Magical Girl Witch Trials

Magical Girl Witch Trials
Title art
DevelopersRe,AER
PublisherCircle Line Games
ArtistUmemaro[1]
WriterAcacia[1]
ComposerSLAVE.V-V-R[1]
EngineUnity
Platforms
ReleaseWindows
July 18, 2025
Nintendo Switch
July 9, 2026
GenresMystery adventure, visual novel
ModeSingle-player[1]

Magical Girl Witch Trials (Japanese: 魔法少女ノ魔女裁判, Hepburn: Mahō Shōjo no Majo Saiban) is a 2025 mystery adventure[2] game by Re,AER & Acacia, a scenario writing company. The game was released on Microsoft Windows. The Nintendo Switch version will be released on July 9, 2026.[3]

The game was developed by Acacia, a creative brand under Re,AER and published by Circle Line Games, featuring gothic visuals and a "dark magical girl" theme.[4] It primarily follows Sakuraba Ema, Nikaidō Hiro, and eleven other girls who have been identified as potential witches, beings which possess "high murderous instinct" and imprisoned within a remote island prison mansion. Through a series of witch trials, players uncover and execute the hidden murderous witch. Following a 2024 successful crowdfunding campaign, the game got full voice acting and attracted attention in the Japanese online community.

Magical Girl Witch Trials was a commercial success and earned positive reviews for its characterization, storyline, and artwork. A manga adaptation began serialization in August 2025. Two games that feature related characters, Mahō Shōjo no Inshū Mura and The Streamer's Alt Account Labyrinth, are scheduled to be released in 2026.

Gameplay

Magical Girl Witch Trials is a mystery adventure game in which players first see events in the perspective of Sakuraba Ema, and then a different character in the second part of the story. The gameplay is similar to Danganronpa in flow[5], wherein each chapter consists of a murder, an investigation phase, a trial, and the execution of the culprit. As in Danganronpa, the player can target specific statements in characters' arguments.

The gameplay comes in cycles of four phases. In the first phase, the story continues with the magical girls interacting with each other. The character the player controls can choose rooms to go to, where a set of stories will play. During the dialogues, the controlled character may be prompted to choose an action to take out of two or more choices, in which all but one of the choices leads to a bad ending. In the second phase, one of the magical girls is found murdered by another, and the player searches for clues and collects testimonies. In the third phase, a Witch Trial is held to identify the murderer. There is a time limit on how many times dialogues can be repeated, and taking too much time results in a game over. During this phase, the player has to actively interact with the trial to point out lies and inaccuracies, or the wrong magical girl will be executed, and the protagonist will die in various ways after the wrongful execution. The magical girl found guilty will be executed, and the gameplay reaches phase four, which directly connects with the first phase. The gameplay repeats until the scripted story reaches an end.[1][2]

Synopsis

Hoping to leave behind a history of middle-school bullying and start fresh in high school, Sakuraba Ema instead awakens in a cold prison cell alongside Nikaidō Hiro, a former friend whose relationship with Ema has soured for reasons Ema can no longer recall. They are among 13 girls detained by a mysterious Warden, who reveals that they are potential witches whose latent powers threaten humanity. The prison is designed to turn them into immortal witches, granting them immense power paired with an uncontrollable urge to kill. Following each murder, a Witch Trial is held; the guilty party is executed. As witches cannot die from physical trauma, they become an "Immortal Remain" with superhuman strength and regeneration. The cycle begins in blood when Hiro attempts to kill the prison guard, a remain, and is immediately beheaded by it. Ema eventually stands as one of the last survivors alongside Hikami Meruru. Meruru reveals herself as the prison's mastermind, a fake prisoner searching for a "Great Witch" hidden in the human world. She shows Ema a photograph of the target: Tsukishiro Yuki, which Ema recognizes as her middle school friend. She realizes her history of being bullied was a psychological fabrication created to mask her guilt for standing by while Yuki was the true victim. The trauma of this revelation awakens Ema’s true magic—the power to kill witches—which she uses to destroy the world in a fit of despair.

As the credits roll, time abruptly rewinds. The game switches to Hiro's perspective. Hiro wakes in the cell, retaining the memories of her own execution. Her hidden magic, Death Rewinding, has been triggered. It is revealed that she distanced herself from Ema because Ema stood by as a bystander while their friend Yuki was bullied into suicide. As Hiro navigates a new series of murders—where even Meruru falls victim—she begins to succumb to the "witch transformation" brought on by psychological stress. However, Hiro discovers a darker truth: Yuki was not a passive victim. She intentionally invited abuse to traumatize Ema and Hiro, poisoning their friendship as part of a grander scheme to spread "witch elements" and eradicate humanity. To stop this, Hiro learns she must summon Yuki by turning all 13 girls into witches for a final ceremony. Enduring unbearable mental pressure, Hiro commits suicide to reset the timeline once more, utilizing her strengthened powers to return to the very first day.

Hiro awakens as a near-complete witch, barely suppressing her homicidal urges. Foregoing the "game," she demands an immediate Witch Trial. During the proceedings, she systematically exposes the deep-seated traumas of the other girls, forcing them to confront their inner darkness and complete their transformations. The ceremony successfully summons Yuki from the ashes. Yuki reveals her motive: she is the last "Native Witch" seeking revenge for the human persecution of her kind. She intends to trigger a global "witch-killing" spell to wipe out the human race. In a final confrontation, the girls manage to reach Yuki’s heart, persuading her to abandon her vengeance and retract the witch elements from the world. Yuki chooses to end her own life, with Meruru following her into death. With the curse lifted, the prisoners and the "Remains" regain their humanity and are finally allowed to leave the prison.

Development

The development of the game was partially funded by crowdfunding via CAMPFIRE, which aimed to increase the quality of the game.[6] The crowdfunding began on April 19, 2024 and lasted until the end of June.[7] It attracted attention on the Japanese internet and reached the initial target of 2 million yen within about an hour and a half after launching. It also met all the newly set stretch goals.[8] Eventually, the crowdfunding reached approximately 66.8 million yen, 33.4 times the amount needed, and the game received full voice acting as a result.[9][10] Among the voice actors for the characters is Ryūsei Nakao, who has voiced Frieza.[11] The development team has cited Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Danganronpa and Steins;Gate as inspiration.[12]

Reception

Since its release, Magical Girl Witch Trials has received widespread acclaim for the characters' designs and the quality of artworks,[13] rapidly gaining popularity in Japan and the Chinese-speaking world.[14] The livestreaming by online streamers further contributed to the game's popularity on social media.[15] Reviewers for the Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu positively noted the unique characteristics of the girls, which made it easy to remember them. They also noted the guiltiness and satisfaction from the gameplay.[2] A reviewer for Dengeki Online noted that the game properly reveals the details of characters who die early into the game, which is rare for death game scenarios. They also praised the emotional storyline and noted that they were immersed in the gameplay.[16] On the other hand, Automation Media stated the absence of mini-games or failure penalties during trials allows players to focus entirely on the narrative. The reviewer also praised the voice performances and duality of the characters.[17] In a 2025 reader survey by Den Faminico Gamer, Magical Girl Witch Trial was the second recommended game of the year.[18]

The Steam version of the game was the second best-selling game in Japan after its release,[19] and later rose to number one in the rankings on July 25.[20] As of February 2026, it had sold over 500,000 units on the platform.[21] An Internet meme dubbed the "Aburi Bin" (Japanese: 炙りビン; lit. Roasted Bottle) is popular on Japanese social media platforms, which originated from a line spoken by Ema after the player made a wrong choice.[22]

The game was nominated for "Best Adventure Game" and "Best Indie Game" at the Famitsu Game Awards 2025.[23]

A reading play of the game was performed at Sunpearl Arakawa on May 10, 2025.[24] Its CD will be released on April 22, 2026.[25] A manga adaptation written by Acacia and illustrated by Tokitō Setsuna was launched on August 28, 2025.[26] Hiro, one of the characters in the game, was confirmed to make an appearance in the spin-off games Mahō Shōjo no Inshū Mura and The Streamer's Alt Account Labyrinth in development by Acacia.[27][28]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "魔法少女ノ魔女裁判 公式". 魔法少女ノ魔女裁判 公式 (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2025-07-25. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
  2. ^ a b c "『魔法少女ノ魔女裁判』レビュー。13人のうち誰かを指名して処刑しなければ全員処刑の魔女裁判で、少女たちの罪を暴くミステリーアドベンチャー | ゲーム・エンタメ最新情報のファミ通.com". ファミ通.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2025-07-30. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
  3. ^ ""インディーワールド2026.3.3"まとめ。『にほんの田舎ぐらし』『My little Puppy』『魔法少女ノ魔女裁判』『炎姫』など、Switch2＆Switch向けインディーゲームが続々とお披露目". ファミ通.com (in Japanese). March 3, 2026.
  4. ^ Đorđe P (20 November 2025). "Magical Girl Witch Trials developer preparing for North American expansion as the "Overwhelmingly Positive" title sells over 200,000 copies on Steam". Automation Media.
  5. ^ "『魔法少女ノ魔女裁判』は、「かわいそうはかわいい」だけでは終わらない―"圧倒的に好評"も頷ける高品質なデスゲーム系ADV【プレイレポ】（Game Spark）". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-08-18.
  6. ^ "『魔法少女ノ魔女裁判』魔法少女たちに紛れる殺人犯（魔女）を炙り出す魔法議論アドベンチャー、Steamストアページ公開。2025年発売予定 | ゲーム・エンタメ最新情報のファミ通.com". ファミ通.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-07-28.
  7. ^ "初報2週間で2万フォローを達成したADVゲーム「魔法少女ノ魔女裁判」のクラウドファンディングが本日19時よりスタート！". Gamer (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2024-12-23. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
  8. ^ "魔法議論ミステリ×ADVデスゲーム『魔法少女ノ魔女裁判』のクラウドファンディングが終了。当初の目標である200万円を大幅に上回る6684万9444円が集まる結果に". DenFaminicoGamer (in Japanese). 1 July 2024.
  9. ^ "魔法議論ミステリ×ADVデスゲーム『魔法少女ノ魔女裁判』を、最高の形で届けたい！". camp-fire.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-07-28.
  10. ^ "『魔法少女ノ魔女裁判』13人の少女たちから1人ずつ"処刑対象"を見つけ出す残酷ミステリー、発売日が7月18日に決定 | ゲーム・エンタメ最新情報のファミ通.com". ファミ通.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2025-07-27. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
  11. ^ ヨシムネ (2025-05-05). "『魔法少女ノ魔女裁判』Steam版の発売日が「7月18日」に決定。仲間のなかから"魔女"をあぶり出して「残酷に処刑」する不穏な推理ゲーム注目作、発売に先駆けてタワレコ・アニメイトでのグッズ物販イベントも開催予定". 電ファミニコゲーマー – ゲームの面白い記事読んでみない？ (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2025-05-30. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
  12. ^ "『魔法少女ノ魔女裁判』畑俊行プロデューサー&桜羽エマ役・三木谷奈々さんインタビュー。10年愛してもらえるキャラクターを作る。でもひどい目にはあってもらう". ファミ通.com (in Japanese). 2025-09-18.
  13. ^ "Steam最高評価ランク達成の魔女裁判ミステリーADV『魔法少女ノ魔女裁判』リリースから約3日で販売本数3万本". Game*Spark - 国内・海外ゲーム情報サイト (in Japanese). 2025-07-23. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
  14. ^ "30万本の半分は中国語圏。圧倒的人気を誇る「魔法少女ノ魔女裁判」の関係者が上海Weplayに集結". 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). 2 December 2025.
  15. ^ "『まのさば』『ARC Raiders』…2025年は新規IPが大活躍！やり逃したタイトルはないか来年に向けて振り返ろう【年末年始特集】". Game*Spark - 国内・海外ゲーム情報サイト (in Japanese). 2025-12-30.
  16. ^ "『魔法少女ノ魔女裁判』レビュー。魔女処刑の"共犯者"になってみませんか？ 疑心暗鬼、嫉妬、極限状態で魔法少女たちの闇を暴く". 電撃オンライン (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-07-28.
  17. ^ Shion Kaneko (22 July 2025). "魔女断罪推理ゲーム『魔法少女ノ魔女裁判』みるみる人気高まる。「容疑者全員魔法少女」な殺人事件を捜査する、救いなき共同生活". Automation Media (in Japanese).
  18. ^ "「推したいゲーム大賞 2025」発表！この1年間で電ファミ読者がいちばん推したいと思ったのは『シャインポスト Be Your アイドル！』". DenFaminicoGamer (in Japanese). 26 December 2025.
  19. ^ "CF6600万円、Xフォロワー14万人超の話題作『魔法少女ノ魔女裁判』が大ヒット…国内Steamセールスランキングで2位に登場 | gamebiz". gamebiz【ゲームビズ】 (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2025-07-23. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
  20. ^ Shion Kaneko (2 September 2025). "魔女断罪ミステリー『魔法少女ノ魔女裁判』売上10万本達成。Steamレビュー「圧倒的に好評」の話題作がさっそく大台突破". Automation Media (in Japanese).
  21. ^ Shion Kaneko (March 3, 2026). "『魔法少女ノ魔女裁判』Nintendo Switch版、7月9日発売へ。"処刑し合い"推理ADV「まのさば」がついにSwitchに". Automation Media (in Japanese).
  22. ^ "「"炙りビン"誕生経緯は…」「処刑ボタンは発売日の朝に追加した」『魔法少女ノ魔女裁判』今だから明かせる制作秘話！今後の展開についても聞いてみた【開発者インタビュー】". Game*Spark - 国内・海外ゲーム情報サイト (in Japanese). 19 January 2026.
  23. ^ "【ファミ通・電撃ゲームアワード2025】ゲームオブザイヤーなど16部門のノミネート作品を公開！ 結果発表は3月14日の生放送にて". ファミ通.com (in Japanese). March 2, 2026.
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  25. ^ "3時間超の大ボリュームで贈る"絶望の脱出劇"！　ドラマCD「『魔法少女ノ魔女裁判』～the first page～ 再審」が発売!!". Animate Times (in Japanese). January 30, 2026.
  26. ^ "【第1話】魔法少女ノ魔女裁判".
  27. ^ "Tweet by the official account".
  28. ^ "配信少女ノ裏垢迷宮 公式" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-11-29.
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