Campaign Ends: November 7th
Platform: Windows, macOS, and Linux. Stretch goals may add a Switch port, per Nintendo’s approval.
Nightmare scenario: you enroll in a prestigious new school, ready for a fresh start with exciting academic subjects that you know absolutely nothing about when a hideous mix-up forces you into the role of the school principal. You have no idea why you’re there or what you’re doing, the campus rapidly spirals into chaos and confusion, random fires start popping up everywhere, oh my god what have you DONE?! Thankfully, the situation in today’s game of choice never becomes quite that bad (I hope), though our heroine still has to contend with the duties of running a school — a magic school, no less! — with an extraordinary lack of experience in the area. Introducing Witch Please!, an adorable visual novel with raising sim elements; think Harry Potter mixed with Princess Maker, without all the icky and questionable aspects of either.
Witch Please! is set at the mystical and beautiful Fenloft Academy, situated in a giant tree. Our young heroine Petra is invited to study at the school, but through a mystical misfortune, she becomes the Head Witch! Unfortunately, Petra doesn’t know any magic, and since Fenloft is specifically meant for mages, this isn’t the most ideal of circumstances. Bummer. Thankfully, your guidance will save the day! Help Petra learn magical spells and new skills and become worthy of her honorable title. You’ll guide her as she attends classes, handles school finances, makes new friends, and solves mysteries. For example, why didn’t this school already have a Head Witch to begin with? Did something happen to the previous one? Something…unpleasant? Oh no…
Witch Please! is a visual novel with strategy! As Petra, you’ll have to choose which classes to attend and spells to learn, such as flying, potion-making, and even some risky forbidden stuff. What you study will affect the storyline and reveal new places to explore; even spells that may initially seem worthless could reveal some new plot details or a secret passageway! The weather and seasons will affect your studies, with different bonuses available depending on when you learn spells, and your powers can also be enhanced by impressing other characters or using secret items.
Make some witchy (hopefully not bitchy) new friends, take care of your reputation, and build trust with both students and faculty. Should you reveal your big secret to anyone at Fenloft? Will you become a strict and unforgiving headmaster, or a kind leader beloved by all? Your days at magic school certainly won’t be lonely, especially since there’s one more surprise still to mention: you’ll have your very own orange cat buddy to hang out with, and I can assure you that he has more than the usual amount of brain cells for his particular breed.
Witch Please! has already passed its initial funding target, with stretch goals set to add more story paths, full voice acting, a potential Switch port, and more; maybe even some extra minigames if enough funding is secured!
If you’re a fan of raising sims and adorable witchy favorites like Kiki’s Delivery Service and Witch Hat Atelier (two of this game’s inspirations), you absolutely must spend a semester or two at Fenloft Academy. With its cute uniforms, cuter kitties, and a vast campus filled with secrets, I expect classrooms to fill up in no time. Let’s be magical study buddies!
Disclaimer: While it’s possible some of us at RPGFan may be backers of the games mentioned in these articles, this does not influence our coverage or our featured game choices. We make our selections simply based on the active campaigns we feel our readers might find interesting, and we are not given special access or perks by the developers.
tl;dr: We think these games show potential and want to share them with you.
