Wytchwood

Overview

Wytchwood was released to PC and console on December 9th, 2021 by the small development studio Alientrap, and publisher Whitehorn Digital. Starring an unconventional Old Witch as the protagonist, the gameplay features lightweight item collecting, crafting and fetch quests. The world and artwork reflect the darker storybook tales of Medieval Europe but is cut with text dialogue full of wit and an endearing cast of fantastical characters.

According to Alientrap Creative Director, Jesse McGibney, the development focus intentionally shifted from pure crafting mechanics to a more narrative-heavy adventure. Streamlined gameplay and numerous optical markers lets the player relax into the story beats.[1]

Artist and Writer for Alientrap, Ariane Laurence stated in an interview, "Mostly, we just wanted to make sure the game was a non-stressful adventure for the players."[2]

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Gameplay

Movement

Camera perspective is top-down with a moderately wide view of the surrounding environment. Interact-able items, creatures, buildings, etc. will have a glowing white outline when the Witch gets within range. The Witch can move and turn in any direction and her speed is a default, non-changing run.

She moves with relative ease as the models for humans, humanoids or creatures can be passed through unless they are hostile.

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Crafting & Collecting

The heart of the game is collecting raw materials from the landscape, then opening the menu to craft different recipes. Some ingredients can be simply picked up off the ground while others require tools to crack open or catch with a net.

Using the Witch's Eye gives the player an overview of what can be collected and how to harvest them. New recipes for traps to subdue creatures or smoke bombs to sooth hostile insects can be learned and added to the Witch's recipe book, the Grimoire.

An on-screen toolbelt with 8 assignable slots are at the bottom of the screen. From the tools menu, different spells, weapons or tools can be assigned.

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Story Progression

Wytchwood is a quest-based adventure game. Interacting with the different creatures across maps will reveal interesting dialogue exchanges and easy-to follow directions for the next step.

Multiple quests and chapters can be happening at the same time, thus the menu has a journal that keeps track of the next step. The player can choose to have a quest's steps appear on-screen in the upper right corner for easy reference.

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Getting Attacked

The Witch has 3 hearts that serve as health points. Only hostile creatures can attack and make the Witch lose a heart. Hearts can be replenished with a Mending Poultice (first recipe learned in the game).

If the Witch looses all hearts, she will awaken in her home near the fireplace and will tell herself to be more careful. No doubt, this is the Goat's magic rescuing her before any harm truly befalls her. Thus, the player can never 'lose' the game, only forced to restart from a possibly farther location.

Hostile creatures are marked with colorful, transparent skulls above them. If the Witch is hit, she will be flung far across the screen. They are easy to outrun, however, so their existence always implies that there is a tool or crafted item that will allow the player to eventually get past them or extract the desired ingredient.

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Plot

Incessant bleating rudely awakens the wise, curmudgeonly old Witch that lives deep within the wooded swamp. This Goat is apparently a magical creditor and he has come to collect on a debt. It doesn't seem menacing but he harbors a dark air about him. To her annoyance, the Witch realizes that she cannot remember anything from her past, including especially, the dark pact apparently made with this creature.

She learns that the forgotten deal is over the life of a sleeping young maiden lying in a shrine below her property. Without the memory of the young maiden's identity, the Witch can't really find motivation to fulfill her end of this supposed deal. After a 'gentle' demonstration of the Goat's overwhelming power over waking consciousness, the Witch is grouchily, and reluctantly convinced to gather the 12 souls in exchange for this life of this young woman.

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Chapters & Quests

• First Things First
  • Go Outside
  • Gather Ingredients to Light the Braziers
  • Enter The Shrine
• The Sleeping Maiden
  • Collect 4 Souls for the Goat
    • The Bear
    • The Snake
    • The Ox
    • The Leech
    • Return to the Goat in the Shrine
  • Collect 4 Souls for the Goat
    • The Ram
    • The Rat
    • The Cat
    • The Fish
    • Return to the Goat in the Shrine
  • Collect the Final 4 Souls for the Goat
    • The Hawk
    • The Wolf
    • The Hog
    • The Stag
    • Return to the Goat in the Shrine

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Locations

MAPS	SUB-AREAS	RAW INGREDIENTS	CREATURES
HAG'S GROTTO	Hag's Home, Shrine, Portal	Seeker Vine – Reedy Twine – Hagshroom	N/A
FOREST	Wishing Well, Uncanny Fairgrounds, Lake Shore	Forest Herb – Hagshroom – Twig – Impeye Nut – Shiny Stone – Gold Coin – Flower Petal – Reedy Twine – Lethe Cap – Changeling Root – Frog Slime – Firefly – Fairy Dust – Clay – Campfire Ember – Soot Sprite – Jar of Water – Blue Feather – Rodent Lard – Meaty Morsel – Dog Hair – Dryad Fruit – Goblin Snot	Bluebird • Squirrel • Guard Dog • Frog • Changeling • Fairy • Illusive Pixie • Dryad Tree • Goblin
FIELDS	Apiary, The Ox's Farm, Mill	Twig – Lazy Grass – Egg – Grain – Hopper Leg – Reedy Twine – Clay – Changeling Root – Campfire Ember – Soot Sprite – Crowsfoot – Meaty Morsel – Jar of Water – Jar of Milk – Pumpkinjack Bone – Turkey Gizzardstone – Gnome Hat	Crow • Hopper • Changeling • Chicken • Cow • Farm Dog • Pumpkin Jack • Gnome • Turkey
SWAMP	Sickhouse, Darkest Wood	Hagshroom – Seeker Vine – Snail Shell – Embalming Salts – Toxic Thistle – Frog Slime – Twig – Clay – Campfire Ember – Soot Sprite – Dragonfly Wing – Bug Ichor – Skeeter Snoot – Blood – Eye of Newt – Totemic Moondrop – Drake Fang	Snail • Dragonfly • Skeeter • Bloodsucker • Poisonous Newt • Frog • Stick Totem • Drake
VILLAGE	Hidden Grove, Bank, Tavern	Iron Nail – Flower Petal – Cobblestone – Changeling Root – Gold Coin – Pigeon Beak – Meaty Morsel – Dog Hair – Pickpocket's Glove – Elf Shoes – Cat Hairball – Rat Tail – Rodent Lard – Jar of Water – Mimic's Toe	Pigeon • Villager • Rat • Cat • Guard Dog • Changeling • Pickpocket • Elf • Mimic
MARKET	Bakery, Candleshop, Blacksmith, Butchershop, Pig Farm	Iron Nail – Cobblestone – Campfire Ember – Soot Sprite – Gold Coin – Pigeon Beak – Meaty Morsel – Pickpocket's Glove – Cat Hairball – Rat Tail – Rodent Lard – Jar of Water – Jar of Milk – Mimic's Toe	Pigeon • Villager • Cow • Chicken • Rat • Cat • Mimic • Goose
DOCKS	Lighthouse, Ship, Lagoon, Lagoon Caves, The Belly of the Beast	Enbalming Salts – Algae – Barnacle – Seashell – Shiny Stone – Meaty Morsel – Crab Claw – Fish – Skipper Scale – Deep One	Fisherwoman • Fisherman • Gull • Crab • Shore Skipper • Deep One
GRAVEYARD	Darkened Crypt, Abandoned Mansion, Abandoned Church, The Rat's Nest	Black Rose – Clay – Grave Bone – Mandrake Root – Dog Hair – Jar of Water – Mummified Head – Bat Wing – Rat Tail – Rodent Lard – Meaty Morsel – Spectral Tears – Cryptcrawler Silk – Ghostly Ectoplasm	Bat • Rat • Graveyard Dog • Ghostly Grasp • Ghastly Head • Antlered Ghost • Weeping Spectre • Cryptcrawler
MOUNTAIN	Mountain Peak, Frozen Cave	Ice Berry – Chilled Mushroom – Spicy Pepper – Campfire Ember – Soot Sprite – Red Feather – Meaty Morsel – Rodent Lard – Rabbit Foot – Crystal Newt Spine – Frostling Snow – Silver Fox Fur	Bird • Rabbit • Frostling • Crystal Newt • Silver Fox • Mountain Trapper • Mountain Goat • Snowkin

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Trivia

• Earlier designs of the Witch showed her character model holding a staff.[3]
• The art design was inspired by medieval wood cuts and illuminated manuscripts.[4]

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Citations

[1] McGibney, Jesse (2021, Dec 27). "We're Alientrap - Creators of Wytchwood! Ask Us Anything! AMA" [Forum Post]. Reddit. Retrieved January 22, 2022.

[2] Dutta, Angshuman (2022, Jan 15). "Ariane Laurence talks about the beauty of Wytchwood" [article]. Sportskeeda. Retrieved January 22, 2022.

[3] "Wytchwood" [website images]. Whitethorn Games. Retrieved January 22, 2022.

[4] McGibney, Jesse (2021, Dec 7). "Art of Wytchwood" [image blog]. Imgur. Retrieved January 22, 2022.