Quantum Witch Review

Developed and published by NikkiJay, Quantum Witch is a pixelated 2D narrative-driven adventure that I feel is best described by one of the (clever) sentences on the Steam page: "Not an action platformer: a story PLOTformer — you're here for the narrative!". In it, we embody a 20-something shepherdess named Ren, a charismatic character who starts off her day looking for her lost flock and ends up caught up in a situation that could (and can and probably will, depending on how many times you play it) end her world.

Throughout the game, players will explore different areas and uncover the truth behind Hus (her home) and the multiverse while meeting a cast of characters and utilising her quantum ability. With it, Ren can use the background to platform around, which I found very innovative, as it makes you examine outside the box.

Depending on the choices made by the players, Quantum Witch might end anywhere from within a few minutes to a few hours, and the finale will look very different. What characters are saved, what happens to Hus and its people, and the overall narrative all depend on these little moments. Exploring the different endings is made easy by a checkpoint feature, though it isn't unlocked off the get-go (or even by the second run).

As it says on the Steam page, while the player can choose to stop playing at any of the multiple endings, Quantum Witchis meant to be experienced throughout several playthroughs to piece together the whole story, and I don't think I exaggerate when I say this feature will make or break the game for each player.

For those who might not know, the developer experienced cult trauma in her real life; we touch on this during our interview with her, where she opens up about how making the game has helped her process the trauma. For this same reason, Quantum Witch has a lot of comedy, and NikkiJay did a great job with it; the dialogue made me laugh throughout several points, and some of the characters can be very charming because of it.

Unfortunately, that is also one of the game's biggest downsides because it makes connecting to the world and narrative difficult due to the whiplash. While it's not noticeable at first, the lack of proper pacing becomes evident the closer the end gets because it feels like the tone is telling you that the situation is dire… yet it doesn't feel like it.

This is further worsened by the lack of reactions from the main character and those around her. A great example is at the very beginning, where, depending on the choices made, she gets murdered by a cult and then revived, but Ren doesn't say much about it. In fact, she just goes back to looking for her flock as if nothing happened! While trying to prompt a reaction from her wife, Tyra, all I found was the option to give her a little flower I had found earlier.

When this sort of thing began happening too often, I thought perhaps I had misread the game and maybe it was just meant to be a comedy. Seeing it through that lens didn't help its case, either, as I'd get whiplash when I'd encounter the darker themes.

It's difficult to really explain what I mean without giving spoilers away because the game is so short, and it feels like I would be taking away from anyone's gameplay. But a good example you'll find early is when Ren finds a woman in great suffering who is being held hostage by magic; to free her, the player has to go talk to legally distinct Lara Croft and lend her an ear so she can rant in exchange for a knife.

This sort of dark theme mixed with sudden and ridiculous situations works well in a game that isn't meant to be serious; I'm not exaggerating when I say I laughed a few times throughout my playthroughs. The problem is that it made it difficult for me to care about the outcomes, especially when the sensitive subjects are touched on so lightly. With no elaboration or real understanding of what the underlying tone is trying to communicate, it becomes less interesting to try to unfold the entire narrative through many runs.

Of course, I think this all plays part into the meta-narrative that cults make you believe everything is okay to keep you under control, and I really appreciate that. I just wish it had been done smoothly, or the game was longer so the darker subjects could be touched on in less of a hurry, making the transition more ominous and less confusing.

This isn’t to say it’s a bad game — it’s just not going to be for everyone. I enjoyed my time with it, as I clicked well with the comedy and the characters, but the humour made it difficult for me to care to unravel the entire narrative. This was especially true because it feels like a lot of the actual substance in the darker moments was obstructed by the lack of depth. I never really understood much despite finishing the game repeatedly… though, admittedly, that could be a me problem.

Quantum Witch is the type of game that will be a hit or a miss depending on what you prefer. If you don’t mind reading between the lines or don’t get whiplash when the tone is suddenly changed, you might enjoy playing through repeatedly to piece together the narrative! However, if you’re like me and need everything spelt out to really enjoy the finale and have a hard time connecting if there’s too much comedy, then maybe you can skip this one.