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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.
"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.
