By now its obvious to anyone not living under a rock that the magical boarding school trope is well and truly played out. After Harry Potter and its scores of imitators had run their course, it seemed unlikely that anything fresh could be done in this space…. until Ikenfell! Veteran indie dev, Chevy Ray, devised not only an innovative battle system, but also a cast of truly memorable characters supported by sharp, witty writing. It doesn’t hurt that the game also features the musical stylings of Aivi & Surasshu, the composers behind the Steven Universe series. Bryan and Josh had a magical time with Ikenfell so they summoned up their mics and had a discussion about how Ikenfell uses a diverse cast and empathetic writing to elevate itself to the top of the class.

Editor’s Note: We apologize for unintentional misgendering or incorrect pronoun usage, we are doing our best but know we still have a ways to go.

Three Word Reviews:

Bryan - Accessible Representation Magic

Josh - Narrow and Wide

Show Notes:

Eggplant the Secret Lives of Games

Ari and Sarasshu’s Album - The Black Box

Ikenfell Pixel Art Article