Witching Stone Dazzles with Spellbinding Shape-Matching

Today’s lunch break went a little longer than planned, but instead of facing the grindstone, I found solace in a much more magical experience: playing the demo for Witching Stone. This pixel-art charmer, set to release on September 16th, seamlessly blends puzzle mechanics with roguelite and deckbuilding elements, delivering a delightful twist on spellcasting.

The Magical Setup:

In Witching Stone, you step into the shoes of an anime sorceress navigating a node-based dungeon map. Each node brings something different—treasure chests, campsites, shopkeepers, or, most excitingly, turn-based battles. But instead of simply selecting a spell from a menu, you’ll be linking together shapes on a grid beneath your characters, where strategy meets sorcery.

Each spell requires a unique combination of shapes—perhaps a red circle paired with two golden triangles to unleash a lightning bolt. You can cast multiple spells per turn, but your moves are limited by how many squares you can draw a line through. Casting a spell clears those shapes from the grid, causing new ones to fall, so it’s all about balancing immediate attacks with setting up combos for future turns.

If you’ve ever enjoyed the addictive gameplay of Puzzle Quest or the fast-paced matches of Capcom’s Puzzle Fighter, you’ll feel right at home here. Witching Stone even features a progression system that lets you expand and modify your spellbook. Take the Giant Slayer mod, for instance—it boosts your lightning bolt’s damage but always targets the beefiest foe. In just 15 minutes of play, it’s clear there’s room for creating some seriously powerful concoctions. After all, what’s a witch without a few hair-raising spells up her sleeve?

Why It’s Worth Your Time:

Staying late after work for this was a no-brainer, and I’d recommend grabbing the demo on Steam to see for yourself. There’s something incredibly satisfying about assembling spells rather than just casting them—it keeps the magic feeling, well, magical, instead of just another weapon in your arsenal.

And if grid puzzles aren’t your thing, but you still crave real-time spellcasting chaos, I’d suggest finding three squiggly blue diamonds and warping yourself in the direction of Magicka. But for now, Witching Stone offers a spellbinding experience that’s definitely worth checking out.