Offering a free to play horror adventure The Witch’s House released in 2012 and like similar Japanese horror creations was made in RPG Maker with an eventual English release. In 2018 a paid Windows version of the game was released (The Witch’s House MV) that significantly enhanced the graphical experience and was subsequently offered on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2022.
Regardless of which version you play you’ll find the same core story experience with the plot for The Witch’s House focused on Viola. Viola is a young girl who suddenly finds herself waking up in the middle of a dark forest, with her only escape blocked by a thick row of roses with no idea how she was transported to this location. With no alternative you’ll venture into your only remaining option a dark and mysterious house close to your wake up location.
It quickly becomes apparent though that this is no ordinary house with it haunted by the spirit of a former witch that has turned it into both a magical and dangerous house. The house is not abandoned entirely though with a young witch named Ellen currently occupying the house with players slowly learning more about her place in the story through diary entries. Central to this strange adventure is the shape shifting nature of this house that constantly alters the house as you progress so that the single location has plenty of content. Ultimately if players are successful you’ll experience one of two core endings that reveal the truth behind your witch themed adventure. Only one of these endings is considered the true game ending which does encourage you to seek it out if you don’t receive it the first time.
Joining you in your exploration of the house and its various magical elements is a stray black cat who is always up for a joke while also serving as your save point. Together you’ll explore the shape-shifting house that you find yourself in while solving puzzles, unlocking new areas and eventually finding safe passage through the house. This is easier said than done though with the enemies and traps that lurk around the house that constantly need to be dealt with.
In terms of gameplay The Witch’s House is centred around the previously discussed puzzles with each solve taking you one step closer to your escape while providing additional background about your current predicament. These puzzles aren’t extremely taxing and range from using an item you’ve previously attained to interacting with objects in a particular order to trigger a new event. Repeating across the five floors of the witch manor before players will find a diverse number of puzzle designs.
Even with these five floors though the Witch’s House is a generally short experience although this is not unlike other freeware horror RPG creations. This also has the benefit of focusing your attention on absorbing every piece of game atmosphere without unnecessarily drawing out the experience.
Summary:
- Explore an eerie house in the middle of the forest after waking up alone.
- Uncover two different core endings encouraging more than one playthrough.
- Solve basic puzzles as you explore each room and interact with various objects.
- Dodge enemies, traps and timed dangerous zones to stay alive as you explore the five story house.
- A dark atmosphere with scripted events to give you a scare across the haunted location.
Links:
- Official Website (English – Free Original Version)
- Buy The Witch’s House MV (Steam)
- Buy The Witch’s House MV (Nintendo Store)
- Buy The Witch’s House MV (PlayStation Store)
- Buy The Witch’s House MV (Microsoft Store)
Videos:
Review Platform: PC
