Wizardry: The Five Ordeals
Welcome to the world of dungeon crawling! The classic dungeon crawler released back in 2006, returns to Steam with improved UI and more.
Sync your Steam wishlist to track the lowest game prices instantly. No login required, just paste your Steam profile URL!
⚡ Try Wishlist Radar!
Sync your Steam wishlist to track the lowest game prices instantly. No login required!
⚡ Try Wishlist Radar!
Close
Geneforge 1 - Mutagen on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information
Quick menu
Unique, truly open-ended fantasy adventure in a strange, new world. Use battle or cunning to change the world, served by your own army of custom-made mutant monsters. Over 80 zones to explore and 50+ hours of gameplay. Multitudes of skills, abilities, factions, treasures, and servants to create.
Geneforge 1 - Mutagen is a crpg, rpg and dungeon crawler game
developed and published by Spiderweb Software.
Released on February 24th 2021 is available in English on Windows and MacOS.
It has received 409 reviews of which 385 were positive and 24 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.7 out of 10. 😎
The game is currently priced at 16.79€ on Steam.
The Steam community has classified Geneforge 1 - Mutagen into these genres:
Media & Screenshots
Get an in-depth look at Geneforge 1 - Mutagen through various videos and screenshots.
Load More
System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: 64-bit Vista or Later
- Processor: 1.2 GHZ
- Graphics: 256 MB VRAM
- Storage: 400 MB available space
MacOS
- OS: 12.6
- Processor: 1.2 GHZ
- Graphics: 256 MB VRAM
- Storage: 400 MB available space
Steam Price & Best Deals
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
This game shows some strange flaws, at times irritating ones, yet I recommend: I was entertained enough to finish it, with some degree of enthusiasm and curiosity still. Rather strange that a studio with a catalogue this size still can't manage a smart interface: 2 redundant buttons for Hot Spots inefficiency; inventory baked in 1957, with no QoL features, yet effort put into new asinine limitations; crippled remapping that defeats its purpose by excluding mouse and basic keys; etc... But the Save system is good and fit for purpose, notably as a workaround for the issues partly mentioned above and coming below. It only lacks the ability to save during a turn, mistakenly conflating turn-based movement with combat (not that combat ever justified disabling a Save menu.) Major flaws are at leas two: Firstly, mobs are as numerous, combat as frequent as in, say, an Infinity Engine title. Yet combat is turn-based. Adding oil to that dumpster fire, mobs often know where you are as soon as you enter a map, share the knowledge, and rush to you. On other maps, they just patrol at superspeed and spot you sequentially with similar results. In both cases, when you reach a new map, combat starts before you can move, you kill things, you quit TB mode, which restarts automatically 1 second later, you kill the new comers, you quit TB mode, and so on and so forth many, many times. For ages, since it's TB. You've got to super-quick-save, if you can manage, between the rushing mobs. Once they stop coming, you can finally start exploring. In short, that's mob design for the opposite, better system, the RTS with automatable characters and pause. The second major flaw relates both to the 1st one and to the UI: While you walk slowly, mobs and NPCs are all speedsters, and half of them barely ever stay still for a second. A common issue for initiating dialogue. There's no pause, and switching to TB mode means combat: clicking on a finally still NPC now means attacking them, not talking to them. Meanwhile, combat keeps starting before you even notice an enemy is in sight. It's pretty hard to get control and initiate events. Not to mention that individual moves and strategic placement of units is generally impossible. But one gets used to this nonsense and, once started, combat mechanics are mostly reliable. It's just long, grindy, and unrewarding when trash mobs are involved. Specially so since XP gains diminish with your level. Down to zero XP for the hundreds of lethal mobs you'll still have to patiently eradicate. (I must also mention the abundant Pylon, a mob so poorly set up it seems borrowed from Owlcat's Pathfinder.) Still, most of the encounters are decently built and balanced, with room for tactics, experimentation, rethinks, cheese, suspense, fun, and whatnot. You can often tactically turn a seemingly impossible fight into a challenging one, if not a surprising piece of cake. Might need a few stubborn retries though, because the RNG is way too wide to be reliable. What brought me to try this game didn't disappoint: The setting and worldbuilding are unusual, well conceived, well described and fairly consistent. You play a noob from a race of evil godlings, wandering through a forgotten world taken over by the descendants of your ancestors' former slaves. You'll have 3 classes to pick from, and full moral latitude. Exploration is engaging, challenges are rarely limited to a single solution, access to lore and dialogue is abundant and optional. In short, it's as much an RPG or an Hn'S as you want it to be. And I can definitely see the replay value, both mechanically and in terms of choices.
Good remaster. Being a fairly big cRPG done mostly by one guy means it's generally lackluster in all non-essential areas. However: 1) The gameplay has a unique twist, revolving around creating summons for battle, with different skills and abilities (unless you are one of those weirdos who play the agent class). 2) ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ a cRPG with an original and well developed setting that isn't derivative fantasy/sci-fi/post-apocalypse. Someone pinch me, I must be dreaming. Those two factors elevate what is otherwise a quaint game into something worth your time,
I played through the original Geneforge 1 several times years ago and first played through Mutagen on Epic after the giveaway. I've always considered Geneforge Spiderweb's weakest series, behind Avernum, Queen's Wish, and Avadon (in that order). I find managing groups of generic creations tedious compared to working with fully fleshed out parties, the map system of clearing discrete node by discrete node is less interesting to me than the more open worlds of the others, and the way you get force railroaded right from the start into one of three very sharply defined factions I find off putting from a story perspective. They're still good games (well, at least the first three, I'm not sure if I ever finished 4 and 5 all the way to the end) but not great games like Avernum or Queen's Wish or very good games like Avadon. That said, I was surprised on my latest (I think fifth time including original and remake) playthrough of Geneforge 1 to have my best experience with the series doing a Torment, solo, pacifist run to pick up three achievements that didn't immediately unlock when I launched the Steam version and it read in my Epic saves. I thought I'd give that a shot and in all likelihood find it too hard and tedious to stick with, but it was actually surprisingly the most engaging way I've found to play the game. The earlier sections in particular are engrossing when you have to be very strategic and careful in what regions you can clear to green status, which areas within which regions you safely enter, where you can lure monsters back to friendly characters to have them do the killing, where and how the game lets you completely bypass combat by heavily pumping up leadership and mechanics, where you can revisit areas after getting more stealth to move further into previously effectively blocked off areas -- all a lot of fun. Surprisingly, once you get into mid to late game and you're aligned with the Takers and have 11 leadership, 14 mechanics, and 12-15 stealth (and that's all you need; I had a bunch of unspent skill points when I finished the game) a Torment, solo, pacifist approach becomes probably the easiest time I've had in any Spiderweb game at any difficulty level, cakewalk rush through the entire NW and NE sections of the map containing Trajkov, the Geneforge itself, and Goettsch.
Geneforge 1 – Mutagen is the remaster of the old-school CRPG Geneforge 1 from 2001. Compared to the original, the UI and graphics look much better now. A few skills and mechanics were changed (mostly for the better), and the story was slightly expanded. However, you can’t change your character’s appearance anymore, which I find a bit disappointing. Maybe I'm biased, but I’ve never played a Spiderweb Software game I didn’t like. This one has all the things I expect and love in a CRPG: strategic combat, exploration, an interesting world with a good story, and steady character progression. The story/lore is a big part of why it works for me. There’s no classic “good vs evil“ here. Every faction has its reasons and often solid arguments for being the way they are. Choosing a side never feels clear-cut. Of course, you can just ignore everyone and do your own thing. The game doesn’t punish you for that, apart from missing some good items. Every NPC can die, even important ones and quest givers, though they’re harder to kill. And if fighting isn’t your thing, you can finish the whole game with stealth and diplomacy as long as you avoid the more enemy-heavy zones. Quests in general can often be solved in different ways. Higher difficulties like Veteran and Torment are there if you want them. (Side note: The Geneforge Saga would also make for a good book) At the start you choose between three classes. The Guardian is melee-focused, the Agent leans toward stealth, and the Shaper summons creatures. I enjoyed playing the Shaper the most. You can build a small group/army of creatures (up to eight, if I remember correctly) and each one has different skills and spells. It‘s important (especially on higher difficulties) to learn about enemies’ weaknesses and use the right creatures to counter them. The game starts in a small enclosed zone on a barred island. Each zone can have up to four exits at its edges, marked by blue ground. Walking onto one of them brings you to the world map. The direction you leave from determines which new zone gets unlocked. There are roughly eighty in total, and you’ll revisit many of them while doing quests. Fast travel is only available after a path has been cleared, which can happen in different ways: simply passing through, killing all hostile creatures or a boss, or finishing a quest. On the world map, cleared areas show up in green and uncleared ones in red. Hovering over them also tells you if a quest is there. You can move around a zone freely, but once an enemy sees you, the game switches to a grid and shifts into turn-based combat. At the start of each round you get a set amount of action points, so you have to carefully plan where to move and what attack to use. Fighting requires a lot of strategy. Enemies can flank or ambush you (or leap straight at your weak caster). There are many spells, weapons, potions, and buffs to work with, so fights rarely feel the same. The inventory system is simple but clever. You only have one character with an inventory (your creatures can't carry stuff), so it fills up fast. But you have a junk bag where you can put everything you want (unlimited). You can only take stuff out of it when you're in a friendly village though, so be careful what you put in there. You can also sell everything in the junk bag at once at a vendor instead of selling items one by one. The save system deserves a short mention. You can save (normal+quicksave) whenever you want outside of combat, but the game also creates an autosave every time you enter a new zone. That actually saved me several times from soft-locking myself. There are zones where new enemies respawn constantly, so I found myself low on health and couldn't leave the zone to travel back to a town to heal (health, essence, and mana get refilled when entering a friendly town). If you don’t mind (A LOT of) reading and the graphics don’t bother you, this is a solid RPG with plenty to do. The game looks rough and a little old and janky, but it’s not as bad or hard as it first seems. A bit of planning helps, especially with buffs, combat positioning, and using enemies’ weaknesses against them. I’m looking forward to the next part of the series and hope that Geneforge 3-5 get a remaster too.
What would happen if Mary Shelley and Jules Verne had a grand-grandson who was an old-school C-programmer with a knack for game development? This might as well be Jeff Vogel who has been running Spiderweb Software game studio for some 30 odd years. Geneforge is equal parts sci-fantasy book and tactical CRPG. If you like both those art forms and don't mind a somewhat retro look in a game (though Geneforge Mutagen looks very pretty if you can look past its retro roots), you don't want to miss this title. In fact, all series by this studio are amazing in this regard - just be careful to not buy older versions of the games, as those definitely show their age. I appreciate that they are still listed here, but for anyone not performing game archeology, there's no reason to reach for those older titles when much prettier modernized remakes are available. They all go on discounts periodically, so the bang-for-the-buck is truly stupendous - if reading long, original, high quality fantasy stories in exploration-driven tactical RPG game form is your bang, that is. Make no mistake, these aren't VNs, they are pure bred RPGs, but the amount of story content dwarfs even some long VNs, especially considering that most of these series run 3 titles long, and one, Avernum runs 6! (Avernum remakes are up to 4 at this point, but I'm sure we'll get all of them in due time). Now excuse me, I have to read just one more page of this game before bed... I mean, I need to have one more fight in this book... oh chucks.
Similar games
View all
Wizardry 8
A New Wizardry for a New GenerationThe universe is in the throes of violent upheaval and change. Vast and mysterious forces are preparing for the final confrontation. A small group of heroes from distant lands must plunge into the heart of the maelstrom, to uncover long-forgotten secrets, and bring about a new era.
The Bard's Tale IV: Director's Cut
The Bard's Tale IV: Director's Cut is the triumphant return of one of the most iconic RPG series of all-time. Delve into a tactically rich combat system that rewards creativity, solve puzzles to gain treasure and advantages, and discover a beautifully crafted world.
Monsters' Den: Godfall
The popular dungeon-crawling RPG series returns! Take your party into procedurally-generated dungeons, fight in turn-based battles, loot and level up! Explore the land and uncover the mysteries of the Godfall!
Operencia: The Stolen Sun
Operencia: The Stolen Sun embraces everything you love about classic first-person dungeon-crawlers, enhancing the old-school turn-based RPG experience with modern sensibilities. Guide a team of memorable characters through a world inspired by Central European mythology.
Divinity: Original Sin - Enhanced Edition
Gather your party and get ready for the kick-ass new version of GameSpot's PC Game of the Year 2014. With hours of new content, new game modes, full voiceovers, split-screen multiplayer, and thousands of improvements, there's never been a better time to explore the epic world of Rivellon!
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
Patch 5.0 - Turn-based mode and The Ultimate challenge out now! Pursue a rogue god over land and sea in the sequel to the multi-award-winning RPG Pillars of Eternity. Captain your ship on a dangerous voyage of discovery across the vast unexplored archipelago region of the Deadfire.
Ascension to the Throne
Ascension to the Throne is a turn-based strategy game with RPG elements. In a vast fantasy world the hero will have to pass many tests on his way to victory. Enemies seek to stop players from regaining power and taking revenge. Gain new friends to aid you in reclaiming the throne.
Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord
Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord is a full 3D remake of the first game in the legendary Wizardry series of RPGs.
Shadowrun: Hong Kong - Extended Edition
Shadowrun: Hong Kong - Extended Edition is the capstone title in Harebrained Schemes' Shadowrun series - and now includes the all-new, 6+ hr Shadows of Hong Kong Bonus Campaign. Experience the most impressive Shadowrun RPG yet, hailed as one of the best cRPG / strategy games of 2015!
Grimoire : Heralds of the Winged Exemplar (V2)
Cleveland Mark Blakemore's Magnum Opus! The ultimate classic style turn-based roleplaying game in the tradition of Wizardry, Might&Magic, Lands Of Lore and Eye of the Beholder! 600+ hours of play with hand-painted graphics and old skool goodness!
Zavix Tower
Zavix Tower is an old-school, party-based, first-person CRPG with rogue-like elements, an upgrade-able and persistent town, and turn-based combat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Geneforge 1 - Mutagen is currently priced at 16.79€ on Steam.
No, Geneforge 1 - Mutagen is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 16.79€ on Steam.
Yes, Geneforge 1 - Mutagen received 385 positive votes out of a total of 409 achieving a rating of 8.69.
😎
Geneforge 1 - Mutagen was developed and published by Spiderweb Software.
Yes, Geneforge 1 - Mutagen is playable and fully supported on Windows.
Yes, Geneforge 1 - Mutagen is playable and fully supported on MacOS.
No, Geneforge 1 - Mutagen is not playable on Linux.
This information about Geneforge 1 - Mutagen is not available yet.
This information about Geneforge 1 - Mutagen is not available yet.
No, Geneforge 1 - Mutagen does not support VR.
Geneforge 1 - Mutagen is a single-player game.
Yes, there is a DLC available for Geneforge 1 - Mutagen. Explore additional content available for Geneforge 1 - Mutagen on Steam.
No, Geneforge 1 - Mutagen does not support mods via Steam Workshop.
No, Geneforge 1 - Mutagen does not support Steam Remote Play.
Yes, Geneforge 1 - Mutagen is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for Geneforge 1 - Mutagen.
Data sources
The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.
Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.
Last Updates| Steam data | 04 September 2026 09:22 UTC |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 11 September 2026 11:12 UTC |
| Steam price | 11 September 2026 18:37 UTC |
| Steam reviews | 10 September 2026 05:57 UTC |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about Geneforge 1 - Mutagen, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.
- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about Geneforge 1 - Mutagen
- SteamCharts - Analysis of Geneforge 1 - Mutagen concurrent players on Steam
- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck Geneforge 1 - Mutagen compatibility
Game modes
Features
Online players
1
Developer
Spiderweb Software
Publisher
Spiderweb Software
Release
24 Feb 2021
Platforms