Synopsis:

Join Tara on a heartfelt journey to become a witch in Wylde Flowers. Farm by day and cast spells by night as you craft your cottagecore life, bond with your coven, and come to know the fully voiced residents of Fairhaven while unraveling a local mystery.

Cast: Valerie Rose Lohmann, Baraka May, JP Karliak, Emilio Garcia Sanchez, William Salyers, Craig Lee Thomas, Michael Scott, Alysia Juniel, Jakari Fraser, Simran Bal, Mashari Bain, Cissy Jones, Aubrey Miller, Brent Mukai, Erika Ishii, Gillian Vigman, Christopher Smith, Shelby Young, Jonathan Freeman, Aaron Goodson, Zehra Fazal, Joshua Montes, Darin De Paul, Amanda Troop, Kalani Queypo, Tajinae Turner, Ray Chase, Julie Nathanson

Developer: Studio Drydock
Creative Director: Amanda Schofield
Technical Director: Alex Holkner
Narrative Design: Desiree Cifre, Elizabeth Ballou, Jhenne Tyler, Nyasha Bryant

Publisher: Studio Drydock
Reviewed on: PC (Intel i5-9400F @ 2.90GHz, RTX 2060, 16GB RAM)
Also available for: Nintendo Switch

While Wylde Flowers wears its inspirations on its sleeve, it ultimately stands on its own as a warm and welcoming entry in the farming sim/RPG genre. Its greatest strength is ambience: a cozy island setting, gentle pacing, and a fully voiced cast that makes Fairhaven feel alive.

The adventure begins as Tara arrives by ferry, is greeted by the mayor, and receives a delightfully quaint first objective—meet all twenty-two townsfolk. These introductions establish Fairhaven’s beating heart: diverse residents with distinct histories, evolving relationships, and plentiful banter. Frequent conversations reveal both Tara’s past and the intricate connections between islanders, helped enormously by roughly 18 hours of voice acting.

Day-to-day life follows familiar rhythms—planting, watering, harvesting, foraging, chatting with villagers, and fulfilling bulletin board requests. Quests generally flow well, though a few intentionally omit steps to nudge light experimentation. Early progression can feel pinched as low income and scarce energy restoratives limit daily output, and random material drops sometimes stall a task longer than you’d like.

That’s where the witchcraft shines. Soon after settling in, Tara learns of her grandmother’s coven and begins brewing potions and casting spells in the basement cauldron. Early unlocks—like a full-stamina brew or an auto-collect spell—smartly ease grind and let the cosiness breathe. The coven’s after-dark schedule can feel a bit siloed from everyday town life, but its whispers around Fairhaven add intrigue that pays off across seasons.

Most importantly, Wylde Flowers nails the vibe. Fully voiced performances, gentle writing, and a “stop-and-smell-the-roses” cadence create a sitcom-cozy atmosphere. Quests aren’t time-gated, seasons advance at your command, and even with days slipping by quickly, Fairhaven remains a pleasant place to linger.

Verdict: A comforting, character-driven farm-life sim that leans into atmosphere and relationships. Light resource friction early on and occasional RNG bumps don’t spoil the spell.

(Wylde Flowers code provided for review)