The Magician's Workshop

The Magician's Workshop is a 190,000-word interactive historical fantasy novel set in Florence in 1512. When your master’s body washes up in the Arno, you take over his workshop at Maria Novella and try to uncover the magical secrets behind his murder before your rival apprentices do. The story is entirely text-based, with your choices shaping what happens.

The workshop and its rivals

You inherit the workshop’s designs, paintings, marvelous machines and inventions, as well as your master’s book of spells, written in ciphers and magical invisible inks. His dangerous clients are losing patience, and two rival apprentices may become allies or lovers—or try to take the workshop from you. You can build your own team of magicians and artists and rise to power in Florence.

The city is marked by ruthless politics, art and magic, with the Medici banking family back in power. You can meet historical figures including Niccolo Machiavelli and the future Pope Leo X, while uncovering Florence’s secrets and deciding what to do with your discoveries.

Skills and inventions

You can play as a male, female or non-binary character, and choose to be gay, straight, bi, asexual or poly. Use skills in the arts or sciences to gain allies and buy time, or rely on your skill with a blade to stay safe in the streets. Alchemy, animation and soothsaying can help you create magical entertainments, win street fights and impress clients.

You can decode your master’s instructions and design and build inventions such as:

• A flying machine
• An unbreakable vault
• A wall-breaking weapon
• An enchanted pen and ink for a philosopher
• A refillable gold purse for bribes

You decide whether to sell a terrible new machine to the highest bidder or work with your fellow apprentices to build it in secret and use it to bring stability to Florence and Italy.

Life in Florence

You can paint a fresco in the public square, escape enemies in a boat chase on the Arno River, or spend time playing cards and talking politics in taverns. Your master made dark sacrifices to learn his magic, and your choices determine how far you are willing to follow in his footsteps.