All posts tagged in Ikenfell
Oct 7, 2020
The magical JRPG Ikenfell will release for the Nintendo Switch tomorrow and cost just $19.99.
For anyone who may not know, Ikenfell is a JRPG game which utilizes turn-based and timing-based battle mechanics. These mechanics enhance it’s variety of characters and story development.
It’s creator has said that the games art style was influenced by a plethora of games such as Paper Mario, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Earthbound (Witchbrook, Starbound, Earthbound, Warbound, everything-bound!), and Robotrek. The game also takes i nspiration from fictional teen series such as Harry Potter and Carry On.
Ikenfell will release tomorrow on the Nintendo Switch and PC (both Windows and Mac).
Ikenfell Trailer
Features:
- Magical duels within an original turn-based RPG battle system
- The ability to time your hits to increase spellpower and to block incoming attacks
- An expansive magic school, containing mysteries and secrets
- A variety of strange and interesting characters
- Hidden spell, items and equipment to aid you
- Friendship, rivalry and romance
More info
For more information on Ikenfell, check out my coverage here.
For more great magical games, check out my coverage of StoryArcana.
- Jan 11, 2020
When J.K. Rowling published Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone back in 1997, she had no idea how popular the book would become. The book was so popular in fact, that Rowling went on to write another six books, all of which were turned into great films.
With J.K. Rowling being an undeniably great writer, in combination with the attractive magic (but still refreshingly relatable) premise of the franchise, it’s no wonder the series has a cult following. And so for all you Potterheads out there, here are six games picked especially for you. ?
Games already released
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
Set in Hogwarts and the Harry Potter universe, this game was bound to make the list. Developed and published by Jam City under license from Portkey Games, This RPG game was released for Android and iOS devices on the 25th April 2018.
The game is set between Harry Potter’s birth and his enrollment at Hogwarts. Upon beginning the game, players can create and customise their character, who is about to begin their studies at Hogwarts. Your player can attend various different magic classes, learn spells, duel rivals, and undertake quests.
The game is free to download, but there is the option to make in-app purchases for additional perks.
Magician’s Quest: Mysterious Times
Described as a cross between Harry Potter and Animal Crossing, Magicians Quest: Mysterious Times was published by Konami for Nintendo DS in Japan on the 12th November 2008. The game hit the shelves in the US on the 11th May 2009.
Magician’s Quest: Mysterious Times is a fantasy life simulation game for the Nintendo DS. After customising the appearance, name and gender of their character, players are able to attend classes at the game’s magic academy. During classes, players will learn spells and incantations, the mysteries of magic, and interact with fellow students.
Despite criticism for its striking resemblance to Animal Crossing games, Magician’s Quest offers plenty of unique features for players to enjoy. Examples include: monthly quests during ‘Mystery Time’, dates with other students, the ability to form a band, getting to prank others (and be pranked), plus many more amusing quirks.
The game is quite rare, and therefore rather pricey, but pre-owned copies of it often pop up on sites like eBay and Amazon.
Guildlings
Guildlings is a JRPG single player episodic adventure for mobile. The game is a fantasy adventure game ‘set in a world of wizards and Wi-Fi’.
Playing as a homeschooled teenager, you unfortunately manage to activate a cursed smartphone. Recruiting your friends as Guildlings, you must utilise their incredible powers to rid yourself of the curse, and more importantly, save the world.
Game developers Sirvo Studios released Guildlings for iOS on the 8th November 2019. It was also a featured release on the Apple Arcade.
You can read more about the game by clicking here. Additionally, you can obtain a free mobile wallpaper by visiting the game’s official website.
Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time
Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time is an action adventure RPG game. The game was initially released in Japan for PS4 on the 30th of November 2017. It was released worldwide on the 15th of May 2018. The game was developed by A+ Games and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It is currently playable on PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows.
For those unfamiliar with Little Witch Academia, it is an anime series that takes place at Luna Nova Academy, a school for witches in training, The protagonist of the series is a Japanese girl named Akko who is from a non-magical background.
In the game, you must uncover the mysteries at Luna Nova Academy with Akko and her friends. Players get to explore dungeons, cast spells, and use witchcraft, in order to discover the seven wonders, and solve the peculiar shift in time.
Upcoming games
Witchbrook
Witchbrook (which initially had the working title of Spellbound), is an up and coming RPG simulation game with turn-based strategy elements. Currently in development by Chucklefish, the pixel-art-stylised game is described as ‘Stardew Valley meets Harry Potter’.
The game is set in a magic school, where the player is enrolled as a student, Whilst completing their studies, players will go on a journey to discover who they really are. The game offers a variety of side activities that include social events, potion making, fishing, gardening, artefact hunting and more!
You can find out more about this highly anticipated game by clicking here.
Ikenfell
Ikenfell is a pixel-art-stylised turn-based RPG game that features a group of troublesome magic students. The game utilises timing-based battle mechanics to allow players to power spells and block attacks. Ikenfell is set in a vast and mysterious magic school. Inside the school, players will encounter numerous monsters and bosses to fight, discover hoards of hidden treasure, and uncover dark secrets never meant to be discovered.
Ikenfell is currently still in development by Happy Ray Games. It will be published by Humble Bundle. Upon its release, the game will initially be available for Windows and Mac. However, the Ikenfell website says that ‘other platforms and consoles will be announced as they are confirmed.’
- Jul 8, 2019
Fans of Harry Potter and Little Witch Academia will be pleased to hear that there are currently two very exciting magic school games in development. Whilst Chucklefish’s game, which has the working title of ‘Witchbrook’ is still in its early stages, Ikenfell is much further in development. Ikenfell is expected to be released around June 2018.
Interestingly, both games use pixel game art, are simulation games, and are (obviously) set in a magic school. However, they both have unique art styles, with Chucklefish’s game Witchbrook having visual similarities to their very popular game, Stardew Valley.
Ikenfell
Ikenfell is a JRPG game which utilises turn-based and timing-based battle mechanics. These mechanics enhance it’s variety of characters and story development. It’ creator has said it’s art style was influenced by a plethora of games such as Paper Mario, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Earthbound (Witchbrook, Starbound, Earthbound, Warbound, everything-bound!), and Robotrek. The game also takes i nspiration from fictional teen series such as Harry Potter and Carry On.
The game’s publisher is Humble Bundle, and its platforms are PC, Mac and possibly Linux. Humble Bundle are helping to polish the game, market it, and will soon add it to Steam.
An update from the game’s founder talks of the release of a new game trailer at the beginning of 2018, so look out for that!
Currently, the game takes around 20 hours to complete (possibly more for less experienced players).
Story
Safina is invited to the magical school of Ikenfell for witches and wizards, leaving behind her slightly embittered sister Maritte, who doesn’t have magic powers. Safina soon becomes one of the school’s most notorious students.
However, Safina doesn’t return home one summer. She has gone missing alongside the school’s headmistress.
You play as Maritte, who goes to Ikenfell to find her sister and discover the truth of what exactly is going on.
The expansive school is full of ‘magic, mysteries, secret passages, hidden rooms, and many strange characters’ for you to explore.
Features:
- Magical duels within an original turn-based RPG battle system
- The ability to time your hits to increase spellpower and to block incoming attacks
- An expansive magic school, containing mysteries and secrets
- A variety of strange and interesting characters
- Hidden spell, items and equipment to aid you
- Friendship, rivalry and romance
Characters:
Witchbrook
Witchbrook is an up and coming RPG turn-based strategy simulation game in development by Chucklefish, the creators of Wargroove and publishers of Stardew Valley. Finn Brice, the founder and director of the game says that a formal announcement is “maybe quite a way off”. He also suggests that the game is around a three-to-four year project. The working title Witchbrook came from Chucklefish’s game Wargroove’s working title, Warbound.
Influences on the game include a variety of old Nintendo console games (Earthbound again perhaps?), as well as games such as Stardew Valley, Harvest Moon and 2D Zelda games. Although not the intention of Chucklefish, many people compare the game’s graphics to Little Witch Academia. However, Brice has said that Ghibli films such as Kiki’s delivery service (which look similar to Little Witch Academia) did influence the game’s art style.
Features:
- A day and night cycle
- Magic classes to attend
- Dating mechanics
- Folkore and exciting areas to explore
- Undisclosed “interesting gameplay twists.”
However, unlike Ikenfell, which is heavily story based, the developers want Witchbrook to have the appeal of Stardew Valley where players can simply enjoy being inside a charming world and make it their own.
Dating:
Similar to Ikenfell, Witchbrook allows players to have relationships with other characters and to go on dates with them. However, these don’t always go to plan, making the game more true-to-life, as opposed to the idealised romance often portrayed in other forms of media.
However, Brice reassures players that even though the developers want to hit home and capture what it’s like to be in school, they want to provide a nice kind of nostalgia for players. Therefore, interactions with other characters won’t be too difficult or ‘horrific’.
Ikenfell has been pretty much complete since late 2016, with the kickstarter campaign being set up to mainly fund:
- Vocals for battle and vocalists for some music tracks
- Additional battle animations and story animations
- Additional artwork for cut scenes and critical moments
- Any additional software and licences required for the above
However, Witchbrook still has plenty of room for development, influences and features.
What would you like to see in Witchbrook?
- Dec 7, 2018
Now you’ll have to excuse us for wishing the year away. But following on from the announcement of a certain much awaited Switch game, we decided it would be nice to compile a list of all the games of 2019 that we are very much looking forward to playing.
Ikenfell
Ikenfell is a JRPG game which utilizes turn-based and timing-based battle mechanics. The game’s publisher is Humble Bundle, and its platforms are PC, Mac and possibly Linux. Humble Bundle are helping to polish the game, market it, and will hopefully add it to Steam in 2019. It was hoped that the game would be released this year, but the developers recently announced the postponing of it until next year. This is because they want to deliver a top-quality, flawless game, and would rather development took a little longer to achieve this, as opposed to rushing the game and compromising its quality.
Mineko’s Night Market
Mineko’s Night Market is a cute cat-themed upcoming game for PC, Mac and Switch by Meowza games. You play as Mineko, a girl who has just moved to a superstitious island overrun with cats. The aim of the game is to find materials, craft items and sell them at the Night Market. You can befriend villagers, fish, undertake quests, play mini-games, plus more! Whilst it was initially hoped that the game would be released in late 2018, its release has now been pushed back until 2019.
Kingdom Hearts III
Kingdom Hearts III is an upcoming action RPG game that is being developed and published by Square Enix. The game will initially be released for PS4 and Xbox One. Kingdom Hearts III is set in an array of Disney and Pixar worlds. The game features Sora, a young boy and unknowing heir to a spectacular power. Sora is accompanied by popular Disney characters such as Donald Duck and Goofy who attempt to stop an evil force known as the Heartless from invading and taking over.
New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe
Super Mario Bros U was one of the top games released for the WiiU. Like Mario Kart 8, the game has got the Deluxe treatment and will soon be making its way to the popular Switch console. Choose to play as Mario, Luigi or Toad, or as Nabbit and Toadette, who also feature in the game. The ‘New Super Luigi U’ WiiU game expansion comes included in the Switch’s deluxe version.
Animal Crossing Switch
After the wait became almost unbearable, Nintendo nonchalantly confirmed Animal Crossing for Nintendo Switch during their recent Nintendo Direct. Whilst not much information about game content is known yet, the game is set to be released in 2019.
Whilst we await more information about the game, here’s a meme to entertain you:
Yoshi’s Crafted World
Yoshi’s Crafted World (formerly known by it’s working title of ‘Yoshi’) is an upcoming side-scrolling platform game for Nintendo Switch. It was announced at E3 2017, and is set to be released in Spring 2019. Like prior Yoshi games, players can use Yoshi’s tongue to eat enemies or other objects, turn them into eggs, or throw them outwardly into the level. The game features 3D characters on a 2D plane and allows players to view the game from two opposing viewpoints.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is an upcoming platform-adventure Metroidvania game. It is being developed by Moon Studios, published by Microsoft (for Windows and Xbox One), and will hopefully be released at some point in 2019. The game is a sequel to the critically acclaimed 2015 game Ori and the Blind Forest. The story is based on a new adventure where Ori seeks to discover the world beyond the forest of Nibel, uncover the truths of the lost ones, and unearth his true destiny.
- Oct 28, 2018
About Forager:
[dropcap]F[/dropcap]orager is an upcoming indie game that is being developed by HopFrog and will be published by Humble Bundle, who will also publish Ikenfell and Mineko’s Night Market. Forager was initially released for free on itch.io, where it was well received. After a year of development, the game will soon be available to buy from Steam, the Humble Store and the Nintendo eShop. Whilst no set release date has been specified, the game is scheduled for release during fall 2018, meaning we should hopefully be able to play it very soon!
Described as an “idle game that you want to actively keep playing”, Forager is a 2D open world game inspired by exploration, farming and crafting games such as Stardew Valley, Terraria and Zelda. The game contains a variety of lands and biomes to explore and players can craft, gather resources, uncover secrets and even build a base.
Features:
- Gather, collect and manage resources.
- Craft useful items & structures.
- Build and grow a base out of nothing. Buy land to expand and explore.
- Level up and learn new skills, abilities, and blueprints.
- Solve puzzles, find secrets and raid dungeons!
- Achieve anything you want! The choice is yours, you set your own goals to work towards!
New Features:
- New lands and biomes (Deserts, Graveyards, Snowy Mountains, Volcanoes, and more!)
- Combat mechanics have been added! (Dungeons, Bosses, Raids, Night time invasions, etc).
- NPC interaction. Find quirky companions to trade or talk with.
- Farming mechanics, including caring for animals and the harvesting of all sorts of crops and herbs.
- Archaeology mechanics. Play as a professional secret-finder as you raid ruins, dig for artifacts and display your findings in your own museum!
- Alchemy & Rune Inscription mechanics. Allowing you to go all in on the crazy wizard fantasy, destroying big masses of resources with a single bomb or creating trees out of nothing with a powerful spellbook.
- 16+ new skills to learn and master, in a free-form upgrade system that allows you to customize your experience as you see fit. This brings the number of skills up to 64 total, each unlocking new items, structures or gameplay modifiers!
- Random events have finally been added!
- New resources, objects, structures, animals, puzzles, secrets and more! More EVERYTHING!
- Steam only features!
- May 20, 2018
[dropcap]L[/dropcap]ittle Witch Academia and Harry Potter fans; Hold onto your broomsticks! The enchanting, Ghibli-esque world of Little Witch Academia now has its own video game!
Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time is an action adventure RPG game. The game was initially released in Japan for PS4 on the 30th November 2017. In early 2018, it was announced that the release of the game’s PC version would coincide with it’s PS4 release in the west.
The game was finally published worldwide on Steam and PS4 by BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment on May 15th 2018. The game costs $49.99 to download on the PlayStation Store and $39.99 on Steam.
Chamber of Time is an addition to the popular Little Witch Academia franchise ‘witch’ contains films, manga and a TV series’. The franchise has become cult viewing all over the world, especially since the films and TV series became available on Netflix.
For those unfamiliar with Little Witch Academia, entries to the series take place at Luna Nova Academy, a school for witches in training. The protagonist of the franchise is Akko, an optimistic and energetic (albeit slightly impulsive) Japanese girl who comes from a non-magical background. In my opinion, this is similar to the various Harry Potter characters that come from a Muggle family.
Chamber of Time offers players the ability to uncover the various mysteries of Luna Nova Academy. The game features the lovable protagonist Akko, as well as a variety of her friends. Players can explore dungeons, cast spells and use various magic to discover the seven wonders, as well as to resolve the mysterious time-shit that has occurred.
The game features exclusive cut-scenes made directly by the franchise’s anime studio, Studio Trigger.
With elements of RPG, this side-scrolling action game offers fans the ability to level-up character as well as finding ‘drops’ whilst exploring, which help to enhance in-game builds.
Ultimately, the game adheres to the humorous and endearing Little Witch Academia storyline that we all know and love, as well as offering a unique and interactive perspective of the world through a fun video game.
Does the concept of magic school games excite you? Why not check out the two upcoming magic school games Ikenfell and Witchbrook (formerly known as Spellbound) here.
