Magical Girl Witch Trials

Lore & Background

The game was partially funded via a CAMPFIRE crowdfunding campaign that began on April 19, 2024, and lasted until the end of June. It reached its initial target of 2 million yen within about 90 minutes and ultimately raised approximately 66.8 million yen, 33.4 times the goal, enabling full voice acting. The development team cited Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Danganronpa, and Steins;Gate as inspirations.

The story begins with Sakuraba Ema, a former bullying victim, awakening in a prison alongside Nikaidō Hiro. They are among 13 girls identified as potential witches with high murderous instinct. A mysterious Warden forces them into a cycle of murder, investigation, witch trials, and executions. The narrative shifts halfway to Hiro's perspective after a time-rewind triggered by her hidden magic, Death Rewinding. The plot culminates in a confrontation with Tsukishiro Yuki, a Native Witch seeking revenge against humanity.

Gameplay follows a four-phase cycle: story interactions with choice-based bad endings, investigation of a murder, a Witch Trial with time limits and statement-targeting mechanics, and execution of the guilty party. The trial phase requires players to point out lies or face wrongful executions leading to the protagonist's death.

Reader's Guide

Magical Girl Witch Trials was a commercial success and received positive reviews for its characterization, storyline, and artwork. It rapidly gained popularity in Japan and the Chinese-speaking world, aided by livestreaming. Famitsu praised the unique character designs and the guilt-satisfaction balance of gameplay. Dengeki Online highlighted the game's rare attention to early-death characters and its emotional storyline. Automation Media noted the absence of mini-games or failure penalties allowed narrative focus. The Steam version became the second best-selling game in Japan after release, later rising to number one on July 25, 2025. A reader survey by Den Faminico Gamer ranked it the second recommended game of 2025. It was nominated for Best Adventure Game and Best Indie Game at the Famitsu Game Awards 2025. In 2026, it ranked first in Dengeki Online's Reader's Top 10 Most Desired Game to Anime Adaptations and won top adventure game at the Dengeki Indie Game Awards 2026. A manga adaptation began serialization in August 2025, and a reading play was performed on May 10, 2025, with a CD release scheduled for April 22, 2026. Two related games, Mahō Shōjo no Inshū Mura and The Streamer's Alt Account Labyrinth, are scheduled for 2026.

Did You Know?

• The crowdfunding campaign raised 33.4 times its initial goal, reaching about 66.8 million yen.
• Voice actor Ryūsei Nakao, known for voicing Frieza, is among the cast.
• An internet meme called 'Aburi Bin' (Roasted Bottle) originated from a line by Ema after a wrong choice.
• The game's story includes a time-rewinding mechanic triggered by Hiro's hidden magic, Death Rewinding.