Plus a few new tidbits (this was posted a few weeks ago before the name Witchbrook was officially announced, so the article still calls it Spellbound)
https://www.redbull.com/int-en/spellbou ... -interview
(Quoted the most interesting bits to me personally, read more at the link above!)
Inspiration for Witchbrook:
Game details:"Spellbound is our exploration of that premise, but the magical world we're creating is very unlike Hogwarts. Magic in this world is very practical, taking inspiration from Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching series, Garth Nix's Old Kingdom Series, Studio Ghibli animations, and even the cartoon show Steven Universe at times." That's quite a mixture of inspirations, and should hopefully calm any fears people have of this being little more than Potter without the licence.
Relationships:"The game revolves around your path through school, the relationships you build, and your mastery of the several schools of magic at your disposal," Brice explains. "Players should expect to build up their magical proficiency by undertaking school projects. This might have them growing magical crops and creatures in herbology or taking on the denizens of the forest in elemental magic. School life is just as important as magic however; a lot of time will be spent meeting and befriending the varied cast of characters, taking on quests, awkward attempts at dating and a host of side activities."
Combat:Relationships were a key component of Stardew Valley, and Brice claims that they'll be one of the most surprising elements of Spellbound. "We're expecting players to be a little shocked the first time they get dumped," he says. "We're attempting to portray a gameworld in which the characters have their own motivations and desires. We want the player to feel as if they're part of an autonomous world rather than a world that revolves around their desires."
Replayability:That's not to say that things won't become a little tense from time to time, of course. Spellbound isn't just going to be focused on your studies, and your relationships with other students – combat will also be a significant part of the game. Brice explains that it will take inspiration from one of the most famous fantasy series in gaming history. "Combat in Spellbound is very much reminiscent of Zelda-like retro action RPGs, with spellcasting taking the place of swords, bows and bombs. Players will be able to unlock and combine elements to activate new spells that they can then take into the game's forest dungeon, where all sorts of rewards await."
Here's the old thread we had on the game with pictures from last year: http://fogu.com/hmforum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=173585&One thing that Chucklefish are keen to stress with Spellbound is the openness of the whole experience. While your academic route through the school might seem linear, there's plenty of scope for replayability. "We want to tell lots of little character-centric stories so Spellbound won't have one big linear story arc," comments Brice. "It's going to be a game with lots of variety, and lots to explore and master. Like Stardew, we want it to be a game you can come back to time and again so we certainly see it as offering a similar length of playtime."