Magical Camp is an Eastern-style RPG made in RPG Maker VX Ace, created by HLF and his team. It is part of the Historica of Lovely Fate setting.
The game follows an unfortunate protagonist named Eric who, through a strange twist of fate, winds up stranded in an extra-dimensional training camp for Magical Girls. Realizing there is no easy way back home, "Erica" is helped out by some of the resident Magical Girl trainees who disguise him as a girl in order to avoid the attention of Director Marianne, a terrifying woman who runs the camp and holds an inexplicable hatred for men.
It is up to the player to guide Eric(a) as they try to survive Magical Girl training, battling deadly Magicos and navigating social interactions. Make friends with your fellow trainees to create a team, and clear dungeons to grow more powerful by the day, but be aware that your actions may gradually alter Eric, both in mind and body. You might have arrived eager to escape, but changing too much might make you reconsider. Choose your actions wisely and you might find your way back home, fall in love, or maybe even save the world!
Choose poorly, and... well, things can go bad in a lot of ways.
Gameplay
Magical Camp is a turn-based RPG in which the player takes control of a team of Magical Girls and guides them through the game world, interacting with various NPCs, advancing story lines, and developing character strengths to take on tougher enemies.
The game utilises a day-night cycle split into four phases:
- The Morning Phase, where the hub map (the titular Magical Camp) can be explored, people can be interacted with, and preparations done.
- This is followed by the Day Phase, where the team leaves the camp to head out into dungeons or occasionally on missions to fight the Magicos and their minions who threaten the multiverse (although this generally occurs in confined spaces with little in the way of mortal danger).
- Whether you succeed or fail, the team then returns to camp for the third phase, Dinner Time, where the camp can be explored once again, although different NPC interactions happen.
- Finally, Eric(a) goes to bed through one of several options, such as having dinner with another character or by ordering at the cafeteria. Although usually uneventful, the Sleep Phase may contain dreams or other events. Afterwards, the cycle starts anew.
Unlike many games in this genre, Magical Camp has no experience or leveling system whatsoever, relying instead on in-game events and player choices to determine what powers and abilities you have at your disposal. Character attributes change based on the equipment they wear, the transformations they undergo, and their trust and friendship with each other. Additionally, characters and enemies alike have elemental strengths and weaknesses; taking advantage of these can make otherwise brutal challenges much easier. Finally, the game has no random encounters. Nearly all enemies can be seen moving about as blue flames, and the player can choose to engage or try to avoid these obstacles as they see fit.
A list of basic advices regarding combat mechanics can be found here. A fan-created walkthrough can be found here.