Witchbrook release date is set, and Game Pass gets it day one

Witchbrook comes out on January 28, 2027 on all of these, with no staggered launches announced:

• Nintendo Switch 2
• Nintendo Switch
• PlayStation 5
• Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S
• PC, through Steam

The PS5 version is a recent addition. It was confirmed in the new release date trailer, so if you’d only seen Witchbrook listed for Nintendo, Xbox and PC before, PlayStation players are now in.

Chucklefish hasn’t announced a price or a launch hour yet. Unlock times often differ between stores and time zones, so check your platform’s store page in the week before launch.

Switch or Switch 2?

Witchbrook launches on both Nintendo consoles on the same day. Chucklefish hasn’t detailed any differences between the two versions, such as resolution or loading times, so if you own a Switch 2, the safe bet is to wait for those details before buying. If you only have the original Switch, you’re not left out: it gets the game on day one too.

Is Witchbrook on Game Pass?

Yes. Witchbrook is coming to Xbox Game Pass on launch day, so anyone with an eligible Game Pass plan can download it on January 28 at no extra cost.

That makes the decision easy for Xbox and PC Game Pass members: try it there first, then buy it on another platform if you want to own it or play it on a Switch.

Witchbrook has one of the longest roads in indie gaming. The game was first teased in 2016 under the working title Spellbound, and it got its current name in 2018. Developer Robotality later joined Chucklefish on the project.

Its release window kept moving. It was once aimed at winter 2025, then it was pushed into 2026, and now it has slipped again to early 2027. Chucklefish has said the most recent delay was about making the world feel richer and more immersive. Coverage of the history differs on small details, such as the exact year of the official reveal, but every account agrees on a long wait.

For fans, the firm date is the bigger story. A specific day, shown off in a full trailer at a Nintendo showcase, is a much stronger signal than a vague season.

Witchbrook is a social life sim with a magic school at its center. You arrive in the seaside town of Mossport as its newest witch and enroll at Witchbrook College. Here’s what fills your days, based on what Chucklefish has shown:

• Classes: attend lessons in different magical subjects and learn spells.
• Side jobs: take work around town to pay your tuition.
• Relationships: make friends with classmates and townspeople, and pursue romance.
• Home life: decorate your own woodland cottage.
• Getting around: fly on a broomstick through town, including races with friends.
• The calendar: join seasonal events through the year.

There’s deep character creation too, right down to accessories. The new trailer opened Nintendo’s showcase with about two minutes of gameplay, and its pixel art, classrooms and broomstick flights drew most of the attention.

If you love Stardew Valley, Witchbrook is aimed squarely at you. Chucklefish is best known as the publisher of Stardew Valley, and Witchbrook keeps that same mix of pixel art, daily routines and relationships with a cast of locals.

The big difference is structure. Stardew Valley is built around running a farm. Witchbrook puts a school schedule and a magic curriculum at the heart of your week, with jobs and social life around it. If you liked the slow, cozy rhythm of Stardew but wanted more of a goal to work toward, this sounds like the one to watch.

It also fills a gap. Stardew fans have spent years waiting on Haunted Chocolatier, the next game from Stardew Valley’s creator, and cozy-sim players have been treating Witchbrook as the other big name on that list. With a firm date, Witchbrook is now the one you can actually circle on a calendar.

One more difference worth knowing: Witchbrook is built with friends in mind from the start. You can play it alone, but the trailer leans hard on group activities like broomstick races around town, which makes it a natural pick for a weekly game night.

Yes. Witchbrook supports online co-op for up to four players, so you can explore Mossport together, practice magic and race broomsticks with friends. You can also play solo.

Chucklefish hasn’t said whether players on different platforms can play together, so don’t count on cross-play between, say, a Switch and a PS5 until it’s confirmed.

What to do before January 28

• Wishlist Witchbrook on Steam or your console store so you get an alert when pre-orders or a price appear.
• Keep Game Pass active into late January if you plan to play it there.
• Line up your co-op group now, and agree on one platform, since cross-play isn’t confirmed.