Sunny Lab's debut title, The Witch's Bakery, offers a cozy and heartfelt adventure that draws clear inspiration from Studio Ghibli's signature style. Players step into the role of Lunne, a heart witch who relocates to Paris to open a magical bake shop with her companion, Orio, a pink, cat-like creature.
The core gameplay loop involves preparing dough, infusing it with magic, and having Orio bake the creations using their elemental powers. Players then serve customers, managing the demands of those who are indecisive or impatient. A unique mechanic involves helping customers haunted by regrets, which manifest as visible creatures only Lunne can perceive. To aid these customers, Lunne must venture into their hearts, navigating miniature mazes to confront and heal their past heartache.
Beyond the bakeshop, The Witch's Bakery expands into a 2D side-scrolling exploration of Paris. Lunne forms friendships with various characters, such as a cinema-owning neighbor and a young witch. These relationships can be nurtured through social activities like inviting friends for dinner or simply enjoying a quiet evening at a cafe. This narrative element intertwines with the core mechanics, as seen when Lunne assists Estelle, an accountant burdened by a significant regret.
Estelle's story leads Lunne into her "Heart Palace," a more complex, underwater ruin-like environment. Here, gameplay shifts to puzzle-solving, involving connecting points with arrangeable cubes, and avoiding a lurking monster known as a Torment. These sections offer a break from the shopkeeping and provide a change of pace.
The game's emotional depth, combined with its charming aesthetics and relaxing gameplay, has drawn comparisons to Kiki's Delivery Service. Notably, the game features music composed by Cécile Corbel, who also created the soundtrack for Studio Ghibli's The Secret World of Arrietty, further solidifying its Ghibli bona fides. The character designs, such as Lunne's bread-like braid, add to the game's unique charm.
The Witch's Bakery is now available on Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.