I’ve had my eye on Chucklefish’s Witchbrook for quite some time now, and considering the game was first teased all the way back in 2016, I think it’s safe to say I’ve been more than patient. Fortunately, after a decade of waiting for the Hogwarts Legacy meets Stardew Valley life sim, we finally have a release date to look forward to. During Nintendo’s October 28 Indie World showcase, Chucklefish officially announced that Witchbrook will launch on January 28, 2027, which means we’re now just a few months away from finally getting our hands on it.
Now, I’ve already talked quite a bit about why I think Witchbrook has the potential to be even better than Hogwarts Legacy and Stardew Valley, but one of the biggest reasons is that it looks like it will offer the kind of magic school experience I’ve wanted for years. Of course, Hogwarts Legacy already gave us plenty of that, but I also came away wishing it would have let me spend more time actually being a student at Hogwarts. Witchbrook, on the other hand, seems to be putting that experience front and center, all while incorporating the cozy, addictive life sim gameplay that has made Stardew Valley so successful.
Witchbrook Has Been a Long Time Coming, but the Wait Is Almost Over
Witchbrook actually has a pretty interesting development history, especially when you consider how much the game has apparently changed over the years. Chucklefish first teased the project in 2016, when it was little more than a concept for a magical school RPG. It eventually became known as Project Spellbound before officially receiving the name Witchbrook in March 2018. At the time, people were already comparing it to Harry Potter and Stardew Valley, which is interesting, considering Hogwarts Legacy hadn’t even been announced yet. Of course, there wasn’t much to go on back then, but the idea of a Stardew Valley-like game set at a school of magic was enough to get people like myself excited.
Guess the games from the emojis.
However, development didn’t really pick up until 2019, and that’s apparently when Chucklefish decided it wanted to do something a little different with the game. In an interview earlier this year, Chucklefish COO Donna Orlowski explained that the team actually shifted its focus away from the whole Harry Potter meets Stardew Valley idea, with the goal of making something more unique. Then, in March 2025, we finally got a proper look at Witchbrook in action, along with a winter 2025 release window. Unfortunately, that didn’t last, as Chucklefish eventually delayed the game to 2026, and now into early 2027. Honestly, I’m just glad we finally have an actual date now, because I’ve been wondering for a while whether Witchbrook would ever make it out of development.
Chucklefish officially announced that Witchbrook will launch on January 28, 2027…
As for why I’ve been looking forward to it so much, I think one of Hogwarts Legacy‘s biggest missed opportunities was how little time it ultimately had players spending as students. I mean, attending classes, learning spells, brewing potions, and exploring Hogwarts Castle were some of my favorite parts of the entire experience. But eventually, the game became much more about exploring the open world and fighting enemies than it was about attending Hogwarts. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with that, of course, especially considering how much I enjoyed its combat and exploration, but I would have loved to see the student side of things expanded a bit more.
And that’s precisely where Witchbrook has an opportunity to do something special. The game sees players enrolling at Witchbrook College in the seaside town of Mossport, where they’ll attend classes, learn magic, make friends, and eventually work toward graduation. However, unlike Hogwarts Legacy, which largely uses classes to teach players new abilities, Witchbrook looks like it will make going to school a much bigger part of the overall gameplay loop. In fact, Chucklefish has explained that the spells and knowledge you acquire in class will also help you run your own witch business, allowing you to provide goods and services to the people of Mossport. And considering you’ll need to earn enough money to pay for those classes in the first place, it sounds like the game will have a pretty satisfying progression loop.
Witchbrook Might Finally Give Me the Magic School Experience I’ve Been Waiting For
But attending classes and running a business aren’t the only things players will be doing in Witchbrook, and that’s another reason I’m so excited about it. The game also features gardening, cooking, exploration, festivals, friendships, romances, home customization, and even four-player online co-op. Chucklefish has also said the first in-game year alone can take around 40 to 50 hours to complete, depending on how you play. Obviously, that’s not necessarily a guarantee of quality, but if the world of Mossport is as interesting as it looks, I can already see myself spending a ridiculous amount of time just getting to know everyone and discovering everything the town has to offer.
Of course, there’s still no guarantee Witchbrook will live up to everything it has promised, especially after spending almost a decade in development. But as someone who absolutely loves Hogwarts Legacy and Stardew Valley, I honestly can’t think of many upcoming games that I’m more excited to get my hands on. I don’t necessarily need it to replace either of those games, either. I just want it to give me more of the magic school experience I loved so much in Hogwarts Legacy, but with enough of Stardew Valley‘s charm and depth to keep me coming back for more. And while I’m a little bummed Witchbrook won’t arrive until 2027, January 28 really isn’t that far away anymore. After 10 years of waiting, a few more months isn’t going to hurt.
- Released
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January 28, 2027
- ESRB
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Teen / Suggestive Themes
- Multiplayer
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Online Co-Op
