Game: REKA
Developer: Emberstorm Entertainment
Publishers: Fireshine Games · Shochiku
Genre: Cozy Witchy Adventure / Building
Early Access: September 12, 2024
1.0 Release: October 26, 2026
Price: $19.99 · $12.99 until November 7
Platform: PC (Steam) · Steam Deck Verified
🧹 How we reviewed it: on PC, via Steam. We first recommended REKA during Early Access, and this review covers the full 1.0 release. We’ve also included what longtime players are saying where it helps. A couple of mild exploration and story details are tucked inside a spoiler box.
1.0Out Now
0Combat
21Achievements
78OpenCritic
$12.99Until Nov 7
🍂 Know this first: REKA is out of Early Access, and there’s no combat. This is a slow, cozy, gently spooky game about building a house on chicken legs, exploring misty autumn woods and learning witchcraft. Version 1.0 adds the final chapter of the story, it’s Steam Deck Verified, and it’s 35% off ($12.99) until November 7. There’s also a free demo if you want to try it first.
🐔 An Apprentice to Baba Jaga
You play as Reka, a young witch who becomes the apprentice of the legendary Baba Jaga. Together you travel through a world inspired by Slavic folklore: foggy forests, quiet villages and old spirits that still linger in the trees.
You’ll forage for herbs, brew potions, cook traditional recipes, befriend animals and help (or meddle with) the villagers you meet. And your home comes with you, because it’s a cottage built on giant chicken legs, and it walks.
Build a home. Give it legs. Go for a walk.
From Emberstorm Entertainment, published by Fireshine Games and Shochiku, REKA spent two years in Early Access building a loyal following. It holds a Very Positive rating on Steam across more than 3,000 reviews, and at least one fan has already sunk over 100 hours into it. Version 1.0 finishes Reka and Baba Jaga’s story, and adds new building tools, side quests, shrines, collectibles and plenty of polish.
Back in Early Access, our verdict was: “REKA’s cozy witchy world is captivating, with a lovely mix of exploration and crafting. Early Access quirks aside, it’s brewing up potential for a magical adventure.” With 1.0, that potential has mostly been realized. A few of those quirks remain, but the magic is very much there.
The House That Walks
🛖 Your Home, Your Mount
REKA’s centerpiece is its house. Early on, you help Baba Jaga perform a grand ritual (in-game, not in a cutscene) to bring her famous chicken-legged home to life, and then it’s yours to build on. Start with a humble wooden room and expand it into a cozy, multi-story home full of clutter, trinkets, furniture and warmth.
Then comes the best part: there’s a special chair, and when you sit in it, you steer the house yourself. One player admitted they didn’t expect that at all. When you’ve finished the main quest in an area, you simply walk your home to the edge of the map and set off for the next region, after cooking a meal each for you, Baba Jaga and the house itself.
1.0 makes building even better, with new wood types and clay, drag-to-build and drag-to-delete, a rotation compass, smarter snapping and better roofing. Fans call the building system superb, and it’s easy to lose hours just decorating.
🐦⬛ Crow Harvesting
You don’t gather with your hands. A murder of crows swoops in to harvest berries, wheat and wood for you.
🍲 Potions & Cooking
Forage, brew and discover recipes at your own pace. There’s no timer rushing you.
🐈 Animal Friends
Befriend cats, foxes and more, and bring them home to live in your walking cottage.
🪞 Make Her Yours
A detailed character creator, with clothes and extras you’ll unlock by exploring.
Cozy, With Teeth
REKA is one of the most atmospheric games of its kind. The autumn woods are gorgeous, the art style nails Old World decor and culture, and the soundtrack is a highlight. Several players single out the music, and one fan’s favorite is the Lutki theme. Small details make the world feel alive: moths circle lights at night, your breath fogs in the cold and your clothes get wet in the rain.
But it isn’t all cozy. There are dark undertones throughout, hinting at the harsh realities of old Europe, and when REKA does go creepy, it really goes creepy. Turn around to find something standing there, or hear unsettling music creep in, and you’ll remember this is a dark fairy tale. The writing has plenty of wit, too, and some genuinely funny characters.
✨ The World Reacts to You
One of REKA’s nicest touches is that things you do change the world, rather than just ticking a quest box. Help a man find a lost cart wheel, and you’ll see him put it back on, and then meet him again later as a traveling merchant. Take an item from someone, and it’s actually gone from where it was. And there’s no combat at all. In REKA’s world, killing without purpose goes against nature, and witches are in tune with it. The game is better for it.
⚠️ Mild spoilers: a couple of exploration and story moments (tap to reveal)
• Exploration pays off. In the first area, one player found a shack with a blacked-out mirror and lots of unlit candles. Lighting every candle “woke” the mirror, which became a furniture item that lets you change your appearance at home, and a hidden chest in the back room unlocked green nail polish.
• You’ll face moral choices. One example: deciding what to do with a group of greedy loggers trapped in a mystical fog. Your choice can even earn you a cosmetic reward.
Where It Stumbles
⚠️ A Few Quirks Remain
1. Repetitive villages. The most common complaint is that villagers, quests and quest stories start to feel samey from one region to the next, and that the maps can look alike after a while. Defenders point out that each map still throws in something unique.
2. Light systems. Crafting, cooking and skills are gentle and fairly simple. If you’re expecting the depth of a traditional RPG, survival or crafting game, you may be disappointed.
3. Bugs and jank. A couple of players ran into glitches and janky animations, though plenty report no issues at all. Launch day also had a Steam-wide problem that stopped some players accessing the 1.0 update, which the developers say is now resolved, and a hotfix has already landed. Autosave is now adjustable, so save often.
4. A shortish story. One player put the main story at around 15 hours, though building, decorating and side content can stretch it much further.
🎮 Platforms & Settings
PC only, and Steam Deck Verified, which suits its relaxed pace perfectly. Controller support is listed as partial, but players report it works well, with plenty of options such as toggle or hold to sprint. It’s available in 9 languages. Hardware-wise, it asks for 16 GB of RAM even at minimum, plus a GTX 1060 6 GB or RX 580.
Things to Know
📋 Before You Buy
• $19.99, or $12.99 with the 35% discount until November 7
• Deluxe Edition includes the soundtrack · bundles with Tiny Bookshop and Witchspire are also available
• Free demo available, and one player recommends trying it first, since it isn’t for everyone
• Single-player · Steam Cloud · Family Sharing · 21 achievements
• Minimum: Windows 10, i5-6400 / Ryzen 5 1400, 16 GB RAM, GTX 1060 6 GB / RX 580, 10 GB of storage
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
| The Good |
The Bad |
The Ugly |
| A Walking HouseBuild it, decorate it, then steer it yourself. A wonderful centerpiece. |
Samey VillagesNPCs and quests repeat from region to region. |
Lingering JankSome players still hit glitches and janky animations. |
| Gorgeous AtmosphereMisty autumn woods, rich folklore and a standout soundtrack. |
Shallow SystemsCrafting, cooking and skills are on the light side. |
— |
| Cozy, With TeethDark undertones and genuinely creepy moments keep it interesting. |
Short Main StoryAround 15 hours, though building extends it a lot. |
— |
| A Reactive WorldQuests visibly change the world, and exploration is always rewarded. |
Hungry for RAM16 GB minimum. |
— |
| Great on DeckSteam Deck Verified, and perfect for relaxed handheld sessions. |
— |
— |
The Verdict
REKA is the witchiest game around, and in the best possible way. Building and steering a house on chicken legs never stops being delightful, the autumn woods are gorgeous, the folklore is rich and refreshingly underused in games, and its quiet, gently creepy atmosphere is unlike almost anything else in the cozy genre.
It’s not without flaws. The villages and quests get repetitive, the crafting systems are light, and there’s still some jank. But 1.0 completes the story, adds meaningful building improvements and polish, and delivers on the potential we saw in Early Access.
The honest read: if you love cozy games, witches, folklore or autumn vibes, REKA is an easy recommendation, especially at $12.99 until November 7. Not sure? The free demo is the perfect way to find out.
For more game reviews, check out our full reviews section.
Score Breakdown
The Walking House & Building9.5/10
Crafting & Cooking Depth6.5/10
Quest & Village Variety6.0/10
Final Score
8.0/10
REKA — Emberstorm Entertainment
The witchiest cozy game around, now with a story that’s finally complete.
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