This is one very unique game due to its controls. You decide an eyeball’s direction with the touch screen but it moves on its own. You can also stop the ball from moving by touching it once but you can’t control the eyeball directly. The levels, enemies and bosses are very well designed. I get strong GBA/Super Nintendo vibes with the soundtrack and graphics. There are many collectibles within the levels and modes such as hard, boss rush etc. However, the game’s controls while very refreshing and interesting, can also be seen as a weakness. The 6 worlds ramp up in challenge and there are times where it can get on my nerves when the controls can cause you to die easily. Still though, definitely give the game a try if you’re open to new gameplay wrapped up in retro style.

Witcheye is an enjoyable side-scrolling adventure/action game that stars Mable the Witch in her quest to retrieve stoles items from a wizard and a knight. In order to get her items back she turns into an eye and sets on a quest to retrieve them.

My absolute favorite thing about Witcheye is the art direction and graphics. The game has a retro-inspired SNES-to-GBA era look and feel that is very well done by the developer with tons of background and texture variety as well as great animated sprites for characters and enemies.

Gameplay is both a blessing and a curse for this game. It was definitely designed with mobile gaming in mind, however, it still works (for the most part) well with a controller (played this on the Steam Deck actually). You flick the control stick to send the witcheye in attack mode toward that particular direction. You use face buttons to stop the witcheye in place which can be a useful mechanic for navigation purposes and adjusting movement on the fly. Flicking the control stick can become a bit cumbersome since it doesn't offer the same level of precision movement that regular controls would provide. Late levels can be a major pain when dealing with multiple enemies and navigation through tight spaces within levels.

Environment effects such as wind and water affect the movement of the witcheye. Another major pro of this game is the variety in terms of enemies, mid-bosses, and main bosses. There are plenty of memorable fights in the game and I really enjoyed the mini-cinematic sequences before each boss fight.

Overall, I give Witcheye props for trying something unique. The flick controls can be annoying but the overall experience is positive with great enemy variety and a wonderful visuals and soundtrack. Definitely worth a shot for the low price of admission.

wow do i have some thoughts. the soundtrack in this game is amazing. i absolutely loved it, and definitely plan to listen to it on my own time outside of the game if possible. the sound effects were also great, and the art is very appealing. as for the gameplay, i was not a fan. flicking the joystick to shoot in one direction is the main gameplay mechanic, and i was open to it in the beginning. however, the mechanic itself was not satisfying at all. some of the enemies were insufferable, and i found myself trying to avoid the enemies entirely a lot of the time, even though it's kind of the whole point of the game. some of the enemies just required so much precision from a non-precise gameplay mechanic that it was entirely too tedious. the game is also just too short. i beat it in just over an hour and a half, and it ramps up in difficulty too quickly before the player can get used to the controls and get better with it in time. in the beginning i was flying through the levels, and by 3/4 of the game i found myself replaying every level 5 times because i just kept dying. in a lot of games, trial and error can be incredibly difficult but rewarding and satisfying. in this game, it was just irritating. i like challenge in my games, but not without satisfaction. however, despite my complaints, a lot of people seem to like this game and $5 i can't really super strongly recommend against it.