Welcome to my Mika and the Witch’s Mountain review. We were not given a review code for this title.
- Buy Mika and the Witch’s Mountain on Steam
- Buy Mika and the Witch’s Mountain on Nintendo Switch
This review may contain minor spoilers for gameplay and story beats, though I always try not to reveal any major plot twists or surprises.
Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is a short cozy game about a fledgling witch striking out on her own to try and earn her wings. With a ratty broom and a pack full of witchy heirlooms, Mika puts her flying skills to the test by zipping around a small island running errands for the residents and solving more than her fair share of problems along the way.
Inspired by Studio Ghibli’s Kiki’s Delivery Service, Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is a novel mixture of airborne puzzle-platforming and free exploration, all wrapped in a sweet tale about being kind to others, finding your way in life, and above all else—following your heart.
Mika and the Witch’s Mountain was a Kickstarted game by Chibig Studio, the game developers behind one of my favorite cozy titles ever, Summer in Mara. Mika’s marketing materials made it out to be a chill, exploration game where players are invited to soar over ocean, sand, and land as a package courier for a small town. In reality, it plays more like a puzzle platformer, with a maze of wind tunnels serving as your winding path around the island.
After arriving at the mountain lighthouse to study under the famous witch called Olagari, Mika is put to the test. Hurled from the peak, Mika’s ultimate goal is to find a way back up with only a broken broom to her name. She bumps into potter and local repair expert, Allegra, who helps mend her broom and suggests she work for the local delivery service to earn enough money for an upgrade.
Greff, the recently short-staffed manager of the delivery company, hires Mika to run errands around the island—which is where we get to the meat of the game. Your progress is determined by a series of fetch quests, ferrying items from one person to the next or finding abandoned treasures and gifting them to the one who might like them the most. Each mission has a story behind it, like the ongoing communication between a land-locked father and his seafaring young son or a tale of an artist’s hunt for inspiration after a meandering creative block.
As the player, you’ll watch Mika’s charming coming-of-age story unfold in the hands of this vibrant small town community who ultimately teaches her the importance of putting the needs of others’ above your own. Character development happens fast in this tight, 3-4 hour game so don’t blink or you’ll miss it. Watch Mika win her way into the hearts of a lonely, musical traveler with a mechanical arm or a keen scientist afraid to ask for a little help here and there.
To get around the island you can entice your broom into the air with a button…but that’s not enough to keep it airborne. Instead, you have to look for wind currents forward and upward and dive into them to take advantage of the boosts they give. Otherwise, you’ll end up dive-bombing rocky outcrops and oceans waves—potentially ruining any precious cargo you’re carrying.
The flying mechanics are a little clumsy at first—but that’s part of the charm. The harder you work, the more broom upgrades you’ll unlock. You’ll transform from skimming the ground and bumping into everything you see to launching yourself in the air for added height or speed. The tactile difference between traversing the island clumsily at the start of the game and seamlessly near the climax is so satisfying that you’ll forget any woes you initially had.
The challenge to the game is that much of the island requires you cross rocky cliffs or deep ocean currents to get to where you’re going. One wrong move and you could lose momentum and ruin the package you have been charged with. Some packages can’t get wet, other’s can’t be knocked around too much, and some even have a time limit of when they must be delivered. If you “fail” a delivery, you can simply reset it and try again. There are no major penalties and no challenge is too difficult.
If you find yourself getting stuck, a bit of exploration may be in order. You might find a new path around an obstacle, or be able to activate a new wind stream that makes quick work of your conundrum. While leisurely exploring, you can be on the hunt for bonus collectables—which could easily extend your gameplay by a few hours or more. Collect lost kites or baby ostriches (yes, ostriches) and return them to their rightful place to earn the approval of residents or pickup statuettes that can be exchanged for new outfits and aesthetics.
I finished Mika and the Witch’s Mountain as it was released in under 4 hours. While I love myself a short cozy game, this did mean that some of the story beats and character development moments felt rushed. There is clearly tons of potential for island mysteries to continue to be explored as the game updates. What were devious W. Soot’s plans for the island and what will happen after seemingly being foiled? And what’s the significance of the mysterious discoveries in the heart of the mountain?
I also wonder if the development team will go back in and pace the emotional beats a bit more decisively. I felt like emotional twists and turns were popping up before I was prepared to experience them, like the decisions for Mika to slowly give away her witch apprenticeship tools in favor of helping those around her. I barely remembered she had chocolate and paints in her bag—or why she needed them—much less grasping the importance of deciding to give them away when I did.
Mika and the Witch’s Mountain was a tough game to review because, according to their Steam page, the game is is Early Access. But I bought it on Nintendo Switch, played a full main story, and rolled credits…which, to me, equates to a game “finished” enough that it merits a full review.
Nintendo Switch doesn’t really support Early Access (read: unfinished) as the term is intended. Instead, Mika and the Witch’s Mountain reads more to me like a complete experience that promises some free upgrades later on. Upgrades that may include (according to their Steam page):
- Pet the animals and companion
- New side quests
- New broom tricks
- Churro Express minigame
- Fishing minigame
- New cosmetics and collectibles
- More languages
- Dungeons
So, that’s something to keep in mind as you decide whether to buy this game now…or wait for a more complete (and potentially more expensive) version later.
Summary
Who reads video game reviews anymore? Here is the TLDR:
Pros
- Relaxing, not-too-hard gameplay
- Gorgeous Ghibli inspired world and characters
- Fun to fly around and explore aimlessly
Cons
- Some may find it expensive for the length right now
- Emotional beats/character development felt rushed
- No buisiness/management sim mechanics for the delivery service
Conclusion
Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is a short and cozy game about a young witch trying to earn her wings by running errands around a small island. Inspired by Kiki’s Delivery Service, the game mixes puzzle-platforming with free exploration as Mika flies across the island using wind currents to complete various delivery quests. Keeping in mind that there is more to come on the developer roadmap, players can expect free updates to flesh out the world and the to-do lit even more. However, I’m still left wondering about the rushed story elements and whether a “full release” can or will address this fatal flaw.
I’d recommend… well, I have a strange recommendation. Go buy Summer in Mara and support Chibig studio. It’s roughly the same price as Mika and the Witch’s Mountain but you’ll get dozens of hours of Wind Waker-esc exploration, farming, and even some fetch/delivery quests to satiate your appetite. Wait to buy Mika until it’s fully formed or on sale, as I imagine many folks will expect more than 4-ish hours of gameplay for the current price. However, I thoroughly enjoyed what I played and look forward to jumping back into it as more updates are added.
Who Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is for…
- Fans of puzzle platformers + exploration genres
- Players who prefer short 3-5 hour experiences
- Studio Ghibli/Kiki’s Delivery Service admirers
Who Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is not for…
- Players looking for similar gameplay to Summer in Mara or Deiland
- Folks looking for business management/sim elements
- Buyers expecting >5hrs hours of gameplay
Stay cozy, gamers!
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