Indie Highlight
Jan 8, 2020
Best Friend Forever is almost here for Nintendo Switch, and is too cute to miss.
For those that missed it, Best Friend Forever is the first dating SIM game where your pet helps you find love. First, you must find the right doggo to help you on your quest for love. Then, you mingle with the local singles until you find your perfect match, again.
The game begins with the acquisition of your very own adorable pupper. You must do your best to help nourish and care for your new bestie, so that they may help you find love. You will need to feed, pet and generally do everything to care for this animal as you would a living one.
The town of Rainbow Bay is full of wonderful people, many of whom happen to be single and friendly. And guess what, the entire town is totally dog friendly. Take your friend everywhere you go, and he/she will help by interacting with you and the people you meet.
Best Friend Forever Announcement Trailer
Best Friend Forever releases for Nintendo Switch on February 14th, 2020. For more information about the game, you can check out the games page on the official Nintendo Website. You can also follow the developers on Twitter. For more awesome games featuring doggos, check out my coverage of To The Rescue, a dog shelter SIM.
More Dating-Sim Games!
If you love to virtual dating games, then I love you Colonel Sanders ( yes a game by KFC gaming! ) might be your next obsession!
Don’t forget about Boyfriend Dungeon a game where your sword turns into cute guys you can date!
- Jan 5, 2020
In a recent Tweet from developers, it was revealed that facial expressions have been added to Calico.
For those that have been missing out, Calico- Magical Girls Running Cat Cafe’s is exactly what it sounds like. The game is about girls that have magical powers, and run cafes for cats. Basically the cutest idea for a video game ever. The developers help to get that point across by having the art be just as adorable as the premise.
Now with facial expressions.
In an effort to make the game more immersive and lovely than ever, the developers have recently announced the addition of facial expressions to the game. This will allow the characters that you interact with to be a bit more into what is going on. Now they can show sadness when a kitty runs away, or can be overjoyed at the mere sight of you.
The developers also mentioned that the new character models were easier to create with the new character creation system that was recently implemented. With all these amazing additions and changes, Calico is sure shaping up to be one of the most charming indie games of all time! Calico is set to be released sometime in mid-2020.
More on Calico
For more information on Calico, you can check out their official website. To stay in tuned with what’s going in in development, you can follow the game on Twitter. For more adorable indie games, check out my coverage of what’s new in Ooblets.
- Jan 5, 2020
One of my favorite adorable indie games, Ooblets, is making leaps and bounds.
The recently updated dev log for Ooblets let us in on some in-depth details in regards to the progress of this eagerly awaited title! The dynamic duo of a dev team has been hard at work to make sure the game is as streamlined as possible before the still unknown release date. This endlessly charming game has already gained quite the following, mostly for it’s uber-cute art style and ingenious minion system (the Ooblets).
Here’s what the developers have been working on.
One of the biggest quality of life improvements recently implemented has to do with the farming aspect of the game. Now, whenever you want to see the status of your crops, some text will pop up and show you what stage they are in and if they need water, or what have you. This will make it easier than just having to rely on visual queues.
There have also been some goings on to help the dancing run more smoothly. This way, when your adorable little Ooblets are in the midst of a heated dance battle, everything will groove as it should. There have also been improvements to the UI during battle, helping to make for an overall fluid experience.
There have also been some changes made in the way that you interact with your environment, via just tapping to shake or holding really give a tree the wiggle it needs to drop fruit. There is a new Ooblet that was finally introduced to non-patrons. This tiny and wiggly arthropoda is named Isopud.
More information on Ooblets.
To get the full details on everything that is new to Ooblets, you can check out the official dev-log here. For up-to-date info on the game, be sure to follow Ooblets on Twitter.
- Jan 3, 2020
Coral Island has everything you could want in a life sim game, plus so much more.
A whole new island adventure, Coral Island, is currently in the works by a small development team out of Indonesia, Stairway Games. This new title is a life simulation game with all the goodies that we’ve come to love over the years; like farming, building, crafting and even relationships!
[gamipress_points]
This game appears to have a Stardew Valley feel when it comes to the gameplay, but the art style is a touch more aesthetically pleasing! Keep in mind that the game is still in development, and all details are subject to change. Given what I have seen so far, I can already tell that I wouldn’t want much to change!
Possibly an overview of the island, and space for town! Make the island your home!
You start the game by arriving as a newbie to a small island, with only five-hundred gold in your pocket. Luckily, that is just enough to buy yourself a farm to start a grand new life in this wonderful place. Get to know the locals and start to expand your farm to help the local community thrive. Do your best to create a magnificent ecosystem that will survive through the changing seasons.
Once the time is right and you feel truly at home, you can start dating and look at creating a family to occupy the amazing abode that you have created. There are over forty other islanders that you will get to meet and interact with. How you behave with each one will determine how your relationship grows. Whether you are mean and dismissive to get them to hate you, or give gifts and compliments to get them to love you; it’s all entirely up to you.
In the meantime.
When you are not building a home and a family on Coral Island, there will be plenty of other things to help you occupy your time. You do live the island life, after all. Make it your mission to go diving to help clean and protect the local coral reef. The reefs are of dire importance when it comes to ensuring the health of the local flora and fauna. There is no better way to make sure that your island grows and flourishes.
Concept art for veggies. If you feel that your island or farm is not progressing at the rate you’d like, you can visit the local mine to gather stronger materials. Use things like gems and gold to upgrade your tools and your farm. However, as usual, you can expect some resistance “in them there” caves. But hey, has a little light combat ever really prevented anyone from getting to that good good loot…I don’t think so.
From what I can see so far, this will definitely be a game worth keeping an eye on. The art alone drew me in, and now I’m hooked. I can’t wait to see what the developers have to share next! The developers have not yet chosen what platform/s the game will be released on, and there is no set release date.
Possibly some of the inhabitants of Coral Island! More Information About Coral Island
For more information about this amazing, still-in-the-works indie title, be sure to follow the game on Twitter and Discord. You can also check out their official website. And keep an eye on myPotatoGames, as I have already reached out to the developers to get the scoop on this wondrous upcoming life-sim RPG. For more charming life-sim games, check out my coverage of Village Monsters and what’s new in Hokko Life
- Dec 23, 2019
Announced for Switch at this years Indie World Showcase, Sail Forth is a cute and exciting pirate game.
I realize that not everyone had time to catch the Indie World Showcase this year, but there was certainly some pretty exciting news. One game featured during the showcase that I am particularly interested in is Sail Forth, a procedural sailing exploration game. The exciting yet not-overly-graphic combat in combination with the calm aesthetic gives the game a real explorative feel.
Sail Forth is currently being developed by solo artist David Evans. In recent events, the game is now being by a team out of Seattle named the Quantum Astrophysicists Guild. Their first game, The Bridge, was met with extremely positive reviews, and I can already tell that we can expect the same from Sail Forth by Evans.
This indie title is being developed using physically simulated boats, with great care taken to enable casual play while retaining real sailing concepts. This will include the ability to build a fleet, and quickly swap between your ships to ensure maximum efficiency. Manage your crew wisely to help navigate yourself through the sometimes treacherous environments.
Sail Forth is being created with more of a focus on exploration and adventure than hardcore battles. Though there will be some rival pirates and the occasional sea monster, the real joy will be uncovering new lands, and discovering all the flora and fauna that they have to offer.
Sail Forth Switch Announcement Trailer
Sail Forth is currently set to be released sometime in 2020 for the Switch and PC, and has an initial price set for around $15. For up-to-date information on this great indie title, be sure to follow Sail Forth’s Twitter account, or check out the official website to receive the newsletter.
- Dec 15, 2019
Folkloria is a cute adventure indie game steeped in lore, currently in the works.
For all you mythology buffs out there, there is a new RPG game in the works that is full of creatures of myth. Folkloria is an indie game with charmingly colorful graphics and a rich story to guide you. You will play as and meet many different whimsical anthropomorphic animals and beasts.
In Folkloria, you play as a young and brave Griffon named Weaver. You are from the floating lands in the sky that are inhabited by mythological creatures. You are on a mission to save the land from Dr. Zeralidius, a business man from the civilized world with plans to modernize your world.
You will meet many a friend and foe on your journey. The light combat is experienced through turn based battles, which will help you earn experience to progress through the game. The developer mentioned being influenced by the simplistic yet immersive styles of old school RPG’s like Paper Mario.
For more information on Folkloria, you can follow the developer on Twitter! For more games like Folkloria, you can check out my coverage of Scrap Story!
- Dec 7, 2019
As the last mama fox on Earth, you must find a safe place from the humans to protect your cubs in Endling.
In a world that has been ravaged by environmental disaster due to human irresponsibility, it is up to you to find a safe place to protect yourself and your cubs. You are the last surviving mama fox in the world, and you must stop at nothing to ensure the survival of your race. Endling is an emotional and heartfelt journey that tackles the issue of humanities negative effects on the natural world.
A bit about Endling..
Your job as mother is to protect your cubs to the best of your abilities while ensuring your own survival on this perilous journey. Be sure to stay fed, and to feed your little ones when needed. Use the cover of night to progress through the dilapidated and dangerous environments, in effort to finally find a safe place from the humans, ensuring the survival of your race. Endling is an eco-conscious 3D side-scrolling game currently in development.
Makers on a mission..
It is a wonderful thing when game developers use their powers to effect true change in the world. Even if it something as simple as helping some of our other four legged friends find homes, like in To The Rescue. Promoting awareness about a certain issue is always a great step in the right direction. And if there is one thing that we have learned about the gaming community over the years, it’s that we are strong and have the power to make the great changes necessary to help point this world in the right direction, if we so choose.
Endling wishes to do just that with its intense message experienced through the eyes of such amazing and majestic creatures. Developers Herobeat Studios intend to release on all platforms to ensure that their powerful message is felt by as many as possible. The release window is still a ways out, and is currently set for 2021. As usual, this is to ensure that as much love and care goes into the game as necessary.
Find out more..
If you wish to learn more about this most-wholesome of games, then be sure to check out Herobeat Studios website. Also, you can always get up-to-date information on the game by following the developers on Twitter.
Endling Official Teaser Trailer
- Dec 5, 2019
Spirit of the North is a 3D adventure game about discovery and companionship. The developers, Infuse Studio, mention how they were inspired by the landscapes of Iceland, and Nordic folklore. Solve various puzzles and examine the ruins of an ancient civilization. You can buy it here on PSN for $24.99 and enjoy running freely on snow-covered mountaintops this holiday season!
About Spirit of the North
Play as an ordinary red fox whose story becomes entwined with the guardian of the Northern Lights, a female spirit fox. As you journey over the mountains and under red-stained skies you’ll discover more about your companion and a land left in ruin.
You can follow the developers on their Twitter page here for more information. For a similar breathtaking experience and story-rich game, check out my review here: Lost Ember: A Beautifully Heartbreaking Exploration of Forgiveness.
