Malefica

The Last Fit that the young Woman had was very peculiar. The Daemons having once again seiz'd her, they made her pretend to be Dying; and Dying truly we fear'd at last she was: She lay, she tossed, she pull'd just like one Dying, and urged hard for some one to dy with her, seeming loth to dy alone.

COTTON MATHER, MEMORABLE PROVIDENCES, RELATING TO WITCHCRAFTS AND POSSESSIONS, CIRCA 1689

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Salem, 1692 – Under the guise of a devout witch hunter, a gaunt young woman stalks the streets of Salem. In her wake she leaves restless dreams, occult symbols, and a string of mysterious ailments, until the townspeople are stirred up into such a paranoid frenzy that they are all too eager to burn whichever heretic she points her finger at, to take the fall for her own misdeeds.

But take heed! – Public opinion is fickle. Each act of witchcraft puts her under higher scrutiny, even when unseen, and should she ever draw too much attention the pyre will not hesitate to burn her just the same as any other.

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Made in 48 hours for McGameJam 2026

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CONTROLS

Every dirty little village mongrel must burn. Let them feel what they’ve done to us, ten-thousandfold.

• WASD to move.
• Q (hold) to craft a talisman.
• E to interact with buildings, plaguing inhabitants with nightmares and leaving talismans at doors.
• Click to hex villagers, or to point an accusing finger when paranoia is running high enough to frame someone for witchcraft.

Each witchcraft action – nightmares, talismans, and hexing – raises the village’s paranoia, but also increases their suspicion of you. When paranoia is high enough, accuse another villager to get her burned at the pyre. Burn as many as you can.

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CREDITS

ART:  Fei Labilloy, Jasmine Wang, Sofie Bieker, Hussein Serageldin

PROGRAMMING: Doddy Yang-Qiu, Tab Wong, Tavio Ficaccio, Kevin Bai, Hussein Serageldin, Jasmine Wang, Sofie Bieker, Atlas Guo

DESIGN: Tavio Ficaccio, Atlas Guo

SOUND & MUSIC: Atlas Guo

• With additional sounds from Pixabay (Creaking, heartbeat, fire crackle, night ambience)