Chucklefish Next Project “Spellbound” Takes You To Magic School!

If you’re a fan of Stardew Valley and Harry Potter, you should know about Spellbound. The upcoming game is from Chucklefish, the publisher of Stardew Valley, and will focus on magic school.

According to an interview Chucklefish’s founder Finn Brice did for Red Bull, players will be able to attend magical classes, build relationships, brew potions, battle, learn spells, and do so much more in Spellbound.

“The game revolves around your path through school, the relationships you build, and your mastery of the several schools of magic at your disposal,” said Brice. “Players should expect to build up their magical proficiency by undertaking school projects. This might have them growing magical crops and creatures in herbology or taking on the denizens of the forest in elemental magic.”

Of course, Brice realizes that Harry Potter comparisons are going to be a thing. A similar game in the Harry Potter franchise will be released this year. However, Chucklefish has worked to give players a different experience.

“We’re fans of Harry Potter, and after reading the series we were left longing to experience our own path through magical school life, where we could make our own best friends and develop our own identity in a magical world.”

The world Spellbound will take players to will be “very unlike Hogwarts.” You can expect a more “practical” kind of magic that’s inspired by Studio Ghibli’s animation, Steven Universe, Terry Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching series, and Garth Nix’s Old Kingdom series.

A lot of the game’s emphasis will be placed on your character’s path through school as they increase their magical proficiency by completing academic projects. Your character’s social life will open opportunities for making new friends, dating, going on quests etc.

When it comes to dating, there’s a hint that players might get “a little shocked the first time they get dumped.” So, I guess we should be ready for some fun elements if your character decides to have a love life. “We want the player to feel as if they’re part of an autonomous world rather than a world that revolves around their desires,” said Brice.

The upcoming game will also feature combat. The team described it as “Zelda-like retro action RPGs, with spellcasting taking the place of swords, bows, and bombs.”

There’s no release date for Spellbound yet. It’ll be released on PC. Feel free to share your thoughts with us.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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