WitchHand

WitchHand offers a unique fusion of the 4X genre and card management, allowing players to explore a dangerous realm, build an empire of Witches, and face the relentless threat of void creatures all from a card table. The game successfully blends the complexities of a city builder with the simplicity of a card table, presenting an innovative but occasionally overwhelming experience.

90%Game Brain Score

gameplay, story

optimization, grinding

93% User Score Based on 696 reviews

Critic Score 80%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

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About

WitchHand is a single player strategy game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Jon Nielsen and was released on February 7, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

"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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 696 reviews

gameplay63 positive mentions

optimization6 negative mentions

WitchHand offers a charming and addictive gameplay experience, combining resource management with card mechanics that keep players engaged.
The game features beautiful graphics and a cozy atmosphere, making it enjoyable to play for extended periods.
With three distinct witches to choose from, each offering unique mechanics, the game provides good replayability and encourages experimentation.

The game can become overwhelming with too many cards on the screen, leading to performance issues and a cluttered play area.
Some players find the mid to late game tedious, as it often requires extensive micromanagement and lacks effective automation tools.
There are instances of unclear mechanics and a lack of guidance, which can lead to confusion about spells and game objectives.

gameplay
181 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
63%
2%
The gameplay is characterized by a blend of card mechanics, resource management, and unique character abilities, offering a cozy yet engaging experience. While the core loop is enjoyable and introduces new mechanics throughout, some players find it can become repetitive and lacks depth after a few hours. Overall, the game is praised for its charming aesthetics and addictive nature, though it may benefit from quality-of-life improvements and clearer mechanics.
- “The gameplay loop and build up is sufficiently fast, and you can complete the game in about 4 hours (albeit the last is mostly just waiting for the same loops to complete over and over again, be it during production of the final building, or the final boss fight).”
- “The mechanics are simple to learn, charming, and it scales 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 (the music and sound design are as well).”
- “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 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.”
- “90% of the gameplay is just sorting cards into where they should go since the automation options are either not useful or not available until several hours in.”
story
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
67%
8%
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 related to 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.”
- “I love the story that we follow and the way you work with all the cards to create things is so cool!!”
- “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.”
- “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.”
graphics
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
46%
5%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and cute art style, which enhances the overall aesthetic and gameplay experience. Reviewers highlight the unique designs of the cards and smooth battle animations, noting that the visuals contribute significantly to the game's appeal, making it a standout in the card management genre. Overall, the combination of beautiful graphics and a delightful soundtrack creates an engaging and addictive atmosphere that keeps players returning.
- “The graphics are a delight for a card game, with each card flaunting unique, eye-catching designs, and the battle animations are silky smooth.”
- “The art style is charming, as is the music.”
- “A lot of content, beautiful graphics, relaxing music, no bugs encountered.”
- “There are some problems, but the aesthetics carry it.”
- “If it was balanced, it would be Stacklands with better graphics.”
- “Not hard to 100%, but the graphics, music, and gameplay make it worth returning to after completion.”
music
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
27%
5%
The music in the game is widely praised for its charm and ability to create a cozy atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience with a captivating soundtrack. While many players find the music enjoyable and well-produced, some note that a lack of variety in tracks can lead to repetitiveness. Overall, the soundtrack complements the game's art style and gameplay, contributing to its addictive nature.
- “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).”
- “The art is beautiful, the music excellent, and it definitely gives me that 'one-more-day' itch that keeps me playing!”
- “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.”
- “Even then, it's very well-made music and I would actually listen to it on my own.”
optimization
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
72%
17%
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, especially when many cards are on screen. While it runs smoothly in the early phases, the lack of optimization hampers overall enjoyment and replayability, leading many reviewers to withhold recommendations until improvements are made.
- “As with Stacklands, Witchhand immediately hooks you in with the familiar gameplay of resource management, discovery, and optimization.”
- “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.”
- “Performance-wise, the game runs without a hitch in the early phases but starts to lag as you hit automation in midgame.”
- “Even on my main rig, the game would not keep a stable 60 fps, and towards the late game, it started stuttering noticeably.”
- “Now playing on my laptop (one specifically specced for gaming, which can run current ARPGs, if only at modest settings), the framerate is shaky all across (particularly when the game pauses during day transition cutscenes, and in the main menu), and late game it becomes stuttery to the point of becoming a hindrance in play (cards stuttering about and becoming hard to grab, etc).”
- “The game will slow down during the end game when there are hundreds of cards on screen, most likely an optimization issue.”
replayability
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
66%
9%
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find it enjoyable with different character classes offering unique gameplay twists, others feel it lacks depth for multiple playthroughs. The addition of new characters may enhance replay value, but many reviewers note that the core experience doesn't significantly change upon replaying. Despite these limitations, the game is still considered fun and worth playing at least once.
- “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.”
- “This is Stacklands with a tighter theme, higher replayability, and different 'classes' that you can start play with that change the way you play.”
- “The one piece of feedback I have is that it has limited replayability.”
- “It's not the game's strong suit and doesn't do much for replayability, which feels a bit limited.”
- “Just don't expect replay value.”
grinding
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly in the postgame where resource management becomes overwhelming. While some automation features help alleviate the monotony, many reviewers feel that the game suffers from unnecessary tedium that detracts from the overall experience. Despite its enjoyable concepts, the grind can feel excessive, leading to a slower and less engaging gameplay in the latter stages.
- “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.”
- “Post game (yes there is an objective past the end) does get a bit grindy and is just a factor of increasing production.”
- “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.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is well-received, with players appreciating its lighthearted and whimsical elements, such as witches' animal familiars donning 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, contributing positively to the player experience.
- “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 what with all the funny business surrounding its maker.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game experiences notable stability issues, including bugs and lag during late-game play. Additionally, some mechanics are challenging to understand, and there are calls for quality-of-life improvements to enhance the overall experience.
- “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!”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional experience of the game to be a blend of wholesome and relaxing, as the automation of villages and the training of familiars create a comforting atmosphere that alleviates stress. The overall aesthetic and gameplay foster a positive emotional response, making it difficult for players to feel overwhelmed.
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its charm and immersive quality, drawing comparisons to cultist simulator and stacklands, which contribute to a captivating experience in this new genre.
- “An atmospheric and charming take on the new genre led by Cultist Simulator and Stacklands.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is visually appealing, but players express disappointment over the limited variety in character designs, indicating a desire for more artistic diversity.