Witching Stone Game Sample - PC/Indie
16While "Witching Stone" may just seem like another me-too title in a growing and competitive (i.e. - saturated) sea of "Rogue-Like, Deck-Like, Cute-Like, Souls-Like, Whatever-Like" games, WS is very competent in its design and transparent in its inspirations, and I'm all for any game that sticks the landing on execution. However, while I say this, I will say that the game is pretty BRUTAL initially and doesn't do much to ease you in at all. It's pretty vague as a whole and encourages you to really deep dive its mechanics to see what works and what doesn't and I nearly dropped the game until I got a few unlocks that greatly expounded the game's potential and complexity. Released in September of 2024 by the primary developer, Alexander Taylor, I was initially drawn in by the faux-anime aesthetic by Sam Miller and Yamaha-fueled soundtrack by Noelle "Amelie" Aman (aka Amelie Doree, a fellow YouTuber) - the whole package screamed lost X68000 90s fare and I snapped it at full price.
WS' sales pitch is: "Witching Stone combines elements of puzzle games, roguelites and deckbuilders! Incrementally improve your spellbook, and find patterns on a unique puzzle grid, to battle deeper and deeper into the dungeon!" Mechanically, the game does remind me quite a bit of "18: Dream World" and "Puzzle & Dragons" but with deeper Roguelite undertones and extra steps. While it draws inspiration from the "Momodora" series and "Slice & Dice", it is unapologetically a simple game on the surface with a fairly deep meta and a few choice design decisions that are perhaps a bit too obtuse. While this doesn't detract from the overall enjoyment, I think very few people will see this game through in its entirety, which is a shame as this game is a fine example of "Show, Don't Tell". The only plot you're really given upfront is that you are a denizen or explorer of the "Caedroia Forest" which has become tainted, with its mana becoming foul. Something wicked stirs within and you must get to the bottom of it.
Through twisting tunnels, mechanized hallways and even the abyss itself, you are tasked with developing a deck and expanding your abilities through battles, shopping, acquiring badges, leveraging blessings, and overcoming randomly generated RNG at its finest. The game has six playable characters, although only one by default (who is intended to get you familiar with the mechanics) and the other three have rather strict unlock conditions. They each have their pros and cons, unique abilities and abilities they also share with other characters and the game has a fantastic degree of flexibility in terms of character builds; you can create some truly busted builds if you're lucky and fully understand the gameplay inside and out. Let's go into the gameplay in a bit more detail.
Each character starts with a small spellbook that you can tweak from the outset and some "modifiers" you can add to make the game easier or more challenging. It's worth noting that you will not be able to access the "true" final battles without having a modifier of -2 or lower. Outside of that, you're on your own to traverse the game world and power up as you see fit. When in battles, the game deploys your typical board full of shapes and such (stones here) but what's interesting is that different spells require different stones in a particular sequence, and this sequence can even be disrupted with certain equipment (badges) or abilities. Another interesting aspect is that the player has a pool of mana that influences how many stones they can break and this limit can also be tweaked.
The game has various shops to buy new spells and badges as well as statues that offer different blessings to the player that dramatically influences how a run will go. There are also mystery spaces that offer up "cursed" spells or variations to normal spells as well as new spells in general. A good number of items are acquired through purchasing them with Acorns, the bartering item of choice for forest dwellers, but they are rather finite. As you get proficient, you don't want to waste them in the first area at all, but different modifiers also adjust how Acorns are used (such as spending them at camp sites). Campsites heal a portion of your health, but healing in general, like many roguelikes, is not a simple affair and doing so consistently actually requires specific builds. There are a lot of secrets to uncover.
The presentation overall is serviceable with an almost minimalistic approach (the gem board and GUI eats up a lot of real estate) and nice soundtrack. The gameplay is addicting but almost unforgiving. This is a video of a playthrough in action. The price might be a little steep for similar games($18), but it's getting post-launch updates (including a proper story and balance adjustments). You can get it at:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2693530/Witching_Stone/
Enjoy.
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