Survival-crafting games on PC are everywhere, almost as common as deck-building games. It's difficult to stand out in this crowded market, but Envar Games' Witchspire attempts to do so with its witch-themed setting, flying broomsticks, magical fairy-tale world and tameable familiars.
Witchspire is a fantasy open-world survival RPG that leans more towards "survival-lite" and has a cozy base-building system. It is set against a colourful backdrop of witches and wizards that feels like something from a fairy tale. However, the handcrafted game world is under threat from a mysterious corruption. Players must activate the eponymous Witchspire to find a way back home and save the world, and along the way they can uncover books and diary entries scattered throughout the world to discover what has happened. Like many other survival-crafting games, Witchspire can be played alone or cooperatively with up to four players. In co-op mode, progress is shared and tied to the host's progress.
Witchspire © Envar Games
After creating a character with the basic starting options, the classic survival, crafting and base-building gameplay loop begins, featuring combat, gathering, exploration, construction and more. Players can explore the open world on foot, by jumping, or by flying on a magic broom. Overall, the traversal is well done: flying on a magic broom, dodge rolls, teleports/blinks and multiple jumps all feel smooth and dynamic. Unlike in classic survival games, survival is more of a secondary focus here; the emphasis is on gathering resources such as wood, ores and berries to craft potions, wands and equipment. Players can also get creative with base building, constructing and furnishing their own magical sanctuary using functional crafting benches and numerous decorative objects. The base serves as a sanctuary and safe haven. Players can conjure entire forests, call down comets of ore, summon phantom pickaxes and gather resources with magic.
Witchspire © Envar Games
During combat, players can cast spells using wands, spellblades or powerful tomes. Character levelling and the Cosmic Luminaries tech tree allow players to upgrade their abilities further. Players can also bring backup in the form of friendly familiars, with many more waiting to join the team in the wild. This introduces an aspect of monster taming. These creatures can be battled and their essence befriended to transform them into familiars. Similar to Palworld (though not quite as morbid), these magical companions can be upgraded and summoned in battle to help with crafting, automating resource gathering and material production. Currently, there are over 30 of them, naturally of various rarities.
Even in Early Access, Witchspire is fun to play and includes advanced features such as crafting from camp storage, so there's no need to carry all materials in the inventory. However, there are still some balance issues, such as the grind-heavy mid-game, and quality-of-life quirks.
Witchspire © Envar Games
Witchspire is the first original IP game from Envar Entertainment, which is a global art outsourcing and co-development studio founded in Stockholm, Sweden in 2020 by Atey Ghailan. Operating primarily as an outsourcing partner specialising in game art, Envar supports renowned studios such as Riot Games, Blizzard Entertainment and Tencent. By 2022, the studio had grown to 70 employees and had laid the foundation for its own game development. Development of its first original IP, Witchspire, began in 2023, by which time the company had 125 employees. They classify themselves as an AA-tier development studio. In 2024, Envar Entertainment went public on Nasdaq and secured funding for their first game. The company now employs over 180 people. Alongside its outsourcing services and in-house game development, the company has its own publishing arm, Envar Publishing, which will distribute the in-house-developed game Witchspire.
"Witchspire marks a new chapter for us as a studio, and we couldn't be prouder. We've worked with industry giants such as Riot Games, Blizzard Entertainment, Tencent, Netflix, and Wizards of the Coast and now have the opportunity to create our own world in the survival and adventure game genres. This announcement is our first step in building a AA studio and establishing Witchspire as a fresh, new quality IP and we're delighted to be able to share it with you." - Atey Ghailan, CEO of Envar, when the game was announced
Witchspire was released on 10 June 2026 for PC via Steam Early Access at a price of €22.99. Since its announcement last summer, the game has amassed more than 300,000 wishlist entries.
The Early Access version features all of the game's core systems, including combat, character customisation, exploration, base building, creature collection and skill systems, as well as two distinct biomes. Envar expects the game to remain in Early Access for at least a year. The first major update, titled 'A Touch of Magic', will enhance and expand some of these core systems. It will include: Weapon Crafting 2.0, Salvaging, Emotes, the Familiar Wheel, a new building set, new familiars and more. The second major update, titled 'The Frozen Tundra', will expand the lands of Witchspire with a new biome and Act III. It will also introduce Alchemy 2.0, the Compendium and Bestiary, a new weapon type, new familiars and new endgame content to encourage long-term progression. The 'Throne of Corruption' update, planned for release in 2027 and beyond, will focus on the endgame storyline for Witchspire. In the meantime, the developers will regularly publish patches and updates containing bug fixes, quality-of-life improvements, balance changes, and performance optimisations. "We want to stay flexible, listen to the community, and make the best decisions for the game as Witchspire grows," they say. Witchspire will be available at a reduced price throughout Early Access.
Witchspire is a charming survival adventure with fairy-tale-like witchy charm. It has great familiars and a robust building system, though it still has room to grow and improve while in Early Access.
