Games

How Remedies Shape Progression in Hela: Of Mice & Magic

Norbert Litwinski
Marketing Manager, Windup
September 18, 2026 · 3 min read

We’re excited to share that Hela: Of Mice & Magic will be coming to XBOX Game Pass on day one when it launches on December 1, 2026. To celebrate, we’re taking a closer look at one of the game’s core progression systems: Brewing & Remedies.

Every good witch’s workshop has a few essentials: a bubbling cauldron, all sorts of curious ingredients, and an ancient recipe book filled with magical brews.

In Hela: Of Mice & Magic, brewing has all of those things. But it’s also much more than a crafting system.

As tiny mouse familiars helping a kind-hearted witch care for the world around her, players spend much of their adventure exploring forests, meadows, and wetlands inspired by the landscapes of Northern Sweden. Players will come across native plants and other magical ingredients scattered throughout the landscape. Everything they collect eventually finds its way back to the witch’s cottage. That’s where brewing begins.

Every Recipe Is an Experience

Rather than selecting an item from a crafting menu, brewing in Hela is designed as an interactive process.

Each recipe follows its own set of instructions, combining different ingredients with a series of hands-on actions and asking for a specific sequence of steps before the brew can succeed.

No two recipes play exactly the same, encouraging players to engage with the process rather than simply collecting resources and pressing a button.

From the beginning, we wanted brewing to feel like an authentic experience in the witch’s workshop, one where curiosity and experimentation are just as important as gathering the right ingredients.

Brewing Drives Exploration

Brewing isn’t separate from exploration. It’s what gives exploration purpose. Every ingredient you gather has the potential to unlock something useful once you return home.

Some brews help the woodland creatures and communities you’ll meet throughout your journey. Others improve your own abilities. But perhaps the most important creations are magical tools known as Remedies.

Unlocking New Ways to Explore

Remedies expand how players move through the environment, solve puzzles, overcome obstacles and interact with each other.

As your collection grows, familiar places begin to reveal new possibilities. A path that once seemed unreachable might suddenly become accessible. A puzzle that appeared impossible earlier in the adventure can now be approached from an entirely new angle.

Instead of just making players more powerful, Remedies are designed to encourage them to look at familiar places in new ways.

Better Together

Like much of Hela, Remedies become even more playful in co-op.

Playing together encourages experimentation, as players combine different tools and approaches to overcome environmental challenges. While every puzzle can be completed solo, cooperative play often leads to unexpected moments as players combine their abilities in creative ways.

Some of our favorite moments come from discovering creative solutions we never explicitly thought of to try.

A World Built on Curiosity

At its heart, Brewing & Remedies reflect the philosophy behind Hela itself.

You’ll spend a lot of time wandering off the path. Spotting an unusual flower. Following a stream. Wondering whether that strange plant has a use. Those small discoveries are what keep the adventure moving.

Brewing is only one piece of the adventure waiting in Hela: Of Mice & Magic, but it captures the spirit of the game. We look forward to sharing more as we get closer to launch, and can’t wait to welcome Xbox players into Hela when it arrives on XBOX Series X|S and Game Pass on December 1, 2026.

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Hela: of Mice & Magic

Knights Peak

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★★★★★
When the old can no longer protect the land, the small must learn to carry the tune. For as long as anyone can remember, a kind witch has cared for the forest and the creatures who call it home. But now, as the world begins to fall out of harmony, the witch who has always protected it is growing ill. Her tiniest familiars must venture beyond the shelter of home and learn to carry the responsibility that once belonged to her. Though she cannot join them, her magic is never far away—a gentle hand, ready to lift them back to safety. Playing as a brave little mouse, you will journey through a vast world shaped by the beauty and wonder of Swedish nature, helping those you meet and restoring harmony one act of kindness at a time. Along the way, you’ll uncover deeply moving stories rooted in the lives of the land’s inhabitants. Hela: of Mice & Magic is a heartfelt 3D open-world adventure about care, courage, and discovering how much even the smallest among us can do. Explore alone or share the journey with friends in local split-screen and online co-op. CARRY HER KINDNESS INTO THE WILD The witch has spent her life caring for the world around her. Now, it’s your turn to care for her by continuing the work she can no longer carry alone. Gather ingredients and brew magical remedies, using their special properties to solve playful environmental puzzles and lend a helping paw to animals and communities throughout the land. Each small act brings you closer to restoring harmony to the land and helping the witch who has long cared for you and all the forest’s inhabitants. SEE THE WORLD THROUGH TINY EYES Travel through a lovingly crafted playground inspired by the landscapes of Northern Sweden, from rugged mountain trails and magical forests to tranquil lakes and misty wetlands. To a mouse, even familiar places become enormous. Everyday objects become obstacles, useful tools, and invitations to play, while hidden paths and story fragments reward those who pause, listen, and look a little closer. Glide through the air, climb to new heights, experiment with the world around you, and find your own way through an adventure filled with quiet wonder. SHARE THE JOURNEY Some adventures are meant to be shared. Experience the full adventure solo, with a friend in local split-screen, or in online co-op for up to four players. Work together to explore the landscape, overcome challenges, and discover playful solutions. When you play solo, the Shade System lets you create magical copies of yourself to assist with puzzles and interact with the world, ensuring that every part of the journey remains open to you. MEET FROGGY Your magical Froggy backpack is more than just a useful tool: it’s your constant companion on the road ahead. Use Froggy to leap, swing, glide, gather resources, interact with the environment, and solve puzzles. As your journey continues, you will discover new ways for Froggy to help you reach hidden places and navigate a world built for curiosity.
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