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Subscribe from just £3 Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From£9.99Subscribe now Tell us what you think of GamesRadar+ Battlefield 6 Switch 2 stock Horror Special Recommended reading Management Games I accidentally played 10 hours of Magic Inn and it's already the most hands-on management sim I've played since Two Point Campus Simulation Games Spooky Stardew Valley vibes put this "nightmarish life sim RPG" co-directed by Celeste's artist on my radar, and I can't wait until it launches next year to start my new rural life on a twisted farm Haunted Chocolatier: Everything we know about the Stardew Valley creator's next game Simulation Games Stardew Valley with animal people and a lot more depression is an instant hit on Steam: "The plague is coming. The community must work together if everyone is to survive" Simulation Games My favorite indie game of 2024, a perfect mashup of Sailor Moon and Stardew Valley, just got a massive new update adding romance – and I already know who I’m dating Simulation Games Former Stardew Valley dev's new farming sim boasts animals that "produce multiple types of items," like sheep milk usable for pecorino cheese – and the carbonara lover within me is thrilled Simulation Games Witchbrook dev Chucklefish reignites excitement for the cozy life sim with a series of first looks that are giving serious Stardew Valley vibes: "EVERY citizen has their own look, name, and home" Simulation Games As the wait for Haunted Chocolatier continues, this magical new shop sim with Dreamlight Valley and Hogwarts Legacy vibes is here to tide us over in a post-Stardew Valley world Kaan Serin 10 August 2025 You're a magical innkeeper, Harry When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Purpledoor Studios) Stardew Valley is almost 10 years into its farm sim dominance. Developer Eric 'ConcernedApe' Barone's next cozy romp Haunted Chocolatier might not be ready anytime soon. But one magical shopkeeping sim in early access is brewing exactly the right potion to help ease us through the wait, with equal parts Hogwarts Legacy and Disney Dreamlight Valley dashed into the cauldron. I'm of course talking about Magic Inn, which entered Steam early access earlier this month and also has a free demo for anyone curious. Cast as an exiled wizard who escapes into the life of an innkeeper, it's up to you to upkeep an entire tavern and customize all its rooms with a few magical flicks. Micromanagement is here, as it should be in any involved shop sim, but these kind of games live or die by the NPCs that inhabit them. Thankfully, Magic Inn also places a heavy emphasis on fostering relationships with inn guests by day and ghosts by night. Who knows, you might even recruit a chef or you could just make your way through the kitchen yourself. You may like I accidentally played 10 hours of Magic Inn and it's already the most hands-on management sim I've played since Two Point Campus Spooky Stardew Valley vibes put this "nightmarish life sim RPG" co-directed by Celeste's artist on my radar, and I can't wait until it launches next year to start my new rural life on a twisted farm Haunted Chocolatier: Everything we know about the Stardew Valley creator's next game "When the power of friendship may not be enough, there's nothing wrong with taking a few shortcuts," the game's blurb says. "A 5-star rating is determined by judges disguised as guests. Pay the local detective to reveal the judge's identity, or use money and favors to sway the judge. Keep it discreet: nobody needs to know!" GamesRadar+'s hands-on impressions said Magic Inn reminded us "more of Two Point than Cake Mania in that regard, offering a host of detailed mechanics that have me actively involved in every level of operations." If you want more life sims, check out our list of the best simulator games to play right now. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. See more PC Gaming News Freelance contributor Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. I accidentally played 10 hours of Magic Inn and it's already the most hands-on management sim I've played since Two Point Campus Spooky Stardew Valley vibes put this "nightmarish life sim RPG" co-directed by Celeste's artist on my radar, and I can't wait until it launches next year to start my new rural life on a twisted farm Haunted Chocolatier: Everything we know about the Stardew Valley creator's next game Stardew Valley with animal people and a lot more depression is an instant hit on Steam: "The plague is coming. The community must work together if everyone is to survive" My favorite indie game of 2024, a perfect mashup of Sailor Moon and Stardew Valley, just got a massive new update adding romance – and I already know who I’m dating Former Stardew Valley dev's new farming sim boasts animals that "produce multiple types of items," like sheep milk usable for pecorino cheese – and the carbonara lover within me is thrilled Latest in Simulation Games After 13 years away from The Sims limelight, Katy Perry returns to the community with a live Simlish performance of Last Friday Night that I can't stop watching Spooky Stardew Valley vibes put this "nightmarish life sim RPG" co-directed by Celeste's artist on my radar, and I can't wait until it launches next year to start my new rural life on a twisted farm I'm not saying PowerWash Simulator 2 is already my GOTY, but I just spent 2 hours using Witcher Senses to find dirt and it was the most satisfying experience of my life It's not Portal 3 but this fan-made dating sim with enough of Valve's approval for a Steam launch might be as close as it gets, and its solo dev says it's canon: "There's nothing you can do about it" Former Stardew Valley dev decides against adding a "stink gun" to his new life sim, but offers a compromise by allowing you to torment cityfolk with pungent fruit Stardew Valley with animal people and a lot more depression is an instant hit on Steam: "The plague is coming. The community must work together if everyone is to survive" Latest in News "How do you even do this to a leaderboard of a popular game like Super Mario Bros?": Speedrunner beats the platformer's world record by 5 seconds, the biggest jump in over a decade BioWare apparently wanted to make a Mass Effect-style remaster collection for Dragon Age, but EA's not too keen: "It's strange for a publicly traded company to basically be against free money" Spider-Man: Brand New Day official behind the scenes video arrives online DC fans are sharing who they'd want the Thanos of the DCU Chapter One to be Eddie Murphy says one of his worst-rated movies on Rotten Tomatoes deserves less hate Netflix releases One Piece season 2 teaser and confirms season 3 is on the way GAME REVIEWS MOVIE REVIEWS I'm convinced that this is still one of the best team board games around, and it deserves to be on your shelf Is This Seat Taken? review: "I can't believe organizing seating charts can be this charming" Legend in the Mist review: "Incredible flourishes on press-your-luck mechanics to incentivise tough decisions" Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound review: "Absolutely proves Ninja Gaiden deserved to be revived – I've never been happier to be right" Grounded 2 review: "I'm already having terrific fun thanks to ant buggies and a massive new park to explore, even if this sequel is slightly safe" Weapons review: "A twisted fairytale that bests Barbarian" The Fantastic Four: First Steps review: "An occasionally thrilling heroic adventure that sits safely within a B-tier MCU range" Superman review: "A triumphant reinvention and a promising start for the DCU" Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber" M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion" Wednesday season 2 part 1 review: "Complex and exciting but weighed down by too many subplots" Alien: Earth review: "Arguably the franchise's strongest outing since James Cameron's Aliens" King of the Hill season 14 review: "Hank Hill himself has evolved into a much more open and accepting person" Eyes of Wakanda review: "A creative premise shortchanged by the runtime and Marvel bloat" Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever" GamesRadar+ is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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