First off, thanks to Loki for bringing up this game because that's how I found out it existed. Read his post and maybe that's enough to make you want to play, like it was for me--this thread is mostly reiteration just to raise the game's visibility further; I played through it and it's definitely the kind of game that makes you want to root for it and pass it along to others.
This is one of the freshest games in the genre, in how it nails every aspect of the production: the premise is sound, the aesthetics fantastic, the world design captivating, the mechanics of play considered, engaging and even novel. Usually at least one of these things is lacking, but here there are no weaknesses to be discerned. Since the game is fairly recent, and its running time short, it begs to be experienced for one's own so detailed, effusive praise must be withheld for the sake of firsthand interaction, but that's about the strongest recommendation that one could give it: you don't want to spoil any little detail because this game is comprised of hundreds of tiny moments that make up its entirety.
Keeping to sufficient vagueries, one of the best aspects of The Witch & the 66 Mushrooms is just the sense of place about the world and the interactions therein: nothing is belaboured or tiresomely laid out in dreary lore notes--the world simply is and is there to be taken at face value, and is treated with a lightness of storytelling that's become increasingly uncommon in the medium. That's why for the few hours it takes to see everything there is to see in the game it feels much larger in your mind, because it makes you want to believe in the mysteries it could yet possess instead of dangling present material and obscuring the connecting threads to maintain intrigue. It's a setting that's thematically consistent and familiar for the fairytale elements that form it, but also inexplicable in function so it doesn't come off as rote for the material covered. The tributes to medium and genre-relevant influences are also kept subtle and innocuous enough as to naturally integrate into the work, and not overshadow the rest, which is a welcome approach.
I'd rather keep it short here because The Witch & the 66 Mushrooms goes out as an universal recommendation, and is neither a big time or monetary investment. Please play it.
This is one of the freshest games in the genre, in how it nails every aspect of the production: the premise is sound, the aesthetics fantastic, the world design captivating, the mechanics of play considered, engaging and even novel. Usually at least one of these things is lacking, but here there are no weaknesses to be discerned. Since the game is fairly recent, and its running time short, it begs to be experienced for one's own so detailed, effusive praise must be withheld for the sake of firsthand interaction, but that's about the strongest recommendation that one could give it: you don't want to spoil any little detail because this game is comprised of hundreds of tiny moments that make up its entirety.
Keeping to sufficient vagueries, one of the best aspects of The Witch & the 66 Mushrooms is just the sense of place about the world and the interactions therein: nothing is belaboured or tiresomely laid out in dreary lore notes--the world simply is and is there to be taken at face value, and is treated with a lightness of storytelling that's become increasingly uncommon in the medium. That's why for the few hours it takes to see everything there is to see in the game it feels much larger in your mind, because it makes you want to believe in the mysteries it could yet possess instead of dangling present material and obscuring the connecting threads to maintain intrigue. It's a setting that's thematically consistent and familiar for the fairytale elements that form it, but also inexplicable in function so it doesn't come off as rote for the material covered. The tributes to medium and genre-relevant influences are also kept subtle and innocuous enough as to naturally integrate into the work, and not overshadow the rest, which is a welcome approach.
I'd rather keep it short here because The Witch & the 66 Mushrooms goes out as an universal recommendation, and is neither a big time or monetary investment. Please play it.
