Developer: Red Fur Games
Platforms: PC (Reviewed), Switch
Genre: Action
Publisher: Application Systems Heidelberg
Witchtastic is a challenging co-op game where you need to brew and deliver potions as fast as possible. The game was developed by Red Fur Games and published by Application Systems Heidelberg. There are many games similar to Witchtastic, such as the Overcooked, Diner Bros, and Plate Up. This review was done for the PC, but the game is also available for the Switch.
Witchtastic can be played multiplayer or single-player. You can have a total of four people playing locally or even online. Playing locally on the PC is decent, where you can easily connect Xbox controllers through Steam. We found it much better playing with friends online as everyone had their own screen and could play from anywhere in the world. In Witchtastic, you play as aspiring witches who take on the role of making potions. You gather ingredients such as nightshade, garlic or mushrooms to fill up the boiling cauldron. This game is best played with others where quick communication and coordination are key. As you progress through levels, more obstacles become present, and you have to become wary of these dangers. Different levels have different settings, for example, the mines that challenge the player to use their surroundings.
The controls to Witchtastic are very straightforward. When starting the game, you can play either with a controller or keyboard. Both work efficiently, though using a controller is much easier. The controls are also highlighted when starting the game. As you start the first level, you have your trusty companion, Owly the Owl, who shows you the ropes of the game. I like that Owly acts as a guide in case any assistance is ever needed in the game. Buttons include walking, chopping, stirring, and interacting with objects. The controls are extremely easy to pick up on and helps with the pace of the game.
The art style for Witchtastic is very unique in that it looks like an old fantasy book. The map itself reminds me of those old storybook houses with straw roofs set within a forest. The game has a top-down view in which each house has different orientations. The art style also progresses as you progress through the game with more mobs, ingredients, and locations added. Each world also follows a different theme, which adds more life to the game. You end up encountering many dangers, such as haunted trees, hungry wolves, impassable swamps and many more, which you have to overcome. Each level has its own setting, and the details make it look like it’s out of a storybook. The game has a realistic yet cartoonish feel to it, which has some resemblance to the art style of ‘How To Train Your Dragon’. The game runs really smoothly and has great cohesion with the soundtrack for it. The soundtrack choice of Witchtastic is very whimsical and upbeat. When playing most of the levels, there is this upbeat music played that goes back and forth, which really fits the aesthetic of the game. It captures the essence of being witches and creating these potions in a fast-paced environment. The music has a bit of quirkiness to it as well, which is highly complimented by the sound effects in the game. You can hear these effects from cutting the ingredients to adding them to the cauldron to even the running steps of the witches.
In Witchtastic, there are many different worlds that you get to complete, each with unique characteristics and charm to it. The first area consists of 6 levels, the 2nd area consists of 6 levels, the 3rd area consists of 8 levels, the 4th area consists of 9 levels, and there’s even a 5th area. The game has many levels for you to indulge in, which makes it worth the buy. For each level, you also earn gems, which allow you to unlock the next world. Each level is out of 3 blue gems, which work similarly to stars in Overcooked. You can also unlock bonus levels if you gather enough gems for the place you reside in.
What I liked about this game is that the ingredients you can gather for the recipes are a part of the environment you are in. For example, one of the potion recipes requires mushrooms, and mushrooms are openly found in the open, which you can go and pick. The gameplay is very smooth, where recipes for the potions are shown somewhere in the house, and you and your friends have to cut, cook, and pick according to the recipe. Each level has a timer and a potion experience bar where you have to deliver enough potions to complete that level. The early levels of the game are easy to get through, but as you continue to progress onwards, the game gets more difficult. Another thing we enjoyed about this game was the levels getting bigger and the ingredients getting more spaced out. Most levels would also add more ingredients/potions for you to make to deliver to Owly. I really liked that when moving onto the next world, there’s a bit of a story to it where the townsfolk ask for the witch’s help, and we hop on our brooms to head over. There is also customization to the game where you can really make your witch the best witch there is. Customization includes change of hair colour, change of dress, change of head accessory and broom.
Three of the people we played this game with had the following comments to say about Witchtastic. First, Sapphire said the following, “Playing this game with a whole four-player party was definitely the way to go. I tried playing the game by myself, but it did start to get a bit boring, and with many others, it just adds better chaos and progression. The way the game looks and plays is really well done. Everything ran smoothly, and I found myself enjoying the game so much. Unlike most other ‘cooking’ party games, this game captured the best ingredient collection, which makes the game even more worth it. In one of the levels, there were ghosts, and the last thing I would have thought of was actually ending up collecting those ghosts as ingredients. The music to the game is also much fun, especially when it changes a bit when moving to the next area. I highly recommend this game if you want to play with friends.”
Second, Vroggo said the following, “I thought this game was loads of fun as you truly got to become a witch and create such interesting potions. I loved how each level also incorporated a new ingredient or new mechanic. My favourite part of the game would have to be the ability to ride on the broom. I thought that was so much fun. I really liked the game and had so much fun playing it!”
Third, Moody said the following, “I really liked this game as it was different from other types of party games I have played. I liked that the witches you played were actually embodied through the way the ingredients were collected. For example, if potions required roses, you would have to grow the roses in a pot and then collect them in order to cut them. This feature added more character to the theme of the game, which I really liked. On top of that, playing this game with friends was so much fun over time. As we progressed through the levels, we found ourselves getting stressed about delivering the potions within the required time. I enjoyed this game a lot and would definitely recommend it.”
Witchtastic is a game that everyone can play. It can be challenging at some stages, but overall is a really fun game to play with your friends or family. It truly lets you become a witch who gets to make the most insane potions. It adds a bit of challenge and chaos to your dynamic but with great visuals and music. You can play the game either online or locally. Witchtastic is a fun game to play if you wanna play something that’s different to other ‘cooking’ party games.
Overall: 8.5/10
This is S & S. We are world game explorers. We play games. We have played over 10,000+ games! We travel, we write reviews AND we play more games!!!!
