At first glance, SUNNY SIDE UP’s Little Witch in the Woods looks like your typical cottagecore adventure: cute pixel art, potion brewing, and a sleepy village in need of revival. But stick with it, and you’ll uncover a surprisingly dense life sim that quietly demands your attention and rewards it with over 50 hours of gentle, satisfying gameplay.
You play as Ellie, a young witch apprentice en route to the big city to complete her training. That is, until giant thorny vines derail her train (literally), forcing her to set up shop in an abandoned witch’s cottage near the forgotten village of Wisteria. Rather than wait for another train, Ellie decides to make the most of it; rebuilding the town, helping its few remaining residents, and unravelling the magical secrets behind the creeping vines.
Charming characters, slowly unfolding story
Wisteria is divided into distinct zones, each overrun by those same enchanted vines. Your goal is to gradually clear each area, restore the homes, and draw former residents back one by one. Every character has a personal story, a unique personality, and, crucially, a time cost. The game makes no effort to rush you; instead, it leans fully into its cosy vibe, where slow progress is part of the rhythm.
There’s a lot of dialogue, arguably too much at times, but if you’re into world-building and slice-of-life storytelling, you’ll find yourself immersed in the community of Wisteria before you know it.
Brew, craft, and decorate your way to witch stardom
Potion-making is the core mechanic in Little Witch in the Woods, and it’s brilliantly integrated into every part of your day-to-day. Need to solve a puzzle? Brew a potion. Unlock a new area? Brew a potion. Befriend a cat? Brew a potion and maybe toss in some fish for good measure.
The crafting system is simple, but there’s just enough variety to keep things interesting. You gather ingredients, follow recipes, and experiment along the way. The game also features a housing system that lets you customise your cottage and workshop, though it’s easy to miss at first; it doesn’t unlock until several hours in.
Yes, you can befriend the cats
And you should. As you rebuild the village, stray cats begin to reappear. At first, they’re wary, but with the right snacks and enough patience, you can add them to your Cat Encyclopedia, level up affection, and eventually adopt them. It’s exactly as adorable as it sounds.
A gorgeous world that opens up over time
Exploration starts slow, but once the story picks up, Little Witch in the Woods reveals a surprisingly vast and beautifully animated world. Hidden areas, potion-gated zones, and small puzzles pepper the environment, and the pixel art really shines in the later locations. Expect whimsical forests, glowing grottos, and some unexpectedly cinematic moments, all with a retro-meets-Ghibli aesthetic.
Performance, polish & the missing fast travel
The 1.0 release update of Little Witch in the Woods has added quality-of-life tweaks, better stability, and improved visuals and audio, and for the most part, it all works well. Sound design is calming and thematic, with seasonal shifts in music that subtly mirror your progress.
That said, there are still a few bumps. Minor bugs pop up now and again, such as dialogue boxes not appearing or odd behaviour in the credits, and there’s no fast travel system, which makes backtracking a bit of a chore. The first 5–10 hours are also noticeably slow, especially when the village feels empty.
There’s no combat system, which might put off those looking for more action, and while crafting and gathering are rewarding, the loop can become repetitive without variety in late-game objectives.
Overall thoughts on Little Witch in the Woods
Little Witch in the Woods is the kind of game that quietly wins you over. It’s not flashy, and it takes its time getting going, but if you give it the hours, it gives you heart. Between the gentle soundtrack, the slow-burning story, and the sheer delight of feeding fish to a pixelated cat, it’s easy to lose yourself here.
For fans of games like Stardew Valley, Spiritfarer, or Animal Crossing, Little Witch in the Woods is a cosy little spell worth casting.
Little Witch in the Woods is developed and published by SUNNY SIDE UP. The game was released on September 15th, 2025, and is available to download now via Steam. For more game reviews from FULLSYNC, click right here.