered a useful impression of the game’s direction without yet providing enough time or content to properly judge how all of its systems will come together over the course of the full adventure.
What we thought
The biggest appeal of Rise of the Spellbaker is arguably how different it is from what Realmforge Studios has done before. The studio’s experience with Dungeons is still visible in elements such as the settlement development and the playful fantasy setting, but this feels like a genuine attempt to take those ideas somewhere else rather than simply creating another variation on its established formula. The premise of turning baked goods into magical weapons is deliberately silly, but the game commits to the idea so thoroughly that it becomes more than just a visual joke. Croissants, cakes and other pastries are integrated into the actual progression and combat systems, which gives the spellbaking concept a useful mechanical purpose rather than making it a gimmick.
The combination of village building and action-adventure is also potentially interesting. Restoring a corrupted world by first fighting through its Rot-infested areas and then returning to a more welcoming settlement creates a nice contrast, while the ability to customise the village gives players something to work towards beyond simply defeating the next enemy. The various companions and inhabitants help reinforce the lighter tone, and the game’s creatures strike a good balance between cute and grotesque. The visual style is recognisable if you know the Dungeons games, particularly in its character and environmental design, but it is distinct enough to give Rise of the Spellbaker its own identity. The shift from colorful fairy-tale surroundings to areas overwhelmed by the Rot also gives the world some welcome visual variety.
Combat looks equally straightforward but potentially flexible once more recipes and spell variations become available. The top-down perspective makes the action easy to read, while the ability to prepare different baked spells should encourage players to think about which attacks suit particular enemies. The idea of permanently acquiring a spell after baking it, rather than constantly worrying about a mana supply, also keeps the focus on cooldowns and choosing the right loadout. The demo suggested that the controls are easy to pick up, although there was not enough combat variety in the early build to determine how deep the system will become. The same applies to the village mechanics: the basic idea is clear and approachable, but it remains to be seen how much depth will eventually sit underneath the building, decorating and resource-management elements.
That uncertainty is the main issue at this stage. The demo was still very much an early look at the game, making it difficult to get a proper feel for the long-term gameplay loop or how effectively the different components will complement one another. The concept is strong enough to stand out, and the combination of cosy village activities, grotesque creatures and ridiculous baked spells has plenty of personality, but the eventual balance between the action-adventure and management elements will be crucial. For now, Rise of the Spellbaker looks like a promising and refreshingly unusual departure for Realmforge Studios, but with a 2027 release still ahead, there is plenty of time for the studio to make sure all those ingredients rise properly.