All posts tagged in ooblets
Dec 21, 2022
It’s that time of year where the weather gets a little frightful, and while many people are cozying up with comfy pajamas, and hiding from the weather under warm blankets, it’s the perfect time to play some fun games. Some of you may even be looking for some games to celebrate the winter festivities with. Luckily, there are a few that feed that cozy holiday need. Cozy Grove, Hokko Life, Ooblets, and Disney Dreamlight Valley are all perfect to get into that holiday spirit with.
Cozy Grove
In Cozy Grove, you play as a Spirit Scout, and are camping on an ever-changing haunted island. Wander around the forest, discover secrets, and help the local ghosts. Meet and befriend dozens of characters and ghosts. Explore each character’s story. Collect spirit animals, craft decor, go fishing, and so much more.
And Cozy Grove has a Winter Festival! The festival runs from December 20th to January 23 every year. While it’s active, you can get winter festival themed decorations, clothes, and other items. You can meet snowfolk, craft and give gifts to the bears, and challenge the imps to snowball fights. You can even lure special winter cats into your cat beckoner!
So, dress in your favorite Winter Festival attire, gather some gifts, and go have a snowball fight to celebrate the holiday season!
Cozy Grove is available on Apple Arcade, Steam, Epic Games, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and Playstation.
Hokko Life
Hokko Life is an Animal Crossing-inspired life-sim. Spend time building the town and filling it with your favorite villagers, catch bugs, go fishing, and befriend the villagers. What sets this one apart from Animal Crossing, though, is the creative freedom you have! You get to build buildings with the help of the resident builder, and place them wherever you wish. You can also customize the interiors and exteriors of each home by placing furniture you’ve crafted and painted. Use the design table to change the shape and materials of your crafts, and paint them to suit your tastes and vision. Even the clothes can be painted
Paired with the seasonal snow, Hokko Life is a great game to play to get into the holiday spirit, or even just the cozy winter mood. Your town can be redesigned for free, so you can make it the winter wonderland of your dreams! And don’t forget about the seasonal store.
Hokko Life is available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, Playstation, and Xbox.
Ooblets
Ooblets is another charming, but weird little game that involves farming, collecting creatures, and dancing. Spend your days growing otherworldly plants on your currently ramshackle farm. Collect pieces of furniture and other design items to use in decorating, and turn your farm into a beautiful homesteading paradise. You’ll also collect and raise odd little creatures called ooblets. Grow your team of alien critters, and compete in dance-offs with them.
Much like the other games, Ooblets has a seasonal Wintertime Event that starts every December 1st, and ends December 31st. Players can travel to Badgetown, where they’ll find the Wintertime Event display. Find and collect the festive bobbles found on the ground around Badgetown, then exchange them at the Wintertime Event gotsapon machines to get an array of wintertime clothing goodies.
Ooblets is available on Nintendo Switch, Epic Games, and Xbox.
Disney Dreamlight Valley
Last, but certainly not least, is Disney Dreamlight Valley. Another cozy village life-sim game, Dreamlight Valley offers that classic Disney charm by giving players the opportunity to interact with their favorite characters. Players can spend their time gardening, cooking, fishing, home design, and much more. Complete quests and unlock the doors to the Dream Castle to help the characters return to their homes
Disney Dreamlight Valley is running a seasonal event from December 18th to the 31st called Gift of Giving Event. During this event, players can visit the castle to find a beautiful Christmas tree where they’ll be able to unwrap presents starting December 25th. Each gift will have a fun holiday-themed item. There are also festive quests and festive fishing for players to complete. Plus, players are getting creative in the Frosted Heights area, where they’re taking some beautiful holiday-themed photos.
Disney Dreamlight Valley is available on Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Epic Games, Steam, Playstation, and Apple Arcade.
Or, if you’re reminiscing on the end of the year, take a walk down memory lane with 10 Forgotten Animal Crossing Features That Made The Game More Charming And Fun.
- Aug 18, 2022
Farm and Dance Your Way to SuccessIn Ooblets, you will get to fully customize your character with a ton of different styles and accessories. Then, spend your days renovating your farm. Turn your ramshackle home into a beautiful place with numerous design items and pieces of furniture you can collect.
Grow some otherworldly crops, make them into treats, and sell them in your shop located in town. Raise weird, magical creatures called ooblets to participate in dance tournaments. Build your team of ooblets and level them up to win the card-based dance-offs with wild ooblets or other ooblet trainers.
You’ll also get to explore numerous unique regions, all of which have different characteristics and plant life to discover. Forge new friendships with the townsfolk, and help the mayor save Badgetown. Perhaps even join a club that suits you. Play mini games and take part in daily challenges, such as dance-offs, quests, and earning badges. You may even unearth some secrets along the way!
September 1st Release for Nintendo Switch
Wholesome Games announced on their official Twitter that Ooblets is not only releasing on Nintendo Switch on September 1st, but that version 1.0 will also be available. Unfortunately, no release date has been released for the Steam version, though you can add it to your wishlist. Xbox players can also find the game here. You can also find it on the Epic Games store.
You can check out our coverage of previous Ooblets updates here.
For another game that takes place in an alien world, check out One Lonely Outpost, or Peridot for more creature collection. - May 15, 2022
Full Version Includes New Areas, Wildlands, Shopping, Card Battles, Friendly Neighbours, Mini-Games, Farming, Dancing, Rollerskating and More!
During Nintendo’s Indie World Showcase (May 2022), we were treated with a never-before-seen Ooblets trailer. Announcing, version 1.0 coming to the Switch this Summer! That means that the adorable creature-collecting dance-partying adventure simulation game will be leaving Early Access and releasing in full!
A lot of updates have been added since Ooblets launched in 2020. Most recently the additional feature of running your own store. In case you have been waiting for the full version of the game and haven’t kept up with news, Ooblets will now have new levels and a complete campaign. For example, Port Foward includes a boardwalk where you buy tokens to play arcade games/mini-games. Furthermore, Pantsabear Hill is an area which is covered in snow, puzzles, and Pantsabears. You’ll also have many more accessories, clothing, furniture, and over 45 Ooblets to clutter and decorate your farm with.
Ooblets 1.0 Coming to PC, Xbox, Switch This Summer
You can find Ooblets’ official Nintendo Switch listing right here. There isn’t a more specific date other than Summer 2022, however the developers, Glumberland, assure players that “unless something goes really wrong” they will have one soon.
- Apr 18, 2022
Your Own Shop, New Wildlands Quests, and Missing Ooblets
In Ooblets latest update (0.99), you can run your own shop, complete new Wildlands quests, and embark on missions from townspeople to find their missing Ooblets.
The Ooblets developers already gave us the ability to “put things on things”, which now seemed like the perfect precursor to being able to display things for your very own store! Remember that one door in town you just couldn’t open? Well, now you can! With tables and shelves, you can sell your extra accessories, food you cook, and any other items! No more deleting items out of existence and gaining nothing in return! Furthermore, you can customize your shop’s wallpaper and flooring, and use whatever else you already purchased for your home to decorate.
Another new major feature is to add things to do in the Wildlands. Before, you had to just leave your duplicate Ooblets alone and forget about them. Now, you can visit the Wildlands for seed requests, mystery can cleanup, watering plants, and retrieving Ooblets that have wandered out. It seems that even the townsfolk of Badgetown have runaway Ooblets in need of retrieval!
Available Now in Early Access
This adorable creature farming sim is created by indie team Glumberland. If you missed their last big update, check out what was added here. Ooblets is available in Early Access now on PC here and Xbox here. Although, note that there now has been a small price hike since the game’s humble beginnings.
Interested in customizing your own shop or restaurant? Check out Cat Cafe Manager here: Cat Cafe Manager is Out Today on Switch and Steam.
- Oct 10, 2021
The most adorable and middle spooky games to get you into the cozy fall and Halloween mood!
As Halloween parties are being kept small this year (and being a
lotlittle too old to go trick-or-treating), I had decided to get my sulk on, as opposed to getting my spook on.Horror movies scare me, I can’t watch the Gremlins, and even get the heebie-jeebies from The Grinch. I admit it. I am a bit of a scaredy-cat. But I do really LOVE Halloween and this time of year.
So when I realized that candy is still abundant and mildly scary games perfect for Halloween exist, I was over the moon! Now, I’m super excited to curl up (in the warmth!) on the 31st, eat too many snacks, and play some of those slightly spooky games. So if you’re in the same boat as me, or are looking for something fun to do with kids, look no further!
Here are some wholesome games with Halloween events and some standalone slightly spooky games you should play this Halloween.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Halloween Event
Nintendo was very cryptic regarding the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Halloween event when it first launched. So cryptic in fact, that players had no idea what the seasonal event would entail, and many wondered if it would happen at all!
But just when all seemed lost and Halloween canceled, Nintendo decided to casually drop the game’s fall update and even added new items this year around. And what an update it was! The introduction of real pumpkins, brand new eye and skin colors, Halloween costumes, and spooky furniture were just a few fab features from the update.
*Pssst* If you haven’t already spook-ified your island, it’s not too late! Here are some spooktacular island tunes and flags, pumpkin patches, and decor ideas to inspire you before Jack is back.
Be sure to check out your island between 5pm and midnight on the 31st to witness and participate in the spooky shenanigans occurring. Island residents will gather in the splendidly spooky-looking plaza at 5pm. You’ll also receive a visit from Jack, the “czar of Halloween.” If you indulge Jack’s sweet tooth and give him lollipops and candy, you’ll get spooky rewards in return.
Ooblets – Halloween Event
Ooblets is described as ‘a farming, creature collection, and town life game where you build up your farm, befriend townsfolk, grow Ooblets, and have dance-offs’.
Developers and publishers of the indie game, Glumberland have been working their socks off to make the quirky little game the best that it can be. Excitingly, they released an early access version of Ooblets back in July of this year. Glumberland have been open about the game having some unfinished bits and bobs, and that players may encounter a few bugs. This is, however, to be expected in any early access game.
How is this relevant to Halloween you might ask? Well, back in September, Ooblets posted some very exciting tweets about the next update for the game. These posts spoke of a new area (named Nullwhere) for players to explore in update 0.4. Spooktacular images of Nullwhere were shared in the below tweet, which confirmed a Ooblets Halloween update.
Fast forward to October and fans got a (pretty darn awesome!) jump scare:
The Ooblets Port Forward update is alive!
To check out the new update introducing new recipes a new area and more, you can download the Ooblets early access here for $24.99. The game is currently only available on Windows, however, Glumberland hopes to release it on other platforms in the future.
Night In The Woods
Night in the Woods is an autumnal themed indie adventure game. Highly relatable to many, the game shows the crumbling former mining town of Possum Springs. After the protagonist, Mae Borowski drops out of college and returns to her hometown, she finds things as gloomy and hopeless as ever. But this time, it’s even worse.
As fall turns to winter, Mae notices that strange and eery occurrences are happening. And there’s definitely something in the woods. This charming game with a beautiful soundtrack and enthralling narrative is a must-play. Night in the Woods is playable on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, Linux, Xbox One, Android, Macintosh operating systems, and iOS.
Night in The Woods is currently available on Steam, you can grab it here for just $19.99.
Magician’s Quest: Mysterious Times
Described as a cross between Harry Potter and Animal Crossing, Konami published Magicians Quest: Mysterious Times for Nintendo DS in Japan on the 12th of November 2008. The cute game hit the shelves in the US on the 11th of May 2009. Magician’s Quest: Mysterious Times is a fantasy life simulation game for the Nintendo DS.
After customizing the appearance, name, and gender of their character, players are able to attend classes at the game’s magic academy. During classes, players will learn spells and incantations, alongside their classmates. Some of the game’s more amusing features include dating other students, playing instruments with others, and pranking (and getting pranked by) others.
When Mystery Time events are triggered in the game, however, things get a bit weird. On the 29th of October each year, a forced Halloween-themed Mystery Time event occurs. For added spookiness, the game also has a haunted house containing unfriendly ghosts and a ‘shady’ dude chilling in the graveyard (as you do!).
Costume Quest & Costume Quest 2
Costume Quest is a Halloween-themed party-based RPG game. The game was developed by Double Fine Productions and published by THQ. The player controls a kid who is out trick-or-treating with their twin sibling. When a monster kidnaps their twin, the player must travel around the neighborhood and collect candy, items for their costume, and other children to aid them in fighting the monster and rescuing their sibling.
The game released on October 19th, 2010, and is playable on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Mac OS X, Linux, iOS, and Android. The game’s sequel, Costume Quest 2 released on October 31st, 2014.
If you haven’t already played them, you can grab them both as a bargain bundle for just $4.99 until November 3rd.
The original Costume Quest (2010) game trailer Thimbleweed Park
Thimbleweed Park is a pixel-art-stylized puzzle-mystery game. The tiny town of Thimbleweed Park is home to 80 very strange people. Five people with nothing in common find themselves drawn to the town. They are all connected, although they don’t immediately know it.
Nor do these strangers know that somebody’s watching them. Despite the game featuring pixel graphics, with a rotting corpse, an abandoned circus, and a haunted house, the game is a far cry from Stardew Valley. The game is available to play on Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Linux, and Mac.
If you don’t yet own a copy, the game is discounted by 60% to just $6.99 on Steam until November 2nd.
Luigi’s Mansion 3
Luigi’s Mansion 3 released on Nintendo Switch on October 31st of last year. Considering its release date, players got a sneaky suspicion that Luigi’s Mansion 3 may be a good game to play on Halloween. They assumed correctly.
Luigi receives a dream vacation package with Mario and friends to stay in a luxurious hotel. But the friends never seem to catch a break, right? Once at the hotel, King Boo (booo!) reveals that it was all a ploy and captures everyone! The hotel contains an abundance of uniquely-themed designs, puzzles, and, you guessed it: Ghosts. But with his new ghostbusting equipment with new abilities, Luigi’s got things in the bag. He thinks.
Alternatively, you can play in co-op mode with one other player. After unlocking Luigi’s gooey doppelganger ‘Gooigi’, you can pair up in solving perplexing puzzles and ghostbusting ghouls. But the multi-player fun doesn’t stop there! For example, in the game’s ‘ScreamPark, you and seven others can play mini-games together on a single console. Additionally, you can gather a group of eight others, either online or via local wireless play in an attempt to conquer the ‘ScareScraper’.
Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time
Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time is an action adventure RPG game. The game initially released in Japan for PS4 on the 30th of November 2017. It then released worldwide on the 15th of May 2018. The game was developed by A+ Games and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It is currently playable on PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows.
if you’re unfamiliar with Little Witch Academia, it is an anime series about a school for training witches, Luna Nova Academy. The protagonist of the series, Akko, is a Japanese girl from a non-magical background.
In the game, you must uncover the mysteries at Luna Nova Academy with Akko and her friends. Players get to explore dungeons, cast spells, and use witchcraft, in order to discover the seven wonders, and solve the peculiar shift in time.
Graveyard Keeper the Stardew Valley of Spooky
Another addition to the list which is kinda like Stardew valley, but a bit darker is Graveyard Keeper.
Graveyard Keeper is a simulation game set in medieval times, where players take on the responsibilities of a cemetery manager. You must gather resources and create your very own environment. To do this, you need to build and manage your graveyard, find ways to cut costs, and ultimately to help the dead find peace.
Perfect for Halloween, Graveyard Keeper has some elements of dark humor. Examples of this include, taking a break from graveyard keeping, and instead, participating in witch-burning festivals, or scaring locals into attending church.
Making this game more Halloween-y, is the recent release of the Graveyard Keeper – Game of Crone DLC on October 27th.
Graveyard Keeper Game of Crone DLC Features
- 6-12 hours of extra gameplay.
- Build your own refugee camp and bring it to prosperity.
- Brand new bag mechanics!
- Get access to new dishes, gravestones, fences, and to teleportation scrolls.
- Deal with a vampire terrorizing a peaceful Village.
- Unravel the secret of the mysterious death of your predecessor.
- Find out even more terrible secrets abou your old and new friends.
- Become an ally of Comrade Donkey and take part in the Revolution!
You’ll have to help the escaped prisoners of the Inquisition survive in the wilderness by providing them with everything they need. To develop their camp into a fortified settlement while keeping in mind its benefits. To protect those who entrusted you with their lives, from the sword and fire. And also – to untangle the circumstances of the cruel game, which turned into the Great Blast and the return of the Ancient Curse.
Released on the 28th of October, also just in time for Halloween, is the Graveyard Keeper Strangers Sins DLC, which we covered here!
The Graveyard Keeper Game of Crone DLC can be purchased for just $8.99 here. Alternatively, if you do not yet own the base game, at the time of writing, you can get a hefty 63% off the Graveyard Keeper Collector’s Edition here. For only $19.75, the Collector’s Edition contains Graveyard Keeper, Graveyard Keeper OST, Graveyard Keeper Artbook, Graveyard Keeper – Stranger Sins, Graveyard Keeper – Game of Crone.
Animal Crossing Pocket Camp
Animal Crossing Pocket Camp is the mobile version of the much beloved Animal Crossing series. While it doesn’t offer the freedom of the console games, it still does a great job at delivering a super cute gaming experience.
During the month of October there will be plenty of Halloween themed events with spooky furniture and decoration items that you can use to turn your campsite into the ultimate Halloween Haunted House. The Pocket Camp team does a great job making the entire month of October feel spooky and fun!
- Dec 8, 2020
Time to enjoy a new winter wonderland now that the Coldyrain Update is live in Ooblets.
What is basically the cutest creature collection game currently on the market has gotten even cuter. The winter update for Ooblets is now live, and the whole world has been coated in a blanket of fluffy snow. That’s not all! There has also been all kinds of new content added to the game with this update. So, if you are yet to give it a try, now is the perfect time to pick up Ooblets.
About Ooblets.
For those that have been living under a rock, Ooblets is farming sim/creature collection game with a ton of charm. The creatures that you “collect” (actually you have to grow them yourself) are called Ooblets, and they love to dance. They are the most adorable little squishy creatures that jump at the opportunity to do your bidding.
Ooblets is currently available on Xbox and PC via the Epic Store. The developers mentioned that the update will also bring “New snowy weather, plant heaters, meltilizer, snowplops, and a brand new friend…”.
Ooblets Trailer
More info
For more information on Ooblets, you can check out my coverage here.
For more great creature collection games, check out my coverage of Temtem coming to PS5.
- Sep 15, 2020
The developers of Ooblets have announced that they will be releasing a new spooky update this month!
Ooblets is the cutest creature collection indie game that everyone should currently be playing. Ooblets are little creatures that you grow from the ground, befriend, and then use their help to get into dance battles with anything feelin’ froggy.
Well, the game is already getting even better with its very first big content update. The update will bring an all new zone to explore. This new area will be totally themed with an all-too-familiar and always welcomed Halloween vibe.
What is this new region?
The new zone is called Nullwhere, and give us access to all new Ooblets, ones that will undoubtedly fit the same theme as the rest of the update. The update will also bring a few new characters to meet and interact with.
The developers also went on to mention that…
“It’ll [(the update)] be permanent. The game should auto-update (if you bought it legally!) when the update comes out sometime this month.”Announcement Tweet
More info
For more information on Ooblets, you can check out my coverage here.
For more super cute creature collection indie games, check out my coverage of Ova Magica.
- Jul 18, 2020
There are so many wholesome games coming out this year! Let’s take a look at some of them together!
Garden Story
Garden Story is an upcoming social sim adventure RPG. With an emphasis on helping the residents of a broken island, this game is undoubtedly wholesome. The game is being developed by Picogram and published by Rose City Games and VIZ Media.
The planned release window for the game is currently Spring 2020, although no official date has been given. The game will be released for Microsoft Windows, MacOS and Macintosh operating systems. An official price is yet to be announced.
About:
Players assume the role of Concord, who is a recently appointed village guardian. However, you will definitely be kept on your toes. Whether it be neighbours requiring assistance, or the sudden appearance of a strange rot that has seeped into the foundations of the once thriving island, Concord has his work cut out. Fortunately, he is not alone.
If you help friends with their problems, they’ll help you with yours. Care for the environment, explore new regions, solve puzzles, make new friends, and ultimately, help restore the grove to its former glory.
Features:
- Whilst restoring a run down island, players are also able to explore and cultivate the islands four regions as ‘Concord the Grape’.
- By fulfilling residents’ requests, fostering relationships with others, and making friends with fruity people, you may find that these people will help you out in return.
- Take care of garden plots, gather resources, and ensure to upgrade your tools to allow you to take good care of your home.
- Whilst solving puzzles and defending yourself against the insidious rot, you may slowly unral the mystery behind the island’s broken past
- By depositing and cataloguing resources you can create a library featuring the island’s lore.
- At your own pace, you are able to care for garden plots each day, choose to take a walk in the evening, or can concentrate on completing favors. The ball is in your park!
- Experience new things and fill your scrapbook with usable perks and traits.
You can visit the game’s website here. Alternatively, you can check out their Twitter account here.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons ( Out now on Nintendo Switch )
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is an upcoming social simulation game where you play as a human character living on a deserted island amongst anthropomorphic animals. Players can shop, socialise with the animals, and participate in activites such as fishing, catching bugs, gardening and decorating. Nintendo are both the developers and publishers of the game. Therefore it’s understandable that the game will only be released on Nintendo Switch. The game is set to release on March 20th 2020, and will retail for $59.99
About:
Tom Nook is ‘switching’ things up with a new business venture. This business venture is his exclusive Nook Inc. Deserted Island Getaway Package. Naturally, the Tanuki isn’t offering this for free. When you have landed on the island, you also find yourself landed with debt (yet again) by the tiresome tanuki.
Like in previous games of the franchise, players can participate in activities such as gardening, fishing, decorating, and interacting with a variety of NPCs (both old and new), etc. However, the game will also offer some new features. Examples include, collecting resources, crafting furniture and tools, new ways to interact with trees and flowers, more diversity in skin tones, outdoor stair, more multiplayer options, the handy ability to pole vault rivers etc.
Then of course there’s the tiny details that Animal Crossing fans quickly picked up on. These include, shirts with sleeves for villagers, overally realistic kneecaps for players’ characters, toe beans, and even shoelaces..
Features:
- Embrace your fresh start by customising your character and home to your liking. Decorate the island’s landscape (even with furniture, if you so wish), to create your very own perfect paradise.
- Utilise a brand new crafting system and collect materials to create a variety of furniture and tools.
- Relax and enjoy the activities Animal Crossing is infamous for such as gardening, fishing, decorating and interacting with charming NPCs and more. However, they can now be enjoyed in fun new ways on the deserted island
- Up to eight players can reside on one island. Four of these residents residing on the same island are able to play together simultaneously on one console
- Up to eight players can play together on one player’s island via either online multiplayer or local wireless. (For more information regarding how multiplayer works, click here).
- More information about the game can be found here.
- An awesome selection Animal Crossing decals can be seen here.
- For a selection of must-have merchandise, click here.
- Information about US pre-order bonuses can be found here.
- Information about UK pre-order bonuses can be found here.
Mineko’s Night Market
Mineko’s Night Market is an upcoming cat-themed crafting adventure game that celebrates Japanese culture. The game is essentially about friendship, choices, and of course, cats. The indie game is being developed by Meowza Games, and being published by Humble Bundle. The game will be released on a multitude of different platforms including Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Macintosh operating systems.The exact release date for the game is yet to be determined. However, the game’s official Steam page says that the game will be release in 2020. Fingers (and paws) crossed! ?
About:
Playing as Mineko, a girl who has moved to a superstitious fishing town inundated with cats, you will uncover secrets whilst assisting Mineko in becoming a successful young entrepreneur. This can be done by completing tasks, undertaking quests and gathering resources in preparation for the weekly night market.
Players can craft a variety of odd items, toys, and trinkets, which can then be sold to townsfolk (who are now your customers) at Mineko’s night market stall. After you’ve finished selling your items, you can explore the Night Market yourself, where you can play mini-games, eat unusual foods, and purchase collectibles.
The game allows you to explore distant lands by unlocking different types of transport (which include buses, bullet trains and cat carts). Each land offers new people to meet and unique things to do, dependent on the time of day and season.
There are 16 uniquely themed markets every year which all feature a stage event that you can partake in. Examples of events include Taiko drumming, karaoke competitions, sumo suit wrestling, and more!
The better you perform at the market, the bigger and better the market will become, which may well attract new townsfolk and even celebrity guests!
Features:
- Players can explore the village and surrounding areas in order to discover a variety of rare resources and more importantly, make a bunch of new friends!
- You are able to craft a variety of unusual items by utilising the resources you collect whilst exploring
- Unleash you inner entrepeneur and barter with customers at the weekly night market to sell your creations
- Wander around the night Market to discover a variety of curious culinary dlights and collectibles
- Relive your childhood and take part in a variety of different Night Market games like cat racing, pachinko, and whack-a-tako
- Solve the mysteries of the mysterious Sun-Cat Abe and Mount Fugu Island
For more information regarding the game, check out this interview with one of the lead creators of the game here. You can also visit the game’s website here.
To bag some awesome game merchandise, click here.
Ooblets ( Out Now on Early Access )
Ooblets is now out on Xbox One and PC – more info right here.
Ooblets is an upcoming indie game that combines features of popular game franchises such as Animal Crossing, Harvest Moon and Pokemon. Initially, the game was going to be published by Double Fine. Ooblets will now however be developed and self-published by the game’s two main devs, who created a tiny game studio called Glumberland in order to do this.
According to the game’s latest Devlog, Ooblets will release this year, although no definitive date has been specified. It has also been confirmed that the game will release on PC and Xbox One. The price of the game has not yet been revealed.
About:
Ooblets is essentially a game where players have to balance farm life, town life, and the unexpected pressure of having to deal with numerous different Ooblets. On the plus side, you get the experience of helping to grow and train your ooblets, explore strange lands, and have dance-offs!
Features:
- Starting a new life with a little rundown farm, you are able to improve, cultivate and customise this farm until it suits your liking
- With a variety of hairstyles and clothing to choose from, you have complete freedom to customise your character
- Break out your dance moves and take part in dance battles with both ooblets and fellow ooblet trainers alike
- Explore the world of Oob and its variety of different locations, each with unique biomes, plants, characters, and ooblets
- Plant ooblet seeds to grow your own friends. Eventually, they will bloom into baby ooblets
- Join an Ooblet Club to match your personality
- Upgrade your house and make it your own, with various decor and furniture to choose from
- Unlock some funky new dance moves by levelling up your Ooblets
- Acquire a variety of things whilst in Oob, including seeds, items, furniture, machinery, badges, and most importantly, friends.
Lots of awesome Ooblets merchandise can be grabbed here.
For more information about Ooblets, you can visit the Ooblets website here where developers regularly post updates in their devlogs. You can also follow Ooblets on Twitter and Facebook.
Rolling Hills
Rolling Hills is a life sim game where players run their own sushi restaurant in a town filled with anthropomorphic animals. The game is being both developed and published by Catch & Release, LLC. No definitive release date has been given, but developers are pushing for a 2020 release. It willl initially only be released on PC via Steam, but there is the possibility of the game being released on other consoles also.
About:
Rolling Hills is a life sim game where you get given your very own sushi restauraunt in a small village. This restaurant has been offered for free by inhabitants of the village. The only catch is that you help to rebuild their town. Players will have their work cut out. When not occupied with the sushi shop, you also need to rebuild the town as promised and improve the lives of your neighbours. On the plus side, you’ll make friends along the way. If you’re lucky, you’ll also attract some new villagers.
Make your restaurant successful by collecting different recipes and buying ingredients. You can then use your profits to profit the town. Watch your town improve and better the lives of townsfolk, customers and yourself through the actions you make.
Features:
- Assume the role of a novice sushi chef and start a brand new life in your very own sushi restaurant (which fortunately happens to be equipped with a fully-automated conveyor belt)
- Make new friends and socialise, whether you want to hang out at the cafe, participate in a role-playing game, or show off your knowledge (or not) at trivia night
- Improve your restaurant by acquiring furniture and uphold your end of the bargain by building public works projects across town
- Train and utilise your very own sushi robot to help keep your restaurant running… Your loyal lackey will even cover for you after switching the game off!
- Head down to the river and go fishing for fresh sushi fish. Also, you can be a model citizen and use the magnetic rod to reel in trash.
- Grow yourself some fresh vegetables by building garden boxes
You can follow the progress of Rolling hills on Twitter here.
Hokko Life
Hokko Life is an upcoming cute and cozy village life simulation game. The game is being both developed and published by indie game developer Robert Tatnell. Hokko life will be released for PC via Steam at some point this year. The cost of the game is not yet known.
About:
Hokko Life begins with your player stepping off of a train. Having taken over your very own (albeit a little dusty and old) workshop, you are free to craft and create to your heart’s content.
The quiet village which you now call home needs your expertise. Help tocreate an endearing town for those who live there. Armed with paint and tools, design, build and decorate new homes for your new friends.
Players are able to craft materials and combine them however they wish. This allows you to create new and amazing furniture and items for the town. By collecting flowers and mixing paints, you can then use them to design wallpapers, flooring and even clothing.
With plenty of choice, you could design a bright flowery wallpaper set, or instead opt to create an urban-industrial furniture collection. Whatever your taste, with a workshop at hand, you have complete freedom when designing a town for the villagers.
Features:
- Chop, mine and dig for resources by venturing out to the forest or the abandoned mine. After bringing those resources back to town, you can craft them into materials that are usable in your designs.
- Gather materials, head into your workshop and put your own spin on each item you make. The design table lets you build your own furniture. Here you can combine various shapes and materials using a simple yet powerful editor.
- Design a variety of wallpaper, flooring and T-Shirts for you and the villagers to wear. Feel like a famous fashion designer and get everyone in town wearing your bespoke designs.
- Enlist the help of the local builder in order to begin expanding the town. You get complete freedom over where buildings are located and then need to ensure they are ready for new villagers to move to town.
- Customize both the interiors and exteriors of any home. Release your inner interior designer and pick designs and place furniture to create a home your new friends will adore.
- Turn any plot of land into a place where plants and vegetables will grow. When your produce is ready, you’ll be able to sell it.
- Enjoy quiet moments at the various fishing spots located in Hokko and expand your fishing collection. The fish have unique habits, and so players will need to vary their approaches. Similarly, each catch provides it’s own challenge when you reel them in.
- Hokko is home to a wide variety of different insects. These insects can be caught and added to your collection. Be sure to keep a eye out, as some may be hiding in a bush.
Click here to check out an exclusive interview with the game’s solo developer.
You can visit the game’s website here.
Calico
Developed by Peachy Keen Games and published by Whitethorn Digital. Calico is a magical, relaxed and family-friendly simulation game where players are given an opportunity to run their very own cat cafe. The game is expected to be released on Steam at some point during Summer 2020. The game will most likely release on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and MacOS shortly afterwards.
About:
Calico came about due to the game developer’s obsession with cats, magical girls and fluffy animals. However, wanting to create a game that would appeal to everyone, she also included creatures such as lizards, birds, deer, raccoons, dogs, turtles, red pandas, foxes, etc.
She then shares about how she wanted to publish a game that would make players feel ‘soft, happy, cuddly and cozy’. If that wasn’t wholesome enough, she has said in an interview that she just wanted to create a game where the only goal is to have the best time possble.
However, simply running the cat cafe is not the only things that players can do. The game also incorporates enjoyable aspects from other popular gaming franchises such as Animal Crossing. Similarities between Calico and Animal Crossing include the simulation aspects of both games, and the ability to place furnitire and decorations in your buildings. A perk about Calico however, is that the animals will not leave, the shop never closes, and crops never die.
Features:
- As all animals are interactive, players can explore the village to find cats and other animals, including raccoons, deer, dogs, turtles, red pandas, foxes, lizards, etc. The animals can be befriended, petted and played with
- Players can ride on giant cats ( as you do? )
- Run your café by filling it with animals, furniture and yummy café eats!
- Use magic potions to change your animals and environment
- Meet magical girls, witches and other townspeople who you can help and befriend
Little Witch in The Woods
Little Witch in The Woods is an upcoming life simulation RPG. The game is currently in development by Sunny Side Up Games. No official release date has been given, but the developers are aiming for fall of 2020. They plan to release the game on Steam, and are hoping to release the game on Nintendo Switch and PS4.
About:
Little Witch in the Woods is an adorable fantasy RPG. You play as a super cute witch named Ellie. Close to graduating from witch school and becoming true witch, Ellie must experience the life of a witch as an apprentice. This involves moving to a new town and living in a witch’s house in a forest. Upon arriving to the town however, she is inevitably disappointed to find the in a state of disrepair, and a town which is virtually empty.
As the school is grading how well Ellie completes various tasks, she must explore the mysterious and magical region to gather the ingredients necessary for her potions. These potions can be used in other ways in the game too. Many of the ingredients can be acquired from obliging plants and creatures. The more rare ingredients can be obtained in the nearby village, where a curious bunch of NPC’s reside. By helping them out, they will reward you with ingredients, and some useful items as well.
Additionally, lending these characters a hand improves your relationship with them, and allows you to upgrade the small village. The game’s NPC’s, each with their own stories can sometimes move in or out of the village. It is possible to date these NPC’s, but they may not be human..
Features:
- Experience life as a witch apprentice in a mysterious fantasy world
- Explore the game’s mysterious and magical village and region
- Connect with a variety of plants and animals in a unique ecosystem
- Gather the the ingredients required for potion-making from obliging plants and animals. Rarer ingredients can be obtained as rewards for helping out NPC’s
- Create a variety of different potions such as the: Healing Potion, Clean Potion, Tickling Potion, Twinkle Potion, Sneezing Potion and Hush Potion
- Meet the handful of residents in the the small village, each with their own story.
- Upgrade the village into a larger one by lending a helping hand to its inhabitants
- Woo NPC’s enough, and you may find yourself a lifelong partner (although it may not be a human)
Check out an interview with the game’s developers here. You can follow the developers on Twitter here.
For more witch-y games, check out these ones.
You can also check out these upcoming magic school games and add them to your calendar.
Alchemic Cutie
Alchemic Cutie is a wholesome pixel-art-stylised RPG set on a colourful Island named Wimba, where you players can tame wild jellies. The game is in development by Vakio and Viridian Software, and will be published by CIRCLE Entertainment this summer. Alchemic Cutie will be released on itch.io. and Steam. A price has not yet been announced.
About:
Set on Wimba island, players get to tame slime-like creatures called Jellies. There are over 4,000 visual styles for jellies, each with unique traits and statistics. Players will have to meet the needs of their Jellies, which inlcude hunger, energy and happiness. Raise the perfect jelly companions and you may be in with a chance of claiming the top prize in one of the game’s eight competitions. In order to improve your jelly’s abilities, you can use alchemy in order to create special items with various powerful affects or to change items into something more rare and powerful. When you’re all jellied out, you can explore the island and uncover its secrets. In the village you can chat with its inhabitants and choose whether to form friends, or if you’re so inclined, rivals.
Features:
- Explore Wimba island and discover various jellies, items and quests
- Wander around a village and befriend the quirky, entertaining, and complicated characters that live there
- Utilise the Jelly raising and alchemy systems available for players to master
- Participate in a total of 8 fun jelly competitions where you can show off your Jelly raising skills and win medals
- Utilise the game’s modding feature and add your own villagers, quests, items, maps and more to grow Wimba Island. You can even build an island your own
- Release day modding support
- Share Jellies with others using special codes
If you would like to receive updates regarding the gaem, or share your modding creations after the game’s release, you can do so by signing up to the game’s ‘Cutie Club’ here.
Peaceful Days
Peaceful Days is a farming RPG simulation game reminiscent of Harvest Moon games. The indie game is being developed by Nhat Nguyen and published by Nhat Nguyen and Huiyin Studio. According to the game’s Steam page, Peaceful days is set to release for Microsoft Windows on August 31st 2020. It is currently priced at £7.19.
About:
Heavily inspired by the Harvest Moon series, Peaceful Days is a farming simulation set in the attractive Aurora Town, which is located by the sea. Living up to its title, the game appears to be peaceful and wholesome. Players have the freedom of character customisation and farm customisation too! Players can build friendships with the town’s inhabitants, become an important addition to the small seaside town, and participate in a variety of interesting festivals. Additionally you are able to build your very own farm from scratch. In your spare time, you are free to discover fish that you have not yet caught, spend time in the mine to discover ores necessary to upgrade your tools, play minigames, solve puzzles plus more.
As of February 3rd, an early access version of Peaceful Days became available on Steam.
Features:
- The ability to customise your farm, with 15 different types of buildings to choose from
- The ability to customise your character
- Players can receive various requests from the town’s inhabitants, including making deliveries, searching for items or part-time jobs etc, with the game’s request system
- Minigames
- Festivals to participate in
- The ability to raise a variety of different animals, waiting for you to unlock
- Grow lots of crops every Season
- Uncover secrets about the town
- The presence of mine puzzles waiting to be discovered over at least 20 mine floors
Upcoming features include:
- A house customisation system
- Improvements in character customisation
- ‘Heart Events’
- More minigames
- More mines floors and puzzles
