Waiting a long time for any video game will inevitably set some potentially unreasonably high expectations. While some video games are undeniably announced far too soon (I’m looking at you, The Elder Scrolls VI), others merely change focus mid-development, have to scrap certain ideas, encounter numerous issues, attempt to avoid unnecessary crunch, or suffer for a myriad of other reasons, which, naturally, causes delays. A lengthy development time may lead people, including myself, to believe that a game’s quality should reflect the entire duration of its development, when in actuality, it may have only been in active development for a fraction of that time.
I make this rather important distinction so that, when I invariably speculate about the potential quality of one of 2026’s most anticipated games, Witchbrook, I do so with an understanding that the 10 years it has been in development are not necessarily representative of the current state of the project. Nevertheless, as time has gone on, and we’ve begun to hear tidbits about the game, I’ve grown exceedingly concerned that what was promised 10 years ago, and, indeed, what we’re largely being led to believe exists today, will not only fail to live up to expectations, but could be extremely disappointing.
I’m Doubtful That Witchbrook Will Be The Game It Is Promising To Be
I remember when Witchbrook was called Spellbound, which, for those also in the know, should help contextualize just how long my fascination with this game has lasted. For those who have no idea what I’m talking about, or indeed simply those who jumped aboard the Witchbrook train when it was more or less re-announced in 2025, Chucklefish’s upcoming magical school sim was revealed 10 years ago under the title Spellbound. Back then, all we had to go off were a handful of screenshots and some vague promises of what it would be. There’d be classes, you’d attend multiple years at a magical school, make friends, find romantic partners, and so much more.
Of course, that’s largely what Witchbrook is being billed as now, likely to appeal to the rather large and ever-growing niche of people who are desperate for something akin to Hogwarts Legacy meets Bully. However, if one were to dig a little deeper into the developer’s comments on its Discord server, the smattering of blog posts it has released, and the sliver of footage we’ve been treated to, it appears that Witchbrook isn’t really shaping up to be what was promised 10 years ago. In fact, while there will be some school sim elements, it seems like they’ll be pared back and merely serve as context for the foraging and delivering activities you’ll be spending most of the time busying yourself with.
For example, Witchbrook’s most exciting features, classes and exams, tie directly into the assignments you’ll be given, which largely encompass creating potions and salves for residents of Witchbrook and then delivering them. You’ll gain knowledge points by picking ingredients and using certain recipes, and you’ll either pass or fail the exam based on how many of those points you’ve accumulated by the end of the semester or year. To me, that sounds a tad disappointing, not to mention far from the perceived understanding of what Witchbrook would be. The core gameplay loop now sounds far more akin to something like Potion Permit or Tales of the Shire, rather than the gorgeous pixel-art Harry Potter simulator we’ve been expecting for a decade.
Witchbrook’s Gameplay Loop May Be Boring
Chucklefish rather cleverly never really outlined exactly what the core Witchbrook experience would be, nor did it release any extended gameplay before its re-announcement in 2025. So, while it seems unlikely based on the initial screenshots and details given by the developer that it was always intended to be a delivery sim, it is a distinct possibility. However, what feels more likely is that the game has undergone some form of redesign mid-development. While redesigning the core experience of a game after several years isn’t commonplace, it can happen, especially if the original idea resulted in feature creep, was impossible to execute within the allocated budget and timeframe, or was simply not fun.
However, while a redesign is fine, albeit somewhat disappointing, unless Witchbrook’s development bizarrely only started very recently, or within the past two years, despite being announced nearly 10 years ago, it should be very much along in production. In fact, the original specific 2025 release date would imply that Chucklefish felt some level of confidence in the game’s current state. Yet, now Witchbrook has been delayed and simply has a vague 2026 release date, with the developers stating via Discord that, while it is “definitely coming out,” the “timelines are hard to predict” when it comes to it actually launching. This is all frankly very concerning, especially when coupled with Chucklefish quietly announcing its cutting of previously promised features like combat.
The extremely short gameplay clips, vague details from the developer, and a lack of clarity on the core loop players will engage with make it hard to truly gauge what Witchbrook will be, and that isn’t something I should be saying about a game that was announced 10 years ago. This isn’t even akin to The Elder Scrolls situation, as at least Todd Howard and co are being very deliberate about that game not releasing for several years, choosing to obscure details until it’s ready to announce more. Witchbrook was in a Nintendo Direct, it had a release date, and the developer began posting clips and updates. As far as we were aware, Witchbrook should have been ready to go. So, where is it?
Well, some members of the fanbase, myself included, believe that the delay and lack of information stems from the fact that either Chucklefish has little to show due to a lack of meaningful progress, or that the gameplay loop is so unenjoyable or so drastically different from what was promised that it is hiding it until the very last minute. Either option is a distinct possibility at this point, especially considering how unforthcoming the studio is with its fanbase beyond answering questions from those within its Discord server. There have been no public announcements, no more blog posts, no more gameplay clips or trailers. We’re sitting in the dark waiting for a game to release that, at this point, may either come out and be disappointing or simply fade into the ether, never to actually transpire.
Witchbrook Is In A Difficult Position
To be abundantly clear, I am not advocating for Chucklefish to rush the game so that I can play it, nor am I stating that the developer owes me anything. In fact, I appreciate what a difficult position Chucklefish must be in right now. The studio has always maintained its no-crunch policy, which is commendable and should absolutely be normalized in the industry, but naturally leads to a lengthy development process. It is also dealing with extremely raised expectations from a dedicated fanbase who’ve been desperately searching for something within this untapped genre.
However, considering just how concerned its fanbase is, one would assume that were Chucklefish and Robotality to have the game we’ve been promised more or less ready, or at least in a playable enough state where they can record some extended gameplay clips, they’d have released more information and footage to appease those losing confidence and faith in the project. If you head to the dedicated Witchbrook subreddit, all you’ll find are posts of people speculating wildly about the delay, believing the game will be cancelled or fail to live up to expectations, or lamenting the cancellation or paring back of certain mechanics.
Chucklefish should absolutely be releasing more information more publicly, but it isn’t, and that’s what is ultimately concerning me the most. Perhaps this is merely a small development team (it has 18 full-time employees) struggling to create the game it wants to make and handle the PR for it. That is absolutely possible. However, I’d argue, especially considering how prolific Chucklefish is within the indie gaming scene, and how popular Witchbrook has become (getting a dedicated slot in a Nintendo Direct and being the 14th most wishlisted game on Steam according to SteamDB), they should put a little more effort into showcasing what they’ve achieved so far.
10 years is a very long time to wait, and the final dregs of excitement I once held for Witchbrook and its concept are swiftly fading. At this point, all I want to know is what kind of game it’ll eventually be. Maybe Chucklefish is scared of showcasing the gameplay loop as, if it is so different from what Spellbound promised, it’ll scare away those who’ve been loyally following it since 2016. Or, maybe Chucklefish is quietly working away at it, and it will truly be one of the greatest games released in 2026. Time will tell, of course, but, considering everything aforementioned, I have a sinking feeling that Witchbrook won’t be quite as spellbinding as we’d first hoped.
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