Bite-sized Review:
Tiny Witch
Tiny Witch
Developer: Creative Hand
Release Date: 1 September, 2023
Platform: Windows, PS4, Xbox One
Genre: Simulation
By Chris Picone, 04 September 2023
Quite a few potion crafting games have come out lately, which has been fun. I love that while they all clearly share a strong theme (and often graphics), they've all got their own take on the idea and feel distinct from each other. Tiny Witch features less of the management aspect than others, instead focusing on the crafting and customer service aspects. What makes Tiny Witch different to the others? Your customers can get cranky and attack you! And there are other environmental challenges.
Aesthetics
Although the game does feature some RPG Maker-esque components where you get to see your little potion shop from the outside. Inside the shop we're treated to some lovely chibi-style pixel art; simple, but detailed enough, and thankfully colour coded to make it nice and easy to see everything clearly when you're in a hurry.
Gameplay
The gameplay loop is very simple. Customers attend the counter with a thought bubble indicating the product they want to buy. You have to make the product first, which usually involves first boiling soul stones in a cauldron and then adding the resulting soul element to a pestle station before then taking all of the desired ingredients to the crafting table to create the final product. The customers come thick and fast though, and they aren't patient, so you need to be efficient. Everything works on timers so never making an empty trip and ensuring all your cauldrons and pestles operate constantly is key to success. For an added challenge, if you take too long, you can over-cook your souls, wasting time. And to add even more challenge, many of the customers get cranky and attack you, and the shop leaks, adding an environmental obstacle. You can buy pets and decorations that give you boosts and bonuses as you play but really this game's all about player efficiency. It gets tricky fast, so you gotta play smart to win.
Verdict
I enjoyed my time with Tiny Witch and I'll likely revisit it at some stage but even with the constant trickle of new upgrades, recipes, and challenges, I did find it could get repetitive so I'd recommend playing it in short bursts rather than a long stint. As such, I'd say it's a great game for casual players. Mostly kid-friendly, although the speed and multi-step thinking required might be challenging for younger gamers.
Links: