This witch sim has the chicken-legged Baba Yaga house, so I want it

It doesn’t have a demo or even a release date yet, but I am loving the look of Reka. It’s a 19th-century witch sim being made by Emberstorm Entertainment, where you play as a traveling witch whose chosen mode of transportation is the legendary chicken-legged Baba Yaga house, which is the coolest thing ever.

Details on Reka are still super light, and the Steam page mentions a release year of 2024, but I’ve been following Emberstorm’s Twitter intently, looking at all the cool gifs for Reka and the house looks incredible! For one, it’s huge. It towers above the forest trees and looks like it could easily stomp unwanted visitors to death. When the young witch approaches the towering beast, it bends is legs to sit down, almost burring itself in the earth for her access to the house on top.

The house isn’t just a cute gimmick either; it sits at the very center of the game. Using the resources you’ve gained from fulfilling contracts with the locals you come across, you can upgrade the cottage as you see fit. You can furnish the inside and add decorations, as well as build crafting tables for your witchy activities.

You’re also able to expand your cottage in what looks like a snappable building system, adding more rooms, floors, and windows to your liking. I have a vision in my head of my chicken-legged cottage with the wonderful What Remains Of Edith Finch house plopped on top, its mish-mash of wooden beams struts haplessly holding the tower together.

The references to Slavic mythology don’t just stop with the chicken house. Emberstorm Entertainment have teased an encounter with a leshy on their Twitter, a forest spirit from Slavic mythology who plays tricks on people, and there’s also a bit in the trailer that shows our young witch friend pacifying a ghost with a ritual. Looks like you’ll be up to lots of spooky shenanigans. But while there may be myths and monsters afoot, but it doesn’t look like Reka will be that combat-heavy or challenging in the slightest.

Some other off-hand details I’ve noticed: one screenshot has a cat sitting in a basket in your house, so does that mean cat companions? There’s a gif of the witch using her powers to command crows to collect wood for her, so I’m hoping that there’s going to be lots of spell casting. And there’s also another screenshot of her petting a deer and I am SO DOWN for making friends with all the woodland creatures.

Even though there are spooks, it still feels distinctly like a life sim. But, instead of a bright-eyed city slicker moving to the countryside, you’re a creepy witch girl running through the woods making potions and meeting strange creatures. Sounds amazing.