Passion project is a term that gets thrown around a lot, and I often find myself wondering how it could apply to almost anything in the indie space. It takes real passion and drive to make these smaller, independent projects come alive, and quite often you’ll have to fight against the current, especially in today’s gaming climate. Like most things, the label really is left to the individual; what marks something as a project fuelled purely by creative enthusiasm? The Witch’s Bakery, from developer Sunny Lab, had me pondering this very quickly as I played its recently released demo version.
Gameplay and Mechanics
Not just because it’s a game all about pursuing your dreams, your passions, but because of the truly immaculate visuals on display here, and I can only imagine how much love went into putting it all together. The Witch’s Bakery makes an immediately positive first impression based on how it looks alone, as it brings to mind anime like Kiki’s Delivery Service and Little Witch Academia. While the style here is very different from others’, the mental association was almost immediate for me. The adorable animations exude a comfortable, cosy and upbeat vibe that just makes you want to smile, a lot of work has been put in here to give them a bunch of personality.
As Lunne, a freshly graduated witch, you open up and run a bakery in the heart of Paris with the goal of bringing warmth, happiness, and joy to everyone through your wonderful pastries. As someone who loves baking (and sharing baked goods with others), I was always going to be somewhat inclined to enjoy the core concept of this game, and while the store management gameplay isn’t too complex, it is energetic enough to be entertaining.
Visuals and Atmosphere
Your familiar, Orio, takes care of baking the goods, while you simply focus on ensuring your dough supply is plentiful and managing customer orders. Stocking up on dough is as simple as completing a short minigame, while serving customers simply requires fetching the order from the counter and delivering it to them. You can give yourself more time to make dough by greeting the customer first. You’ll also need to clean the countertops to keep your shop presentable. There’s a decent amount to keep on top of, even in this early portion of the game.
On top of all that, The Witch’s Bakery also has another small twist within this shop management system. As a heart witch, Lunne can use her baked goods to help soothe her customers’ bottled-up emotions, which manifests as a short maze minigame in the midst of your working day. These thankfully pause time in the bakery, so you don’t have to worry about customers walking out mid-minigame. These Heart Palace minigames are an interesting wrinkle in the flow of the game, and I’m interested to see how they develop further.
Outside of running your bakery, you also get time to explore Paris after you close up shop for the day. During this time, you can choose to spend time with some of the other members of the main cast. By doing this, you can learn more about them and deepen their relationship with Lunne. This also helps expand the lore of the game world, offering a glimpse into the different types of magic a witch can wield. It seems as if The Witch’s Bakery will offer many emotionally driven tales alongside those found within the core narrative.
The Witch’s Bakery is also set to offer up a lot of customisation options for players; at one of the local shops, you can buy furnishings and decorations for your bakery. While the actual customisation itself is rather simple, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of options available, even in this demo build of the game.
Final Verdict on The Witch’s Bakery Demo
The Witch’s Bakery’s demo offers up a strong first impression, to be sure. Visuall,y it is absolutely beautiful to behold, with just some minor polish needed here and there for consistency. While I enjoy the gameplay’s overall simplicity and think it is a good fit for a game with an atmosphere as cosy and comfortable as this, I also wonder whether it can sustain a full game. I’m hoping for a little more complexity somewhere down the line, while ultimately maintaining that comfortable balance present here.
But as it is, I respect The Witch’s Bakery a great deal. I’d highly recommend giving the demo a try for yourself! It’s shaping up to be a delightful and delicious indie gem, a passion project to behold for sure.
The Witch’s Bakery is scheduled for release on June 30, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.
