As suggested by the title, Makin' Magic allows your Sims to become magicians by creating charms and charging spells. The spells and charms can be used for a variety of things, such as gaining friends, taking care of the house, and making money. If Sims cast enough magic, they can get magical growths at their home that will give them special abilities, or at least look pretty sitting on the lawn.

Magic Town, a new away-from-home area, supports the new aspects of the game. Your Sims can get ingredients, ride roller coasters, and mingle with the new magical Sims who live in Magic Town. Parts of Magic Town resemble a traditional carnival, while others are spookier. If your Sims accumulate enough MagiCoins, the currency of Magic Town, they can move in to one of three lots in Magic Town.

The charms and spells are created by adding ingredients into two different magical machines. The ingredients are gained in a variety of ways; some can be made at home, some can be bought in Magic Town, and some can be earned by doing quests for the magical vendors.

There is a good variety of magic that your Sims can perform, and magic isn't the only benefit to this game. It offers many ways of making money; your Sims can now mix nectars from elderberries and grapes, which sell for a good 500 Simoleans if your Sim has maxed their cooking skills. The nectar can also be put into a new bar and served for your Sims to drink. If nectar isn't your thing, your Sims can spin golden thread or make butter to sell.

Most of the game is excellent, but getting the ingredients and sparking the magical growths can be challenging. The quests that vendors send your Sims on are sometimes frustrating. A variety of hacks have been made available to the online Sims community that make magic a snap, but for those who do not wish to cheat, it's not so easy.

Some people have had qualms with the loss of realism that comes with Makin' Magic. The previous expansions, while sometimes slightly far-fetched, were mostly believable, but Makin' Magic changes that. I was skeptical about the game before buying it, and I feared that it might not live up to its predecessors. However, I was not disappointed; Makin' Magic is a worthy end to the Sims line and it will help to hold you over while you're waiting for The Sims 2.