Quick Bits
Jun 3, 2022
Become a Legend and Rebuild a Sacred Book
The Zelda-like isometric action RPG, Tunic, released on PC (Steam, Epic Games, and more) and Xbox (including Game Pass) in March 2022. Now, during PlayStation’s State of Play on June 2nd, 2022, we know that it will be releasing for PS4 and PS5 this fall!
In Tunic you get to explore a land filled with lost legends and ancient powers, confront colossal beasts, collect incredible treasure and missing manual pages of a scared book, and solve intricate puzzles. The adorable part? You get to do it as a tiny yet brave fox hero.
Coming to PS4 and PS5 this Fall
Tunic is created by Andrew Shouldice and publisher Finji (Night in the Woods, Chicory: A Colorful Tale) and will be coming to PS4 and PS5 on September 27th, 2022. Watch the new reveal trailer below!
- Jun 1, 2022
Make Potions, Master Spells, Manage Your Social Life
Creator Chucklefish has just announced today that their magical school RPG, Witchbrook, now has a Steam Page right here! This game has been high on our wait-list for being the Harry Potter to our Stardew Valley.
In Witchbrook you get to create your own character and enlist as a witch-in-training at Witchbook College. There, you can develop your magical abilities by attending classes, completing assignments, and earning badges to graduate at the top of your class. You’ll be learning to brew potions, fly brooms, improve your botany skills, and master spells.
School life will also include socializing with others, and even bringing dates to the prom! Yes, you can go on romantic dates with a colourful cast of characters. All with hopes and dreams that you can help them realize on your way to graduation and beyond.
New Witchbrook Steam Screenshots
As the release date is “still brewing”, the game will likely not launch this year. Furthermore, it’s too early for any console release confirmations. However, a Steam Page is a great next step! Speaking of which, it shows that online multiplayer is in the works!
As you can see below, new screenshots have been added with this announcement and we get a closer look at seaside town Mossport. Outside of the academy, you can take part in other activities such as photography and gardening. Mossport boasts many boutiques, cafes and seasonal markets!
- May 6, 2022
This month you can put on your witch’s hat, gather ingredients, and craft potions and spells!
Little Witch in the Woods is an adorable pixel adventure RPG created by small indie studio SUNNY SIDE UP. We’ve been keeping a close eye on their progress, and now we finally have an official Steam Early Access launch date! Don’t worry if you don’t have a PC, last year Microsoft announced that Little Witch in the Woods will be coming to Xbox Game Pass as a “Day One” release!
Play as an apprentice witch named Ellie and settle down in an enchanted forest! In Little Witch in the Woods, you can cast spells, craft potions, befriend creatures, fish, explore new areas, and find magical items! Seriously, anyone else super excited to look like Hermoine Granger and go catching some mandrakes?
Steam Early Access Date is May 16th, 2022, and Xbox Game Pass in 2023
The Steam Early Access Date is just around the corner so if you don’t want to miss it, you can Wishlist the game here. SUNNY SIDE UP have said that their intention is to have the full version of the game ready for release sometime in 2023. Presumably, that is when we’ll see the game on Xbox.
- Apr 22, 2022
Build a Tiny Home, Grow Crops, and Help the Locals
I’ve been a fan of Rod Tyson and his PC game Hive Quest for some time now. Although it’s gone through many changes, at its core this adventure exploration game is set in a mythical woodland full of magic and fantasy creatures. In the same vein, the developer is now working on another project, Beyond the Grove (formerly known as Oortle’s Haven).
Play as May as she journeys through the land of Fey with her trusty snail steed. Discover tiny villages with tiny inhabitants that have many mysteries for you to uncover! Learn about May’s past and the secrets behind this hidden forest kingdom.
In Development for Consoles and PC
Beyond the Grove is still in early development for Xbox, PS, and PC, with the possibility of a Switch version. You can help contribute on Rod’s Patreon Page here and his new studio Cotton Drift Studio.
- Apr 21, 2022
Photography Game with Cute Animals and Scenic Island Landscapes
Can you even handle this much cuteness? Petit Island is a 3D open-world photography adventure game. You play as Lily, an adorable anthropomorphic cat, following in their “grandpaw’s” footsteps as a great adventurer! Customize Lily with different clothes, bags, and even fur colors and markings.
Explore a beautiful island, fish, find treasure, meet tourists and locals, and take photos! You’ll find lots of scenic areas and wild animals you can snapshot with your camera while making wonderful memories! You can even take photos with the NPCs, whom are just as cute as the ones in Hokko Life.
Wishlist Petit Island on Steam Now
Petit Island is being developed by Xelo Games and published by SOEDESCO (Lemon Cake). It’s in early development but you can Wishlist the game now on Steam here. Petit Island will also be coming to Switch, PS4/5, and Xbox One although there are no set release dates.
- Apr 15, 2022
Customize You, Your Partner, Pet, and Home
Pocket Love is a mobile game where you can move into a tiny adorable home of your dreams! Start by creating your character and even your partner avatar, then choose to adopt either a kitten or a puppy. Once settled in, you’ll have thousands of customization options to choose from with regards to furnishing and decorating your home! Right now, you have the option to include Easter-themed items such as bunny plush toys, egg-plant trees, chocolates, and flowers!
Available Now for Mobile
Pocket Love is developed and published by HyperBeard and is available now! It’s still in the Beta version with a lot more to come but now is the perfect time to try it out with the Easter Event ending in 6 days. You can download the mobile game with Android here or for iOS here.
Check out other recent mobile games with Easter Events recurring again this year with our handy guide here: Easter Events in Games for 2019.
- Apr 13, 2022
Build Friendships, Farm, Fight and Tame Monsters!
Rune Factory 5, by Marvelous (XSEED), released on the Nintendo Switch in America on March 22nd, 2022 and in Europe and Australia on March 25th, 2022.
Since hearing the news back in 2020, and waiting such a long time since the release of the previous game in the franchise Rune Factory 4 on the 3DS in 2013 (although now there’s a Special Edition for the Switch), it stands to reason that fans are nervous with exactly what has and what hasn’t changed with this beloved Story of Seasons (formerly Harvest Moon) spin-off series. Well, after playing countless hours of the JRPG/farming sim mash-up, I’m here to tell you what to expect before buying!
Rune Factory 5 VS. Rune Factory 4
Rune Factory 5 starts you off with the same amnesiac trope as usual as you’re brought to a small, quiet town called Rigbarth. Rather then issuing “Orders” as a prince or princess in Rune Factory 4, you’ll become a ranger for the organization, SEED, by protecting the town from monsters. In the same way, you’ll be able to spend these reward “points” toward town festivals, storage upgrades, and more! Moreover, you’ll be farming on the backs of a total of 5 Farm Dragons! See below for other such changes that might interest you!
- Fully 3D environments. However, no top-down camera views or grid lines for placing items.
- Same-sex marriages! Your choice between 6 bachelorettes and 6 bachelors regardless of your own gender.
- Items on the ground can be automatically added to your inventory. Or you can manually pick up several of the same item while running.
- Location markers are visible for all main quests and notable interactions, including scenes with marriage candidates.
- Several fast-travel locations within the town, as well as new outside areas. In dungeons, you can travel to any newly uncovered floor.
Available Now on the Switch
Although Rune Factory 5 suffers from some rather extreme lagging and loading issues and minor quality-of-life inconveniences, it’s still a welcome step in the right direction for future iterations of the series! Let’s us know what you think of the game so far! If you haven’t already, get Rune Factory 5 on the Nintendo Switch here!
- Aug 28, 2021
The wonderfully pretty world builder Grow: Song of the Evertree will release on November 16th.
For those that may have missed it, in Grow: Song of the Evertree players find themselves in a world called Alaria. The land once lush and vibrant has been abandoned and was recently taken over by the mysterious Withering.
The game, developed by the people who made Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles, puts you in charge to re-grow the once so lush Evertree that overtime has turned into nothing more than a tiny sapling. It is your actions that will help turn Alaria back into what it has once been.
The game features an amazing soundtrack that will guide you through the living world where you meet dozens of unique characters as you reshape and rebuild the town of your dreams. You can even grow entirely new planets to suit your needs.
Grow: Song of the Evertree will release on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam on November 16th and will cost $24.99 on console and $19.99 on PC.
Grow: Song of the Evertree Trailer
For more wonderful news from the adventure game world, check out what’s new in the latest DLC for Pioneers of Olive Town.
