Knight in shining armor? Pah! With Wytchwood, I get to play as a witch with a cauldron head and that’s more badass. If knight got swords, she got ‘em potent spells and much more.

Words of wisdom? She got it. Here’s her take about luck: “I don’t trust any luck I don’t make myself.” 🔥

Puns? Sass? Hell yeah, and it’s not just her who got game. Here are some examples:

- Witch calling a sleazy fella a used cart salesman.
- “The Hawk’s in a fowl mood.”
- Witch to the Black Sheep, “Calm down, I didn’t come to fleece you.”

The point: The main character is interesting, and so are the others. The texts are fun to read, I didn’t feel the need to skip any dialogue.

Now, onto the gameplay:

I find the first four quests to be enjoyable. The sounds and visuals are a delight, and I can’t wait to hear and see more of it. Of course, I can’t also discount the initial excitement that comes with exploring the game for the first time.

By the time I am tasked to collect the second set of souls, the feeling that the game is becoming a slog fest started to creep in. It’s fun but tedious.

Skill issue? For me, yup. Once I knew better, everything became easier. As a result, collecting the third and last set of souls was a breeze. I did the job quick and without a hitch. It’s pure fun.

Remember how to deal with these, and you’re set: The Skeeters in the swamp, the Pumpkin Jacks in the fields, the Poisonous Newt in the swamps, the Ghastly Heads in the graveyard, and the Dryads in the forest. Also, don’t forget to stock up on jars, milk, and water!

Here’s another tip for a better gameplay experience: Instead of just winging it, it’s better to plan ahead. For example, the quest item requires a Pumpkin Jack bone as an ingredient. Here’s how I do the planning:

1. I take note that the bone comes from the Pumpkin Jack in the fields. Specifically, on the farm below the sunflower plantation.
2. The weakness of a Pumpkin Jack is a snagvine. To make a snagvine, I need some seeker vines and a sewing kit. I ask myself if I have ingredients for it.
3. More likely than not, I’ll have seeker vines but not the sewing kit. The recipe for the sewing kit requires reedy twines and a skeeter snoot. Do I have it?
4. Typically, I’ll have enough reedy twines and little to no skeeter snoot. To get the latter, I need to harvest a Skeeter by using a smoke pellet.
5. To make a smoke pellet, I need frog slimes, forest herbs, and some clay. From experience, I never ran out of those, so it’s all good.
6. The conclusion: I need to go find and harvest a skeeter first before I deal with the Pumpkin Jacks. So, go to swamp first, then field next.

This saved me from the frustration of going back and forth, and it only took me a second or two to do.

The point: The gameplay is good and very enjoyable especially if you’re into games centered around fetch quests. The middle part of the playthrough felt tedious, but I realize it’s on me.

Onto other things I like about the game:

- The inspiration behind the problematic souls in the game and how it symbolizes pressing issues such as exploitation of workers, price gouging, intolerance towards diversity, and predatory behavior.
- The implementation of journal to track quest requirements— concise yet very informative.
- The intuitive UI and controls— I didn’t feel the need to visit a wiki.

Now, on the dislikes (minor spoiler ahead):

- The ending. The “twist” is fine even if I saw it coming from a mile away; the problem is more on the ambiguity of it. No game, for me, it does matter to know what happened to the witch previously.
- (ME problem) The Dryad. At one point, I feel like I’m playing “Where’s Waldo?” in trying to find it. It’s just there, pfft. I’m also late to realize that there’s one just above the forest portal. Silly me.

Closing Remarks:

Wytchwood is @panini-approved! 👍 Four stars out of five. Huge thanks to @duhnuhnuh (profile) for giving me this game. Here’s the link to his Perpetual Steam Giveaway, enjoy!

The artstyle is beautiful!

... but overall it feels very lackluster.
It is Fetch Quest The Game. By the end of the game, you're running around gathering sticks to make a spell to make another spell to make another spell and etcetera.

The story feels too vague, the bosses are mildly annoying and not really big threats.
The reveal at the end is a let down, honestly.