It’s a known fact that leaning doesn’t help you get any faster or better at racing video games. But the very act suggests an immersion where logic has faded into the distance. After mere seconds in Crescent County, I found myself leaning heavily and floating away into a brighter, more colourful world.
This upcoming title from Electric Saint is a cosy adventure about a young witch who moves to a new island with the goal of a fresh start. She picks up work as a ‘motorbroom’ courier as a means to get her life back together and as she runs her deliveries, she gets to know nearby folks on her island, including all their latest drama and gossip.
Your witch’s need for belonging speaks to a universal desire for companionship, particularly in the years of early adulthood where many question or find their purpose. Roaming through Crescent County at SXSW Sydney 2025, I became certain of my own purpose: absolutely ripping through this game’s many motorbroom courses.
Magic and racing combine in Crescent County
While Crescent County is driven by an overarching narrative with sweet notes about finding friends and embracing the foibles of humanity, its primary gameplay revolves around getting from to place to place via broomstick, occasionally in high-tension races.
With tight controls and a real sense of speed, it’s magnificent to take on new tracks. The control scheme is strangely reminiscent of Crash Bandictoot 3: Warped‘s motorbike levels. You rely on leaning left and right to turn tight corners, while constantly revving to push yourself onwards.
You can also perform tricks as you travel, with boosts allowing you to briefly rush forward – which comes in handy when other witches join you for those competitive races – and if you jump at the right moment, you can get air and glide along wind tunnels.
While my early forays into Crescent County led me off path with frequency, once you nail down the angles and how much a lean can change your trajectory, you’ll absolutely lock in. All that matters will be the paths of the wind and how to angle your broomstick for just the right amount of air – but not so much you miss your boost.
All the while, you’ll have to force yourself not to be mesmerised by the colours shooting past you, or the way the light from the sun breaks through clouds overhead. You’ll need to avoid the spindly, dreamlike trees that stand in your way, while pastel-coloured mountains ebb and flow around you.
Travelling through Crescent County is like speeding through a dream. Its candy-coloured world evokes a real sense of peace, adding to that all-important sense of immersion. While there’s stress in making it to the end of each racecourse, it’s hard to feel too pressured when this game invites you into such a relaxing, beautiful world.
There’s an impactful balance here, with beauty combining with competitive races for an adventure that brims with novel ideas. I can’t say I’ve ever played another cosy racing game where friendship and prettiness is the vibe. But it’s this unique mix that makes Crescent County so compelling.
If you’re looking for a game that does things entirely differently, this is an adventure that beams with a pure and brilliant light. It’s gorgeous and lighthearted, and with only a small taste at SXSW Sydney 2025, I now have a desperate hunger for more.
