Fresh off the recent success of The Legend of Khiimori (as well as a fresh rebrand!), Aesir Interactive takes the reins of yet another horse franchise. The German studio has been brought onboard to develop Unicorn Academy: Island of Magic, the official spin-off of the Canadian animated TV series by the same name. Although the Steam page may suggest we won’t have to wait very long, Mindscape has yet to magick an official release date. So, while we wait for more news to grace our screens, let’s see what Aesir may have in store for us and our peers at the fabled Unicorn Academy, starting off with the trailer.
WELCOME TO THE ACADEMY
Based on the books by Julie Sykes, the show follows Sophia, Ava, Layla, Isabel, Valentina and Rory as they embark on many adventures to protect the island from the forces of evil, and learn how to become true unicorn riders along the way. Receiving an invite to ‘Nuncior Academy’, however, is not enough to become one. In order to bond with their fated partner, aspiring pupils must also brave the Wonderwood Forest—or face immediate dismissal. However, bonding with a unicorn means more than just finding a friend for life, as the group will soon discover in their quest to protect the island from the evil queen of Grimoria, Ravenzella, and her minions.
The main cast and their unicorns.
From left to right: Valentina and Cinder; Layla and Glacier; Isabel and River; Sophia and Wildstar; Ava and Leaf; Rory and Storm.
Unicorn Academy © Netflix
From the get go, Unicorn Academy: Island of Magic draws heavily on the story beats of the show. After receiving our invite, it is time to board the magical flying ship to fulfill our destiny and, with the help of a Fate Fairy, find and bond with our very own unicorn. From that moment on, we officially become a first-year student at the Academy: the adventure can now begin!
ALONG FOR THE RIDE
Perhaps unsurprisingly, our fellow first-years don’t seem to have much going on for them at the moment. Instead, our main interpersonal focus is on Sophia and her friends, as well as their trusted steeds. Each unicorn commands a different kind of magic, and by switching place with them we can access their powers to overcome certain challenges—which will no doubt come in handy when fighting Ravenzella. However, what our power will be is still a mystery. A couple screenshots show a unique music-themed pattern on one of the unicorns, which may give us a hint. Alternatively, it’s also possible the markings serve a merely cosmetic purpose.
Personally, much like Wild River‘s Horse Club Ride West, I wouldn’t mind our unicorn having a pre-determined power. The game puts great emphasis on ‘making the adventure our own’—and while ample customization definitely plays a part, there’s lots of narrative and gameplay potential in giving us a unique quirk, never-before-seen in the show. This, of course, requires some balancing in regards to the main gang’s powers, to avoid cutting the player out from the action. However, given Aesir’s recent exploits with Legend of Khiimori, I think we can be more than a little optimistic.
Coat, markings, hair colour and style, as well as leg feathering, all appear to be customizable throughout the game.
Unicorn Academy: Island of Magic © Aesir Interactive
A UNICORN TAIL
The game is presented as an open-world adventure, likely in the style of previous Windstorm titles. From our home base at the Academy we can take care of our unicorn, in order to strengthen our bond. So far we have seen a grooming and trick (treating?) minigame, as well as a simple obstacle course. The animations so far are pretty solid, while keeping up with the cartoony style of the show. The gallop is particularly noteworthy, but the jumping might also prove interesting. The tail physics is also impressive which, yes, it’s such a small thing to worry about. But as we have seen time and time again, the devil is in the details, and it’s always nice to get more than a clunky cardboard box trailing behind our noble steed!
As a final treat, the story immediately puts us in the Sapphire Dorm, together with Sophia and her friends—no doubt a nice plot device to allow for some believable interactions. And speaking of plot, I haven’t even touched the double room setup of the Academy, which could lead to some awesome twist revelations, if played it right. Is this an accurate prediction? Absolutely not. Is it fun for me personally? Very much yes.
Bonding with our unicorn should grant us perks and bonuses, as well as stronger magical powers.
Unicorn Academy: Island of Magic © Aesir Interactive
FINAL THOUGHTS
From what we can tell, Unicorn Academy: Island of Magic seems everything you would want in a game sequel. On one hand, we have the Academy, faithfully recreated in Unreal Engine and ready to be explored. On the other, we can take the reins of the adventure ourselves, rather than just retrace the steps of Sophia and her friends. Although the timeline is left purposefully vague, the inclusion of the main cast could place the adventure after Season 1 at the earliest, possibly even after Secrets Revealed. Only time will tell, although the aforementioned focus on the player character taking center stage may give us a hint as to what expect story-wise.
As with all projects of this nature, canonicity is the big question mark: personally, I’m leaning towards Island of Magic becoming a non-canon, spin-off episode, although I’m not ruling out the chance for it to usher in another season of the show. Netflix still owns the brand, after all, and I can’t imagine them passing up the chance to capture a new audience of horse-crazed children to direct towards the series and associated merchandise. As for me, I’m going to use this time to catch up with the show and brush up on my unicorn knowledge. Now, about that Netflix subscription…
Many familiar faces will be there to welcome us on Unicorn Island.
Unicorn Academy: Island of Magic © Aesir Interactive
Unicorn Academy: Island of Magic will release on Steam, Epic Store, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 and 5. No official date has been given, although the Valve storefront is set for Q4 2026.
