The Last Spell

Ishtar Games, a French studio previously known for the survival management series Dead in Vinland, released The Last Spell on March 9, 2023 after a period in early access. The game blends turn-based tactical combat with city-defense building across a roguelite run structure, set in a world where a catastrophic magical event has left humanity sheltering behind crumbling walls while mutant hordes close in each night.

Each run is organized around a day-night cycle. During the day, players spend resources to rebuild their Haven: restocking supplies, forging weapons, constructing walls, traps, towers, and catapults, and managing the small pool of heroes who carry the entire defensive effort. At night, procedurally generated waves of enemies advance on the Magic Circle at the city’s heart, and losing it ends the run entirely. The tension comes from resource scarcity: healing and mana are limited, so each night’s engagement must be planned rather than brute-forced.

The tactical layer is dense. Heroes have no fixed class; players assign stat bonuses and perks freely and equip any weapon, each of which carries its own skill set. A character can be built toward long-range burst damage, area control, crowd suppression, or frontline endurance depending on whatever gear the run surfaces. Action points are the limiting currency of every combat turn, and enemies carry individual strengths and weaknesses alongside elite variants and map-ending boss encounters that demand positioning and sequencing rather than raw power.

Before each run, players configure their attempt using Omens, a system of selectable bonuses that lets them lean into extra action points, additional heroes, reinforced defenses, or improved loot. Five distinct Havens each present their own layout and strategic constraints, preventing a single defensive formula from carrying across the whole game. Unlockables accumulate between runs, gradually widening the available options rather than directly powering up heroes.

The game’s update history spans several years. It launched out of early access in March 2023 and continued receiving patches through the following years. In early 2026, Ishtar released a paid DLC called Tales of Torment alongside a free version 1.3 update, with the DLC developed openly through a closed beta period running into early 2026 before its February 5 launch. The studio has continued issuing patches into mid-2026. A crossover bundle with the game Blighstone appeared in April 2026. As of mid-2026, the Omens system remains the primary tool for tailoring run difficulty and build direction before the first enemy wave appears.