All posts tagged in Exploration
Dec 29, 2022
Farm, Tame, and Ride
Paleo Pines is an upcoming game that definitely has an Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley-like feel to it, but with dinosaurs!
Customize your character, and embark on a journey to a peaceful little island where pioneers live peacefully with affectionate dinosaurs. On the island, evolution went a different direction – “survival of the kindest” – and resulted in a world where humans and dinosaurs live together in harmony. Much to the delight of the residents of the island, you’re the last known descendant of the Flute Whisperer. Together with your Parasaurolophus, Lucky, you’ll build a ranch, make friends with residents, and discover the history of your lost ancestors.
Explore the various biomes of Paleo Pines. From the flowery fields of Veridian Valley, to the canyons of the desert, there’s no lack of space to roam around. There are a number of cute wild dinosaurs that roam the biomes, too. Gain their trust through building pens for them to frolic in, feeding them their favorite foods, and giving them nose pats! If you build enough trust with them, they may even help you with your farm chores, like digging rows and harvesting crops.
You’ll also be able to change your clothing via your wardrobe. Plus, your ranch is fully customizable. Create the perfect paradise for you and your dinosaur friends. Decorate your yard, or fill it full of planting rows. Your ranch is yours to make how you wish!
No Release Date
Unfortunately, there is no planned release date available at the moment. However, you can Wishlist it on Steam. You can also follow Paleo Pines on Twitter, where they frequently post little development updates. The Dev Blog for the game is a great place to look at updates too.
For more dinosaur fun, check out this list.
- Dec 15, 2022
Cook, Explore, and Play
Clouzy is the world’s first cloud daycare, and you run it! That’s right. Those beautiful, fluffy clouds you see floating in the sky? They’re sentient, and charming creatures! And in this magical world, the clouds require quite a bit of care and attention. It’s a big task, but you’ll learn as you go.
Part of caring for these adorable creatures is cooking for them. You’ll need to learn their preferences and how to cook their favorite items. Go out into the world and search for the freshest ingredients to use, and whip up some tasty dishes for the clouds. They need food to fuel their playtime, after all. Playtime is something else you’ll have to figure out. Each cloud has a preference for playing, too. You’ll also need to play peacekeeper sometimes, and prevent storms from brewing.
If you ever feel overwhelmed by your work at the daycare, you can always go for a walk! Clouzy features a beautiful and colorful open world to explore. Discover a variety of different biomes in your travels. Solve puzzles, find hidden secrets, and make discoveries about the world. You’ll also be able to restore towering structures. And don’t worry about doing anything alone. A companion cloud will help you out!
Available Now!
The Cute cloud daycare game Clouzy is currently out on Steam, Nintendo Switch, Epic Games, Xbox, and Itchi.io.
Don’t forget to check out My Fantastic Ranch or Critter Crops!
- Dec 4, 2022
Farm, Craft, Explore
We introduced Meetlight and the Secrets of the Universe back in April, but now there’s so much more gameplay information to gush over. Currently located on Kickstarter, this gorgeous game has taken the word “wholesome” and run away with it. Inspired by Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Ori and the Blind Forest, Stardew Valley, My Time at Portia, and My Neighbor Totoro, Meetlight looks to be a beautiful game with a comfy, cozy atmosphere.
You will play as Anna. Anna has faced a terrible tragedy and lost her spouse. Now, Anna has taken over her great-uncle’s forge and become the new blacksmith. You’ll build your house from scratch (and decorate it too!), customize your character appearance, and befriend animals, nature, and your neighbors (some are even romanceable!). You’ll even be able to complete quests for the villagers or trade with them.
That’s not all, however. With the loss of your spouse, you’ve gained the ability of clairvoyance, which you’ll slowly develop and perfect as you play. Enter the magical world of energy where you’ll meet new inhabitants, explore lost places, and discover the secrets of the universe. In this 3D open-world, with 19 places to visit on the map (so far), there’s just SO much to do and see.
Featuring Customization, Farming, Blacksmithing, and More
If you’re not feeling like exploring, don’t worry. Meetlight and the Secrets of the Universe also has farming. Plant and care for your own set of crops, and perhaps even a fairy will drop by to help you out with them. You’ll be able to create your own farm layout and decorate your fields how you wish. Also available for your farm are animals! You will choose a companion (a cat, a dog, a rabbit, a goat, or something else!) when you start, but you’ll also be able to tame wild animals like foxes and crows. It will take time to get close to wild animals, but eventually they’ll learn to trust you. Breed your animals and collect things like wool from them to use in crafting. It appears there’s at least one horse, too, that you’ll be able to explore the map on.
You’ve also taken over as the local blacksmith, so naturally you’ll be able to create things in the forge. Your uncle left his trade secrets behind. Of course, you’re new to blacksmithing, so you’ll have to practice the skill to get better and make greater quality items! You’ll also be able to discover new blueprints as you play the game.
Cooking and alchemy will be in game, too. Cook over 50 different dishes, each one giving its own buff to help you. When cooking isn’t enough, though, there’s alchemy! You’ll learn how to make potions that can also help you. For example, you can learn to make a potion that increases the duration of your clairvoyance.
With all of the crafting and cooking that can be done in Meetlight, it is only natural resource harvesting is a feature. Much like everything else, you’ll have to work on your gathering skills too in order to gather a higher number of resources and higher quality resources. You’ll have to craft tools to help you harvest, too.
Kickstarter Stretch Goals
Meetlight and the Secrets of the Universe is currently only for Steam. However, should the Kickstarter meet certain stretch goals, the game will become available for Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and Playstation. What’s perhaps even more exciting, are the other stretch goals. One goal is for MORE map areas, expanding the already big map. There’s also a goal for total character design control where you’ll be able to choose gender, the name, and the shape of the character’s face and body. And the one I’m most excited about is the goal for co-op. If that stretch goal is met, Meetlight will have co-op for up to 4 players AND cross-platform play. How cool is that?
Coming 2023
The game is successfuly funded on Kickstarter with multiple stretch goals met, which also means it’s not yet available. Unfortunately, we’ll have a while to wait as Meetlight and the Secrets of the Universe only lists 2023 as the release date. You can also wishlist it on Steam. Meetlight will come to Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and Playstation.
Chek out Kitaria Fables for another beautiful farming sim, or even Aka, where you play as an adorable red panda.
- Nov 19, 2022
A Farming Simulator With a Twist
You, the player, have purchased your first plot of land located in an aging town in Japan’s countryside. Fully customize your character and your cell phone, and begin your new life. Your goal is to create a homestead you can be proud of. You’ll learn to collect your own water, generate power, grow crops, craft food, care for your animals, and much more in order to help your local economy.
You’ll get to ferment soy sauce, grow and grind your own flour, and even make cheese. Then, you can take it all a step further and cook recipes using your homemade ingredients.
SunnySide also features a colorful cast of characters for you to interact with. Life in the small town is peaceful, but not without its problems. Each of the locals has their own issues to deal with, as well as having distinct personalities and stories. As you take the time to interact with the characters, you’ll get to learn their backstories and problems. Bond with the locals, attend events, and even find someone special to date.
What sets SunnySide apart from the other farming sim games that keep cropping up is that it seeks to combine modernism with the old. It also skips some of the more well-used game mechanics. There are no watering cans, shipping bins, or seemingly endless gifting to increase relationships.
You’ll have access to solar panels, electric water pumps, and other contemporary machinery. Upgrade your technology to further improve your farming experience. Developer RainyGames wanted players to leave the tedium behind and truly get to enjoy a farming experience.
Coming Soon
There is currently no release date available. You can find SunnySide on Steam to wishlist, however. It will also be coming to Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and Playstation. In the meantime, you can check out their website.
For another Japanese farming sim, take a look at Shepherd’s Crossing. For other farming sims, there’s One Lonely Outpost, Voltaire: The Vegan Vampire, or even Blue Oak Bridge.
- Nov 19, 2022
Restoration, Exploration, and Horses
Enter a beautifully crafted open-world game where you find yourself vacationing at your aunt’s home. However, you arrive to find the once grand stud farm has now fallen to ruin. You are the only one who can restore the farm. You face a terrible challenge, but you aren’t alone in your endeavors.
Befriend the townsfolk who will help you and complete quests to rebuild the once glorious family farm. From the woodsman to the architect and craftswoman, there’s no shortage of useful villagers to forge friendships with. Perhaps you can even get in the good graces of the prestigious Fèlix family.
You can also journey across the vast open-world wilds and discover the hidden secrets of the island all while on horseback! Ride up the coastline, gallop through the forest, or adventure through wide open fields.
In your adventures around the island, you can find wild horses to tame, ride, and care for. You will even be able to breed your own horses. Select the perfect creatures to receive the finest horses with characteristics, personalities, and colors you want! Take your most admirable steeds and see how they measure up in competitions.
Coming soon to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Steam PC
French publisher Microids and German developer Aesir Interactive announced this exciting new open-world horse game is now available. Players can find it on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Steam PC.
For more open-world goodness, check out Tchia and Palia.
- Oct 18, 2022
A Story-rich Mystery Adventure
With Halloween fast approaching, I felt it appropriate to share Beacon Pines with all of you. It’s a cute and creepy adventure game set inside a mysterious book. As Hiding Spot Games puts it, “it’s Winnie-the-Pooh meets Twin Peaks”.
You’ll play as both the reader and Luka, the main character of the story. There is something weird happening at the local warehouse, but no one except Luka and his friends seems to take notice. Sneak out of the house late at night, meet new friends, and explore town to solve the mysteries of Beacon Pines.
While you adventure and investigate the mysteries of Beacon Pines, you’ll encounter special golden charms. Each charm has a single word engraved on it, and you’ll use these words to fill in the blanks of parts of the story. You may even drastically change the events of the story, depending on which words you use.
As the reader of the book, you’ll use the Chronicle to navigate the turning points of the story where words are missing. The Chronicle is an interactive story tree that grows as you progress in the story. Experiencing one piece of the story will unlock new charms for other parts of the story. So, you’ll spend your time bouncing around from story part to story part to get the whole picture of Beacon Pines.
Out Now!
Beacon Pines is out now on Nintendo Switch, Steam, Itch.io, and Xbox.
Check out our previous article on other Halloween games you could play to get in the spooky (but cute!) mood.
- Oct 18, 2022
With Halloween quickly approaching, I think this is another lovely game to get into the Halloween spirit. Featuring beautiful art with a vibrant, but dim ambience, Strange Horticulture is another gorgeous game with a slightly spooky feel to it.
Run a Plant Store and Solve Puzzles
Welcome to Strange Horticulture, your very own plant store where you are the owner! You’re a horticulturist living in the peculiar town of Undermere surrounded by mountains and forests full of hags. As you meet the distinctive and varied cast of local customers, you’re quickly thrown into the weird and occult mysteries of Undermere.
Spend your days exploring the lands surrounding your mysterious little town, but be sure to take care of where you journey. Not everywhere is safe! Discover clues and determine which places are safe and which places you ought to avoid. And who knows, you may gain powers you’d never dreamed of, or lose your mind. Tread carefully.
While you search for plants to sell in Strange Horticulture, you’ll learn more and more about their uses. You’ll be able to consult your trusty encyclopedia and any clues you discover while exploring to learn about the plants you encounter. Identifying each plant opens up the possibility of using it and its special effects to influence the story. Make hallucinogens or even poisons to use to advance the story and see what mysteries you can solve.
Out Now!
Strange Horticulture is available now on Steam, Epic Games, Gog.com, and Nintendo Switch.
For another slightly spooky option, take a look at Critter Crops.
- Jun 11, 2022
Find Items, Explore an Island Filled with Frogs, Solve Puzzles, Farm, and Fish
Time on Frog Island has a new trailer via the Guerrilla Collective 3 announcing its release date this summer! This adorable adventure game starts like most of our beloved island sim games; a shipwreck. This particular and peculiar island is filled with frogs!
Seek out or trade for materials to fix your boat, solve puzzles, find hidden treasure, and go exploring! While running around, fishing, farming, concocting new brews, and talking to frogs, you’ll learn new abilities and new ways to help you traverse the island.
Launching July 12th, 2022 on Consoles and PC
The game is published by Merge Games (Pixelshire) and developed by Half Past Yellow. You can take a look at the adorable new trailer of a character assembling letters to spell out the release date of July 12th, 2022 below! Time on Frog Island will be releasing on (links provided) PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam).
