One of the joys of doing extensive research on games is discovering indie gems you didn’t even know existed, and I recently found one on Steam that I can’t stop thinking about. After doing a deep-dive into a game called Eastshade by Eastshade Studios, I came across a farm life sim by the same developer that is essentially a hodgepodge of Stardew Valley and Hogwarts Legacy, complete with an incredibly charming art style, a fantasy setting where magic does the heavy lifting, and even high-caliber voice acting. It’s one of those games I know I’ll be playing as soon as it comes out, and I’m so ready for it that I’m almost willing to preemptively embrace any issues, technical or otherwise, that might come with it.
Songs of Glimmerwick is an upcoming open-world farm life sim on Steam that takes the idea of enrolling in a magic school and puts it inside the framework of a game like Stardew Valley. I know I’m not alone in my love for Stardew, as it remains one of the most popular indie games on the market for how it captured the core gameplay of the genre Harvest Moon helped pioneer and added the heart that many of the later entries progressively lost. As such, I’m always on the lookout for another game like it, and considering Hogwarts Legacy is one of those games I wish I could go back and play for the first time again, Songs of Glimmerwick is naturally on my radar. The only thing left to do now is wait.
Songs of Glimmerwick Puts Hogwarts Legacy Under a Cozy, Stardew Valley-Shaped Blanket
I almost feel like saying Songs of Glimmerwick is like Stardew Valley meets Hogwarts Legacy doesn’t do it justice, though, because while it does take some ideas from both of those games, it puts unique twists on their formulas that I’m certain you can’t find in many other places. Yes, players do attend a magic school, they do run a farm to some extent, and there are plenty of activities in the game’s world that are similar to those players would find in both Stardew Valley and Hogwarts Legacy. However, Songs of Glimmerwick has its own art style and one of the most creative concepts for a magic system I’ve ever seen in a game, potentially allowing it to stand out even more than a title like Witchbrook, for example—which really does look like “Stardew Legacy.”
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
Songs of Glimmerwick’s Core Features
- STORY-DRIVEN WITCH ACADEMY RPG with both main narrative quests and many smaller character stories set in a magical woodland world.
- MUSIC-BASED MAGIC SYSTEM where casting spells involves playing songs from your songbook.
- RPG-STYLE QUESTS focused on diverse characters, mysteries, and exploration.
- TEND THE UNIVERSITY GARDEN by planting mundane and arcane crops and using spells (like summoning rain).
- UNIQUE SPELL INTERACTIONS such as talking to trees, enchanting tools, and overcoming environmental obstacles.
- LIVELY WORLD with classes to attend, rumors to chase, festivals to enjoy, and dynamic characters with their own lives.
- FULLY VOICED DIALOGUE bringing major and minor characters to life.
- CHARACTER PROGRESSION SYSTEM lets you gain experience and choose skills that enhance gardening, trading, and special abilities.
- CUSTOMIZABLE APPEARANCE so you can choose how your character looks.
- EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES like exploring the island, trying out for teams, fishing, seashell diving, or joining forest expeditions.
Songs of Glimmerwick takes players to the woodland fantasy world of Glimmerwick, where they have enrolled in its well-known university of magic. There, they will attend classes to grow their knowledge of magic, care for the university garden, get to know the island’s many residents, and participate in a variety of side activities often seen in cozy games like Stardew Valley—including fishing, festivals, and exploration. But there are plenty of other extracurricular activities in Songs of Glimmerwick too, like joining a band, diving for seashells, or joining the Green Sprites on forest expeditions.
Songs of Glimmerwick’s Standout Feature Is Its Magic System
The most noteworthy feature of Songs of Glimmerwick is undoubtedly its music-based magic system. In the world of Glimmerwick, witches play magic to cast spells rather than a mere wand, giving spellcasting a more distinct flavor than other games that feature it. It’s not just the fact that its magic system is fundamentally rooted in music that makes it stand out, though. Rather, it’s how magic is used to perform tasks in the game, including gardening.
Whereas Stardew Valley‘s farming requires players to do most of the work manually, Songs of Glimmerwick gives players spells that can enchant tools to work all by themselves. It’s even possible to summon rain clouds in the game that will water the garden, as opposed to using a watering can in other farm life sim games. Apart from the gardening aspect of the game, players can also use magic to perform tasks like speaking with trees or frogs and overcome otherwise impassable obstacles as they explore the open world.
Songs of Glimmerwick Gives Stardew Valley’s Heart a Voice
One of the biggest reasons Stardew Valley is such a beloved farm life sim is due to how Pelican Town and its residents feel alive and like a place and people you actually want to get to know. Character interactions in the game feel so deep and genuine that emotional connections can be established without the characters having actual voices. Nevertheless, Songs of Glimmerwick may have a one-up on Stardew Valley here, as it not only has fully voiced characters, but based on what has only been shown in the trailer, those performances are top-notch.
Of course, there are those out there who think voice acting can ruin a game, as it ultimately depends on context. However, it arguably fits perfectly into Songs of Glimmerwick‘s mold. Rather than being primarily a farm life sim, Glimmerwick is a story-driven RPG experience that seems to play out more like its farm-life gameplay loop is on the side rather than a core focus. Within that framework, voice acting is more important, though only if it is done well, since poor performances can be more of a distraction than anything else. But again, Songs of Glimmerwick appears to have that part nailed down.
In March 2024, developer Eastshade Studios mentioned on Steam that there were already 100 unique characters in Songs of Glimmerwick “and rising,” and that “many of them are dynamic with schedules and some even change their outfits on occasion.”
Songs of Glimmerwick Is Currently Without a Release Date, But I Hope It Arrives Soon
As amazing as all of this sounds for a Stardew Valley and Hogwarts Legacy fan like myself, though, Songs of Glimmerwick is currently without a release date. I wish it were coming out tomorrow, because I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since I discovered it. Unfortunately, I may have to wait longer than I want, although I won’t stop waiting at this point. I’m already sold on Songs of Glimmerwick, and I’ve only seen a glimpse of it. And, after learning more about it, perhaps you are too.
There is still hope though. Eastshade Studios released a reveal trailer for the game 4 years ago, so it’s possible a launch could happen sooner rather than later. The developer’s last devlog was also published on Steam in March 2025, and if patterns hold up there, another devlog could be on its way this March as well. And even though Songs of Glimmerwick‘s development has been taking quite some time, they are apparently working with a small team, so that’s understandable. Finally, a reply to a fan’s Steam discussion post in December 2025 confirmed development was ongoing and that there would be a demo before the game’s 1.0 launch. Here’s hoping that comes soon, because I’m dying to play this game.
Songs of Glimmerwick is currently available to wishlist on Steam.
