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Alientrap's Wytchwood shows what it's like to be a witch, a wise old crone living in a hut in the forest, tending to a cauldron filled with bubbling potions as you sprinkle in herbs and spices. The developers have brought an experience straight out of the pages of myths and fables that lets you be not just an ancient swamp hag but a lot more.
In Wytchwood, players play as an old crone with a pot on her head. She has just woken up from a long and deep slumber and finds her hut in disarray because of an unwelcome intrusion by a goat that has eaten her book of Grimoire. What follows is a huge number of fetching quests where you gather ingredients, craft items, visit new locations and meet interesting characters.
What grabbed my attention with Wytchwood were its wit and levity. That is not to say it skips over or skims through the usual darkness that one can find in these old stories of yore. Rather, the developers have deftly weaved humor and absurdity in the bright and colorful expanse of the game to make for a memorable experience.
On behalf of Sportskeeda Esports, I recently had the opportunity to engage Ariane Laurence, one of the writers and artists for Wytchwood, in a lively conversation regarding the game and its creation.
In conversation with Ariane Laurence, Wytchwood writer and artist about game’s inspirations and development
Ariane Laurence spoke about what Wytchwood is all about and the developers’ vision behind it. The game’s reimagination of folklore and fairy tales is one its endearing points and what makes it a refreshing experience. As Sportskeeda’s review of the title stated:
“Wytchwood is in equal measure quirky and creepy, with an engaging story, a touch of darkness, and delightful personalities that would make even the Brothers Grimm proud.”
Here’s the excerpt of the conversation.
Q: Would you please introduce our readers to Wytchwood?
Ariane: Wytchwood is a crafting adventure game that is strongly rooted in a fairytale landscape. You play as a grizzled old swamp witch tasked by a suspicious goat to collect multiple souls for sacrifice.
Don’t worry about feeling any guilt though; all of your targets have done something egregious enough to warrant the mark on their heads. Besides, as a witch, it’s your job to brew the right potions and craft the right hexes to right the wrongs!
Q: Now we all love fairy tales and have grown up with them. Even now, many of the stories we see have their roots in those old wives’ tales and gothic fables. What was the impetus for building on such stories?
Ariane: I think one of the most powerful draws to fairytales is in how you handle a tough situation. Why does your community punish certain traits but reward others? What is the morale of a story involving a gourd and a cheater?
Most of the time, your protagonist is either a sweet lost soul, or an adventuring daredevil who gets swept up in a problem of their own creation. Wytchwood imagines a scenario where your role is neither. Instead, you're a gnarled, wise woman who’s seen it all.
You get to watch a cast of colorful characters make the mistakes instead and come to you for advice. At the end of the day, you may want the fairy godmother, but you’ll learn the lesson best from the ancient swamp hag.
Q: The aesthetics of Wytchwood has a storybook illustrations vibe. Each part has a distinct nature to it - with unique NPCs and beings. What was the reason for using such an esthetic?
Ariane: I think fairytales always demand that you present your audience with fantastical landscapes. Each villain is its own allegory for its respective human flaws and I think the easiest way to portray that is by using the familiarity of the books we grew up with.
I imagine a leech being part of a decaying landscape or a stag with a heart of stone might live in a frigid mountain. Perhaps the most relatable villain might just be the penny-pinching Hawk character with an insatiable need to hoard his wealth to the detriment of the whole community.
Q: Wytchwood is an intersection of a number of stories and characters. What inspired you to create such a narrative?
Ariane: Telling stories has always been a focal point for Wytchwood. We created a large cast of characters with whacky quirks to help the player explore the world and really become engaged with the story. We made sure to add our own little twists to familiar stories and even update old ones to lend itself more to a modern interpretation.
I don’t think you’ll find a wolf out there trying to blow down straw huts, but there sure are wolves among us ready to do a bit more nefarious things. Thankfully, you’re a witty witch with a sharp tongue and a clever mind. Nothing will escape your grasp, except maybe a slippery toad.
Q: One of the most fun aspects during my playthrough has been the game’s wackiness and subversive humor. The dialogues are witty and to the point. What was the developers’ philosophy while creating such a repertoire?
Ariane: When we initially started the development of Wytchwood, we had a much darker vision for the direction of the story. I think we learned pretty quickly that grim and serious darkness was incongruous with the absolutely absurd moments that occurred within the game.
It was a much more fun journey to just lean into the humor of those absurd situations. Humor is natural, especially when you’re a disillusioned old witch who is seldom surprised by even the oddest encounters. It’s just another Tuesday for her.
Q: I know it is kind of continuing from the previous question, but I had to ask - how did the pot on the old crone’s head come about?
Ariane: She fell into a cauldron trying to impersonate Baba Yaga and got stuck.
In seriousness, it was just a part of designing an interesting character. A lot of old medieval artwork features witches with weird hats or household objects on their heads, so we just took that and ran with it.
Q: What can you tell the reader about the development of the game’s music and the atmosphere?
Ariane: The music is meant to support the folksy nature of the game. We focused mostly on giving each unique environment a soft inviting tune that wasn’t so distracting that it would take you away from the chirping birds in a beautiful autumn forest or the soft rainfall in a swamp.
It’s kind of like listening to a chillwave mix while studying for an exam. Mostly, we just wanted to make sure the game was a non-stressful adventure for the players.
Q: What has the experience been like since the release of Wytchwood?
Ariane: A bit surreal. It’s been in development for a long time and I can rightly say that the team is both excited and relieved to have it out. We’ve also been absolutely grateful that it has had such a positive reception and may even inspire us to create more games within the same vein as Wytchwood.
Like most projects, once it’s out there, it gets us pumped up to begin work on the next big thing!
Q: What has Alientrap got lined up for the future?
Ariane: As of now, we are currently at the drawing board working up new ideas. You’ll have a chance to see it in the future!
