Spirittea: Ghosts and Hot Springs

I wrote about my first impressions of Spirittea last year, really enjoying the experience and the soothing gameplay. Since that time, it has become my go-to game when I don't want to think about the world, though I'm more financially successful in the game than I am in real life. We run a bathhouse for spirits after moving into a house previously owned by a spirit manager. Spirits are much more reasonable when it comes to customer service than are real people. Having a cat mentor named Wonyan helps, as they assist us with the quest and the bathhouse.

Our character came to this haunted town to write a book. Finding out we can run a bathhouse adds icing–and income–to that cake of a goal. We don't see the details, but apparently, we take inspiration from helping out our neighbors on different quests. In addition, we choose when to work on the book and tell the story, but the only way we make any progress is to go on these quests.

I finished writing the book, thanks to rescuing a baby and stopping a boar from running me down in the tea fields. Wonyan took offense, saying that now I could take the bus to leave, but I don't want to leave. Even if I found out that we can stay in the town after the credits roll, seeing Wonyan so upset made my heart break. He's been a good mentor and friend. And Wonyan is right; more spirits around town need help.

Spirit Hunting

The more time that we spend in the bathhouse, the more often we get upgraded in Spirit Vision. That means we see more spirits around town harassing our neighbors. When we go on quests to help our neighbors and restore the spirits' memories, they become bathhouse customers.

Helping is that when we make more renovations, we can entertain more customers and collect their earnings. Each good deed allows us to earn more revenue, which gives us more means of paying for bathhouse renovations. The renovations also pour money into the town's blacksmith, who always seems open for commissions. Cleaning away the dust from old tubs and passageways feels emotionally fulfilling, and we are benefiting everyone at the same time.

Some of the quest mechanics have required some trial and error. The most recent one involved catching a tiny boar, but no matter how well I timed my butterfly net, the little spirit disguised as a territorial pig would knock me off my feet. In another case, I had to play hide and seek on a hiking trail. I had to get lucky identifying the statue that didn't belong after trying for several days, both in and out of the game.

Mind, these quests were still fun; I wasn't streaming, but I was calling out, "Heeere pig pig pig, sueey" when hunting the boar. Though some were harder than others, and I swore the game glitched when I needed to win, I enjoyed discovering all these lost souls.

What About Wonyan?

Wonyan has revealed a scary—and violent—side. When we find a lost spirit, he would rather whack them with a stick. Our character often tries to ask Wonyan to cool it since most of the spirits aren't malevolent. They got lost when people stopped dedicating time to their shrines. It's not like we can blame the townsfolk, however; most of them are going through their day. What reason do they have to believe in magic and spirits when they have bills to pay and families that rely on them? I wouldn't be able to believe in them if I were from a bustling urban city, either.

We especially see the need for Wonyan's ruthlessness when lost spirits kidnap a baby. With his mother in tears, I immediately consulted the online game Wikipedia to find the little one. Wonyan took care of the spirits by eating the more threatening one—something that shocked me. He sent a message that they must not kidnap any babies, and given how fragile babies are, he is very right about that. I hadn't realized Wonyan took the "town guardian" part of his job seriously. Until then, he hadn't needed to do that.

Wonyan cares about this town. He doesn't just miss the previous bathhouse caretaker or the money; he likes his neighbors. I hadn't seen that side of him before, and it's heartening.

A Bathhouse by the Stream

Spirittea has certainly been a comfort this year. Being able to run a business with a fair profit and being able to renovate the bathhouse makes a difference in a post-capitalist hellscape. We may not have a Wonyan in real life, but we do have some people looking out for us. Those NPCs remind us that we matter.

It's hard to look out for each other with rising cynicism and hurt. But we do it anyway, whether with steam in the bathhouse or retrieving a friend's phone. Be