The Witch of Fern Island

About

In "The Witch of Fern Island" , you take on the role of a witch living in a mysterious mansion on Fern Island. Your goal is to sell potions, talismans, and handicrafts to the inhabitants of Barrow End to earn money. Explore the vast, open world of the island, discover various biomes, and uncover mysteries while becoming a part of the local community.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

69%

Audience ScoreBased on 644 reviews

story48 positive mentions

grinding186 negative mentions

The game has a charming and cozy atmosphere with beautiful graphics and engaging gameplay.
There is a lot of content to explore, including various quests, crafting options, and seasonal changes.
The developers are responsive to player feedback and actively work on updates and improvements.

The game lacks clear direction and guidance, making it difficult for players to know what to do next.
There are significant performance issues, including crashes and lag, which can hinder the gameplay experience.
The inventory management system is cumbersome, with limited space and no way to easily organize or sell items.

story
348 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
80%
6%
The game's story is described as having potential but suffers from poor execution, with many players finding it disjointed and difficult to follow due to a lack of clear direction and quest markers. While some appreciate the magical realism and character interactions, others criticize the translation quality and the slow pacing of the main storyline, leading to frustration with quest progression. Overall, the narrative is seen as charming yet flawed, requiring improvements in guidance and flow to enhance player engagement.
- “The plot slowly reveals itself in a very rewarding way.”
- “Nevertheless, the game's captivating storyline and unique integration of witchcraft into farming mechanics inject a breath of fresh air into the genre.”
- “With its stunning visuals, captivating storyline, and charming characters, 'Fern Island' is a delightful adventure that will transport you to a world of magic and wonder.”
- “The story is boring and not engaging at all.”
- “For starters, the story is sparse and hard to follow.”
- “There is a story but it's disjointed and hard to follow because of the quest system.”
grinding
186 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback from players. While some find the grind necessary for progression and appreciate the variety of tasks available, others criticize it as tedious and overly slow, particularly in farming mechanics that drain energy quickly. Overall, the game offers a blend of farming, crafting, and exploration, but the grind can feel excessive for those seeking a more streamlined experience.
- “The world isn't that engaging to fill the time between quests, and your energy is extremely low, making you basically have to go to sleep before 10 AM when grinding for basic materials.”
- “You have to grind really hard in order to progress, which is not suited for a farming sim.”
- “The farming system is unnecessarily complicated and unrewarding.”
graphics
144 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
63%
4%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the beautiful and detailed artwork, particularly in character models and environmental elements, while others report significant performance issues, including lag, stuttering, and graphical glitches. Many users express frustration over limited graphics settings and optimization problems, especially on lower-end systems or specific platforms like the Steam Deck. Overall, while the aesthetic appeal is acknowledged, technical shortcomings detract from the gaming experience for a considerable number of players.
- “The graphics are beautiful and it is absolutely everything I want in a cozy game (as someone who loved Stardew, Song of the Evertree, Wylde Flowers, Coral Island).”
- “Beautiful graphics, relaxing gameplay, such a delight to play, lots of places to explore, things to collect and do.”
- “The graphics in the game are beautiful and meticulously detailed.”
- “The graphic quality is pretty terrible, to be honest - like you watch items render in real time from a fuzzy mess to somewhat discernible but it never becomes crisp.”
- “The devs decided to preset two graphic profiles with no ability to adjust any settings - so when your game stutters every ten seconds, blurs, etc., you can’t attempt to fix it.”
- “I genuinely had no motivation to play the game after completing the beginning tasks because the graphics are so distracting...and I wish I was being dramatic.”
gameplay
118 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
73%
7%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it repetitive and lacking polish, often feeling like a throwback to early 2000s titles. While some appreciate the charming graphics and unique mechanics, such as the integration of witchcraft into farming, others criticize the clunky controls, poor save mechanics, and a lack of modern quality-of-life features that hinder immersion. Overall, the game offers potential but suffers from significant issues that detract from the overall experience.
- “The witch of Fern Island stands as a beacon amidst the sea of farming sims, daring players to delve deeper into its enchanting blend of farming and survival mechanics.”
- “Nevertheless, the game's captivating storyline and unique integration of witchcraft into farming mechanics inject a breath of fresh air into the genre.”
- “The cute graphics and fun gameplay make it a pleasure to play, and the mysteries of the island keep me curious and engaged.”
- “It just doesn't seem necessary in a game like this, and makes the mechanics of the game worse than they already are.”
- “I can't recommend this game in its current state; game mechanics are clunky, character animations are subpar/nonexistent, and it runs like absolute garbage on my PC that is well above the recommended specs.”
- “1- Gameplay or story-wise, this game doesn't flow, feels incredibly slow, and gets boring and repetitive after a while.”
stability
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
88%
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting frequent glitches, crashes, and performance issues, particularly when adjusting graphics settings. While some users have experienced smooth gameplay, the overall consensus highlights a lack of polish, with common problems such as freezing, awkward camera movements, and bugs affecting immersion. Despite these issues, there is optimism within the community for future improvements as developers work alongside players to address the game's shortcomings.
- “This game is gorgeous and looks great, and runs fairly fast on my system.”
- “It is practically bug-free right now, with no glitches and zero major errors.”
- “But it crashes and/or freezes my computer just going back to the main menu--and my computer is more than able to handle the requirements of this game.”
- “Would have loved this game but it is buggy and crashes way too often.”
- “It stutters, stalls, freezes, and then maybe I get a few moments of gameplay.”
music
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
57%
10%
The music in the game is widely praised for its relaxing and enchanting qualities, contributing significantly to the cozy atmosphere that players enjoy. However, some users noted issues with music cutting in and out during gameplay, and the absence of voice acting was mentioned as a drawback. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a highlight, enhancing the game's beautiful graphics and engaging storyline.
- “The cozy and magical atmosphere is truly enchanting, and the music is just lovely.”
- “Beautiful graphics, an engaging storyline, and stunning music make this game a must-play for anyone who decides to give it a try.”
- “The game's music is also very well done, adding to the atmosphere of mystery and magic.”
- “There are long scenes with zero music or sound effects, and you have to stumble your way through learning the mechanics with minimal guidance.”
- “Music cuts off and on during gameplay (pretty sure it isn’t supposed to do that).”
- “Beatiful views, cozy music (sooo chillout that put me to sleep sometimes :p ) and a lot to do... but some lack of goals, even with some basic quests (and they take forever) to complete... it has some sort of Stardew vibe but with a lot less content (by now).”
optimization
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
63%
25%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs and significant performance issues across various platforms, including the Steam Deck and gaming laptops. Many players express disappointment, noting that the game's potential is overshadowed by its poor design and unresponsive mechanics. While some early reviews praised its optimization, the consensus now leans towards it being a frustrating experience due to its lack of polish and optimization.
- “I'll let this cook for optimization and return to it one day.”
- “[i]Edit after release:[/i] When the game was initially started in early access, I wrote a detailed positive review, praising its optimization and support for DLSS and FSR technologies.”
- “But if it wasn't for the game performance, I would stick with this game, even with its cringy dialogues.”
- “Don't buy it; it's a waste of money and time for an unoptimized and poorly designed game, which is a shame because there's potential for a good game there, just hidden under layers of confusion as many features are not intuitive even for veterans of the genre.”
- “This game is terribly, and I mean terribly, optimized for Steam Deck (which is primarily where I play games, so it's unfortunate).”
- “It has considerable performance issues, despite the hardware (a HP Pavilion gaming laptop with an RTX 2060 in my case).”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its charm, dynamic weather effects, and enchanting music, creating a cozy and magical environment. Players appreciate the beautiful graphics and immersive surroundings, which enhance the overall experience, despite some concerns about grindiness. The combination of seasonal changes and atmospheric soundscapes contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
- “I love the atmospheric surroundings, seasons, and music.”
- “The cozy and magical atmosphere is truly enchanting, and the music is just lovely.”
- “The game's music is also very well done, adding to the atmosphere of mystery and magic.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely perceived as ineffective, with many players finding the townspeople off-putting and the intended comedic remarks falling flat or being difficult to understand. Dialogues that aim for humor often come off as insolent rather than amusing, detracting from the overall experience.
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players describe the emotional experience of the game as wholesome and cozy, emphasizing a relaxed pace that encourages exploration without urgency. However, the presence of inaccessible areas marked as "not available in early access" detracts from the immersion, leading some to feel as though they are engaging with a demo rather than a fully realized game.
- “A wholesome and cozy experience where one does not have to rush.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Reviewers emphasize the importance of incorporating procedural and repetitive elements to enhance replayability, suggesting that these features can significantly contribute to a game's longevity and player engagement.
- “The game lacks meaningful choices, making replayability feel pointless.”
- “After completing the game once, there's little incentive to go back; the experience feels too repetitive.”
- “The procedural elements are not enough to keep the gameplay fresh on subsequent playthroughs.”