Demo Talk: STARDUST: Wish of Witch — Enchanting Indie Strategy
January 24, 2026
SRPGs make up a fairly niche genre, with most noteworthy games coming from the same few developers. A charming little indie title, STARDUST: Wish of Witch hopes to challenge that long-time dominance later in 2026, and I really think it can make a name for itself. The game is teeming with potential, its demo demonstrating a great understanding of what it takes to be a premier strategy experience.
A Bundle of Personality and Charm
STARDUST: Wish of Witch is a bit unassuming if you’re just looking at a promotional image, but this is a game that is full of personality. The sprite work and animations are inarguably the main highlight here, and they do not cease to impress through the full runtime of the demo.
It’s incredibly rare to find a game that can convey so many emotions through its sprites. STARDUST: Wish of Witch handles that so effortlessly that it genuinely feels like a definitive statement on what modern sprite work should look like. HD-2D games are undeniably beautiful, but what is being done in STARDUST is even more artistically effective.
The extra personality doesn’t just add to the charm of the game. It also enhances the overall story and interest in the characters. The worldbuilding in STARDUST: Wish of Witch is exceptionally endearing, and the great narrative direction really completes things. Though the gameplay evolves a bit slowly in the demo, the story does not have that problem. It develops incredibly well, and that’s possible only because of how much doesn’t need to be explicitly stated. Every little interaction moves things forward in some way.
Provocative Strategy With Its Own Unique Identity
Many SRPGs riff off each other, creating a bit of a homogenous identity to the genre. This isn’t a bad thing, but it definitely makes the unique titles stand out even more. STARDUST: Wish of Witch isn’t exactly super bold with its gameplay decisions, but it approaches the standard SRPG format in a really fun alternative way.
How STARDUST: Wish of Witch defines its turns is primarily through its skill card system. Though the mentioning of cards is likely to conjur up the idea of a deck, the use of cards mostly just seems to be an aesthetic choice for STARDUST that is easy to read. This is relevant because players can actually use multiple skills in a turn, thanks to the inclusion of combo cards. Having the cards all be visible side-by-side for the player’s choosing is undeniably superior for maintaining a seamless tactical flow.
STARDUST: Wish of Witch’s mana and cooldown mechanics help balance the game pretty well. More powerful skills take longer to recharge and also drain mana in greater quantities. There is just as much strategy to skill management as there is to character positioning. Counter cards make this pretty clear, as saving mana is totally worth being able to react to attacks during the enemy phase. The counter animations are some of the best in the game, by the way. Character personalities come through even more in combat.
STARDUST: Wish of Witch is both fun and though-provoking. There is a good amount of depth to the game, and it is just as charming in battles as it is outside of them. The combat animations are an easy sell on STARDUST, but playing through the demo makes it clear that this is just an undeniably complete game. Sure, it has a couple of small issues, but strategy fans can find everything they want and more in STARDUST: Wish of Witch.
Expected to release in Q2 2026, STARDUST: Wish of Witch is worth keeping on your radar.
