Why the world needs a Club Penguin successor – that isn't Roblox

GamesIndustry.biz says Stephen MacDonald has founded Magic Potion Games to build Imagine Island, a spiritual successor to Club Penguin that aims at children aged 6–13. The pitch is straightforward: recreate the social, avatar-driven appeal of Club Penguin, but make safety and moderation the product’s foundation rather than an afterthought.

MacDonald, who worked on Club Penguin at Disney, says the original game’s success came from broad accessibility and heavy moderation, including live moderators, filtering, and behavior nudges that shaped how kids interacted. He argues that Roblox now fills the role of first online world for many children, but that its social environment is not safe enough for younger users.

The new studio has backing from Square Enix, 1AM Gaming, 1Up Ventures, and Konvoy Ventures, with guidance from veterans including Bungie founder Alex Seropian and Club Penguin co-founder Lane Merrifield. MacDonald says the team raised a few million dollars to prototype the game after his departure from Electronic Arts in 2023.

For developers, the interesting part is the product thesis: safety is not just compliance, it is the core loop. Imagine Island is being built around live moderation, age-appropriate features, avatar customization, minigames, quests, and community challenges, with the hope that it can serve as a safer stepping stone before kids move on to larger platforms.