MADO MONOGATARI: Fia and the Wondrous Academy

A bright magic-school adventure gives this dungeon RPG a friendlier personality than its monster-filled corridors initially suggest. MADO MONOGATARI: Fia and the Wondrous Academy follows Fia, a determined new student who reaches a prestigious ancient academy hoping to become a Great Mage, only to find demanding lessons, odd classmates, and secrets tied to the school’s legendary past. Its tone lands between cute anime comedy and classic fantasy mystery, with familiar Puyo creatures sharing space with skeletons and more traditional dungeon threats. Beneath that approachable presentation sits a descendant of one of Japan’s long-running first-person dungeon-crawling series, which also spawned Puyo Puyo.

Fia spends much of her time descending randomized labyrinths, gathering treasure, fighting monsters, and deciding how far to push before supplies and inventory space become problems. Battles combine immediate positioning and turn-driven decisions, letting her use standard attacks and Magic Artes while collecting elemental energy to charge far stronger spells. Assignments and optional requests provide Learning Points, which feed into a Grimoire-style progression board that unlocks new magical techniques and expands Fia’s options. Back at the academy, the pace slows down: players talk with fellow students, take on small activities, raise ingredients, and cook curry that supplies useful dungeon bonuses.

The academy itself makes the loop more appealing than a bare sequence of randomized floors, giving Fia’s growth a sense of place and adding character-focused breaks between expeditions. Equipment crafting also matters, as dungeon materials can be synthesized into better weapons, shields, and armor, while further crafting possibilities open through progression. Its colorful art and playful creatures make it far less punishing in mood than Mystery Dungeon-style roguelikes, though inventory management and repeat dungeon runs still reward careful planning. Players who enjoy approachable dungeon RPGs, light school-life downtime, and Puyo Puyo’s whimsical visual legacy should find plenty to like, while genre veterans can appreciate the series’ older dungeon-crawling roots.