Game: Simon the Sorcerer Origins
Genre: Adventure, Point & Click
System: Nintendo Switch (Also on Steam (Windows, macOS, SteamOS + Linux), Xbox One/X/S and PS4/5)
Developer | Publisher: Smallthing Studios | ININ Games
Age Rating: US 10+ | EU 7+
Price: US $24.99 | UK £22.49 | EU € 24,99
Release Date: October 28th, 2025
Review code used, with many thanks to PR Hound.
Simon the Sorcerer Origins is a prequel to the original saga – a whole new chapter in the life of Simon, not a remake with added extras. However, it’s been designed to capture the essence of that era of point & click adventures, whilst opening up the story of Simon to a new generation. And for the fans of the Simon saga, Chris Barrie returns to voice the titular character.
Will the journey be spellbinding?
Back in Time
Set a few weeks prior to the original 1993 game, Simon the Sorcerer Origins starts with a short cutscene. Simon is listening to his “Pony” cassette player, trying to drown out the parental argument as they drive to their new house. Why are his parents arguing? Well, we learn, through the gallery shown in the opening credits, that Simon likes to cause mischief at school, and now that he’s been expelled, his parents have been forced to move to be closer to his next school.
With the fading notes of Rick Astley’s Together Forever, we start with Simon in his new house. This tutorial introduction just made me smile. Mum, in the background, keeps shouting ‘do not’ comments, encouraging you to get Simon to do the opposite. Unlike the original, Simon the Sorcerer Origins has swapped pixelated graphics for hand-drawn, ’90s cartoon style, and it works well and looks great.
The instructions are clear, and in the early game, the inventory management works well. Interaction points are clearly marked, so you never worry if you’ve missed something you are meant to look at. You’ll soon be finding and using items, and combining string and magnets to go magnetic fishing.
Just when you think there should be more to wandering round Simon’s new house, a magic portal opens and sucks Simon into another world. And so the Simon the Sorcerer Origins adventure begins…
Did it bring back that nostalgic feeling? Yes, for a moment, I was back in the 90s…..
A Homage Too Far?
And for me, that was the problem – I didn’t want to be back in the 90s. The developers of Simon the Sorcerer Origins have done such a good job of recreating that era of adventure games that, for me, it lost the element of fun and enjoyment.
The storyline is too prescriptive, so trying to do things before you are meant to will not work. You can’t trade with Mundus, until you find out from other characters that he is open to trading. You can’t hang a picture until you’ve read the writing on the wall. You can’t open a drain cover until you’ve been told you need to be in the dungeons. This means that when you get stuck and spend hours trying every item in your inventory against every hotspot, you might have to do it all again once you find the right trigger point. Although Calypso offers to help, his hints are short-lived, and soon he offers nothing more than a cursory greeting.
In addition, Simon walks really slowly, and although there is a run option (via holding a button) and fast travel points, these don’t alleviate the frustration when you are aimlessly wandering around the different areas searching for inspiration.
The inventory becomes clunky to use when you have more than one row of items, and listening to Simon ask ‘why would I want to do that?’ or comment ‘that doesn’t make sense’ when trying items on each other, and the environment gets annoying – at least you can click through the conversation.
The witty and somewhat sarcastic humour still fills the dialogue of Simon the Sorcerer Origins, and whilst some of it would be funny in certain circumstances, I had lost the energy to laugh. I was left with a sleeping potion which couldn’t quite be made, a trapdoor I wasn’t even sure I should be attempting to open, a statue I wanted to move and stone relics which hinted at using spells, which Simon refused to cast.
Gameplay
The controls are well explained and can be viewed via the options menu. Simon the Sorcerer Origins makes good use of the touchscreen functionality, and there are various options around text size to make the game as accessible as possible. However, a toggle on the run would have been a great addition.
The game autosaves regularly, and there are 5 additional save slots to be able to backup progress as you play through the 15 hours or so of Simon the Sorcerer Origins.
Although I didn’t encounter any software issues, there were some odd pauses between screens, especially into the countryside scene, en route to the church.
There are 33 achievements to collect, but you are not told what is needed to achieve them, and these can only be seen from the main menu screen.
There is no time of day as such in Simon the Sorcerer Origins.
Conclusion
I’m sure many Simon the Sorcerer fans will appreciate the trial and error approach to the problems, be thrilled to hear Chris Barrie bring Simon back to life, and laugh at the humour which fills the dialogue.
And whilst I appreciate the passion, dedication and effort put into Simon the Sorcerer Origins to rekindle those 1990s classics, the lack of a hint system ruined my experience and highlighted the other shortcomings of the game, which in other situations would have been overlooked.
Final Verdict: I’m Not Sure 
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