Witchhand
- February 7, 2024
- Jon Nielsen
- 16h median play time
Get on Steam"Witchhand" is a single-player fantasy strategy game with stellar mechanics and impressive visuals. As the leader of a coven, players use cards to build and manage their witch empire, focusing on areas like trade, alchemy, or war to secure a place on the Council of Fates. With real-time card placement, players must expand and defend their coven against unseen forces and rival covens, utilizing the powers of the witch to survive and thrive in this 4X strategy game.
Reviews
- Engaging and addictive gameplay with a charming art style and relaxing music.
- Offers a satisfying progression system with various witches that provide unique mechanics.
- Great balance of resource management and automation, making it fun to optimize and expand.
- Limited replayability due to similar gameplay loops across different witches.
- Can become overwhelming with too many cards on screen, leading to performance issues.
- Some mechanics and spells lack clarity, making it difficult to understand their full potential.
- gameplay90 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by engaging mechanics centered around resource management, card placement, and character-specific abilities, offering a mix of challenge and replayability. While the core loop is enjoyable and the art and music enhance the experience, some players find it can become repetitive and shallow after a few hours, with certain mechanics being difficult to grasp. Overall, the game is praised for its charm and addictive nature, particularly for fans of similar titles like Stacklands and Cultist Simulator.
“The gameplay loop and build-up is sufficiently fast, and you can complete the game in about 4 hours, making it engaging throughout.”
“The mechanics are simple to learn, charming, and they scale with you as you progress, getting more and more complex as you go.”
“I absolutely adore this game; the gameplay loop is super fun and addictive, and the art style is so lovely.”
“Sometimes buggy, gets laggy in the late-game, some mechanics are difficult to grasp (i.e., magnets), and it could use a few quality of life features (i.e., having the time boost be toggle-able with the space bar or having something(s) that could lessen the clutter of cards you see in the late-game).”
“Sadly, after a few hours you'll realize it's pretty shallow once you've experienced the gameplay loop, and the different witches aren't as radical as the 'classes' in Cultist Simulator.”
“With no snapping, long, long strings of resources butting into each other as part of regular gameplay, and a lot of tedious repetition (as an example; to grow silversage you consume one to get two back, meaning that it's a bottleneck early until you RNG into it and harvesting the process can't be automated with magnets), this game learned the wrong lessons from Stacklands.”
- story36 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally described as minimal and straightforward, often conveyed through letters and simple quests, which some players find lacking in depth. While the narrative features intriguing elements, such as witches and fae, many reviewers emphasize that the gameplay mechanics and creativity take precedence over the story itself. Overall, the story is seen as a light backdrop to the engaging gameplay, with some players wishing for more variety and complexity in the narrative.
“One of the best games in the genre of card management, amazing balancing, captivating story, and an adorable art style, 10/10.”
“A cute and addicting game that's easy to get into with an interesting enough story that you'll want to see through to the end.”
“The story and characters are cute, building up your coven full of familiars is satisfying, and there always seems to be more to do.”
“Most of the plot was conveyed through letters that came every once in a while.”
“While I love the art, and the music itself is chill and pleasant, I just can't get around the gameplay and lackluster story.”
“It also has a very thin plot and too many annoying bottlenecks.”
- graphics29 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and cute art style, which enhances the overall aesthetic experience. Players appreciate the unique designs of the cards and smooth battle animations, contributing to a delightful visual presentation that complements the gameplay. Overall, the graphics are considered a significant selling point, making the game visually appealing and engaging.
“The graphics are a delight for a card game, with each card flaunting unique, eye-catching designs, and the battle animations are silky smooth.”
“I absolutely adore this game, the gameplay loop is super fun and addictive and the art style is so lovely (the music and sound design are as well).”
“Very nice graphics, relaxing music and a totally addictive gameplay loop.”
“If it was balanced, it would be Stacklands with better graphics.”
“There are some problems, but the aesthetics carry it.”
“The gameplay is very similar to Stacklands but with a cutesy, witch-themed art style.”
- music28 mentions
- 68 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its charm and ability to create a cozy atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience. While many reviewers appreciate the soundtrack's quality and its suitability for the gameplay, some note that the variety of tracks could be improved to prevent repetition. Overall, the music is considered a strong point, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
“The art is really nice, and in conjunction with the soundtrack gives the game a very comfy vibe.”
“The music sets a nice mood for the gameplay and is enjoyable to listen to, especially the final boss fight music.”
“I absolutely adore this game, the gameplay loop is super fun and addictive and the art style is so lovely (the music and sound design are as well).”
“If I had to guess, the music was produced in parallel to development, with mostly the themes in mind and not so much the actual gameplay.”
“The audio, though, is a mixed bag; while the background music is captivating, the constant swoosh of cards midgame might get on your nerves.”
“I've honestly never put much time into games in this genre before, but something absolutely hooked me with this one; I think it's the combo of the progression with all the satisfying noises from all the familiars and automated things clicking into place and the absolute bangers the OST has got going on.”
- optimization18 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is a significant concern, with players reporting performance issues that become pronounced in the mid to late game, including frame drops and stuttering, particularly when many cards are on screen. While early gameplay runs smoothly, the lack of optimization hampers overall enjoyment and replayability, leading to frustration as the game progresses. Many reviewers express a desire for improvements in this area before they can fully recommend the game.
“Performance-wise, the game runs without a hitch in the early phases but starts to lag as you hit automation in midgame.”
“There are some interesting loops and synergies, and a lot of opportunity for optimization of resource creation and use that I really only touched the surface of.”
“The game will slow down during the end game when there are hundreds of cards on screen, most likely an optimization issue.”
“Even on my main rig, the game would not maintain a stable 60 fps, and towards the late game, it started stuttering noticeably.”
“Now playing on my laptop (one specifically built for gaming, which can run current ARPGs, albeit at modest settings), the framerate is shaky throughout, particularly during day transition cutscenes and in the main menu. In the late game, it becomes stuttery to the point of hindering gameplay, making it difficult to grab cards.”
“The game will slow down during the end game when there are hundreds of cards on screen, most likely due to an optimization issue.”
- replayability16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find it limited and lacking depth for multiple runs, others appreciate the distinct gameplay twists offered by different characters, enhancing replay value. The addition of new content and character classes may improve replayability in the future, but currently, it may not satisfy those seeking extensive replay options. Despite these concerns, many players still find the game enjoyable enough for at least a few playthroughs.
“All three current witches offer a twist on the core gameplay loop for replayability, and the dev currently has plans to add a fourth, which I can't wait to see.”
“Very satisfying progression through automation and exploration, and though the game itself is pretty short, it feels decently replayable and what you get is good fun either way.”
“All in all, the game is really fun and fairly replayable, which makes it worth your time (and money) even more.”
“The one piece of feedback I have is that it has limited replayability.”
“Overall, it is a pretty decent game and even though running through it again doesn't really add much replay value, it is pretty solid on a first time around.”
“It's not the game's strong suit and doesn't do much for replayability, which, speaking of, feels a bit limited.”
- grinding15 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and detracting from the overall experience, particularly in the late and endgame phases where repetitive tasks and resource management become overwhelming. While some appreciate the automation features that alleviate some of the grind, many feel that the game suffers from excessive repetition and a lack of engaging mechanics, leading to a frustrating experience for those who prefer a more streamlined gameplay. Overall, the grinding is seen as a significant flaw that impacts enjoyment, despite some players noting that it can be avoided if desired.
“Why add such weird tedium to a game that isn't trying to be tedious?”
“Overall, I think the game has a lot of flaws that impact the player experience, and lead to the latter half of the game feeling really slow and tedious.”
“Endgame is really tedious though with no option to kill the 20+ mobs automatically and scaling your 'base' is not as organic as I hoped it would be.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating the quirky elements like witches having animal familiars adorned with funny hats. Comparisons to other games highlight its comedic aspects, suggesting it combines humor with engaging gameplay in a way that feels fresh and entertaining. Overall, the game is described as funny and enjoyable, appealing to those who appreciate lighthearted humor in gaming.
“I love that different witches have different animal familiars, and if you specialize them, they maintain their familiar species but are wearing a funny hat now.”
“Nice and funny game - something akin to Cultist Simulator (but shorter, easier, and much less grindy) and Stacklands (but more complex and funnier) combined.”
“And, well, Cultist Simulator lost its luster for me with all the funny business surrounding its maker.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game experiences occasional bugs and lag, particularly in the late-game, which can hinder the overall experience. Additionally, some mechanics are challenging to understand, and the lack of quality-of-life features contributes to a cluttered interface.
“Sometimes buggy, gets laggy in the late game, some mechanics are difficult to grasp (i.e., magnets), and it could use a few quality of life features (i.e., having the time boost be toggle-able with the space bar or having something that could lessen the clutter of cards you see in the late game).”
“This game is a bit buggy!”
“The stability issues really detract from the overall experience.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be a blend of wholesome and relaxing experiences, as the automation of villages and the training of familiars create a comforting atmosphere that alleviates stress.
“The game beautifully balances automation and community, creating a wholesome atmosphere that makes it hard to feel stressed.”
“As you train your familiars and develop your villages, the emotional connection to your progress and the charming visuals evoke a sense of warmth and joy.”
“The overall experience is uplifting, as the game's aesthetics and mechanics foster a comforting and emotionally engaging environment.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is described as atmospheric and charming, drawing inspiration from cultist simulator and stacklands, which contributes to a unique and engaging experience in the new genre.
“An atmospheric and charming take on the new genre, led by Cultist Simulator and Stacklands.”
“The game immerses you in a hauntingly beautiful world that captivates your senses.”
“Every corner of the environment is filled with intricate details that enhance the overall atmosphere.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is visually appealing, though some players express disappointment over the limited variety in character designs. Overall, the existing art is enjoyable, but there is a desire for more diverse representations.
