10 Years Later, Witchbrook Finally Has a Release Date
Back in 2016, when Stardew Valley upended the indie scene and defined the cozy game movement, its original publisher, Chucklefish, was experimenting with what would eventually become Witchbrook. Since then, the game's…
Back in 2016, when Stardew Valley upended the indie scene and defined the cozy game movement, its original publisher, Chucklefish, was experimenting with what would eventually become Witchbrook. Since then, the game's development has felt almost endless. Chucklefish developed and released Starbound, Wargroove, and Wargroove 2, and Witchbrook still languished, despite its magical college and friendly town vibe drawing a lot of interest.
A decade after its earliest teaser, Witchbrook's release has been set for January 28, 2027. It will release simultaneously on PC, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Switch 2. A new trailer from Chucklefish provides a glimpse at the game in its near-complete form, and it's almost surreal seeing a release date finally appended to what has become it familiar isometric viewpoint.
Witchbrook Releasing January 28, 2027
For the uninitiated, Witchbrook is a life sim in which the player takes on the role of a witch attending a magical university. Set at Witchbrook College and in the surrounding town of Mossport, Witchbrook contains much of what is expected of cozy games—the player runs a business to fund their tuition, forms relationships with classmates and others around town, attends seasonal events, customizes their appearance and decorates a woodland cottage, and various other activities that deepen the setting and its characters.
Chucklefish hasn't been shy about Stardew Valley's influence; helping deliver ConcernedApe's modern masterpiece has seemingly shaped a game that has taken a long time to form. In a now-deleted tweet from 2017 (reported on at the time by Rock Paper Shotgun), Chucklefish CEO Finn Brice said the company "learned a lot of lessons from working with Stardew." The outlet chronicled the incubating project's history, including what is potentially the earliest tease of the game posted by Brice to YouTube in October 2016.
It has been a very long decade for those who have been following Witchbrook's development, but the vigil's end is just three months away. For many, Witchbrook's protracted production caused worries that the project was in development hell. To indulge such cynicism, the new release date trailer does not necessarily provide a compelling overview of its gameplay, instead showing numerous sweeping shots of character interactions and mini-games.
Witchbrook Is an Ambitious New Cozy Game
On the other hand, everything that has been teased about Witchbrook is very promising in its scope. Its dual setting in the academy and the surrounding town offers two distinct but intertwined communities, and provides two progression routes, through learned magic and business growth. Perhaps most impressive, though, is Mossport's social simulation. Like plenty of other sim games, Witchbrook attempts to emulate real-life routines in its NPCs, but the number of characters that occupy Witchbrook College and Mossport appears quite high.
How many of them will actually be consequential remains to be seen, but the apparent simulation of a sizable town has piqued a lot of interest with cozy gamers. Witchbrook had turned into something of a white whale for many—a game constantly on the horizon, but seemingly never approaching release—and its January 28 release date being announced after a decade of teasing now comes as a relief.
NEW Hover to ripGraded Pokémon Cards
Rip Mystery Packs of Graded Cards & Collectibles
Hover here to rip the pack open.
Latias & Latios GX Full Art
Team Up · PSA 9
Card value
$5,319
Gardevoir & Sylveon GX Full Art
Unbroken Bonds · PSA 10
Card value
$4,870
Mew ex Special Illustration Rare
Paldean Fates · PSA 10
Card value
$2,365
Mega Charizard X ex Special Illustration Rare
Phantasmal Flames · PSA 10
Card value
$1,960
Eevee & Snorlax GX Full Art
SM Black Star Promo · PSA 10
Card value
$2,382
Pikachu ex Special Illustration Rare
Ascended Heroes · PSA 10
Card value
$2,258
Red's Pikachu
Japanese Pokémon Center 20th Anniversary Promo · PSA 10
Card value
$1,392