Little Witch in the Woods

Little Witch in the Woods is a life simulation game made and self-published by the South Korean studio Sunny Side Up. It entered early access in 2022 and reached its full release on Windows PC on September 15, 2025. Versions for Nintendo Switch and Xbox One followed on September 16, 2026.

The story centers on Ellie, an apprentice witch who has been sent to Lucerine Ortu, a land of witches, to finish her training. She settles into a home in the forest and wears a witch hat named Virgil that can talk. Her path to becoming a full witch runs through the problems of the nearby villagers and her meetings with other witches.

Moment to moment, the game is about exploring the forest and its surrounding regions, collecting materials, and brewing potions that solve problems or open new routes. Ellie travels on her broom through woods, caves, cliffs and lakes, and the creatures she finds are recorded in an encyclopedia. A day and night cycle changes how those creatures behave.

Outside of exploration, Ellie can fish in many bodies of water, where the catch depends on location and time of day and the size of a shadow in the water hints at the species. Fish can be filled into the encyclopedia, given to villagers, or offered to the local cats to win their affection. Friendships with villagers reveal their stories, and furniture crafted from recipes and materials can be used to decorate Ellie’s home, along with brooms that can be collected and customized.

The project was first announced in July 2020 as a crowdfunding campaign. Critics who covered the early access version compared it with Stardew Valley for its pixel art and gameplay loop, and others likened its mood to a pixel art take on Kiki’s Delivery Service. Reviewers also singled out its visuals, its music, and the way its day and night system shapes the world.