Game: Spirit Talk – Cozy Visual Novel
Genre: Visual Novel, Indie, Magic
System: Steam (Windows, macOS)
Developer|Publisher: Tortita Studio
Controller Support: Yes
Steam Deck: Playable
Price: US $10.99 | UK £9.89 | EU € 11,25
Release Date: June 8th, 2026
Review code provided with many thanks to Tortita Studio
Do you like the realm of all things magic? I know I do; it’s a love that started out with the Lord of the Rings books by Tolkien and the Belgarion series by David Eddings. And even now, many of my Kindle books are cozy mysteries set in a magic world, like the books by Danielle Garrett and Dakota Cassidy. Which is why reviewing Spirit Talk – Cozy Visual Novel was a pleasure for me, a story-focused game where you play as Julia, a young witch who can communicate with spirits.
Crystal Ball Optional
Julia has lost her mother, Cynthia, a witch who was known for helping the town by communicating with spirits. She has stayed away from her mother’s small shop since then, until one day she notices a kitten slipping through the door. Curious, she follows it inside.
There, Julia finds her witch’s hat that she had mislaid… and, to her surprise, the spirit of Cynthia herself. I had expected Julia to be overjoyed and emotional, who wouldn’t be after seeing their deceased mother, but she takes it all in stride.
Although Julia had experimented with magic in her younger years without fully understanding it, her mother reveals that she has a natural gift for speaking to spirits. As for the crystal ball sitting prominently on the table, it turns out to be more for appearances. Cynthia tells us that many believe it is needed to summon spirits, but in truth, it is simply part of the illusion that movie makers love.
Stories and Spells
After the first day of helping actual clients in Spirit Talk, it starts dawning on Julia that she can actually help both spirits and townsfolk to find peace by crafting potions, uncovering memories, and guiding their personal stories.
She summons the spirit of the client who came in, and as things in the spirit world are seldom straightforward, she helps them to unravel what the client really needs and how the spirit can help. This can involve a potion; Julia has several in her spell-book.
There are spells that make you remember happy moments, familiar smells or forgotten thoughts and more. And each requires ingredients in the right order, like Twilight water, Azurite or Sunflower. The ingredients all have a specific property that you need, like clarity from Sunflower or subconscious from Azurite. Put them in the cauldron in the right order and press cook. You get three tries for every question put before you.
The potion instantly helps get to the bottom of things, but the challenges the clients in Spirit Talk present aren’t the kind that can be solved in one sitting. For example, there’s Paul who connects with his diseased brother with whom he wrote music. The fact that Alex has been gone for 20 years presents some challenge. Or Carol, who is looking for her missing wife, who isn’t dead, but could be in danger.
Outside of Cynthia’s Enchanted Corner
Although the main storyline of Spirit Talk takes place inside Cynthia’s Enchanted Corner, we also learn that Julia has a difficult relationship with her father. The poor man has lost his wife of course, but he and Julia have a hard time connecting and sharing their feelings. The cases the clients bring to Julia help her see why her father acts the way he does, and what she can do to help. She writes in her diary every night, which is a nice touch to see what Julia’s thoughts are after her full days.
Julia meets the other shopkeepers while walking to her little shop, and they often have time for a little chat, giving Julia new insights into her mother’s life and how connecting to the spirit world helps the town. The other constant in Julia’s day is the mysterious cat, that made her come into the Enchanted Corner in the first place.
Humorous Writing and Cool Beats
The writing is good, and I like the humorous references the writers have made, for example by mentioning Oda Mae Brown (remember, from the movie Ghost?). Spirit Talk is a game with a lot of text, which is to be expected from a visual novel. There are multiple endings, depending on how well you do with the recipes. To reach those, you’ll have to go through the entire story again. To me, a fast-forward button would have been very welcome.
The art style is cute and welcoming, and the cases Julia handles have depth and are relatable. The lo-fi beats in the background are good; I liked what Kevin Macleod had crafted. I did feel the music levels weren’t the same in every scene; when I was making the required potion, it was much more present.
Spirit Talk is a short game, some 3 to 4 hours for one playthrough, depending on how quickly you find the right recipes. I didn’t feel they were very hard, and when you’re in doubt, you can read back to see what was said.
Conclusion for Spirit Talk
Spirit Talk is a charming and approachable visual novel that succeeds through its personality, relatable storytelling, and lovely artwork. The focus is on the storytelling; maybe the potion making could be a bit more challenging, and it could benefit from a few quality-of-life improvements. However, it more than makes up for this with warmth, humour, and a relaxed atmosphere.
It’s a game I can easily to recommend, especially for players looking for a cosy, low-stakes narrative experience.
Final Verdict: I Like it a Lot
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