DOG WITCH

Hubert Spala
17 minutes ago
4 min read

I never thought I would like DOG WITCH.

Now that's a spicy way to start a review! See, I think it is not exactly a secret that I am a bit of a roguelite addict. Add cards to it and a deck-building aspect and bam, I am in it like a pig snuffling for truffles. My friends always playfully mock me for consuming all those deck-builders and how I could enjoy CALL OF DUTY if it had some cards and roguelite elements in it properly. Anyway... The thing is that, yes, I am a consumer of this genre and therefore consider myself a bit versed in its trappings. I know what a good roguelike should have to cause proper electric jolts up my spine and a good kind of sizzle in the brain.

And DOG WITCH, on first impression, almost feels like a joke, a mockery of the genre. It's simple. It's goofy. It lacks the complex systems and the richness of choice I am used to in such games. It often feels like player agency is barely there! No wonder I read some reviews gruffily describing it as an RNG-driven dice-rolling fest of nonsense.

But the more I played it, the more I saw the method in its madness. DOG WITCH feels like it was made by a fellow addict. By someone who loves these kinds of games so much they needed to make their own, like a distillate - an essence of what makes them tick. That is how I feel about the game right now; it is a miniature of the genre, stripped down of overlaying systems, reduced to its bare components, stripped bare to the most essential functions.

The game makes two things sure. First, that you make only a few overall big decisions per run. And that each of these decisions matters hugely. You don't really build a deck here. All you have is a set of dice that are always the same, in a fashion. See, each die has six sides. A-doy! And you have six equipment slots that cover one of each side. A book that governs how you charge your wand and offers some bigger ability once fully charged. A wand for direct damage that scales with charge and brings some extra zest to the combat. Curse, usually focused on checking enemies' resistances to stun them and add other ailments. Spell, which you empower with mana gems to unleash a heftier bout of damage. Summon decides what kind of wacky friends you can put on the field to aid you in combat. And finally - Bone - your defensive option, stacking shields.

The gameplay focuses on finding some fun synergies between these components and your three passive trinkets slots. As well as wisely using them with your dice rolls. Here is where you can hear most complaints happening. Even if you do get some fun items to play with, the dice might absolutely screw you over. But... it's not as random as it seems. You do have a couple of re-rolls every round of combat. And even suboptimal plays can make sure you stay in the game. If the initial roll doesn't seem to go your way, just try to use what you were given to the best possible outcome! Stay alive, stay creative with the tools at your disposal as much as you can, of course. There is a hard limit of what you can achieve but... that can be said about any roguelike game. Sometimes you'll hit the wall and have to start all over. It's the nature of the beast.

I mean, if I was a Sheriff, I'd have karate bunnies sidekicks as well.

There are some fun decisions to be made during a run. Corruption can greatly empower your existing items, for a life cost. If you don't have any healing built into your set, it might be a risky prospect, but otherwise... free and often significant power boost! The selection of items might feel small, but DOG WITCH shines here by making them quite substantially different. It is very rare for this game to offer some bland stat boost. You won't see any "+10% damage" things loitering here; it's almost always something wackier. Minions that can revive, or cannot grow but can give hefty debuffs. Wands that misbehave for the exchange of big damage or give some peculiar extra effects. Spells that offer a variety of damage options. This is the thing that brings a smile to my face - rarely does any choice feel boring or uninspired. They are all as zany as the game art style and always change the way you're going to interact with enemies in your combat encounters.

Oh yes. Art Style. I love it. The game is doing its best to be as unserious as it can be. Enemies make no coherent sense. From angry crabs to a cheeky cowboy with sidekick bunnies. Goofy triangles. Croc-frog with swamp bats. TV with attitude. Gremlins, but round. Fat bee with a dorky smirk. It's quite an eclectic selection, to put it mildly. But it speaks to me, because as a forever fan of Adventure Time, I find this slightly unhinged goofiness to be charming. There's freedom in nonsense, delight in the slight surreality of things. It breaks you free from the framing of passing connections. You no longer feel that a forest biome needs elves, beastmen, and a wild hog to fight. It's whatever it can be, and it's just a harmless bit of silly comedy. Add to that a soothing, funky soundtrack and you get a mix of audiovisuals that put you in pretty good Jubies.

So yeah. Don't overthink it, is my advice. Pet the spellcasting dog. Put on a wacky hat. Get your wizardry ready against a bunch of wackos and face the grumpy mad wizard with your collection of sparky gizmos. Not every game has to tantalise with rich narrative, not every roguelike must bask in the depths of their many systems to make for a fun experience. DOG WITCH is like a shot of espresso. A small injection of an essence. A gulp of the good stuff that just mind remind you what this genre can be all about. I had a mighty good time with it, and as they seem to be adding content still, I am sure I'll return to it every now and then, when I will yearn for a simpler, feel-good bit of entertainment.