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0 Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service? Then wonder no more. Published by Chibig, Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is the latest release from developers Chibig and Nukefist. It follows the adventures of Mika, a witch-in-training, in a coming-of-age story and the journey of friendship and community.
Many may remember this title, as it had phenomenal support through their Kickstarter page in February 2023. Initially, the team asked the community for €40,000 in funding to produce the game. In the 31 days that the Kickstarter page was live, the team received over €1,300,000 from 24,159 backers. After almost two years, Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is now available to purchase across platforms for around £16.99 – £17.99.
Mika’s Delivery Service and the Witch’s Mountain
If you were one of the Kickstarter backers, what intrigued you to help support the game? What perks did you get? And if you’re just learning about Mika and the Witch’s Mountain, is it something you look forward to trying out?
Gameplay
Players start their journey by being introduced to a timid and nervous Mika; standing on a platform on the tiny mountain island of Mont Gaun, where a single lighthouse stands. You discover that the area you are in is a magic school for up-and-coming witches. This is Stellar Lighthouse, where Mika’s mother trained before her. Already missing her mother as she starts this new journey, Mika scrambles up the courage and climbs the rest of the platform. This where you meet with Miss Olagari, the Mistress Witch. Who oddly resembles both Sophie and the Witch of the Waste from Studio Ghibli’s “Howl’s Moving Castle”.
Mika excitedly hands over the letter of recommendation from her mother. This confirms she has all the apprenticeship supplies required to start her training to become a fully-fledged witch. However, Miss Olagari instead magically pushes Mika off the mountain. It seems Mika’s first challenge is to make it up to the Stellar Lighthouse again all on her own. After your fall, Mika meets the people of Mont Gaun. Such as Head of the Delivery Service Greff, who bestows Mika the opportunity to become the island’s new courier. Thus begins her journey of trying to get back up the Witch’s mountain by helping the community, earning money, building friendships, and discovering all the secrets within Mont Gaun.
Not Evri one can be a delivery witch
The main aspect of the game is to deliver packages to all the folks around the village. Sometimes this is as simple as dropping a parcel from A to B. Whereas other parcels may require more complex deliveries. It’s important to note that this new job is performance-based. How well you deliver the items is reflected in your pay. And we need good pay to buy better witch supplies.
Senders will have certain requirements for the package such as do not get it wet or fragile warnings. Some deliveries are marked as high priority so they need to be delivered in a short amount of time. Once delivered, the recipients will rate your service depending on how well you met those requirements using color-coded stamps. Green is perfect, earning you a coin. Yellow is mediocre, which earns you nothing. A red stamp is used when something goes completely wrong, which involves a very serious talk with the boss, Greff.
Forget a PDA, it’s all about your PDC
Players main quests are outlined on the Delivery Card. You can also explore the island to discover new side quests. Mika delightfully calls this her Personal Delivery Card. The side quests do not earn you money. However they give players the chance to explore further. Along your journey, you can collect treasures around the island to earn new outfits, charms, and broom trails. This adds a small sense of customization to the game.
The controls are explained to the players as they move along in the story. Helpful tutorial cards also pop up when a new item has been picked up. The controls are quite straightforward to grasp. With the majority of the playthrough being more comfortable using a controller.
The flying mechanic is fantastic and you find yourself getting wonderfully lost aimlessly flying around the island in circles. There is a sense of wonder and whimsy, floating around the very relaxing island. The one thing that seemed to be an issue was the ability to ascend whilst on the broom. Players can hop on the broom to give Mika height in the air. But sometimes this is not enough to clear a ledge or to jump on a boat. As a result, the flying mechanic can feel a bit restricted at the start. There are wind ruins laid across the map to give you speed and push you higher into the air. However, an ascend button would make the flying experience overall more seamless. With that being said, the ability to quickly switch between walking and flying is fantastic and allows players to fully immerse themselves in the game.
Graphics & Audio
I played the Steam version of Mika and the Witch’s Mountain for this review. It ran perfectly well without any major frame rate issues. The game did crash once, after picking up the first package. No progress was lost and the game booted up fairly quickly afterwards. I didn’t have any other instances of game crashes. I would thank the recent patch update for that. It is important to note that though the game has been released, it is still in Early Access. So improvements and additional content may be produced at a later date.
In terms of the graphics, the team did a fantastic job of creating a whimsical and magical environment. There is no doubt Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is very reminiscent of the Studio Ghibli style. Kiki’s Delivery Service was a massive influence, along with games such as A Short Hike and The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. And yet the game still feels very unique and original. There are a few beautifully animated short cutscenes with bright, bold palettes that fit the overall genre of the game.
The soundtrack is fantastic and blends the world together. With each area of Mont Gaun having its dedicated score, artists Adrian Berenguer and Mark Sparling have created something beautiful. Together with the music, the smooth flying, and the gorgeous views of Mont Gaun, the overall experience is pure bliss.
Longevity
Most players may find that they can finish this magical mail adventure within an evening of uninterrupted game time or over a weekend. The game in its current state is anywhere from 3 – 6 hours of gameplay depending on your play style. There are 31 Steam achievements to earn, with some encouraging players to extend their gameplay by collecting various items hidden around the map. There are also side quests, thanks to Mika’s Personal Delivery Cards, which help to expand the story. These side quests enable players to fully appreciate the quirky and unique characters around the island. Whilst there isn’t much story replayability, you can continue to collect any treasures after you complete the game which does add some replay value to the game.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is a delightful game that would resonate well with any age group. It’s a game that allows you to relax, unwind, and fulfil your dreams of being a little witch, working hard to fulfil her dreams, alongside learning lessons about life and building long-lasting friendships. It feels like a love letter that combines fans of Studio Ghibli and cozy games together in one neat package. This was a project made with love and care by gamers for gamers. Which is apparent by the immense support of their Kickstarter page.
Whilst the flying mechanic could be smoother, it was a joy to experience. It also highlights a gap in the market of 3D games where you can freely fly around, uninterrupted. The main deterrent for players to not pick this up is how short the game is in comparison to the price. The game is still in Early Access, but some players may want to wait to see how it develops further.
Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is worthy of the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
If you enjoyed this review and want to find your next cozy game, then check out Ruddy’s review on Just Crow Things.
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