I never thought I’d look forward to the start of a new term at college, but Witchbrook has me hankering for an end to this years-long summer break. For over a decade, the team over at Chucklefish has been hard at work on the upcoming RPG – a cozy life sim set in a magical university where players will find themselves putting their powers to practical use.
It’s a balancing act, says producer Rosie Ball, to deliver a cozy life sim experience against the framework of something many of us find less-than cozy: schoolwork. “Creating an academic year in game form has been one of the most challenging design problems on the project,” she tells us. “The witch college fantasy is one that should logically include a large focus on study and exams, both of which are things that don’t necessarily lend themselves to relaxed, life sim gameplay. We decided to take a practical approach to education, and dial back any time pressures.”
Swotting up
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We’ve slowly and steadily been seeing more from Witchbrook in the past few years. But from glimpses of its idyllic pixelated environs to the grand sorcery school itself, one thing that’s yet to be outlined is what everyday student life might look and feel like when we’re not wooing classmates.
The way Ball describes it sounds much like Hogwarts Legacy’s plan of attack, with “a major focus on learning by doing” and knowledge-gathering being a key mechanic. Lessons involve task-based interactions that largely take place outside the classroom, with an emphasis on engaging with the neighboring community of Mossport to make each assignment helpful and educational. For example, you might see a request posted to a class assignment board where a Mossport resident is asking for something like a curative herbal tea. The first step? Diagnose the problem by visiting the person at home.
To demonstrate, Ball imagines a neighborhood bus driver named Bob. “He explains that he just can’t keep his eyes open. The peaceful scenery of the Mossport loop bus route is just too much. On further questioning, it seems as if Bob is suffering from exhaustion. Books on maladies and remedies ought to help.” Your next stop would be the library, where you’d discover a book detailing a recipe for a magical tea that should cure his chronic sleepiness. After cross-referencing to discover the particular herbs, you’ll be heading out into the woods to begin the harvesting stage.
“Putting this book learning to practical use is a great way of getting knowledge to stick,” says Ball, something reinforced in the game when information on gathered herbs as well as “subjects, items, activities, and spells” becomes “locked into your knowledge collection” once you’ve studied it in the library. It’s one way to secure a solid end-of-year grade, explains Ball. “Do enough of this work, and you won’t need to carry heavy books at all.”
With herbs gathered, your witch is free to return to college and make use of the alchemy labs and brew up the tea. “As you do so, you work your way towards more knowledge unlocks. Though, it’s going to take a few more practical attempts to fully lock this recipe in,” warns Ball.
This brings us to the final step: delivery. “You return to the residence, tea in hand, to find a very happy Bob. He’s overjoyed with his tea delivery and tips you. Of course the school awards you merits for your completion of an assignment and you might even hear from Bob in the future and find out how well you solved his problem.”
Practical magic
Every design decision has been considered through a multiplayer lens
Rosie Ball
But that’s not all there is to Witchbrook academics. You’ll be honing a host of other magical disciplines, “each with their own means of consultation or diagnosis, research, activity and practice” on your path to being a fully-fledged spellcaster.
There’s even a ranking system involved, by the sounds of it: “As players move from apprentice, to journeyman, and [finally] master, they’ll be trusted with far more magical pursuits,” confirms Ball, with “a plethora of spells” to aid you. “We’re centering and expanding on the collection aspect seen in other life sims as a representation of the player characters expanding insight and skillset,” she continues. “All of this comes together as a nice balance of classes, studying, practical learning, exams and connecting with your classmates and community.”
Then, of course, there’s the social sim elements. “Whilst graduation will be a key goal for players, academic studies will be just a portion of what Witchbrook will have to offer,” Ball hints, with “plenty of activities” to engage in when you’re taking a little downtime. “We hope that players come away understanding the importance of a good work/ life balance!”
Whether you’re hitting the books or exploring the grounds, Witchbrook has another special trick up its sleeve: you don’t need to do it alone. Everything has been considered alongside “the challenge that comes with four-player multiplayer,” Ball says. “Our goal from the very beginning was to ensure that Witchbrook is as complete and enjoyable whether you’re playing with friends or enrolling solo. Every design decision has been considered through a multiplayer lens to ensure we don’t compromise on the fun!”
It’s reassuring to hear just how lovingly Chucklefish has been iterating on Witchbrook during its lengthy development period, which saw it recently delayed from an initial Winter 2025 release window. Patient though we Witchbrook hopefuls are, however, the community’s excitement hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“It’s been both surreal and intensely motivating to see such a positive reaction to its first trailer,” Ball says of Chucklefish’s gratitude. “The team is particularly eager to see player creativity in their fashion, interior design and the stories they play out in Mossport. Plus, we need players to settle a bet for us – who is the most eligible singleton at Witchbrook?”
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