Game: Reka
Genre: Early Access, Indie, Base Building
System: Steam (Windows)
Developers | Publishers: Emberstorm Entertainment | Fireshine Games
Controller Support: Yes
Price: US $19.99 | UK £15.99 | EU € 19,99
Release Date: 12th September, 2024
A review code was provided; many thanks to the Press engine.
Reka is a 2024 base building and crafting game developed by Emberstorm Entertainment and released by Fireshine Games.
The Premise of Reka
In Reka, we play a young witch who was chosen as an apprentice of the legendary witch Baba Jaga. Our first order of business is restoring the magic to her chicken-legged hut, after which we are free to explore the woods, collect materials, rebuild said hut, learn and practice witchcraft, forage for ingredients and cook, solve quests, and befriend local villagers and mythical creatures alike.
Gameplay
As said, in Reka, we play as young witches and start with character creation- creating our little witch. We have quite a few customization options, though no male character option, which I found a little disappointing. I’ve created plenty of male characters over the years, always lamenting for a female option, and now, when I see character creation with only a female option, I feel sad. We should all always have options and choices. This should be something the developers add at a later point.
After creating our character, we are set loose in a cozy autumnal forest. We wander around for some time, meet some characters, and then hear about Baba Jaga, a legendary witch. Our story picks up after we find Baba Jaga in the woods—we restore a magical hut and start learning about magic and the world around us.
The gameplay has several elements: fulfilling quests from the villagers, the woodland spirits, and Baba Jaga, foraging for ingredients and materials and crafting or cooking with them, and then, of course, the base building—which is building up and customizing Baba Jaga’s chicken-legged hut.
I found the controls to be very intuitive and responsive. Moving through the forest is easy, and gathering items is almost addictive, especially after learning how to do it by magic. This allows you to gather items at the same time, even from unreachable places. Also, the accompanying animation is very beautiful.
The one thing I needed help with was Build Mode. Now, I admit, I need help with this in most games involving base building. I like it when the game offers premade structures because it saves me time figuring out how to position the roof over the whole house. I am terrible with roofs. Unfortunately, Reka did not come with premade structures, so my chicken-legged hut did not look nearly as cozy as some of the screenshots I’ve seen on Steam by other players. Maybe the developers will add some options for terrible builders like me, or maybe I’ll just get better; who knows?
Besides the obvious “functional” building options such as floor, walls, and roof, we can build furniture, decorations, and even books right from the start. Items in the build menu are unlocked as we interact with the world around us and talk to the characters we meet.
Talking about the world, as mentioned, it’s very autumn-y, with orange and brown colors everywhere. Besides Baba Jaga, it’s obvious that the world of Reka is significantly influenced by and steeped in Slavic myths and legends. The creatures we meet, the style of the buildings and clothing, and the names of the characters are all taken from or influenced by Slavic fairy tales and myths. Even the music, haunting and classical, fits very well with the rest of the game. And by the way, Reka in most Slavic languages means River.
Some Other Notes
Reka is still in Early Access, and the developers are churning out steady updates to fix performance and gameplay issues. More content is expected to be added in the future.
The game offers basic audio and language settings. It also has good optimization options for the graphics, allowing you to tailor the game to your preferences and your computer’s abilities. It also allows for remapping the controls, which is always great.
Reka uses a manual saving system, meaning you must manually save before quitting the game. Since the game is in early access, it is preferable to save often and make backups of your saves.
Reka has yet to get Steam achievements or trading cards.
Conclusion
In recent years, we’ve seen a steady influx of games where we play witches and craft things. Still, the field isn’t overpopulated – the premise is already good, and a game like that can be very special if done right. Reka has many winning factors to be such a particular game – the premise, the unique autumnal art style, the autumnal release window, the crafting, the magic, the lore. It’s a game that can quickly become your go-to cozy game for the coming cold months. My only criticism would be the build mode, which was difficult for me, but maybe that’s just me – plenty of players out there doing incredible feats of architecture with what Reka’s developers have given us.
So, if you are in the mood for some October coziness- go pick up and try Reka; I am sure you’ll love it.
Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up: 
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