Max, Author at myPotatoGames - Page 3 of 213
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Max

  • svgJan 24, 2023Indie Highlight

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    Super Zoo Story is Stardew Valley with a focus on adorable animals.

    I first laid eyes on Super Zoo Story back in January of 2021 and I was immediately taken away by the idea of building and decorating your own zoo, then populating it with different animals.

    With very little detail available nearly two years ago, it is amazing to see how far this indie game has come as it’s nearing its release on multiple platforms.

    Super Zoo Story aims to capture the spirit of Stardew Valley with its charming pixel visuals and life simulation / RPG elements sprinkled in.

    Create Your Own Zoo, More Than 70 Animals To Adopt and Nurture

    In Super Zoo Story you will jump into the role of a Zoo keeper. You start out in an open world that is yours to explore. Your job is simple, build a thriving, beautiful Zoo and make sure animals are happy.

    Building a Zoo is not an easy task and you may need help from the friendly villagers that live nearby and visit your park. There are tons of customization options to make sure the park looks cozy and inviting but more importantly, can provide a healthy habitat for all the animals you choose to adopt and provide a new home for.

    Speaking about the animals, there are a whooping 70 animals in this game that all have different wishes. They all demand different habitats, medical needs and food to eat. In addition you can also create your very own dinosaurs with DNA breeding, opening up even more room for customizations.

    Super Zoo Story Release Date

    Developed by Super Zoo Story Team and Published by Crytivo, Super Zoo Story will finally be launching sometime in 2023 for Switch, PS, Xbox, and PC. Take a look at the latest gameplay trailer for the game below. I simply can’t wait!

    For more farming fun with a sprinkle of magic, take a look at Fae Farm.

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  • svgJan 23, 2023News

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    A brand new remake of a beloved Harvest Moon game. 

    The next Game in the popular Story of Seasons franchise is called a Wonderful Life a remake of the immensely popular game Harvest Moon a Wonderful Life, and promises to go back to its roots with new enhancements to make a great game even better.

    A Wonderful Life builds upon the strong foundation the previous game has already provided with a major new twist compared to most farming games. 

    Once you get married to your favorite villager, you can now raise a child with your loved one. As The developers stated once you have lived your life to the fullest, spent years farming, fishing, exploring the dig sites and making friends with the town folks then “ your child will be old enough to choose a career for themselves… Will they inherit the farm? Or will they find their calling somewhere else? Only time will tell. “

    It truly feels like a new spin on farming games as most games in the genre don’t put s big focus on families in this way, only The Sims comes to my mind. I am very excited to see if it will be exactly like the original or if the developers have some surprises for us as Marvelous is known to improve certain features in their remakes.

    Story Of Seasons a Wonderful Life Release Date

    Pre-orders for the Japanese version are ready for downloading, while fans in the west will have to wait until 6/20. However, if you want to express your excitement, pre-orders are now open at BestBuy and most other retailers.

    More Story of Seasons fun!

    if you can’t get enough of Story of Seasons, take a look at Doraemon Story of Seasons the Great Kingdom a beautifully looking game with rich farming and more!


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  • svgJan 20, 2023Indie Highlight

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    Drive through a beautiful landscape, deliver mail and meet unique people along your way.

    I found out about Lake long before it actually released and since the. Have picked up the game many times as it’s always worth a play through. If you enjoy relaxing games set inside a beautiful world this might be a game for you!

    Lake is an indie game that is guaranteed to bring you joy and relaxation in form of a fun and chill simulation game. Set in Providence Oaks in the beautiful state of Oregon long before cell phones and modern technology was invented, back in 1986. 

    A Quaint Village and Unique Residents

    You step into the role of Meredith, a mail delivery woman where your job is to deliver mail to the town folks. You start your day by hopping into your small postal service truck and drive around in beautiful environments next to lakes and tall trees. 

    As you start your routine you will stop at the cabins along the road and drop off mail and packages. As you approach the properties you may also encounter and meet the quirky, fun and unique people who populate the village. You will learn about the people you deliver mail to daily and eventually become a part of the community you serve.

    Your Choices Matter

    As relaxing and laid back as the game is, choices you make actually effect the ending of your story. Lake features three different unique outcomes and these are entirely based on the choices you make throughout the game.

    Play Lake Today

    Lake The Game is available on PC, via Steam where it is also currently on sale. You may also play Lake on Xbox and PlayStation.

    Wylde flowers – Villager Simulator with Farming

    For more quaint village time – check out Wylde flowers, an adorable village simulator, with farming and a heartfelt story.

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  • svgJan 20, 2023Animal Crossing

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    These Animal Crossing features shaped the series back in the days but are now lost memories.

    Animal Crossing has been a long running franchise, in fact the first game was released back in 2001. Since then the series continued to thrive and has quickly become one of Nintendos biggest games with New Horizons selling twice as many copies as New Leaf within just a single year.

    However, since the launch of the game many features that have shaped the games into something so unique and special have gone lost. Lets take a look at 10 of the most unique features that never made it into New Horizons.

    Flower Fest

    animal crossing flower fest

    Animal Crossing Wild World was the only game featuring the Flower Fest. This event is a competition between you and the villagers on your island. The idea was to grow a beautiful garden around your home, Tortimer would host this event and eventually decides the winner. Taking the number one spot in this beautiful event will grand you a golden flower trophy.

    Given the small size of the event it was surprising how engaging and fun it was to participate in this cute competition.

    Crazy Redds Tent was Password Protected

    animal crossing crazy redd tent

    Some love him, some don’t love him so much. Crazy Redd has been a part of the Animal Crossing franchise for some time. In New Horizons you may have met him on the north side of your island where he docks his sketchy boat.

    In Wild World he would pitch a tent in your village ever now and then. To enter his tent and browse his selection of questionable pieces of art you would need a password.

    The password was not always easy to obtain, sometimes you find a letter from him in the mailbox containing the password but other times you may have to talk to your villagers who in return could share the password to enter his tent.

    Quests to get a Golden Axe

    animal crossing golden axe quest

    While the golden axe is still an item you can obtain, it was a lot more difficult than simply breaking a lot of flimsy axes to eventually get the DIY for the shiny version of it. In Wild World you actually had to embark on a quest to get your shiny axe.

    The Trading event is where this quest could be initiated. Once you come across our beloved Turnip seller Joan you will have to buy a special red turnip from her which you would then give to Wendall who will in return give you a turban. As you are holding on to this item you are waiting to meet Saharah who will gladly take the Turban of your hands and give you a big cozy massage chair.

    Handing the comfy chair to Tortimer will grant you a scallop, who likes scallops you ask? Pascal does – of course! Give him the scallop you just received and you shall get the golden axe.

    This seems fairly straight forward but all these steps can be changed by the villagers who can provide different items making the quest a bit a different. This was a lengthy but fun process that pulled in many different characters.

    The Bright Nights of February

    animal crossing brights nights february

    In the beginning Nintendo wanted to avoid including real life holidays such as Christmas or Thanksgiving. Instead the big N added ” The Bright Nights of February ” something that looked a lot like Toy Day but instead was simply a day in winter where all villagers would decorate their homes with twinkle lights. The rewards for this even was “Winter” sending you a gift.

    It was absolutely charming to see villagers decorate their homes with lights and other seasonal items. It made the village feel so festive and fun.

    More Control over Villagers leaving

     animal crossing wild world villager moving out

    Whenever a villager is in boxes, it is pretty much set in stone that the villager will be leaving. However, in older games you could talk to the villager repeatedly and eventually convince them to change their mind to remain on the island ( or in the village ) even though they had already packed up their belongings.

    In New Horizons the moving in and moving out process is a lot more focused on using Amiibo cards. As you may have noticed, it takes 3 days for a villager to move out, the exact time it would take you to invite a camper with the help of an Amiibo card to your island.

    Lyle’s Insurance

     animal crossing wild world Lyle’s Insurance

    There was a time when you were able to buy an insurance in Animal Crossing. Lyle, the cute little otter would make you an almost undeniable generous offer by providing you with an insurance in case of miss happenings.

    The insurance plan only costs 3000 bells and would provide coverage for multiple occasions. It will provide you with 100 bells for 9 paintings that were not authentic, 100 bells for every 10 bee stings and other little things.

    The total of of the return you can possibly make would only be 2900 bells making this insurance provided by Lyle a little bit of a scam. Regardless it was a fun feature to have and defiantly added more variety to the gameplay.

    Dual Screen consoles and Gulliver UFO

     animal crossing wild world gulliver ufo

    In new Leaf and Wild World players would have the comfort of two separate screens and both games utilities this differently. In New Leaf the touchscreen was conveniently used for inventory management making organizing your many items a breeze.

    In Wild World the dual screen was used to shoot down balloons and it was also the only way to spot Gulliver’s UFO – yes that was a thing!

    Multiplayer mystery tours, souvenir shops and more

     animal crossing new leaf mystery island tour

    Mystery tours where somewhat of a new and old addition to Animal Crossing New Horizons. While they function in a similar way compared to previous game, in New Leaf there was a lot more to do.

    In Animal Crossing New Leaf you would ask Kapp’n to give you a ride to a mystery island and as nice as he is, he would even let you bring along some friends. Bringing friends to mystery islands was a lot of fun and gave the multiplayer mode a lot more meaning.

    Unlike in New Horizons you don’t have to shut down your gate and send your friends back home. Bring them along for some extra fun and resourcing. Everything is better together… Nintendo!

    The island even featured a souvenir shop where you could obtain special souvenirs to bring home with you. These could only be obtained using a special currency found on the island.

    In addition there were many multiplayer mini games you could enjoy with your friends, puzzles, hide and seek and so much more.

    There were actually things to do in multiplayer back then!

    Notes in Bottles

     animal crossing wild world notes bottles

    In New Horizons you find a daily DIY inside a bottle somewhere on your beach. DIYs and therefore crafting didn’t exist in this form in previous games so a daily bottles with a note could be found on the shore of your beach.

    These notes were adorable and could sometimes be from a villager you met but more interestingly you can write notes, purchase a bottle, seal the bottle and throw it in the ocean. This does seem like you polluting the big blue but it will eventually show up at your real friends beach shore who will find your note in a bottle. This was an adorable way to exchange little messages between you and your friends.

    Resettis Attitude

    animal crossing new horizons Resetti

    Resetti is not part of Animal Crossing New Horizons anymore, the grumpy character was part of many Animal Crossing games and was received, well – poorly.

    His attitude was toned down in New Leaf a lot but back in the days he would be yelling at players for time traveling or shutting down their console without saving. The lecture he would give you coming back into the game can take a long time and guides you through a lengthy, grumpy dialogue.

    The Resetti surveillance center was an underground faciltiy where Resetti would conduct his business of surveying your island. Players were able to enter it and talk to Resetti. This facility is no longer part of Animal Crossing.

    However, his grumpy charm is undeniable and his absence has left a sad void in Animal Crossing fans hearts.

    New Horizons is missing charm

    Of course there are many other features that have come and gone since the series first launched, Brewster and his coffee shop is just another example.

    I have played Animal Crossing New Horizons for more than 800 hours. The game is beyond adorable and so very polished and fun. But the lack of features that made the series so very adorable are noticeably missing.

    As of now Animal Crossing New Horizons is a collection doll house game with terra forming. There are very few features that have made it into the game that are simply there for cuteness, like the insurance, message in a bottle or other little bits and pieces that together create a big whole.

    Here is hoping that the content update Nintendo promised for this year will bring at least some of these beloved features back, or maybe even some complete new ideas?

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  • svgJan 19, 2023Indie Highlight

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    Yokai Inn is a cozy villager simulator where you befriend villagers and run your own resturant

    The sole developer behind Yokay Inn revealed some stunning news this week! For anyone who is not familiar with this adorable indie game -Yokai Inn is an adorable life and village sim indie game that is currently in development. 

    This cutesy title is chock full of all the features we have come to know and love from a life sim game; like mining, helping NPC’s, running a restaurant and much more. Farm, mine and of course meet a bunch of adorable villagers. The developer has been quite prudent when it comes to sharing the progress of the game – but that all changed this week!

    In addition to revealing the first true gameplay for the game, the developer also lifted the curtain on the even cuter and more refined art style for the game giving Yokai Inn so much atmosphere and cuteness!

    Yokai Inn Release Date and Platforms

    The cozy life sim game does not have a release date just yet, make sure you check back and follow the developer on Twitter more updates! The game is expected to release on Steam and Nintendo Switch. Take a peak at the first gameplay trailer below!

    Experience the Japanese Country Life in this life sim game

    Take a look at Japanese Country Life, an upcoming indie game/

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  • svgJan 16, 2023Indie Highlight

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    Exploring, Crafting, Farming, Fishing, Bug Catching, and More

    Relive your youth during your summer holidays by helping out at your grandparent’s farm, fishing, bug collecting, and foraging! What’s unique about this farming sim is the level of interaction with your tasks. For example, you can herd a scattered flock of sheep or play fetch with your pets!

    Another exciting feature, reminiscent of The Good Life, is the ability to transform into a dog and a cat! At night, in your dreams and with the help of a magical hat, you’ll have work to do and the farm to protect. As a dog, you fend off the wolves, and as a cat you chase off pests.

    Of course, your companions are also helpful during the day. Your dog can support you in farming tasks like sheep herding, among other things you can train it to do. Your cat can discover new missions and hidden places.

    Free Demo Available on Steam Now

    Everdream Valley is developed by Mooneaters and published by VARSAV Game Studios. The game is coming soon to Switch and PC, although we don’t have exact dates. However, you can try out a demo for it now on Steam here.

    More farming fun

    take a look at One Lonely Outpost the next big farming game like Stardew Valley on another planet.

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  • svgJan 15, 2023Indie Highlight

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    One Lonely Outpost is Stardew Valley in Outer Space but brings tons of new features to farming simulation games.

    If you have followed myPotatoGames for the past few years you may know that I am personally very excited about One Lonely Outpost. I first came across the game in 2020 when it successfully launched on Kickstarter. Since then the game has come a long way and we are getting very close to it finally landing in our hands.

    One Lonely Outpost is a farming game at heart but with many twists and differences to ensure it can stand out on it’s own. While you can compare it to Stardew Valley at first glance or even open world RPGs like No Mans Skye, once you look at the details there are large differences. In the end there is plenty of room in my farming and life simulation game heart for multiple great games.

    Thriving Community – Deep Farming

    One Lonely Outpost is a unique farming simulation game that is more in-depth than most games I have played in this genre. You find yourself on a far away deserted and lonely alien planet – that of course you can name. It is your job to bring it back to life and create a thriving community.

    You are free and even encouraged to explore the alien planet, create a whole new community and grow a garden for your the villagers. Make friends, or find romantic love – the choices are yours.

    Unlike most farming games where you tilt the soil, plop a seed and add water occasionally, in this game you have a lot more choices to make. You can choose to grow organic crops for a quality harvest, or go synthetic to make the most money.

    Plants can also be treated in such great detail that it almost feels like a mini-game within the game itself. You can trim leafs and care for plants in a detailed way, so that you can make sure your upcoming harvest will be successful.

    One Lonely Outpost Release Date

    The initial release date was sometime in 2022, however, the game needed a little bit more time with a current release date of early 2023, just a little bit more wait!

    You can Wishlist the game on Steam here, and on The Epic Games Store here. Continue following myPotatoGames as I will be sure to report any news from this unique and fun farming game!

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  • svgJan 11, 2023Indie Highlight

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    Japanese Rural Life is an adorable life and farm simulation game where you get to experience the country side of Japan.

    For anyone who missed the announcement of this game, Japan has become the status symbol for everything cute and adorable ( at least in the Animal Crossing World ) and this title made by a small indie development team known for Food Truck Pup is now making a life simulation game about Japanese Rural Life!

    The game has been in development for some time and has seen multiple delays simply because the developer wants to make sure that Japanese Rural Life is as fun and complete as it can possibly be.

    Farm, Fish and Pets

    japanese rural life

    Japanese Rural Life let’s you experience what it’s like to live in the country side of Japan. Your small cottage is placed right in the middle of nature and open for you to customize however you like.

    You can spend your days in nature by fishing, growing a beautiful garden, exploring and so much more. Of course there are plenty of villagers to meet that just like you, want to experience the same beautiful lifestyle.

    You will also be able to adopt and care for a little doggy and the best thing? It follows you around as you explore the country side making it a true life companion.

    But in order to have your pup follow you everywhere you go, you will have to share some love with your furry friend by feeding treats and of course giving the doggy a good petting every now and then! Take a peak at the clip below!

    Japanese Rural Life Release Date

    Japanese Rural Life is currently still in development, the developer had announced a release date for last summer, unforutentaly that’s also when the game was delayed as it needed a little bit more time.

    While a delay is always disappointing it will be great to have a very polished game once it does release. I have reached out to the developer about a possible Nintendo Switch release and more details about the release window. The following answer was shared with me! You can check out the full interview I had with the developer here.

    Release Date update

    The developer finally announced a release window for Japanese Rural Life, the indie game is expected to be available sometime during this year, 2023. Follow him on Twitter and share your excitement for the game with him!

    Will the game be available on iOS and Android? Are you considering a Nintendo Switch release?

    Yes.
    First of all, I will release it on iOS and Android.
    If I can find a publisher who can make the most of it, I’d like to release it for the Nintendo Switch and PC as well.

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