Spooky Season is officially back in full swing, and for many people, that means a return to some beloved shows, movies, and games. One particular classic that returns year after year is Over The Garden Wall. This strange and wonderful mini-series follows a pair of half-brothers as they traverse a forest called “The Unknown” and struggle to tell friend from foe as they search for a way back home.
Fans love Over the Garden Wall for its whimsical visuals and autumnal vibes, as well as its cast of cute but sinister characters. Fans looking to find that similar vibe in video games won’t have to look much further, as we have compiled a collection of titles that give a dose of creepy, colorful, or witchy adventures. Dive into one of the games from this list to feel like you’ve stepped into the weird and wonderful world of Over the Garden Wall.
Wytchwood
In Wytchwood, you play as the Witch, a grumpy and mysterious character who wears a cauldron-like helmet. While the Witch and Greg have similar tastes in headgear, the similarities to Over the Garden Wall do not end there. Wytchwood has charming, gothic-fairytale-inspired graphics and an eerie (but not scary) wooded setting.
The Witch also encounters a cute cast of weird animals and townsfolk as she tries to solve their problems and unravel a mystery of her own. Complete a series of fetch quests and pass judgment on the denizens of the woods to bring the Witch closer to her goal of reviving a mysterious woman.
Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator
Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator allows you to play as an alchemist running an apothecary store. This cozy game features charming medieval manuscript-inspired graphics and soothing gameplay as you collect ingredients and fill orders from the townsfolk. The townspeople will come to you looking for solutions to all manner of problems – ethical or otherwise. What you choose to sell to them will have repercussions.
Your reputation, for good or ill, changes based on how you play and impacts the kind of orders you receive. It is up to you to determine the personality of your shopkeeper. You can be honorable, greedy, or flat out chaotic. This game puts you less in the shoes of Wirt and Greg and more in the position of one of the residents of The Unknown they could encounter on their journey.
Bye Sweet Carole
This recommendation starts with an apology, as Bye Sweet Carole won’t be released until next year. However, it had to be included on this list. Like Over The Garden Wall, Bye Sweet Carole takes strong visual inspiration from early American cartoons. However, while Over the Garden Wall leans towards Betty Boop, Bye Sweet Carole takes clear inspiration from early Disney films. In this horror adventure game, you play as Lana— a young girl who finds herself stuck in an isolated and very sinister orphanage.
The orphanage is aptly named “Bunny Hall” – which probably has something to do with the reason why it is abandoned and infested with creepy rabbits that chase you. Lana can transform into a (much cuter) rabbit, which comes in handy while trying to evade the creatures haunting the orphanage. The sinister setting, transforming child protagonist, and mystery should all appeal to fans of Over the Garden Wall.
Pumpkin Panic
With an adorable pumpkin-headed protagonist and a cute autumnal farm setting, this game looks like Stardew Valley if it was set in Pottsfield. But don’t let the cozy visuals fool you. While Wirt and Greg may have been in no real danger from the people of Pottsfield, the same cannot be said for the pumpkin-headed protagonist of this game. It’s classified as a horror game for a reason, as your goal is to farm, fix your boat, and survive long enough to escape to safety.
Like in Over the Garden Wall, your character will be bossed around by a talking bird as they do chores around the farm and are menaced by a variety of frightening creatures. Also like in Over the Garden Wall, it can be tricky to tell friends from foes. A little bit of advice: Don’t trust the deer.
Beacon Pines
People who were drawn to the storybook quality of Over the Garden Wall will likely enjoy Beacon Pines. This title invites players to dive into a storybook, playing as both the reader of the book and its main character Luka. Luka and his collection of adorable anthropomorphic friends are trying to solve a mystery in their town. You get to rewrite the story by collecting golden charms with engraved words. These words can be inserted into different parts of the story to create a different outcome.
Beacon Pines boasts cute character designs and a cozy autumnal setting with about six hours of gameplay. In addition to the gameplay within each section, Beacon Pines is essentially a choose-your-own-adventure story that has only one true ending. The charms allow the player to unravel the clues, but ultimately all paths in this twisting tale have the same destination.
