From Cauldrons to Controllers: Exploring Witchcraft in Video Games

     I'm a gamer, and I'm a witch, so it's probably no surprise that I love when those two combine! I have a bunch of witchy games that I love to play, and even more on my list to check out. So, while I was stuck on the couch with a pain flare-up (I was working on my Wylde Flowers review, speaking of witchy games...), I thought I'd make a post about some of them!

    And to be clear, there are plenty of great games that are fantasy-based with extensive magic, and I love many of those, but this list is focused on games that bring the feeling of witchcraft to them -- herbology, potions, divination, etc. I will probably make another list of my favorite fantasy magical games -- I've got a lot of those, too! But for this, I wanted to keep the vibe on the "slightly more realistic" side of things.

    This post is divided up into 3 sections: games I've played or am currently playing, games I want to check out or are in my backlog, and upcoming releases that I've got my eye on. (A note on the last two: I am always interested in review keys from developers... but as a disclaimer, most of these, I've purchased with my own money.) Is there a game that belongs in this list but I've neglected to mention? I'd love to know about more, so feel free to leave a comment about any other witchy games you've played and enjoyed -- or want to play!

    Reading not your cup of tea? Check out the video instead!

 Games I've Played and Enjoyed

Little Witch in the Woods

    If you're yearning to escape society and go live your cottage core dreams in the forest, Little Witch in the Woods is the game for you! In this game, Ellie does exactly that, and fills her day with gathering herbs, making potions, and helping to rebuild a charming little village. It's a calm, combat-less game with endearing dialogue, simple puzzles, and lots to explore. Help your new neighbors, decorate your house, and learn all about being a witch in this charming game. Little Witch in the Woods is available on Steam and Xbox, and plays great on the Steam Deck. Check out my full review here! 

Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator

     If you're interested in herbology, look no further than Potion Craft! A very relaxing game with faux "old world" aesthetics, mix various ingredients together to discover potions and help the residents of your village. Unlike a lot of other games that have potion crafting as an element, this focuses on it. I love that you actually stir the ingredients yourself, and adjust how much heat you give any individual potion. There is so much experimenting to be had in this process, and in my opinion, it really feels like I'm making the potions -- or messing them up, as is often the case with my experiments. If you're interested in potions, definitely don't miss this game! It is currently available on Steam and will be available on all consoles. As a bonus, it plays great on the Steam Deck!

Wylde Flowers

    A game that I'm still exploring, Wylde Flowers merges together witchcraft and farming to create a cute hybrid game that caters specifically to me. Tend to your garden by day, learn magic by night -- and yes, use that magic to help your garden grow! The game is more story than sim, at least as far as I've gotten so far, but that's fine with me. I'm having fun learning secret magic as the town divides into pro-magic and anti-magic factions. (Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this game from the publisher, and a full review will be coming soon!) Wylde Flowers is available on Steam, iOS, and Nintendo Switch. I hear that it plays well on the Steam Deck, but I haven't had a chance to play it much there yet, so that will also be included in my full review.

Cartomancy Anthology

     Cartomancy Anthology is a collection of 22 short games that explore the major arcana of tarot. It doesn't get more real-life witchy than that! Each of these games provides soul-searching opportunities to bring clarity to your life, and can even be used as divination if you want to. I've done a full review of this game before, so head over there if you're interested in more! I definitely think that any witchy gamer should check it out.

Games on my Wishlist/Backlog

Strange Horticulture

    I picked up Strange Horticulture a while ago, but it's gotten stuck in my backlog. But the premise sold me instantly! You tend to and grow plants, and have a cat companion! Oh yeah, and there's a plot too, I guess, but you had me at plants and cats. Wander the woods nearby to discover new species, use your herbology skills to identify them and their uses, and try not to delve too deep into dangerous territories while gathering specimens. Doesn't it just sound great? This is definitely near the top of my list to get to! 

Witchy Life Story

    I just recently picked up Witchy Life Story in a Humble Bundle, but it had been on my list for a while before that. And, while I'll say that the title isn't exactly unique or creative, it does get its point across -- it's a life sim, where you play as a witch. Tend your garden, practice magic, befriend the townspeople. Simple, straight forward, and exactly what I want -- in a game and real life! Oh, wait, I already do the first two, does that mean I should actually talk to my neighbors? Eh, maybe I'll just start up this game and talk to those neighbors instead. 

Wytchwood

    Wytchwood takes its influence from the witches of fairy tales -- you play the morally dubious witch who crafts potions and meddles in people's affairs to "teach them a lesson". Yes, you can turn people into frogs and curse those you feel really deserve it. We don't always have to be the "good witch", and it sounds like Wytchwood is a delightful take on this. Personally, I'm a huge fan of fractured fairy tales, and this seems to be in line with that concept, so I'm really excited to check it out! I love unique takes on fairy tales, and the few movies that we've gotten from villains' points of view, like Maleficient, only fulfill the need a little. I think this game sounds great for that!

Teacup

     Teacup is an adorable game about planning a tea party. Okay, from that premise, it doesn't sound explicitly witchy, but bear with me here. First of all, you are the CUTEST frog, and we all know witches and frogs go together. I mean, I just talked about them in Wytchwood! Also, there's a whole questline about getting magical ingredients for your tea, from magicians of course! But really, I'm including this because... is there anything that is inherently more magical than tea? I mean, I did a whole episode about tasseomancy and the magic of tea for Celestial Cafe, the podcast I was on! Tea is good for the body, good for the soul. Combine different herbs to create different effects -- it's just alchemy! And this game is all about making the perfect teas for just what your friends need. The restorative power of tea is magic, and this game embraces that at its heart.

Upcoming Releases I Can't Wait For

REKA

     Now, it's time to talk about the games that haven't released yet but I'm excited for. That backlog isn't going to grow itself! Well, okay, sometimes I think it does, but still. REKA tops this list of anticipated games. I can't stop talking about it -- I work at a witchcraft book publishing company, and I've gotten literally everyone interested in playing it... when it releases next year. In this game, you play as Baba Yaga's apprentice, learning magic as you help people with herbology in the 19th century. You live - and travel - in a chicken-legged hut that you design and decorate yourself. It's truly a witch's dream, especially a witch obsessed with decorating in games like me, and I can't wait for its release -- but I have to. But rest assured that I'll definitely be reviewing it when it releases!

Grimoire Groves

    Grimoire Groves is a delightful (and colorful!) magical take on farming sims. In fact, it's technically not a farming sim at all -- its official genre is "rogue-lite dungeon crawler", but farming is a part of it regardless! Use the power of magic and the different elements to make your garden grow, in addition to exploring secret, magical forests with unique spirits. Help and befriend a siren, dryad, basilisk, and other magical creatures as you explore the procedurally generated forest and strengthen your powers. There's a demo available on Steam, and I've had so much fun playing it already!

Witchbrook

     Who hasn't dreamed of going off to a witchcraft school? You can finally live that life with Witchbrook, a cute life sim that's all about learning magic, making friends, and discovering mysteries. Enjoy all the staples of sim games like gardening, fishing, and romance, and work hard on your assignments to graduate at the top of your class -- and maybe have a cute date to the prom! All this sounds pretty great, right? I've been keeping an eye on this game for years, and although it's been a while, it's developed by indie team Chucklefish so I'm sure it's going to be worth the wait. (Side note: if you're itching for magic school life in the meantime, check out Magician's Quest: Mysterious Times! It's an interesting take on "Animal Crossing goes to magic school" and I love it!)

Magical Delicacy 

     I learned about Magical Delicacy through the Wholesome Direct, and was instantly sold on it. Kitchen witches, this one's for you! And for those of us who fantasize about being kitchen witches, it's for us too. I hate cooking but I love the idea of kitchen witchery. If you understand that sentiment, check out this game where you use the power of different ingredients to fulfill townsfolk's needs. The game promises a robust cooking system, with plenty of room to experiment and make your own creations to satisfy customers, so the creatively minded kitchen witch will love getting their digital hands dirty coming up with all sorts of new recipes. It will also feature platforming to explore areas for ingredients, a shop (and home?) to decorate, and lots of characters with their own stories to learn about. Additionally, the developer, skaule, is working hard to bring a variety of accessibility features to the game so players can play in ways that work for them, including high contrast platforming and adjustable UI scaling. Seeing developers address accessibility in a proactive manner like this, instead of waiting for players to raise concerns, is such a great thing to see, and makes me very optimistic about this game. I'm very excited to keep an eye on this one as development continues! 

Sustainability Meets Fantasy: Exploring the Solarpunk World of Loftia

    Let's talk about Loftia! Loftia is an upcoming cozy MMO with a super cute art style and unique gameplay that's currently in development, and it has an active Kickstarter right now! I first saw this game in the Wholesome Direct in June, but I really checked it out when a friend messaged me saying she'd love to see me cover it. So, thank you for the recommendation, because I am indeed VERY excited, and can't wait to share it all with you! So, let's take a look at the unique elements of this life sim that promise to make Loftia a great experience.

(Psst, video more your style? Check it out here!) 

    Loftia is based around solarpunk, a sci-fi subgenre that is community-oriented and focused on conservationism and living sustainably in a modern/future world. Already, they've sold me with this idea, as environmentalism has always been close to my heart. I was unfamiliar with solarpunk as a name, but it's everything I've ever wanted in sustainable living, and I'm excited to explore it in this game. Additionally, solarpunk being the core of Loftia's gameplay means that it'll be a fresh take on the life sim genre, especially farming. Learn about true sustainable living with hydroponic farms, wind turbines, and solar panels. The developers did a lot of real-world research on these, including traveling to a solar and wind farm to learn more!

     Due to the nature of all these sustainable themes, gardening isn't standalone in this game, which I love. In farming sims, what you do (or don't do) on your farm largely doesn't matter to the rest of the town. But in Loftia, your farming is an integral part of the entire community, helping to build a better future for everyone. It's more than just a means to make money; what you do and how you do it matters in Loftia.

    I just love this entire theme of building a community together. I mean, that's what MMOs are all about, right? I don't want to feel alone in an MMO, I want to feel like I'm actually a part of something. I've made some great friends and memories through other MMOs, especially Elder Scrolls Online, and I'm excited to do so in a game that's centered around the theme of community.

     In this vein, the Loftia team has spoken a little about community events in the game, and I'm definitely excited for them! There are already plans for community projects where the entire server works together to accomplish a goal or restore an area, and I love the sound of this! And if you want something more low-key, Loftia will feature unique community spaces like a study cafe, where you can hang out with friends while each doing your own work. I have a feeling that I'm going to be utilizing this a lot when I'm editing videos!

    Additionally, Loftia's ideals about community don't exist just in game. They've created a great, fun, and welcoming discord community, and host lots of unique events like bingo nights, coloring hangouts, and study sessions. I love these – it was so much fun to learn early Loftia trivia through bingo, and co-working sessions is just what my ADHD brain needs sometimes. Okay, most of the time. I love that Loftia is providing these gently productive spaces both in and out of the game. Oh, and they're currently running a fan art contest, so get in the discord if you haven't already! Link is down below. We'll see if I manage to finish my entry in time... but it's a secret for now!

    Okay, all of these things are great, but let's talk about one of the things I'm especially excited about: pets! They have so many different pets planned – from the common pets like dogs and cats, to ducks and capybaras. And Loftia's art style is already cute, which I love, but the animals are super cute! You'll be able to dress them up, take them around town, and own as many as you want! I'm definitely going to collect them all, starting with the two kickstarter exclusives! I love collecting pets and mounts in MMOs, and Loftia is already starting off strong in this regard, with even more species of pets to be revealed in time!

     Alright, it's time to talk about the big one. The thing I'm most excited about, and if you're familiar with my content, this should be no surprise: housing. Living in Loftia comes with your own house to decorate how you want, and with the game's cute art style, I can't wait to make my Loftian space so pink and cozy! The devs have previewed some furniture themes already, including goth and cyberpunk, and have been gathering more suggestions in the discord. Personally, I'd love to see dark academia themed furniture sets, so I'm holding out hope for that. But we all know, as long as you give me plenty of plants to decorate with, I'll be happy! Plus, I'm getting the bio luminescent furniture pack from the kickstarter, so I'll already have some great themed furniture at the start!

     Thanks to making a kickstarter goal early on, Loftia will be expanding the community aspect to housing too, if you want. You can share a house with a partner or friend and decorate together, both having all permissions to make the perfect co-habiting space. Additionally, a stretch goal for club housing was just unlocked – similar to guild halls in other MMOs, you'll have a space to gather with friends and decorate together! I'm so excited to see how this comes together when the game releases.

    Doesn't all of this sound amazing? If you're interested in getting the game for a discounted price, head over to their Kickstarter to see what rewards you can get for supporting its development. Personally, the rewards were so good that I increased my pledge from what I'd initially planned, but I'm just so excited for it all! And look at the amazing stretch goals they've already met – aquaponics, relic collecting, club housing, and more! And there are still more exciting goals to reach for – I'm personally hoping we hit the goals for animal conservationist and more biomes. But regardless, everything they've shown us and planned for already looks to be amazing, and I can't wait to start playing when it's ready for alpha next year!

     What do you think? Are you excited for this cozy MMO? Are there features you'd love to see that haven't been mentioned yet? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Gaming Forecast: Most Anticipated Upcoming Games

     I have a lot of games in my backlog, but that doesn't stop me from looking ahead and filling my wishlist for the future! So, today, let's take a look at some indie games that haven't released yet but I'm super hyped for! Reading not your cup of tea? Check out the video instead!

Go-Go Town!

    Let's start off with the obvious: if you've browsed my channel or blog, you've probably noticed more than a few mentions of Go-Go Town! and its development team, Prideful Sloth. I absolutely love this dev team and their previous titles, Yonder: the Cloud Catcher Chronicles and Grow: Song of the Evertree. In a slight departure from those open world adventures, but retaining the charm and coziness they provide, Go-Go Town! is a town building and management sim that blends Animal Crossing with Sim City. Choose what shops to build, which workers to hire, and what aesthetic your town will have. There's a system for automation, so you can let everyone else handle the day-to-day affairs of gathering materials and selling goods, or you can ignore that in favor of micromanaging it yourself. The game is still early in development, so there are many features yet to come, but I've really enjoyed the playtests so far and watching it develop! Go-Go Town! is set to release sometime in 2024, and you can wishlist it on Steam here. You can also sign up for future playtests over on their website! It will be available on consoles, including the Switch, but playtests are only on Steam at the moment.

REKA

    Another game that I just can't seem to stop telling people about is REKA. In this witchy game, you are Baba Yaga's apprentice, learning herbology to help people throughout the countryside. Roam around to find different herbs for a variety of uses -- but if that already sounds fun, the method of transportation is the most exciting part here. Instead of the usual ways, traverse the lands by way of your very own chicken-legged hut, just like Baba Yaga herself! As if that wasn't enough, you're also able to build and decorate the hut however you want -- a feature I love in games and am obviously super excited for! I love Baba Yaga and, as a witch obsessed with sim and decorating games, this is the perfect blend for me! REKA is set to release in 2024 and you can wishlist it on Steam here.

Palia

     A game I've been keeping my eye on since it was announced a couple years back, I just get more and more excited as Palia's release draws near! Palia is basically what I've always wanted: it's a sim game, but also an MMO. So you have your own farm to take care of and house to decorate, but when you leave your house to adventure, you can do so with friends! It has all the staples of farm and life sims that you'd expect: farming, fishing, cooking, decorating, helping neighbors... with lots of different areas to explore and plenty of people to accompany you as you do so. I'm SO excited for this! If you're excited too, I've got great news for you: open beta for Palia on PC starts on August 10th! Full release will be coming in the holiday season of 2023, will be free to play, and will be available on both PC and Switch (with other consoles possibly coming later). Interested in the game? Use my referral link to get an exclusive welcome gift when the game starts! (On a similar note, I need to check out more about Loftia, another cozy MMO sim that looks up my alley!)

Mika and the Witch's Mountain

     Honestly, I could, and often do, talk about sim games all day, and I had to exercise considerable restraint to not dominate the list with them. But for my fourth choice, let's take a look at another game that revolves around witchcraft: Mika and the Witch's Mountain. Unlike Reka (hey, they rhyme! ...I think), this game leans much more heavily towards the fantasy version of witchcraft, as you ride your broom around an island delivering packages to your neighbors. Learn how to be the best witch you can be and discover plenty about yourself as you explore this colorful and cute game. It's very akin to Kiki's Delivery Service, except you have a bird as a companion instead of a cat, and as a huge fan of that movie, I can't wait to try my own hand at delivering goods as I whiz through the air on my broom! Mika and the Witch's Mountain is set to release in October 2023, will be available on PC and all consoles (Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox), and you can wishlist it on Steam here. I backed it on Kickstarter a while back, so I'm just waiting for the day it releases!

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time

    For my final game, possibly the game I'm MOST excited about (sorry, Prideful Sloth!): Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, a sequel to the original Fantasy Life, is actually being made! Fantasy Life is my favorite game of all time, I loved it so much and put hundreds of hours into the delightful 3DS game, getting 100% completion on my main save file. But, even though I and the three other people in the Fantasy Life fandom (lol) yearned for a sequel, it seemed to be a lost cause after Level-5 first botched "sequel" news with a mobile reskin of the first game, and then closed their North American offices. But they surprised everyone when a proper sequel, Fantasy Life i, was announced earlier this year! We haven't gotten much information on the game, but I look forward to more of Reveria and tons of hilarious dialogue like we got in the first game. (Missed out on the first game but curious? I have a playthrough of the base game up on my old YouTube channel!) Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time was announced to release sometime in 2023, but we have no further information at this time. It will most likely be a Nintendo Switch exclusive.

    There are so many more games that I'm looking forward to in the next year, including a ton of unique sim games like Grimoire Groves, Moonlight Peaks, and Aloft. But, in the interest of keeping this relatively brief, these are my top 5 most anticipated games. Which ones do you plan on checking out when they release? Anything else I should keep an eye on? Let me know!