Construct and manage your own magic school in this simulation game published by Don’t Starve developer Klei

A public playtest is currently available for Mind Over Magic – a simulation game that lets players construct and manage their own magical school. During the game, players train their students in powerful magic in order to explore a mysterious and dangerous labyrinth.

As highlighted by PC Gamer, Mind Over Magic is being developed by Sparkypants Studios and published by Klei Entertainment – the developers of Don’t Starve, Griftlands, and Oxygen Not Included, amongst others. The full game doesn’t currently have a release window, but, according to the developers, this current playtest isn’t a demo, but the same version of the game that’s currently being prepared for early access, so it can give players a real taste of what’s to come.

In Mind Over Magic, players are able to construct each facet of their school, with the option to build it from the ground up and decorate every room freely with furniture. They can then set their class schedule, complete with the teachers they’ve chosen, for their students. 

Pupils must be brought up to speed with spells and abilities in order to take on the Underschool, the aforementioned labyrinth which is full of deadly creatures. ‘Deadly’ isn’t an understatement – the students can actually be killed in combat, after which you can reanimate them using dark magic in order to complete chores. Not quite sure which fate is worse there, to be honest.

Though the playtest kicked off on October 19, the developers stated that they’d only be letting in a small number of people at first. However, things are set to open up further as the test goes on. It’s set to run until October 26, so, if you’re interested, be sure to request access on Steam and make the most of it while you can. 

To keep up with more game releases, be sure to read our handy roundup of upcoming games for 2023 and beyond. You can also find some amazing game recommendations on our list of the best PC games.