Our Verdict
Mika and the Witch’s Mountain is a cute and captivating game, though it could do with a little refining. Fly your days away delivering packages, boxes, and bags while fixing up your broom, and get back to your witch training.
Sometimes, we all just want to fly away and train as something useful. While I can’t become a magic wielder in real life, I can in Mika and the Witch’s Mountain, where you control Mika as she sets out on her journey to become a fully-fledged sorceress.
Let’s get the comparisons out of the way. Yes, it’s a cozy game reminiscent of the Studio Ghibli film Kiki’s Delivery Service. Like the film, you’re a witch-in-training who decides to deliver parcels to denizens around you. There are also Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker vibes in the art style and, obviously, the island design.
Right, so with that out of the way, as I mentioned, you’re a witch-in-training. You zoom off on your broom to find Olagari, the fearsome witch who can teach you everything you need to know. Turns out it isn’t that easy, though, even if she is a friend of your mother, as you finally reach her and she, um, shoves you off a mountain. Thanks, Olagari, really cool.
Now you’re at the bottom of the mountain with a broken broom and no idea what to do next. All you know is you need to get back up there and show her what’s for. So, you speak to a kindly villager who offers to fix your broom – for a price. Well, now you’ve gotta get a job! Turns out your broom can get fixed immediately, but it won’t be up to flying around the mountain, so you need to earn some coins to pay for a better one.
Thankfully, the island is in dire need of a delivery courier, so you jump at the chance. Your boss is a hard-ass but at the end of the day, it’s the coins that matter. Each delivery you pick up has to be delivered in good condition in order for you to get positive feedback and your full paycheck.
That said, you can be the best-rated courier there is, or become USPS itself and smash up every parcel. This does mean you get terrible ratings and lower pay, but if you need an outlet – why not? I don’t condone this behavior, though. I trashed one parcel by accident and felt awful, but you can get another shot. You usually get one or two hits before a parcel loses all integrity, so there’s some leeway. Some parcel recipients are just rude and mark you down for the sake of it, though. I’ll be sure to soak their next deliveries in seawater.
Zooming along the beaches and fields feels quite nice. Except for any sharp turns, that tends to lead to parcel destruction. You hop on your broom with Y and then get going. As you upgrade your flying device, you can get boosts and faster flying speeds, but you still rely on the handy air currents to get you onto different levels of the island. Thankfully, there’s plenty on the map and you can easily find your way.
While you’re flying around delivering this and that to him and her, you may notice tiny sparkly statues you can pick up. Turns out you can trade these for cosmetics at certain places, including outfits and charms – I went for the black suit and a froggy keychain to fit my aesthetic, but there are a few different options to pick.
Chibig is the team behind Mika and the Witch’s Mountain, known for other delightful indie titles ‘Summer in Mara’ and ‘Koa’. In fact, if you’ve played either of these, you may pick up on a couple of nods toward characters from them. Overall, Chibig has done a good job with Mika. The cutscenes are incredibly clean, the character portraits are lovely, and the dialogue is funny and engaging. I appreciate any game with a laid-back vibe, and Mika nails it.
The game isn’t very long, and I advise you to take your time – unlike me – and float gently around the island enjoying yourself, lest you crash into a wall and break the boxes you’re carrying.
I also recommend you play this game docked if you can. I tried both handheld and on my TV and the performance is miles better while docked. I love going shrimp mode on the sofa with a Switch in my hands, but on such a small screen the characters can get a little crunchy. Also, note that while Switch screenshots never do a game justice, it isn’t the best-looking game you’ll ever play.
I had no crashes or freezes while playing Mika, however a couple of graphical glitches did raise their head – while watching a kite blow away in the overworld, it flashed and disappeared, which I assume isn’t meant to happen. Looking out over the sea can cause some black lines to appear which mars the aesthetics a little bit.
In terms of improvements, I’d really like to see a mini-map available. I get that Mika doesn’t have a smartphone to pinpoint her exact location at all times, but opening the menu and then picking the exact parcel to see where it needs to be delivered only gives a circled area, not a specific place. It didn’t harm the gameplay too much, but a mini-map on screen would be useful.
While the graphics outside of the character portraits and cutscenes may not be my favorite, Mika and the Witch’s Mountain captured my attention. It’s a short and sweet little romp about a cute little witch on a quaint little island – what more could you want? I recommend this to my fellow wholesome indie game players, especially those who wish to get a taste of delivery person life.
If you want some more recommendations, check out our picks of the best farm games to play, and some games like Stardew Valley for similar experiences.