There has been a resurgence of games focusing on witches as the main characters, and Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is a charming example of this trend. Unlike many fantasy-themed witch stories, however, Mika and the Witch’s Mountain draws its inspiration from a different source: Studio Ghibli’s Kiki’s Delivery Service.
Game Name: Mika And The Witch’s Mountain
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, PC (Reviewed)
Developer(s): Chibig, Nukefist
Publisher(s): Chibig
Release Date: August 21st, 2024
Price: $19.99
In Mika and the Witch’s Mountain, you step into the shoes of Mika, a young girl with aspirations of becoming a witch. To follow in her mother’s footsteps, she seeks to study under the same teacher. To catch the teacher’s attention, Mika must climb to the top of the mountain. However, she needs a new broom and various resources to make the journey. Mika earns these by making deliveries for the residents who live on the mountain.
The Good
The controls in Mika and the Witch’s Mountain are intuitive, especially when it comes to flying around the mountain. Although the game recommends using a controller, I opted for a keyboard and mouse, and I had no issues. The keyboard controls felt natural, with the mouse seamlessly steering the camera alongside broom control. Movement is handled with the WASD keys, the E key is used to grab packages and items, and Q drops them.
At first, I found the mountain’s layout confusing, but as I continued playing, I began to understand where everything was located. Mika and the Witch’s Mountain becomes a game you appreciate more as you familiarize yourself with the different places you visit.
The art style is charming, with a cute, homely aesthetic. The characters are diverse, and many moments make helping them a joy. The airflows are also a nice touch, guiding you to new areas and showing the heights you can reach.
The Bad
The most frustrating aspect of Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is the map. While it provides indicators for where you need to go and what you need to deliver, it largely relies on your familiarity with the mountain’s layout. Although you can unlock parts of the map by finding signs, it still doesn’t offer much help with understanding elevation or identifying viable broom routes.
The game encourages exploration early on, but this can also be frustrating. Your initial brooms are basic, limiting you to specific locations. As you glide—since “flying” might be too generous a term in the beginning—you’ll see many areas you want to explore, but they’re often out of reach. Trying to access them requires some tricky maneuvers, which can be annoying when you’re eager to discover more of the mountain.
The Verdict
Mika And The Witch’s Mountain is the concept of Kiki’s Delivery Service turned into a video game, and honestly, it works well. I enjoyed flying around the town and getting to know more about the mountain. I liked getting to know the citizens and appreciated the icons of the characters given to you in case you couldn’t remember the names.
Mika And The Witch’s Mountain will be available on August 21st, 2024 for Nintendo Switch and PC.
Review Disclosure Statement: Mika And The Witch’s Mountain was provided to us by Chibig for review purposes. For more information on how we review video games and other media/technology, please review our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy.
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Summary
Mika And The Witch’s Mountain is Kiki’s Delivery Service as a video game. You get to deliver packages and fly around. It is fun but can be frustrating.
Pros
- The gameplay feels good to fly.
- Graphics and art design match the feel-good vibe of the game.
- Solid experience for the price point.
Cons
- The map is not very helpful.
- Early brooms make it annoying to start the game.
