My dreams of playing magical Stardew Valley rival Witchbrook have been put on hold, but there is some good news

At this point, I've spent well over 100 hours on the couch with my partner living out our alternate, agricultural existence in Stardew Valley. While I've always leaned more towards action-packed, competitive shooters than cozy life sims, our escapades have now got us on high alert for any other exciting-looking games like Stardew Valley. Witchbrook has been right near the top of our list of upcoming games, as it puts a Harry Potter-esque spin on the Stardew formula. Initially set to launch by the end of this year, it's just been announced that it'll now drop in 2026 instead. Pain. On the upside, you can now join me in messing around with its gorgeous interactive world map.

Witchbrook's elevator pitch of 'Stardew Valley vibes, but you're also a student wizard attending not-Hogwarts' is one that instantly got me hooked, and I've been eager to get my hands on it. While all of Stardew's cozy, pixel-art cousins exude a similar amount of visual charm, I think Witchbrook takes things to a different level. It looks absolutely stunning. Unfortunately, my hopes of playing it before the end of this year have been dashed, bar some kind of surprise demo or press event - Chucklefish, please invite me if so…

"Originally we had planned to launch [in] Winter 2025, but despite great development progress this year, we've made the difficult decision to shift the release into next year," the studio says in a new blog post. "Witchbrook is a big project - and it's taking shape exactly as we hoped; full of charm, depth and detail! In our first blog, we shared our goal to create a living, breathing world for you to explore, and as we bring all those elements together, we're taking the time needed to ensure the world feels rich, immersive, and alive."

While that's of course disappointing, Chucklefish teases that the pushback has "opened the door to exploring a few additional exciting opportunities," such as bringing the game to other platforms and support for more languages.

However, to sweeten this postponement pill, a new, interactive map of Witchbrook's world has been released - and it's a lot bigger than I expected. While the fringes of the region are less populated with points of interest right now, several landmarks in the main town of Mossport are shown. Right at the heart of the space is Witchbrook College, where you'll be undertaking your studies.

You'll also notice small details like a road bridge that leaves the frame of the map - potentially taking us to new locations in the future. There's also a harbor with a boat moored up - maybe that's your route to the enticing little island sitting offshore that is bound to have some secrets stashed away. Or a wizard whose broomstick crashed there, screaming at a volleyball with a handprint on it. Head here if you want to explore the world for yourself.

Witchbrook will now launch in 2026 following its delay. Until we get to see more of it, here are some more life games that we wholeheartedly recommend. Alternatively, check out our list of the best relaxing games for your next chill, cozy experience.

Are you liking the look of Witchbrook as much as I am? If so, come by the PCGamesN Discord and let me know.