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For fans of bakery management sims and all things witchy, The Witch’s Bakery was a highly anticipated release. The narrative-driven 2D adventure RPG finally came out this October, delivering Lunne’s story with the most magical timing. Over the last few weeks since its release, I’ve been playing The Witch’s Bakery like nobody’s business. Now, it’s finally time to share my review.
In The Witch’s Bakery, players step into the Converse of young Heart Mage Lunne. She’s just moved to Paris with her trusted partner Orio, with the goal of starting a bakery to heal hearts. But along the way, she runs into bigger Regrets than expected, leading players into a complex world of puzzles and difficult encounters. The game blends shop management and baking sim mechanics with a heartfelt and emotional story, delivering an experience players won’t soon forget.
Key Details
- Release date: October 14, 2026
- Developer: Sunny Lab
- Publisher: Silver Lining Interactive
- Price: $17.99
- Platforms: Steam, PS5, Nintendo Switch/Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S (mobile to come)
- Review code provided: No
The Witch’s Bakery Is A Labor of Love That Tugs at Your Heartstrings in the Best Way
The Witch’s Bakery is a hand-drawn game, and the amount of heart that went into it shines through in the artwork and storyline. Every character is lovingly rendered, with a variety of illustrations that bring them to life. And walking through the streets of Paris brings the city to life with beautiful cityscapes that manage to capture a ton of motion for a 2D rendering. That same heart is where the game has one of its few drawbacks, and some of the animations and illustrations can feel just a smidge unfinished or awkward at times. It doesn’t really detract from the gameplay experience and it’s never anything too dramatic. In fact, most of the awkwardness just adds to the game’s handmade charm.
Like the art itself, Lunne’s story is clearly lovingly and carefully crafted. As the game’s trigger warnings attest, this narrative does not shy away from the big issues in life. As a Witch of Heart, Lunne’s life purpose is to heal those who are struggling with big, scary emotions. In particular, we tackle Sadness, Fear, and Anger head-on through the game’s main Heart Palace dives.
Each character’s story is nuanced and complex, letting them be full, imperfect people. There’s no clear right answer for how they should move on, and Lunne helps them come to their own conclusions. As such, the game gives us a beautiful, heartfelt story that definitely doesn’t shy away from the tough stuff. At least one of those Heart Palace dives definitely made me cry, but I won’t say anything more lest I give too much away.
Shop Management & The Daily Grind Is Simple, Yet Satisfying
The artwork and story are a good part of where The Witch’s Bakery shines. But what about the gameplay? There are two central pillars to how the game works: daily shop management at the bakery, then evening time management as you choose how Lunne and Orio will spend their free time. Both are relatively straightforward, but ultimately satisfying.
The bakery management primarily centers on stocking Orio with enough dough, then serving customers their desired orders. The progression here is nice, with new challenges unfolding over time to mix things up. And you will need to quickly dive into certain customers’ hearts to help unstick their tough emotions, adding some simple puzzles to break up the flow of serving up orders. As far as management sim gameplay goes, it’s pretty straightforward, but with just enough variety to keep things interesting. Along with new, more complex heart dives, you’ll be able to expand your bakery’s offerings, set the daily menu, and rely on the skills of your friends and colleagues to boost performance each day.
Once you complete your day at the bakery, it’s time to decide what to do next. There’s a time management element to this part of the game, as you can only do one primary activity each evening. What you do can help progress Lunne’s experience and unlock new buffs, build up her relationships, or restore her energy for the day ahead. There’s also plenty of shopping to get new recipes and items.
For the most part, the time management works well, with just enough difficulty. But there are a few times in the story where Lunne gets so low on energy that it kind of feels like you don’t have as much of a real choice in how to spend time. I also wish we could actually “spend” the points we earn in different emotion areas, rather than just having new skills and abilities unlock automatically. You do get to guide what skills Lunne acquires based on how you spend your time, but I like the satisfaction of actually unlocking a skill tree, and that’s somewhat lacking here.
In all, though, the daily gameplay loop is pretty well balanced and satisfying. The typical shop management and time management is mixed in with the bigger story, which requires the deeper Heart Palace dives. These add unique puzzle elements for each character’s situation, giving the gameplay another layer to keep it from getting stale. This really helps ensure that you won’t tire of the relatively quick and easy routine of a typical day in the life of Lunne and Orio.
Final Score – 9.5 out of 10
In all, The Witch’s Bakery is one of those games that will leave a lasting impression on those who play it. The story is heartfelt, engaging, and impactful, with compelling yet complicated characters. Its gameplay loop is simple but satisfying, offering more challenge via the same characters who make its story worthwhile. Though there are a few awkward animations, by and large, The Witch’s Bakery is a true work of art that’s every bit as healing as the pastries Lunne serves up to her customers.
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