Daedalic Entertainment and indie developer The Rat Project have announced that Magin: The Rat Project Stories will arrive digitally on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch worldwide on 29 April 2026.
The title blends adventure-game investigation with card-based combat and RPG-influenced choices, and positions itself as a dark-fantasy narrative focused on characters who wield "essence," the game’s term for magic.
Background and setting
Magin unfolds in a grim fantasy world where essence directly reflects the desires and fears of its inhabitants.
Players control Elester, a seasoned Magin and underworld hitman, and Tolen, a younger character who discovers his own capacity to manipulate essence.
The developers describe a setting where medieval culture collides with industrial, magic-powered machinery, and competing forces vie to control those new technologies.
Publisher Daedalic characterizes the game's world as rich and mysterious, populated by layered characters, atmospheric locations, and menacing creatures.
The deployment of industrial, essence-driven machines frames a historical turning point that shapes the story’s conflicts and stakes.
Core features
The publisher has outlined several key gameplay systems that define Magin:
- Adventure exploration: Investigate environments, interact with numerous characters, and examine items to deepen understanding of the world and narrative.
- Card system: Construct and evolve a deck as the story advances to face both human opponents and aggressive beasts; deck-building is influenced by storyline choices.
- Emotion mechanics: Track and manage characters’ emotional states; decisions affect emotional arcs and have gameplay consequences.
- Fully voiced presentation: The game includes full dubbing paired with uniquely illustrated comic-book sequences that punctuate key story moments.
- Non-linear storyline: The narrative allows for branching paths through a cold, unforgiving fantasy landscape, emphasizing themes of loss and redemption.
Release details and platform
Magin: The Rat Project Stories is confirmed as a digital-only release on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch on 29 April 2026.
No physical edition or additional platforms have been announced by Daedalic or The Rat Project in the official release information.
Reporting
This coverage was prepared by Alex Seedhouse, who has specialized in Nintendo coverage for 16 years, attended events including E3 and gamescom, led Nintendo Insider’s coverage across three console generations, and is a Metacritic-approved critic.
The title blends adventure-game investigation with card-based combat and RPG-influenced choices, and positions itself as a dark-fantasy narrative focused on characters who wield "essence," the game’s term for magic.
Background and setting
Magin unfolds in a grim fantasy world where essence directly reflects the desires and fears of its inhabitants.
Players control Elester, a seasoned Magin and underworld hitman, and Tolen, a younger character who discovers his own capacity to manipulate essence.
The developers describe a setting where medieval culture collides with industrial, magic-powered machinery, and competing forces vie to control those new technologies.
Publisher Daedalic characterizes the game's world as rich and mysterious, populated by layered characters, atmospheric locations, and menacing creatures.
The deployment of industrial, essence-driven machines frames a historical turning point that shapes the story’s conflicts and stakes.
Core features
The publisher has outlined several key gameplay systems that define Magin:
- Adventure exploration: Investigate environments, interact with numerous characters, and examine items to deepen understanding of the world and narrative.
- Card system: Construct and evolve a deck as the story advances to face both human opponents and aggressive beasts; deck-building is influenced by storyline choices.
- Emotion mechanics: Track and manage characters’ emotional states; decisions affect emotional arcs and have gameplay consequences.
- Fully voiced presentation: The game includes full dubbing paired with uniquely illustrated comic-book sequences that punctuate key story moments.
- Non-linear storyline: The narrative allows for branching paths through a cold, unforgiving fantasy landscape, emphasizing themes of loss and redemption.
Release details and platform
Magin: The Rat Project Stories is confirmed as a digital-only release on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch on 29 April 2026.
No physical edition or additional platforms have been announced by Daedalic or The Rat Project in the official release information.
Reporting
This coverage was prepared by Alex Seedhouse, who has specialized in Nintendo coverage for 16 years, attended events including E3 and gamescom, led Nintendo Insider’s coverage across three console generations, and is a Metacritic-approved critic.