The Thief, the Witch, the Toad, and the Mushroom.

About

"The Thief, the Witch, the Toad, and the Mushroom" is a cozy yet mysterious narrative-driven game inspired by darker, older fairy tales. Players can explore 4 main character routes, align themselves with various supernatural figures, and discover multiple endings. The game encourages multiple playthroughs to uncover its secrets and hidden mysteries. This is a game of exploration, relationships, and choice in a unique, magical world.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

The Thief, the Witch, the Toad, and the Mushroom. screenshot

100%

Audience ScoreBased on 184 reviews

story36 positive mentions

The game features a captivating and well-crafted story with multiple choices and endings, making it highly engaging and replayable.
The artwork and writing are exceptional, creating a beautiful and immersive experience that draws players into its dark fairy tale atmosphere.
It's a free game that offers a unique and thought-provoking narrative, with a blend of humor and horror that resonates deeply with players.

The game is designed for a one-off playthrough, which may leave players wanting more and unable to explore all possible outcomes.
Some players found the pacing to be a bit rushed, wishing they could revisit earlier choices or explore different paths more freely.
There are moments in the writing that can feel preachy or overly sentimental, which may detract from the overall experience for some players.

story
100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
61%
3%
The game's story is widely praised for its intricate and engaging narrative, blending elements of humor, mystery, and emotional depth. Players appreciate the unique storytelling approach, reminiscent of classic "choose your own adventure" books, which allows for exploration of various paths and outcomes. The writing is described as captivating, with charming characters and a beautifully crafted atmosphere that keeps players invested in uncovering the story's many layers.
- “A gripping story taking the form of an old 'choose your own adventure' book, full of charming characters, great writing, and a lovely adaptive soundtrack.”
- “The story is well written, the characters are charming, and the atmosphere is immaculate.”
- “And by the time the story comes to an end, regardless of how you have chosen to end it, you're left with a sense of longing, to read those words for the first time again, to spend more time with those characters, to see more of this world that McNamee had so lovingly, and skillfully put together.”
- “Additionally, I answered correctly but still 'lost', which I wasn't sure was intentional by the developer, or if the story had to be forced into a certain direction to proceed.”
- “The story appeared classically fairy-tale mundane at first, but as the choices made progressed and the plot became more convoluted, the story became much more personal and endearing.”
- “It's a story that's eerily familiar, yet frightfully wrong.”
humor
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as both peculiar and engaging, with a mix of hilarious and terrifying dialogue that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the clever writing and meta jokes, which contribute to a captivating story filled with funny situations and intriguing secrets. However, some reviewers noted a decline in humor as the game progressed, leading to a more somber tone.
- “This game is as funny as it is peculiar (which is a lot).”
- “The characters are great, the story is funny, and it's almost hypnotic to just go through the game while exploring all the little secrets hidden that build up a very interesting background to the story.”
- “The more I played it, the more I appreciated that humor, with styles and ideas ripped from dozens of stories we're all at least a little familiar with.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The graphics of the visual novel are highly praised for their beautiful and captivating artwork, which effectively enhances the storytelling experience. Despite a limited budget and reliance on public domain art, the aesthetic quality is described as spooky and engaging, making it one of the best visual novels for many players.
- “The artwork is beautiful, and I was drawn right into the story.”
- “I also love the artwork; it’s so gorgeous.”
- “This is likely the best visual novel I've ever read, despite its shorter length and shoe-string budget built on public domain artwork. This is a story I will not soon forget.”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players consistently highlight the game's emotional impact, describing it as heart-wrenching and tear-inducing, particularly noting that it evoked strong feelings and led to tears, especially towards the end.
- “This game was so heart-wrenching!”
- “I cried a lot.”
- “This game made me cry in the end.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
17%
17%
The music in the game is praised for its lovely adaptive quality that enhances the gripping narrative and charming characters. However, some users note inconsistencies in the soundtrack and art due to the use of freely-available assets, expressing a desire to see how the music could improve with a larger budget.
- “A gripping story taking the form of an old 'choose your own adventure' book, full of charming characters, great writing, and a lovely adaptive soundtrack.”
- “The soundtrack adds a great deal.”
- “A lovely adaptive soundtrack.”
- “There's a bit of inconsistency in music and art due to the developer using freely-available assets for most things, so I'd really like to see what he can pull off with an actual budget.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its immaculate quality, enhanced by a well-written story and charming characters that contribute to an engaging experience.
- “The story is well written, the characters are charming, and the atmosphere is immaculate.”