Video Game Backlog #1 Witchy Life Story (Switch Version) [Review]
Hi! Welcome to my project where I play through my backlog of video games. I play a new game picked at random for a week, and rank it on an ongoing list!
Starting off is Witchy Life Story. Witchy Life Story is a game released in 2022 created by indie team Sundew Studio. I couldn't find a whole lot of info about the studio, and they only have one other project out in the wild.
The game itself followed our main character, aptly named Possum von Tessel on a quest to complete their witch training. They're doing this by helping the quaint village of Flora with their Harvest Festival. Through this, Possum grew closer to the different characters and even scored a date by the end of the game.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time with this game. It's got a very wholesome cozy cottagecore vibe. Now this game will not be for everyone as it has a very silly tongue-in-cheek writing style that some people may find unfunny (but personally I laughed out loud multiple times). Think Tumblr humor, and that should tell if this is for you or not.
I loved that the game not only featured the option to choose your characters pronouns, but even had a non-binary romance option. This type of inclusivity is something that I am definitely here for.
The story is what the bulk of this game is about, as it's very much a visual novel with a gardening and spell making mini-games. While I liked the writing, I found the gameplay a little basic and clunky, containing some strange choices. That said, despite the awkwardness and lack of depth, overall I had a good time with it. I could feel myself grow more comfortable with the system as the game goes on. I really did feel like I was becoming a witch!
It’s all presented in a very pretty package. The game utilizes a gorgeous cartoon style that captured the magical side of Flora perfectly. Sadly, the Switch version did not allow me to take screenshots that I could use for the review! Again, strange choice. The game had a robust and visually appealing character creater, and I was really bummed I couldn’t show Possum von Tessel to everyone.
Overall, Witchy Life Story gets a solid 7/10 from me. I really liked the story and enjoyed the cozy witch vibe. While I would have liked the game play aspect to be a little more involved, it was serviceable. If you like quirky, light-hearted visual novels, I'd say this is worth picking up.
