As an evolution from books, visual novels don’t tend to revisit their roots the way other games do. It makes sense – most of the time, a downgrade wouldn’t be more than plain text – but Australian VN The Thief, the Witch, the Toad, and the Mushroom goes beyond retro, embracing the presentation of decades- to centuries-old physical media for a unique experience. It blurs the line between visual novel and “gamebook”, a medium often referred to as “Choose Your Own Adventure” after a specific brand of gamebook. TWTM styles itself as a relic from your local library, right down to a barcode sticker, a “This Book Belongs To:” page, and other people’s scribbles in the margins.
The story begins with you playing as your own mother, roaming the wilds of Australia in hopes of finding you a godparent. A choice must be made between three options, and this does affect the plot, though only on certain branches. You are then jumped ahead as yourself on your 18th birthday, faced with a pressing task: at midnight, your godparent will whisk you away unless you come up with a plan. You may wish to gather ideas in the village, where a festival is taking place, or if you’re feeling brave, you can explore the woods.
Regardless of how you play, you’re bound to meet at least two of the titular characters, and depending on who you decide to align with, events can branch even further. While this is structurally similar to a dating sim, it doesn’t feel like one at all (though there is an option to marry each of the title characters, it’s given very little focus). The Thief, the Witch, the Toad, and the Mushroom are all likeable in their own ways, and the rest of the cast is just as appealing, from townsfolk such as the stressed-out Goose-Girl to creatures like the frightening-yet-kind-of-
TWTM‘s “lost classic” feel is due in no small part to creator Jack McNamee’s imaginative writing style, and is reinforced with antiquated artwork from the public domain. These illustrations come from different artists and eras, and while the visual styles clash once in a while, it’s a mostly congruous experience. A few of these illustrations contain artistic nudity, so there is an “NSFW Filter” in the settings, but there’s not that much to be covered up in the first place. Music is scarce but fitting, with most of the game underscored by faint crackles of fire.
As a Ren’Py-made visual novel, TWTM is capable of logging the player’s status, but stays true to the gamebook style by making the player keep track. Of course, just like a printed gamebook, even if your status disqualifies you from one of your options, there’s nothing to stop you from picking it anyway. You can also double back to an earlier page if things aren’t going your way, as long as you haven’t hit a pivotal event flag. Whether you find cheating to hinder or strengthen the experience, there is an easter egg scene that expects it.
Once you’ve achieved one of its many endings, TWTM offers a variation of “New Game Plus”. A new element is introduced, guaranteeing that your next playthrough is different from your last one, and future replays can potentially lead up to a “True Ending”. After seeing the story all the way through, one of the game’s influences will come as no surprise, though as with the rest of its inspirations, it’s given
Earlier in the game’s life, once a finite conclusion had been reached, that was it – the application would do nothing else when launched. The game files were especially stubborn, as deleting the log data or even performing a full reinstallation were not reliable methods of restarting. McNamee eventually updated the game with a secret reset function, explaining that while the intention was to create a greater sense of finality, players had felt stifled by the decision. It’s a good thing this change was made, because there’s more missable content than you’d expect, and even achieving the True Ending is no guarantee you’ve seen it all.
The Thief, the Witch, the Toad, and the Mushroom is a robust experience, particularly for a freeware game. Simultaneously heartwarming, creepy, and hilarious, it’s a solid recommendation for fairy tale aficionados, fans of Over the Garden Wall, or anyone nostalgic for the olden days of print media.
LINKS
https://www.ashtowngames.com/
