Wytchwood

A pop-up picture book with a lovely feel - but busywork intrudes too often.

A dark fairy-tale to-do list that takes full advantage of its premise and has a lot of fun with it. You'll fall in love with Wytchwood's no-nonsense crone.

Wytchwood is a crafting game, through and through - and a good one. It smartly puts its focus purely on the act of gathering materials to create a wide range of objects, with little else to distract from the core crafting mechanic. It's backed up by a great soundtrack and a reasonably well-told but ultimately forgettable tale as you trawl through the various areas searching for ingredients. Trying to locate specific items can at times feel exhausting and drags down the pacing of the game, and the gorgeous visuals are unfortunately hampered by a slight frame rate jitter. Ultimately though, Wytchwood is a relaxing and addictive jaunt into the world of crafting.

At its core, Wytchwood is a well-crafted game whose world is both beautiful and terrifying. The entire game is visually stunning and, at least on PC, technically flawless. The gameplay is incredibly engaging, especially in the first few hours. Something interesting awaits around every corner, whether it’s a character, a location, or a quest. Unfortunately, in its second half, the game devolves into a tedious repetition of mundane tasks and offers players nothing new beyond the story, which, however, fails to compensate for the tedious gameplay. The result is a title that is certainly worth checking out, but you’ll need to consider how many times you’re willing to repeat the same activity over and over for the sake of a bit of story.

Wytchwood is a dark fantasy indie adventure game that immerses you into a phantasmagorical land with endless troubles thanks to the villainous animal antagonists that inhabit it. Luckily, or not so luckily, you play an old witch who has made a pact with an ancient, black goat that's fond of eating grimoire pages and expects you to do something about the fairytale world's woes. What ensues is hours of hilariously creative dialogue and story, framed by colorful characters, relaxing music, and an enjoyable crafting system. There are always more spells to cast and mushrooms to pick for those that know where to look. Wytchwood is one of those rare gems that supports its rich story with a very successful crafting and gathering system that rewards creative and conniving crones. Collect all the souls and maybe, just maybe, you can enjoy that nap in your rocking chair without fairytale creatures knocking down your door for help. Who are we kidding? There's always another villain.

Cute, fun, and quite literally fetching; Wytchwood blends all of its elements together wonderfully, although there is little reason to play more once you conclude the 10–12 hours' worth of story.

For those who like puzzles, Wytchwood offers several opportunities to face challenges before advancing on the map. The game does not have an open world, but it guarantees vast scenarios to be explored and unlocked as the player conquers new skills and finds new resources. If you want to play something that challenges you in a fun and not frustrating way, I recommend jumping into this adventure with fantastic beings, unique characters full of side quests to offer and discoveries about the mystery behind the sleeping girl.

"Witches daydream."

I couldn't think of any reason why you shouldn't buy this game when it's hard to have fun at these prices in this day and age. It's a game that can easily take your time and do it in a quality way, Wytchwood.

Wytchwood is an incredibly simple experience, but at the same time it manages to be fun, engaging and ideal for every player.