Whimel Steam Charts & Stats

I don't usually like these type of games but I gave it a try because I like witches. Tears in my witch eyes. It's so good. The clicking is boring if this isn't your genre, don't get me wrong unless you like to MAX stats for fun. I did enjoy that part a bit. So far however what got me was Theo and Lumi's stories. Crying. Not crying because it's sad or depressing, crying because ouch it poked my emotions and now I'm *thinking*. Feels good. Wholesome feelings. But still, it changed my perspective on a few things. I can't wait to see what comes out once it's out of early access.

TLDR: I feel like the couple of negative reviews I've seen are from people who don't typically enjoy games like this, or people who were annoyed at bugs (fair). BUT this is a very cute, very fun game that's definitely worth a look if you enjoy the genre. Maybe after it's out of early access, though. Gameplay: I'm honestly not even sure what to call this genre of games, I've defaulted to "Princess Maker-ish" games because of the way stats are raised. I really like that kind of game, and if you don't, then you're not going to enjoy this one. You'll probably think there isn't a lot to do or that the mechanics are boring, but this is a chill laid back game. It's not supposed to be difficult, you just do your thing, raise whatever stats you want, and then get whatever ending based on that. This game does that and it does it pretty well. I really have no complaints over the balancing or gameplay, it fits perfectly into the niche. The characters/story: There's not much story, you're just going through a magic school, but again that's the kind of game this is. There's a cute slice of life thing going on, and the 'story' reflects that. There's no overarching narrative that you have to solve or do, which again, I love. It just feels laid back and there's not a lot of pressure on things. The characters are also adorable, and it really does feel like they grow up with your character. They all have their own distinct personality and the DESIGNS I LOVE!!! Now for why you'd want to wait for early access to be over: the bugs. There were a few gamebreaking bugs when I bought the game (namely the broom thing, which was apparently, according to patch notes, fixed and then broken again at some point), but this wasn't really surprising considering the game is made by what I believe is a solo dev (?) and is in early access. There's gonna be some bugs here and there, and while I'm usually a proponent for releasing games in a working state, I can excuse this, tbh. The bug was fixed as well so it's not like dev is just leaving them. There's also a bug with the character's names and how it appears in text that was pretty noticeable but it didn't do anything to gameplay so I don't really care. I never experienced the timeskip bug, so I can't say anything about that. It does sound annoying but I believe it has been fixed as well! Last thing to add, the art is so cute. That alone made it worth the $15 for me. The outfits are adorable, AND THE CAT OUTFITS! THE CAT OUTFITS ARE SO CUTE! Honestly just everything about the art in general makes the game feel so cozy and cute. It just makes the game feel really loved? I don't know how to word that properly but trust me, okay. You can see it in the previews, it's so pretty.

This game is a great choice to play whenever you feel overwhelmed. Despite having lots of stats and activities, the gameplay is very simple and streamlined and you don't feel forced to do anything or that you have to min max to buy things you want. It feels like everything is just a bonus and the real reward of the game is the chill vibe it gives you. Art style is cute, and the music feels a bit melancholic.