I recently had the chance to attend BitSummit, one of Japan’s premier indie game festivals held annually in Kyoto. Throughout the event, I explored numerous Japanese indie games and had the opportunity to speak with several developers and exhibitors.
As a long-time admirer of the “cute dark fairytale” genre, I was particularly captivated by the booth featuring Mekururi: Dizzying Witch. This title is the creation of SleepingMuseum, a developer known for crafting “creepy but adorable” games for mobile and Steam platforms, such as the horror mystery game Matsuro Palette.
What immediately caught my eye about Mekururi: Dizzying Witch was its distinctive visual style. The artwork has a raw, sketch-like quality, reminiscent of doodles found in a notebook, which lends it an endearing charm. The characters are whimsical and cute, with flowers and mushrooms sporting faces, and the limited color palette gives the game a nostalgic, storybook feel. Despite its adorable presentation, there’s an underlying hint of something unsettling that’s hard to define—likely foreshadowing the darker turns the full game may take, given the developer’s previous works.
At its heart, Mekururi: Dizzying Witch is a puzzle-driven adventure where players guide the protagonist through a perfectly circular world composed of rotatable disks. Skillfully aligning two disks allows the character to jump between layers or trigger events that advance the story—similar to manipulating a dial lock. Adding to the game’s quirky nature, it’s revealed that the entire rotating world is actually the “iris” of the witch (the storyteller’s) eyeball.
At the conclusion of each tale, the protagonist must battle a boss monster, where the gameplay shifts toward action. Rotating the disk-shaped stage beneath the heroine’s feet helps her dodge attacks, activate platforms, and deal damage to the enemy. Players must carefully observe the enemy’s attack rhythm, as a single misstep could lead to significant damage.
While the game is still in development and may take some time before a release date is confirmed, interested players can Wishlist it on Steam. For those curious about other Japanese indie games showcased at BitSummit this year, you can also read our demo impressions of the Delicious in Dungeon-inspired survival game Abyss Kitchen.
Mekururi: Dizzying Witch is currently in development for PC (Steam).