In Wylde Flowers’ curious world, there are always crops to tend to and animals to raise. But you’re no ordinary farmer in this cheerful Apple Arcade simulation – you’re also a witch!

Head to the island town of Fairhaven as a big-city transplant named Tara. As you cultivate your farm and help care for your grandmother (who also happens to be a witch), you’ll get to know the townsfolk – including a coven of spellbinding friends.

“The Wylde Flowers experience is a bit different for everybody,” says Amanda Schofield, creative director and co-founder of developer Studio Drydock. “One player might be dying to get a cow. Someone else might want to get married and build a life together. The beauty of this genre is that it’s about self-expression and self-exploration.”

Since relationships are at the heart of Wylde Flowers, chatting to other characters can take the story in interesting directions. Bump into someone at the right moment and you might unlock a surprising cutscene or quest.

Continue building those relationships and romance may blossom. From the gregarious bar owner Damon to the emotionally guarded town butcher Kim, eligible partners abound in Wylde Flowers.

“It’s a town that is fully accepting of gay rights and trans rights,” adds Schofield. “I hope that everybody will find they’re accepted there – or perhaps see themselves in the other residents.”

Wylde Flowers is bursting with activity – so you’ll need to be efficient to make the most of your day. Is it raining? Instead of watering your crops, plan a fishing trip. Being smart with your in-game money is crucial too, and Schofield has a great starter tip.

“You want to have a lot of potions, so always have more than one cauldron or distillery,” she says.

“And be opportunistic! If you’ve got the ingredients, why not make a Boost Harvest potion so that you can generate more produce? Then maybe use that for cotton, so you can make more cloth to sell.”

Tasks take time out of your in-game day, but as a witch you can speed things up with a little hocus-pocus. Need to zip down to the beach and back? Cast a spell that increases your run speed. Travelling from Fairhaven to the lake area? Hop onto a broomstick! Once you unlock the ability to transform into a cat while Tara sleeps, you can even forage for goods at nightfall.

“You often run out of time in life sims,” says Schofield. “But here we put time in the players’ hands. Why not make life easier for yourself?”

Looking for more to play? Discover over 200 amazing Apple Arcade games on the Arcade tab of the App Store.

Game availability for the 200+ titles across devices varies based on hardware and software compatibility. Some content may not be available in all areas.