The Witch of Fern Island is planned for an Early Access release for PC via Steam in Q1 2023, followed by a full release across consoles and PC in Q1 2024.

“We want people playing The Witch of Fern Island to enjoy the progress resulting from the slow-paced, yet satisfying gameplay,” said Enjoy Studio game director Patryk Pietraszkiewicz in a press release. “Our game can be classified as a ‘cozy game,’ but we wanted it to become something more. The magical world of Fern Island is palpable in both gameplay and story levels. It allows us to present people’s stories from a more personal, deeper perspective.”

Here is an overview of the game, via Enjoy Studio:

About

The Witch of Fern Island is a new game from Polish developer Enjoy Studio. Players will take the role of a young girl called Abrill, who wants to become a certified Witch. The story takes place on the titular Fern Island–an alternative world heavily influenced by three different cultures inhabiting it and shrouded in a magical aura with fantastic fauna and flora. The player’s task is to pass the academic internship in order to complete the Witches exam. Abrill will live on the island, bringing help and support to the local community. It is up to the player to determine the fate of this land and its people. Players will be free to explore a vast open world on foot, mounted, or on a flying broomstick!

The Witch of Fern Island highlights the importance of culture in human life. Getting to know the inhabitants and their problems from Abrill’s perspective will allow you to reflect on the search for happiness and purpose in life. The characters’ personal stories teach that simple gestures of kindness can change people’s lives and revitalize a divided community. However, it all depends on what path the player will follow, as Abrill’s behavior will be assessed, as a part of the internship.

The Witch of Fern Island combines gameplay elements of multiple categories: sandbox, open world with RPG elements, adventure, and exploration. The game has no end, the daily and calendar systems allow players to feel the passage of time—they can observe changes in the community, the seasons of the year and take part in various holidays and festivals. There will always be interesting activities on Fern Island! Fishing, photography, archeology, catching insects, researching local flora and fauna, or participating in festivals and games! All this and more will allow you to experience an immersive adventure as a real witch!

Key Features

• Witchcraft – characters’ skill progression includes learning new spells, rituals, and exploring magical knowledge. The player’s operational center is Birch Grove. We give the player a building that can be personalized and furnished according to personal preferences. Here, the player can craft new magic potions, store the acquired items, rest, sell created items to the island’s inhabitants, and much more! An equally important place is the farm, where the player can grow plants, vegetables and herbs, while experimenting with their magical varieties. The player also has to take care of fantastic animals that can be bred on the farm.
• Exploration – Fern Island is a colorful, lively and diverse world that hides many secrets. As the game progresses, players will unlock new passages that allow them to reach unexplored places. By discovering individual parts of the island, players can find new ingredients and characters with whom they can interact. This will expand the range of available options for the player and provide access to information that enables solving age-old mysteries. Noteworthy is the mirror image of the world—“Astra,” which players will be able to access through the portals hidden on the island. It is an alternative world, which can only be entered by characters with magical abilities—such as Abrill.
• Town – There is a town on the island, where players will find inhabitants living their lives. They have dreams, problems, and different character traits—each one is different and unique. During the day, they work, or spend their free time in their own way, they sleep at night and during the holidays—have fun at jointly organized parties. They share a common bond and their relationships that are not always friendly. Inhabitants have various problems that the player can help to resolve, and thus influence their fate. A town is a place where players can find shops, restaurants, bars, and places of local culture.

Watch the official trailer below. View the first screenshots at the gallery.

Official Trailer