Chelsea
Feb 23, 2023
In 2017, indie game developers Sidebar Games dropped an absolute gem of a game called Golf Story. It took a sport that I (and perhaps many of you) never really liked, and made it fun. Through quirky characters, off-the-wall dialogue, and oftentimes unhinged quest line, there’s a lot to love about Golf Story.
If you’re unfamiliar with Golf Story, you play as an unnamed male character who gives up everything he loves for his last shot at accomplishing his dreams of becoming a professional golfer. Golf is central to the game, but not the only thing players get to experience. Players fight skeletons, steal snow from a group of bandits, and complete other silly quests. There’s so many odd antics to keep players involved and entertained.
Then there’s Sports Story, the long-awaited sequel.
Sports Story Brings Back the Staples
This highly ambitious sequel picks back up with Golf Story’s protagonist, who is tasked with investigating the suspicious activities of golf giant Purestrike, as well as the Iron Dragons yakuza. Sports Story brings back the quirky dialogue and oddball NPCs that made its predecessor such a delight. Players get to meet the feisty Iron Dragons, haughty sports royalty, and even pirates!
Of course the golf element is back. Players get to compete in and complete a variety of full courses, mini golf courses, putting greens, and other challenges. You’ll encounter any number of difficulty levels, too. Track down or buy new golf clubs, as well as find golf balls with different abilities to help complete courses. Level up your golf skills, aim well, and don’t forget to take the wind into account while you plan your shots.
The Other Sports
Sports Story branches out beyond just golf, obviously. In fact, it includes volleyball, cricket, soccer, BMX riding, fishing, and tennis, which has its own whole side story. I was incredibly excited about the prospect of other sports. Sidebar Games really did a great job on the golf aspect, so I thought surely the other sports would be just as good. I was wrong
Luckily, many of the sports are side items, though you do need to complete several in order to level up your license to move on to other quests and areas. I think I dislike BMX biking the most. You press A to pedal and B to jump. Which means, I’m holding the controller awkwardly, and having to struggle to hit those two buttons as needed. You also need to tilt the bike with the left joystick as you come down from a jump. Landing flat allows you to continue pedaling with minimal stopping, while landing poorly causes you to bounce and lose precious time.
All of the other sports in Sports Story were troublesome, too. The activities you need to complete with them were fairly dependent on direction, but there was no way to direct the ball. The soccer minigames were few and far between, but weren’t too bad. The tennis, however, was the worst. At some point you enter the tennis academy to complete that long, tedious side story. You learn four different shots that use varying strengths and speeds, but there’s no aiming involved. So, completing minigames where you have to hit paper balls into a trash can, or aim the ball at targets is all up to which direction the ball machine happens to shoot the ball.
Some of the Quests Were Disappointing…
As much as I love the return to goofy that made Golf Story so charming, it’s simply not enough to carry a game. It helped ease the blow of all the other sports being so mundane. However, Sports Story used a lot of fetch quests to move the story forward. I’m all for some fetch quests as they can be useful, but this was more like Fetch Story than Sports Story.
Between the numerous quests and the humdrum sports mechanics, I found the game tedious to play and complete. It felt like Sidebar Games packed Sports Story full to make it feel like a longer play, but failed to make it great to play. And don’t get me started on the ending! I won’t outright spoil it for anyone hoping to play, but the ending was unsatisfying. It made the point of going through the story unfulfilling as nothing happens. The powers that be just decide they’re ok with the status quo for now, and that’s it, roll credits.
Final Thoughts
Even having finished Sports Story, I still desperately want to love it. Sidebar Games really knows how to bring golf to life in a fun way. They’re also great at delivering punchy, quirky lines that make characters charming in a weird way. If the developers had managed to make the other sports better to play, and nixed so many of the fetch quests, Sports Story would be great. As it is, it’s merely ok in my book.
Perhaps there was more going on behind the scenes than just the game becoming more and more ambitious than originally planned, and that contributed to Sports Story being alright. Players found a secret dev room hidden within the game that pointed at troubles within the team or company. Sidebar Games has since released some patches to remove that information from the game.
Ultimately, I give it:
You can find Sports Story (and Golf Story) on the Nintendo Switch shop.
If you’re looking for more golf fun, try Golf With Your Friends or What the Golf.
- Feb 22, 2023
Welcome to Violet’s Boutique!
Wylde Flowers is a beautifully crafted farming sim (and you can read my review here) where you play as Tara. She’s a city girl who arrived in Fairhaven to help her ailing grandmother with the family farm. It needs a lot of restoring, and Grandma Hazel just can’t do it alone. Plus, Tara’s a witch! Grandma Hazel is too, and teaches Tara about her new powers. So, Tara’s got a full plate. Learning to be a witch, restoring the farm, building relationships with the townspeople, and solving the mystery of Fairhaven is a full-time adventure.
Developer Studio Drydock even continues to impress the fanbase by actually listening to their criticisms and wishes. The first free update was released in December 2022, and gave players the ability to continue changing the seasons for continuous farming fun after the story is over. They also added more dialogue and the ability to go on dates with the person you married.
And come February 24th 2023, Studio Drydock will be releasing another free update! Violet is getting to live out her dreams and is opening a brand new boutique. You’ll be able to craft new outfits for Tara, from other dresses, sweatpants, overalls, and more, you’ll get to dress for any occasion. No more farming in heeled boots and a short dress! There will also be a Photo Mode, so you can capture special moments with friends and save memories from Tara’s life in Fairhaven. There’s even a special wedding to attend, and several more secret treats to discover in-game.
Coming February 24th!
In just two short days we’ll have Violet’s Boutique! If you haven’t played Wylde Flowers yet, you can find a demo on Steam, where you can also Wishlist the game. It’s also on Apple Arcade and Nintendo Switch!
And if you’re looking for more farming fun, then check out the upcoming Cornucopia, Coral Island which is in early access, or the fully released Harvestella.
- Feb 16, 2023
Take Photos, Play Minigames, and Complete Quests
Alekon is an amusing journey through your imagination where you’ll take photographs of eccentric creatures known as fictions. Each fiction embodies a different concept, from Rainy Day to Micro Management. You’ll wander through the different fantastical realms insearch of the fictions. Interact with them to get them so they’ll strike one of their collectable poses.
That’s right, collectable poses! At its heart, Alekon is a creature collection game, but you’ll also collect photos of the different poses the fictions will strike. There are over 50 creatures for you to find, all with unique personalities, quests, dialogue, and collectable poses. Complete the quests and minigames each one gives you in order to befriend them. You’ll do anything from tuning crystal harps, planning parties, or telling ghost stories in order to help the fictions. Solve puzzles with a variety of tools like donuts, magnets, or lantern-lighting fireflies.
The game has no disheartening fetch quests, no boring grinding, and no unskippable cutscenes. Plus, each quest reward is a unique game mechanic or piece of content, making Alekon an especially relaxing game. It also features a nostalgic N64-inspired soundtrack to accompany you on your photography adventure. There’s no fighting, either, making this the perfect cozy game.
So, get creative and take pictures to your heart’s content!
Available Now!
The whimsical and adorable Alekon is available now on Steam!
For more photography games, check out Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, The Beasts of Maravilla, or Petit Island!
- Feb 15, 2023
Restore the Planet and Raise Loddles!
Welcome to GUP-14, a vibrant alien planet that needs your help. In Loddlenaut, you play as an interstellar custodian who has been hired by the spacefaring mega corporation GUPPI to clean up their mess. They’ve inundated GUP-14 with pollution, and want you to restore the planet.
Loddlenaut is an open-world ocean adventure where you’ll get to explore this beautiful alien planet, along with the corporate ruins of GUPPI. You’ll find remnants of their buildings, ships, and machinery that have all sunken to the bottom of the ocean. Use your bubble gun, clean up the trash, remove oil spills, and uncover clues about the past inhabitants. Unlock better gadgets to help you clean up different types of ocean pollution. Recycle the trash you collect and use it to craft items.
While you’re at it, have a little fun and make friends! Loddlenaut features some very adorable little ocean creatures called loddles. They look similar to axolotl. You can feed them ocean fruit and raise them. Cleaning their environment will also help them thrive. Though, depending on their diet, they will grow and evolve to better survive the ocean and the pollution. And when they’re stronger and their home is cleaner, you can release them into the wild and watch them thrive. You may even come across eggs they’ve laid that you can then incubate to hatch and raise more loddles!
Coming Soon!
There is sadly no release date available for this adorable environmental clean-up game. However, you can play the demo for Loddlenaut on Steam. You can also wishlist it on Steam. There don’t appear to be plans for Loddlenaut to be on other platforms at this time.
For more clean-up games, check out No Place Like Home, Fresh Start Cleaning Simulator, or even Unpacking for some organizational fun.
- Feb 9, 2023
Raise and Breed Bees
While we’re on the subject of honey and beekeeping this week (check out Honeymancer if you haven’t), let’s take a look at APICO! Leave your boring city job and return to Port APICO, where you grew up, and return to your beekeeping roots. This cute pixel graphic game is a laid-back beekeeping simulation with breeding, some exploration, and you’ll even learn how to conserve bees.
The APICO islands feature a set of lush, beautiful environments for you to explore. Each biome has its oven breed of bees for you to discover. Gather resources to use in your studies or crafting. Make and sell Apicola (honey) and other beekeeping items you will discover. Play fun beekeeping minigames, without the stings! More importantly, breed different cross breeds of bees and discover 30 new species to help repopulate the APICO islands with. Plus, uncover the secrets of the islands while you explore.
APICO supports up to four players in online co-op, so grab a friend or two and get to beekeeping together! And if you run out of game content, the developers suggest modding the game, though it seems they’re still adding updates to the game. January 30th, 2023 saw the addition of butterflies! Either way, it sounds like APICO can be as simple or as versatile as you’d like to make it.
Available Now!
APICO is available now on pretty much all platforms. You can find it on Steam, Itch.io, the Humble Bundle store, Epic Games, Utomik, Nintendo Switch, and Playstation! You can also try out the demo on Steam.
You can also check out Bee Simulator for more bee fun.
- Feb 8, 2023
Use Your Honey Magic to Fight Robot Invaders, and Grow Your Farm
Honeymancer is an adorable pixel graphics RPG and farm sim game, but with a slight twist. You play as the isolated Bear Witch. She uses a special Honeymagic, and wields it against evil robot invaders to defend the forest and protect nature. As long as you have honey to fight with, you’ll be successful!
On the little plot of land you call home, help make your bee buddies happy, and they’ll produce the honey you need for your magic. Of course, that means you need flowers! Plant a thriving garden of them so the bees can collect nectar from them. The more flowers you have planted, the more honey the bees can produce, and more honey means more magic use!
Use your Honeymagic against the invasion of evil robots. They come in waves, and each wave is tougher than the last one. The robots are trying to destroy the forest by cutting the trees down, and it’s up to you to stop them. Protect the forest and the trees by defeating each wave of robots. And don’t forget to befriend the other creatures in the forest. They’ll help you unlock new spells, decorations, flowers, and more!
Now, I know that many of us who look toward the cozy video game genre aren’t looking for combat in their games. Stardew Valley is an obvious exception, since the combat is minimal and not a necessity, and Honeymancer’s combat is integral to the game. However, between the cute pixel graphics, adorable art, and the fun magic, players should give it a try. Plus, the developer has added a button to the demo (and will be in the full game) to turn off the smooth camera feature to help those of use who get motion sickness from it!
Coming Soon!
Honeymancer currently has no release date available. However, you can find it on Steam to add to your Wishlist for notification when it does become available! There’s also a demo on Steam you can download and try out.
Don’t forget to check out Everdream Valley or Witchbrook for more cute games.
- Feb 2, 2023
Farm, Craft, Build a Family, And More!
Cornucopia is another in a long list of farming RPG sims that have cropped up since the genre began. With its charming 2.5D pixel graphics, and an abundance of features, this game looks like a great contender for players looking for more farm sim fun.
Featuring the usual farming, crafting, cooking, and animal care, Cornucopia offers the same comfortable features players have grown to love. However, this game takes it a step further with the amount of choices available. Farmers will be able to plant 52 types of fruit trees, 15 types of berry bushes, and grow 52 different crops, including their different artisan varieties. You’ll then be able to sell your crops via shipping bin, or sell them at auction, or even cook them. There will be 200 cooking recipes for farmers to discover.
Besides farming, there’s logging, fishing, mining, and pet breeding. Cornucopia has 150 fish species for farmers to catch. Plus, pets will play a part in game play. Breed pets to discover all the unique genetic variations and colors available in game, and create your favorite pet. Then enter them into races against other pets, or use their help to fight 12 different monsters and 5 different bosses.
When you’re done with the hard work for the day, kick back with some crafting and decorating. Unlock furniture and decorations to turn your farm into your favorite getaway. Make friends with Cornucopia’s NPCs, too. Who knows, maybe one of the over 47 NPCs will catch your fancy! Romance them, go on dates, and unlock their romantic cut scenes. Even marry one, start a family, and decorate their room in your house. How will you live your Cornucopia life?
Coming Soon!
This cute farm game, Cornucopia, will be released August 1st, 2023 and will be found on Steam. Be sure to Wishlist it on Steam to be notified when it releases!
For more farming sim fun, check out Dinkum, Wylde Flowers, Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom, or Coral Island.
- Feb 1, 2023
Catch Critters and Discover Mysteries
For those players who really enjoy running around games like Animal Crossing and catching bugs, then perhaps Paradise Marsh would be a good fit. Developer LazyEti admits the game is short, but it’s been made with a lot of love by a solo dev, and that’s easy to see!
You wake up in a peaceful little wetland, but realize the stars are gone. They used to fill the beautiful night sky, but have now fallen. Wander through Paradise Marsh and its varying picturesque, but mysterious landscapes. Catch critters like frogs, fireflies, and many others, each with their own unique behaviors and quirks. Talk to the birds to hear some charming little poems, too. You’ll also be able to pick flowers, eat strange mushrooms you forage, build snowmen, and much more!
Paradise Marsh features a colorful cast of characters for you to meet. They even have quests for you to complete, but don’t worry about a time crunch. There are no time limits, no mini map, or quest markers. You’re meant to relax and enjoy nature while discovering things at your own pace and in whatever order you choose. You’ll also collect notes that will reveal the mysteries of the marsh, and maybe explain what happened to the stars! Plus, each time you play, you’ll get to explore a new procedurally generated world, so there’s plenty to discover!
Available Now!
This charming little collection game was released October 2022. You can find Paradise Marsh on Steam, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox!
Also check out cute games like Dinkum and Palia!
