The Mildew Children on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information
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Featuring a blend of 2D adventure and visual novel, The Mildew Children is a grim tale about a village inhabited only by children who follow savage pagan traditions. A young witch named Kyrphel, along with her sisters, are bound to perform a macabre Ritual in order to save their village.
The Mildew Children is a adventure, story rich and exploration game
developed by The Growing Stones
and published by Valkyrie Initiative.
Released on April 17th 2024 is available on Windows, MacOS and Linux
in 9 languages: English, Russian, French, German, Spanish - Spain, Polish, Portuguese - Brazil, Simplified Chinese and Turkish.
It has received 315 reviews of which 295 were positive and 20 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.6 out of 10. 😎
The game is currently priced at 3.80€ on Steam with a 61% discount, but you can find it for 3.18€ on Eneba.
The Steam community has classified The Mildew Children into these genres:
Media & Screenshots
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System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10 or newer
- Processor: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: DirectX 11 compatible video card (integrated or dedicated with min 2GB memory)
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 4 GB available space
MacOS
- OS: macOS 11 or newer
- Processor: Apple Silicon or Intel
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Storage: 4 GB available space
Linux
- OS: Ubuntu 18.04 or SteamOS 3 (or newer)
- Processor: x64 architecture only
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: OpenGL 4 Compliant
- Storage: 4 GB available space
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
*Conditional recommendation, read below: After an outcome so personally unfavorable to me that I cried, I've looked around online at who exactly seems to be both enjoying and understanding this game. It appears that this game is quite popular with people of Slavic or Central European heritage/ancestry. I don't feel that this game makes a lot of sense to people outside of those cultures, myself included. That's not a bad thing, which is why I still recommend this game but with a word of caution. I feel the best parts of this game are its art style and its voice acting. Please listen to it in its original language! There are subtitles for you, and you can slow or quicken their pacing so that you don't read what happens before it happens. This is unquestionably a beautiful game. It is a coherent work of written, drawn, and musical art. I enjoyed the game completely right up until the unfavorable outcome. I personally did not mind the emotion mechanics. Apparently it used to be worse before people commented on it, so I'll say in its current state it is alright. I have heard reports that it is impossible to turn off, if you want to do that, which is unfortunate. My critique of the game is that it is difficult to obtain the outcome that you want, specifically because many aspects of the game's greater lore remain unexplained. This is why I believe this game has great cultural appeal for the community it was designed for, but not necessarily outside of that community. I'll give an example: My historical culture is of formerly enslaved people of African origin in the United States. Our fantasy lore includes many West African deities and supernatural figures. If I created a game that featured Papa Legba, I and my fellow members of the African diaspora would quickly understand his role as a communication facilitator and protector of children. People outside of our shared culture tend to perceive him as the embodiment of Satan, or at least a trickster. Therefore, people would likely play my game very differently based on whether they had heard of him or not AND whether they had learned the foreigner's perception of him or the West African perception of him. I believe a similar dynamic exists for this game. As a foreigner to Eastern European lore, I wasn't sure which characters to take seriously, to help, to ignore, or to fear. I wasn't sure whether the spirits I sometimes came across were evil or just scary-looking. I wasn't sure whether to follow the spirits' directives or defy them. If you're similarly unfamiliar with Eastern European lore, you may want to read on it before playing.
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haven't finished it at the time of writing this review but ohhh my god this is one of THE most unique visual novels i have ever played (from a story perspective at least)! what incredible world building. there's a lot of walking around between story scenes but i don't mind that so much as the creepy pagan village is fun to look at. could do without the minigames but i think they're optional, i'm just too lazy to turn them off~
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Another Russian indie banger detailing the lives of a tribe of children who follow a pagan system loosely based on the belief that the 27 club is simply waiting too long. The main character, Kyrphel, is a witch who the game teases may or may not be experiencing shared psychosis with the rest of the village. Her wacky antics involve gaslighting an impressionable 14 year old girl into joining her circle of witches for their important ritual. Overall, pretty good story and voice acting. Whoever decided that one of the achievements needed to be locked behind an RNG guessing game needs to get kicked in the teeth. <3
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The Mildew Children, developed by The Growing Stones and published by Valkyrie Initiative, is an atmospheric and intricately crafted 2D adventure game that delves deeply into folklore and dark fairy tale aesthetics. The game invites players into a secluded village inhabited exclusively by children who live by ancient pagan traditions, immersing them in a world steeped in mystery, superstition, and eerie beauty. Central to the story is Kyrphel, a young witch preparing for a significant ritual alongside her sisters, aiming to protect their community from an impending threat. Over the course of twelve chapters and roughly eight hours of gameplay, players navigate a narrative filled with moral ambiguity, cryptic puzzles, and the weight of difficult choices that shape the fate of the village and its inhabitants. Visually, The Mildew Children stands out for its hand-drawn art style, which perfectly captures the haunting and somber mood of the game’s setting. Every scene is rendered with great attention to detail, from the dilapidated wooden cottages to the mist-covered forests that surround the village. The color palette leans heavily on muted tones and shadowy contrasts, reinforcing the feeling of isolation and otherworldliness. Character portraits are expressive and richly designed, communicating subtle emotional shifts that deepen the narrative engagement. This visual presentation not only supports the story but elevates the overall atmosphere, creating an immersive experience that feels both intimate and unsettling. Gameplay in The Mildew Children blends exploration, investigation, and decision-making in a way that encourages players to engage thoughtfully with the world around them. Players move through various village locations, interact with a cast of enigmatic characters, and piece together clues to unravel the mysteries that haunt the community. The dialogue system offers multiple choices, allowing for player agency that affects relationships and story outcomes, though these choices often carry ambiguous consequences rather than clear-cut resolutions. Alongside narrative progression, the game incorporates puzzles and quick-time events that require both strategic thinking and reflexes. These mechanics are thoughtfully integrated to maintain immersion without interrupting the flow of the story, striking a balance between gameplay and storytelling. The sound design further enriches the game’s eerie atmosphere, employing a carefully curated soundtrack that complements the narrative’s dark themes and quiet moments alike. Ambient sounds—such as the rustling of leaves, distant animal calls, and the creaking of wooden structures—add layers of authenticity to the village setting. The music oscillates between haunting melodies and subtle, tension-building compositions that underscore critical scenes and heighten emotional impact. While the game lacks voice acting, the written dialogue combined with sound effects creates a compelling audio environment that draws players into Kyrphel’s world. Critically, The Mildew Children has been praised for its originality and depth, standing out as a rare example of Slavic-inspired fantasy in the gaming landscape. The storytelling is lauded for its mature themes and richly woven folklore elements, which explore community, sacrifice, and the blurred line between superstition and reality. The game’s moral complexity and the sometimes ambiguous nature of player choices invite reflection, encouraging players to consider the consequences of their actions in a nuanced context. Some criticism has been directed toward the game’s pacing, as the heavy emphasis on dialogue and slower narrative beats may challenge players seeking more dynamic or action-oriented gameplay. Nonetheless, its unique atmosphere and compelling narrative make it a memorable experience for fans of story-driven adventures. Overall, The Mildew Children is a captivating and thought-provoking game that offers a distinct blend of folklore, mystery, and dark fantasy. Its hand-crafted visuals, immersive soundscape, and complex storytelling combine to create an experience that resonates emotionally and intellectually. While it may not appeal to every player due to its deliberate pacing and narrative focus, those willing to immerse themselves in its world will find a richly rewarding journey filled with beauty, tension, and haunting intrigue. Rating: 9/10
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What a trip. Playing it I had many thoughts on what I love about it, but also on what I would like to see made differently. I have strong feelings about the game’s pacing, the overuse (IMO) of various emotions and tension-adding systems, or the rather static, continuous vibe spanning over the final third of the game. And, like many folks, I’m not a fan of the fact that the game’s rules regarding the story branching are very vague. I’d appreciate it if I was told outright that there are side quests in the game, and that it’s worth pursuing them. (I tried finding them on the whim in Chapter 1, found none, and in result assumed that there’s no such feature.) But at the same time, the fact I actually had such strong feelings and the need to seek and analyze the themes, emotions, story structure, and game systems is a great compliment. I was enchanted by the dialogues, the voice acting, the visuals, the atmosphere, or the very unusual lore-heavy metaphors the characters use as they describe mundane events from their own cultural framework. Also, while the game features almost exclusively children, it never gets Weird, in The Regular visual-novely style, if you catch my drift. A huge relief. Damn, such an ambitious game. And I think every person would agree that it’s a flawed one - but we wouldn’t agree why exactly. Because it’s a work of art, and it’s challenging. I didn’t love my time playing it, but I’ll love my memories of it.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The Mildew Children is currently priced at 3.80€ on Steam.
The Mildew Children is currently available at a 61% discount. You can purchase it for 3.80€ on Steam.
The Mildew Children received 295 positive votes out of a total of 315 achieving a rating of 8.59.
😎
The Mildew Children was developed by The Growing Stones and published by Valkyrie Initiative.
The Mildew Children is playable and fully supported on Windows.
The Mildew Children is playable and fully supported on MacOS.
The Mildew Children is playable and fully supported on Linux.
The Mildew Children is a single-player game.
There are 2 DLCs available for The Mildew Children. Explore additional content available for The Mildew Children on Steam.
The Mildew Children does not support mods via Steam Workshop.
The Mildew Children does not support Steam Remote Play.
The Mildew Children is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for The Mildew Children.
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Last Updates| Steam data | 03 March 2026 07:13 |
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| SteamSpy data | 15 March 2026 03:10 |
| Steam price | 15 March 2026 04:17 |
| Steam reviews | 14 March 2026 15:49 |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about The Mildew Children, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.
- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about The Mildew Children
- SteamCharts - Analysis of The Mildew Children concurrent players on Steam
- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck The Mildew Children compatibility
Game modes
Features
Online players
3
Developer
The Growing Stones
Publisher
Valkyrie Initiative
Release
17 Apr 2024
Platforms
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