Game: Lotus: The Self Made Witch
Genre: Visual Novel, Puzzle
System: PC (Windows, macOS, Linux) on Itch.io
Developer|Publisher: BáiYù, Ronove, Judithan, LydianChord| tofurocks
Age Rating: not rated
Price: US $5.00
Release Date: March 21st, 2022
It’s a rare occasion when I actually play a game on my laptop. But when Lotus: The Self Made Witch was sent to us on itch.io I thought I could give it a try, as it promised to be a short game, under 30 minutes.
Like Tomorrow for Mar that Elena recently reviewed on LadiesGamers, Lotus: The Self Made Witch is another example of how tales can be told in so few clicks. No unessential backstory, no flashbacks, no monologues. Just two of distinctive characters, a cauldron, and ingredients to make potions.
Lotus and Sage
So what’s the story line here? Final exams day has arrived at St. Bertrude’s Academy of Magic and Witchcraft, and there’s no doubt that in Lotus’ mind that they are going to graduate today! After all, they are TheSelf-Made Witch after and everyone’s rooting and cheering for you. Everyone, except Sage.
Lotus has known Sage since they one on St. Bertrude, and somehow they end up having class together a lot. And while Lotus has certainly tried in these years of study to thaw Sage’s demeanour, they haven’t succeeded. Or did they?
Making Potions
The story unfolds depending on the choices you make leading to various outcomes. Aside from the story, Lotus: The Self Made Witch is about making potions. No worries, you can’t fail the exam. Just throw ingredients like Snowreed (for the respitory system), Cupid Clover (for the eyes) and Ashgreens (for body builders) in the caudron. Sit back, and see what potion you have made.
In all there are 27 different concoctions to discover, extending the playtime. The first ending and potion takes about 15 minutes. There is a fast-play option so you don’t have to replay it all to reach a different ending or potion.
The gameplay only takes place in one small area and the 2D characters of Lotus and Sage are design with an eye for detail.
Conclusion
I was curious to see if such a tiny game could entertain me, and it certainly did. I like the idea of giving budding developers the chance to bring their work to a bigger audience in this way. They can show their hard work without having to spend years on a full fledged video game production. I do feel the price is a bit high, but the funds are used to add additional content for upcoming updates to Lotus: The Self Made Witch. If enough funding is reached, we might even see the release of Lotus on Steam and Google Play!
Final Verdict: I Like It
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