Little Witch in the Woods

This game was a delightful surprise. Truly, it astounds me that only 3.5% of players have actually finished it, because it was a wonderful adventure. Little Witch in the Woods simply oozes charm out of every crevice, and you can tell that the developers really put their heart into the story they were trying to tell and the rest of the game in general. First of all, the art style is so lovely, and the spritework and animations are a treat for the eyes. every character is unique and thoughtfully drawn, and I enjoy watching Ellie's silly little walking animation as she wanders around the world. Also I love that the cats have different body shapes in addition to their patterns, it's a nice little detail. Speaking of the cats and critters, there are so many to discover! Not just the cats, but the other creatures around the world as well. And these creatures aren't just reskins of each other like you'd find in some other games; every single one of them is unique in appearance, behaviour, and harvest method. In order to fill out the encyclopedia entries and find the most efficient harvest method for each creature and plant, you need to use your resources and surroundings and get creative, which I love. I also appreciate that the encyclopedia offers hints as to how best to harvest the resources, but at the same time doesn't really hold your hand about it. The potion/candy-making minigame is charming as well, but I appreciate the ability to unlock auto-crafting, as doing it over and over again can grow dull and time-consuming. Same with the reagent processing as well. That said, I really enjoy the minigame, it is quite cute and chill. I will say though, I played on controller, and I really wish that you could rotate the joystick to stir the cauldron instead of just holding it to the side! I think it would add a layer of immersion, and it seems like that's what the directions are telling you to do anyway, which was a source of initial confusion for me. Anyway, it's also so big for an indie game of this genre! There's a lot of world to explore, and the main story took me around 50 hours to complete, which is quite impressive. It didn't feel like it was wasting my time, either. I was looking forward to the next step in the journey the whole time, and even the side quests were quite rewarding. I also love the characterization and the (conceptual) writing. I'll talk more about my gripes with the writing style itself in a moment, but the actual concepts and characters are quite fleshed out and thoughtful, and I truly did love the story and the protagonist. I can see how Ellie might be annoying to some, but to me she's quirky and charming and adventurous, always following her heart. I genuinely appreciated a lot of the things she had to say or how she approached situations. I did get rather tired of the hat, though. I also really liked how each character is unique and has their own story to tell. I haven't unlocked all of their stories yet, but what I have I've enjoyed. I like most of the characters, except two of them (screw you, Theo). Overall the writing is very engaging, and the ending brought a tear to my eye. Very heartwarming. Now, on to my gripes. Really the biggest one is the writing style. The authors do not seem to be fluent in English, as the writing is very clearly and not very well translated. The sentences simply do not flow naturally like English sentences usually do, and characters will often say a phrase that just isn't quite right. Most of the time the meaning isn't lost and I can still understand what's going on, but I do wish they had hired someone to proof-read their work and make sure it makes sense in English. Also sometimes dialogue went on for a little longer than I thought was necessary, but it never got to the point where I didn't care what the characters were saying (unlike some other games I've played). There were also some story details that didn't seem to fully get wrapped up, but really those were the exception to the rule. I was surprised by how many details were referenced later in the game and were actually significant, and a lot of little things carried a deeper meaning. All in all, I strongly urge you to overlook the writing style. This game is a hidden gem that is so thoughtfully made in practically every aspect, and it is truly a game that tries to be something, tries to tell a meaningful story. You don't get that a lot in the genre of indie cozy games, and it is so refreshing to see. As I said, this game has heart, and I don't think you'll regret spending $20 on it.