Jan 21, 2020News
Mineko’s Night Market is an upcoming cat-themed crafting adventure game that celebrates Japanese culture and is essentially about friendship, choices, and of course, cats. The indie game is being developed by Meowza Games, and being published by Humble Bundle, who will also publish upcoming games Forager and Ikenfell.
The exact date for the games release is yet to be determined, though the creator mentioned that it may possibly be early this year. I thought I’d provide everyone with a detailed article on everything we know about this cute cat-filled creation!
Playing as Mineko, a girl who has moved to a superstitious fishing town inundated with cats, you will uncover secrets whilst assiting 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!
Some features of the game include:
The price of the game is still TBA.
The Nintendo website claims that the game is ‘coming early 2019’ to the Switch console. As the PC and Mac versions were in the works first. However it was delayed until 2020 with no concrete release date, however let’s hope we can all play the game this year!
Yes! The following items can be purchased whilst you (im)patiently await the game’s release:
I sat down with Brent, developer behind the game for an exclusive interview last year. For some more sneaky details on Mineko’s Night Market, make sure you check out the interview here.
Oct 11, 2019Reviews
Rokaplay, one of the publishers behind Stranded Sails: Explorers of the Cursed Islands, have just sent out their emails today (October 10th, 2019) with a link to directly download a free demo to your PC. All you have to do is sign up for their mailing list or join their Discord channel! As previously mentioned, this demo will be a stand-alone experience that takes place 1 in-game day before your big journey in the full game. Below is the entire gameplay footage and my experience playing the prologue which can be completed in under 2 hours.
Even though most of the trailers we have seen of Stranded Sails so far included a male protagonist, I was delightfully surprised that you could also choose to be female. You must start by going to sleep in your bed in order to rest for your sea voyage with your father’s crew. Meaning, for the purpose of this demo, the entirety of the story is that of a dream (a la Link’s Awakening). It’s also adorable that you will be guided by a talking parrot.
Immediately I’m relieved with how simple the mouse controls are and rarely needing to use the keyboard. You can even have quicker access to everything, depending on how you like to play. All new things that you have learned will be recorded in the Handbook, controls will always be displayed until you have used them at least once, and the overall main quest tells you what you need to do! I find it so much more relaxing when everything is laid out for you like this.
This time, the parrot will give you your crafting station, cooking station, and bed. You’ll also have access to a barrel of apples that will never deplete which you can return to and replenish your stamina. Every action you take, even walking, will tire you out so you need to be prepared for long expeditions. Your main focus should be to find recipes outright or discover them by trying different combinations of food. I hope in the full version this will also not discard your items if you fail a recipe. The rest is straightforward as any farming simulation; dig with a shovel, plant your seeds, water your crops and harvest.
You’ll start with only 3 slots to carry your dishes. However, you can unlock and expand with a larger backpack later. The first time you explore the island will be to catch some fish where indicated, which is also nice and simple. Then, when you get your axe, you can cut down the thorns that were in your way to access new locations. Once you’ve gathered wood, metal scraps and rope pieces, you can begin to craft kits and items to continue playing and reaching more areas.
Finally, inside a sinister cave, you’ll find your sword which can be used as a lever or a weapon to fight ghost pirates! When you touch totems inside the cave, a few enemies will surround you, all with their own unique abilities or fighting styles. It’s pretty handy that they are all color coordinated and it becomes easy to learn their moves in order to avoid getting hit. Also, don’t forget to look everywhere for treasure! Upon exiting the cave, you’ll find a rowboat on the beach. Take it for a ride and access new archipelagos with new items! When all is done, you’ll climb back aboard your shipwreck and wake up.
I had a lot of fun playing Stranded Sails: Prologue and highly recommend you try it out for yourselves before the full game releases on October 17th, 2019 for PC, PS4, Xbox One and the Nintendo Switch!
Sep 29, 2019News
Coffee Talk is a narrative game currently in development and production by Toge Productions. You may know Toge for games like She and the Light Bearer or Magicat.
Although seemingly dark, we find Coffee Talk to be a warm and relaxing story of everyday problems through the lens of magic.
Set in an alternate version of Seattle, Washington, you will be a barista serving fantastical patrons. As rain fills the night outside, you’ll get a glimpse into the lives of orcs, elves, mermaids, and more. You will participate in dialogue with customers while also trying to perfect whatever drink they order.
Unlike other narrative-based games, the storylines and decisions will branch not from your dialogue options but from “how you treat and serve the customers of your café.”
A dark and earthy color scheme meets with a ‘90s anime-inspired art style that is both beautiful and calming. On top of that, the music is a jazzy assortment of lo-fi. Toge calls the game “an experience to make you think, feel, and help rest your body and soul.”
Coffee Talk is slated for a PC and Mac release “sometime after midnight” this year. A playable demo is available on Steam, itch.io, or directly from Toge Productions’ website. You can follow updates for the game on Twitter.
Need a relaxing game while you wait? We recommend Unpacking. Want more visual novel games? We’ve got that, too, with Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy and What Remains of Edith Finch.
Sep 27, 2019News
Calico: Magical Girls Running Cat Café is a relaxing simulation game created by CatBean Games. It has a release date window of the year 2020 for Steam, PC and Mac, with the hopes that it will eventually be on consoles (PS4, Switch and Xbox One).
This project started with a love for magical girls, cats, and a want to create a game that’s light, pink, cute, fluffy, and feminine. It also incorporates everything that’s enjoyable from a simulation game like Animal Crossing (furniture, decorations) but the animals will not leave/die, the shop will never close and the crops will not rot.
The objective of the game is to make the town’s cat café active and full of cuddly creatures again such as cats, deer, raccoons, dogs, turtles, red pandas, foxes and more! All animals can be befriended, petted, and played with! You can customize your café as mentioned above and you can also add pastries in your displays to sell. There will also be a drinks menu. Did I mention you can also ride the cats? Giant cats!
If you’re as excited as I am to play yet another magical cat game, go to their website here and help spread the news! For more cat games, go here for Cat Quest II and here for Snacko.
Sep 12, 2019Quick Bits
Snacko is an adorable farming simulation and adventure game we here at myPotatoGames have been keeping tabs on bluecurse’s updates. The indie studio is comprised of husband and wife Jordan and Erisa. In Snacko, you play as a cat named Momo who is determined to revive a once-populated island with many great resources and places to explore. The characters Momo and Mikan are even based off of the developers’ real-life cats!
Unfortunately, an error occurred during the live-stream on Twitch during Bitsummit 2019 and the Snacko trailer was nowhere to be found. Luckily, the developers have recently published the cat-tastic trailer which includes Momo farming, fishing, decorating (with ease might we add), spending time with friends, and enjoying seasonal festivities!
Snacko will be releasing sometime in 2021 on the Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam and itch.io). For more Tokyo Game Show 2019 related news, which also includes a pair of cat ears, check out our article here: Giraffe and Annika a Manga-Inspired RPG at Bitsummit 2019.
Sep 4, 2019News
Fields of Mistria is a 2D farming and life simulation RPG currently in early stages of development. The developers say they were inspired by titles such as Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley, and Rune Factory. Therefore, Fields of Mistria is definitely on our radar. The game will initially be for PC, but other ports are a possibility as the development of Fields of Mistria continues. See below for what we know so far!
You’ve arrived to this region ready to start a new life after learning of an unusual opportunity. The village of Mistria, tucked between forest and sea, has offered a generous plot of land to any capable adventurer willing to help rebuild and defend it after an earthquake causes widespread damage and unseals ancient monster-filled ruins nearby.
On the official website here, we get our first look at the concept art of two characters that we have the option to marry in-game; Celine and Balor. Celine loves nature, gardening, and studying plants, whilst Balor is a rogue-turned-merchant with a mysterious past! We here at myPotatoGames are excited to see what other characters the development team have in store.
Looking at the beautiful artwork by artist Matt Cummings, makes us anxious to start our adventure and discover all of these intriguing locations! Anyone else getting Claude Monet vibes from these images? Because we’re really digging the impressionism paintings here. Although the gameplay itself will be designed with a pixel art-style, we still think we’re in good hands.
You can follow Fields of Mistria on their Twitter page here as they share their progress. If you want the latest news on Story of Seasons, check out our article here: Doraemon Story Of Seasons Release Date Confirmed. If you’re looking to play other farming simulation games, check out this article: Fantastic Farming Games for Console Gamers.
Sep 3, 2019News
A few days ago Team17 and Playtonic Games announced that their 2.5D platformer, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, is releasing on October 8th, 2019! Pre-order starting now and get 4 Tonics included in your digital or physical copies! That’s right, the sometimes useful but mainly ridiculously pointless Tonics introduced in the previous game, are back! Furthermore, some Tonics already available in the game include: infinite rolling, harder enemies, super speed, as well as the ability to unlock new environmental and visual effects! To learn more about Tonics, along with a trailer, see below.
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair will be releasing on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC for £24.99/$29.99/€29.99. Pre-order the game and get the exclusive ‘Trowzer’s Top Tonic Pack’ – a collection of four cosmetic Tonics including Large Head Tonic, Glow Worm Tonic, D.I.S.C.O. Tonic and Yooka 64! Although, Playtonic Games has confirmed that this pack will be purchasable at a later date as well.
We here at myPotatoGames are definitely ready to thwart another one of Capital B’s evil plans! Stop him from enslaving an entire kingdom of bees with the help of Queen Phoebee and her Royal Beetallion. We just can’t get enough of that cheeky humor and the delightful soundtrack! To learn more about the game, check out some gameplay footage from our previous article here: A Deeper Look Into Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair.
Aug 28, 2019News
Growbot, a colorful point-and-click indie game about a robot named Nara saving her home, is inspired by classic adventure games like Loom, and modern adventures like Machinarium. Growbot is in development by Wabisabi Play for Windows, Mac and iOS, and releasing sometime in 2020. Furthermore, you can wishlist it now on Steam right here!
Growbot is a 2D point-and-click adventure about a robot saving her home from a dark crystalline force. Set upon a beautiful biopunk space station, you play as Nara, a growbot in training to become a captain. When your station home is attacked by rapidly growing crystals, it’s down to you to save it.
You meet this adorably anxious little water dragon when you enter the underwater floor. He requests your help to free his friends, whom are trapped within a broken down maze.
This is Mavis the psychic squid with her favorite toy frog! Mavis believes she has prophetic dreams, wherein she converses with peeps from galaxies close and far. Sometimes these dreams seep into her waking reality and cause a bit of confusion, but it’s nothing her unthinking hat can’t tackle.
These little skittish Colour Brites can be found and collected along the way in the game and returned to the Coral Reef.
You’ll have to help these Light Sprites reach their destinations to collect the remaining Colour Brites. Learn more about your new home’s ecosystem of alien flowers and strange creatures right here and help return the color and its inhabitants to the Coral Reef.
For another point-and-click game with a robot, check out our article here: ENCODYA – A Futuristic Dystopian Adventure Now on Kickstarter.