MAGIC FORGE TYCOON

Steam release on November 18th at $11.99! 

Forge your enchanted weapons and change the destiny of the entire kingdom!

Namur, Belgium, October 3, 2025: Clever Trickster is delighted to announce the release date of its second game, Magic Forge Tycoon, a casual fantasy management game. The game will be available in Early Access on Steam this November 18, 2025, for $11.99 with a launch discount of 20%! Version 1.0 is planned for €14.99.

After the vampiric satire of Blood Bar Tycoon, which transformed bloodlust into a biting metaphor for organic capitalism, Clever Trickster returns with a new strategic parody: this time, geopolitical conflicts are at the heart of the gameplay.

No stance is taken, but a subtle and absurd critique is served in a colorful and irreverent universe. True to its trademark, the studio delivers a cartoonish world on the surface, but one traversed by darker mechanics, without ever falling into ideology. The studio offers a strategic playground where humor serves as a mirror to power dynamics and where the player laughs... while wondering if they haven't crossed a line without realizing it.

The release is planned for PC, Mac, Linux, and Steam Deck. The game was also designed for optimal ergonomics on Steam Deck from the beginning of development. Currently, the game demo is already available on Steam.

Forge, enchant, and influence the realms!

In Magic Forge Tycoon, every hammer blow shapes history. Manage your astral forge, craft enchanted weapons, and decide the fate of warring kingdoms. Will you fuel conflicts or forge peace through your creations?

Master the economy, fulfill the demanding contracts of sovereigns, and inscribe your name among the greatest blacksmiths!

Master the art of forging

• Select the best weapon schematics, adjust every parameter, and apply perfect enchantments for unparalleled quality.

• Find the perfect balance between style and robustness to create exceptional weapons.

• Increase productivity to optimize your output and create masterpieces worthy of kings.

Develop and upgrade your workshop

• Purchase new technologies to accelerate production and refine your creations.

• Upgrade your forge to unlock advanced crafting techniques and increase your production capacity.

• Invest in research to discover new weapon designs and alchemical ingredients.

• Use exotic ingredients to create philtres and influence the kingdoms to whom you sell your weapons.

Control economy and trade

• Buy and sell materials on a dynamic market influenced by wars, alliances, and resource scarcity.

• Build up raw material stocks, anticipate price fluctuations and kingdom conflicts to get the best deals.

• Manage your resources wisely, as bad investments or shortages can cost you dearly!

Influence wars and politics

• Fulfill contracts for rival factions and observe how your weapons reshape the balance of power.

• Accumulate Favor Points to unlock better contracts, political advantages, and exclusive forge bonuses.

• Establish trading outposts in strategic regions to extend your influence.

• Increase your reputation with the kingdoms to gain exclusive advantages.

Become the greatest blacksmith in the kingdom!

Magic Forge Tycoon blends intuitive gameplay with deep management mechanics in a living, reactive world. Develop your forge, master trade, and discover how your creations shape the destiny of nations. Forge your legacy in fire and steel!

Team Interview 

Ludovic Mahieu (CEO, Game Director)

Ludovic Mahieu, co-founder of Clever Trickster, enthusiastically commented: "Game Dev Tycoon has always held a special place in the hearts of our team members. It's brilliantly accessible yet incredibly rich in depth. For my part, I've always been deeply inspired by Heroic Fantasy, especially by classics like Dungeons & Dragons and Naheulbeuk, which greatly influenced my art director and me. Combining these shared passions was the driving force behind Magic Forge Tycoon. I sincerely believe that passion is the cornerstone of creating extraordinary games!"

Why did you use AI in the game production pipeline? "The use of AI tools to help us develop the game faster was not unanimous within the team. Unfortunately, given the current economic situation, we had to finance the game from the studio's own funds. AI allowed us to generate initial drafts that could then be reworked by the team, thus optimizing our time and development costs. My conviction as studio manager is that these tools are here to stay and that we must integrate them intelligently into our pipelines so as not to be left behind, while maintaining a strong artistic identity. The challenge is therefore to optimize without betraying our creative vision. Keeping a studio afloat financially is not easy and it's a daily struggle."

Players can  add the game to their Steam wishlist and join our community on Discord but also test the game Demo on Steam.

Virginie Maréchal (COO, Producer)

Virginie Maréchal, co-founder of the studio, adds: "At Clever Trickster, we like to create accessible games, light in appearance, but which always hide a deeper meaning. It's not our role to be standard-bearers or to take a stand, but we find it important to address themes that echo our reality. We like the idea that games can serve as a mirror of the world, especially today."

"Magic Forge Tycoon is a joyful, colorful, frankly funny and light game... and yet, we almost forget that we are managing an arms trade, with very real consequences for the warring kingdoms. Do we support peace? Perhaps. But at what cost on the ground? Who really benefits from our decisions?"
 
"This kind of discrepancy, between tone and substance, is something that greatly amuses us as a studio. And for this project, we also wanted to go further in how it was built: the entire team was involved very early on, both in design choices and narrative directions. It's a deeply collective project, and that's reflected in the game. We are proud of the result... and very happy to have achieved it together."

About Clever Trickster Studio

Clever Trickster is a video game development studio founded in 2022 by game veterans passionate about strategy and management games. These genres have influenced the principles that guide the team: efficiency and innovation. The studio's ethos values equality, collaboration, and autonomy, creating an inclusive and supportive environment. The team constantly strives to improve to offer enriching gaming experiences, while keeping fun at the heart of the work.