While pursuing Kickstarter, I came across a title that was more than fully funded throughout its campaign. It reminded me of Witchbrook, and when I saw it, I knew I had to share it with the community. Aether: Wizard Life is a hand-drawn 2D side-scrolling title, self-described as a hybrid-genre game. The developers describe it as a combination of a farming sim and action adventure, drawing inspiration from titles such as Stardew Valley, Hollow Knight, and Spiritfarer. Let’s dive into the story elements if this sounds right up your alley.
The Story
Welcome to Aether, a wonderous land full of magic and mystery. Players assume the role of a wizard who recently graduated from the Academy. Now that your studies have been completed, you work under the Ministry of Magic in the Starfall Kingdom. You are a wizard of the people, there to aid those in need. Those duties range from being a royal advisor to running errands for the local townsfolk. Your jobs are to help the villagers, earn their trust, and serve your kingdom. You may even find love along the way. However, plenty of other ways to spend time on this secluded island exist.
When you are not dealing with the whims of others, you have other activities at your disposal. Players can grow crops or fish. You can craft, create potions, and cook if manual labor is not your style. There are also opportunities to furnish your wizard tower. If you want to venture out from home, there is also fighting and exploration. Plus, as a wizard, you can do more than 24 types of magic and learn 50 spells. Players will unravel the secret of magic and the lost history of the lands in this title.
Thoughts
After looking over the Aether: Wizard Life Kickstarter and its socials, I knew this was a game I could get excited about. So, I made my way to the trailer. The jaunty music and colorful visuals immediately overtook me. For lack of a better phrase, this game looks adorable. The trailer begins with us zooming into a coastal town and heads straight for character customization.
This title appears to have a fair bit of character customization for a farming sim. According to the trailer, players can choose different aspects of their appearance, star sign, and magical elemental path. Then we see magic being used to plant and water crops. Finally, there is bread being baked and potions being brewed. The potion brewing even appears to have a mini-game element.
In this world, magic seems to be used for everything. We even see a mage using it to catch fish and another blacksmithing. After the mages were done crafting, we saw another wizard walking around their farm with an alpaca and some chickens. Finally, the mage returns to their tower to do some redecorating.
This trailer was short, with about 40 seconds of gameplay. However, it was jam-packed with information. If the developers can deliver to players what they shared in the trailer, I do not doubt Aether: Wizard Life will succeed. Overall, I am excited to learn more about this game in the future.
Odds and Ends
If you want to see the trailer, there is a copy on YouTube. There is also more information about Aether: Wizard Life on their Steam page. While there is no given release date yet, I will keep an eye on this title for future updates. If you want to play another witchy farming sim, check out Little Witch in the Woods on Steam.
