Jul 20, 2023
Remember Neopets?
This beloved browser-based pet game was established in 1999. You cared for a creature, played mini-games, completed quests, plus other fun things. It played a huge part in my childhood, and that of many others’ childhoods. It was the best free game I had access to, and I’d spend hours a day playing it. Meerca Chase was my jam.
Unfortunately, the game didn’t quite age well. It didn’t receive the updates it deserved. Looking at it now, there is one new type of Neopet since I played over a decade ago. Plus, with the death of Flash, most of the games we knew and loved are gone. I mean, there were tons of games, but now there’s 14 games to play because they’re the only ones that got converted.
There have been some updates to the website, of course, and they did publish Neopets: Island Builder and Neopets Faerie’s Hope on mobile. They’re lackluster, to say the least. And remember when there were rumors about Neopets coming to the Switch? That seems to have fallen apart, too.
Neopets’ New Era
There were clearly attempts over the years to make Neopets fresh and revive it, but it all seemed to fall flat. Earlier this week, though, The Neopets Team made a huge announcement that promises the resurrection of this beloved game. Neopets now has a brand new leadership team who are eager to make the game what it deserves to be.
There will be a relaunch of Island Builders, as well as a new World of Neopets life sim game where you live as a Neopet. The Neopets Team promises even more to come, too. I hope to see the return of all of the mini-games as they’re changed over from Flash games. And I’m super excited to see what else the team adds to the game. They’re clearly passionate about the game, which offers hope to us players!
If you’d like to see Neopets succeed, the team requests everyone to come back and play. Take a look around the new website. Even enter the giveaway that’s going on now. And don’t forget to share with your friends!
If you’d like to read the full statement from the team, you can check it out on their website here.- Jul 20, 2023
Humble Bundle is a great resource for the thrifty gamer with their bundle offers. Pick a bundle, then choose what you wish to pay. It’s a great way to grab a bunch of games for cheap. Right now, Humble Bundle has a Cozy Games bundle perfect for trying out a bunch of games you may have had your eye on! And these are all worthy of playing. They’re cute, cozy, and wholesome. Some feature powerful stories, while some are just perfect for kicking back and relaxing with.
This offer ends in 20 days, so take your time to decide, but don’t let it pass by!
Cat Cafe Manager
Cat Cafe Manager has you taking over your grandmother’s derelict cafe in the sleepy town of Caterwaul Way. Restore the cafe, renovate it, and decorate it as you wish, turning it into an inviting home for the plethora of cats that call Caterwaul Way home. Hire employees to help manage the cafe, and explore the village to befriend the inhabitants and learn new recipes.
Witchy Life Story
In Witchy Life Story you’re the youngest member of the magical von Teasel family, but you’re not exactly their pride and joy. In fact, you have one more chance to prove yourself or your witch training is over. So, you arrive in the village of Flora to try and save their harvest festival. You have two weeks to make it a success. So, gather herbs, brew potions, get to know the townspeople, and even cast some spells. Maybe cause a little chaos, even.
Here Comes Niko
Play as the adorable Niko, who’s just become a professional friend for Tadpole Inc. in Here Comes Niko! You’ll explore different scenic islands while making friends with people you come across. Complete requests for them by catching fish and bugs, solving puzzles, and even just listening to them. If you’re lucky, they’ll pay you and you can then invest in a train system to get to new islands!
Garden Story
Welcome to the Grove! You’re its new guardian, and it’s your duty to rebuild the village and uncover the story of its past. Garden Story is a chill wholesome game where you’ll complete quests to defend against encroaching Rot, gather resources, restore, and improve the town. There’s even a way to turn off combat to make it even cozier to play!
Lemon Cake
Lemon Cake is an adorable little game about restoring a run-down, haunted bakery. Grow fruit and care for animals, who provide ingredients for your bakery. Repair, furnish, and decorate every room to create an inviting little business. Mix and bake up some fantastic recipes, and maybe even convince the ghost to help you out!
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
Join Alba as she visits her grandparents on a once-beautiful Mediterranean island in Alba: A Wildlife Adventure. She’s ready to explore the island with her friend Ines, but when she sees an animal in trouble, she realizes she needs to help it. As Alba, you’ll start a whole campaign to clean up the island! Convince the townspeople to help out and gather volunteers to restore the island and help the wildlife.
A Short Hike
A Short Hike is about exactly that, hiking! Spend time in the peaceful mountainside of Hawk Peak Park simply exploring. Hike the marked trails or explore the wild back country. Climb some rocky cliffs. Glide over lush landscapes. Take your time to absorb the beautiful surroundings and meet other hikers. Perhaps you can help each other out. Even discover some treasures!
Assemble With Care
Assemble with Care features a meaningful, evocative story line about Maria, a globe-trotting antique restorer as she arrives in Bellariva. She wants to help the inhabitants fix their personal items, but discovers it’s their personal lives that are starting to fracture. It’s harder to fix those, but she’s determined to help. You’ll solve puzzles by fixing items brought to her, meet the townsfolk, and tune into a lovely soundtrack inspired by the 80s.
65% off Coupon for Haven Park
Unfortunately, Haven Park isn’t included in this bundle, just a lovely 65% off coupon! It’s a great discount for such a cute game where you play as Flint, who has just taken over his grandmother’s beloved park. He wants to make it a park campers will love, so it’s up to you to help him out. Fulfill each camper’s wishes and build whatever their hearts desire. Happy campers will attract more business, which means more quirky characters for you to talk to and enjoy!
Like lists? Want more game recommendations? Check out 5 of My Favorite Cozy Steam Next Fest Demos!
- Jul 19, 2023
Welcome to Fabledom, where you are the king or queen! A vast, beautiful land is waiting for you to colonize it. In this laid back city builder, there’s no need for optimizing. Simply build and shape the city of your dreams, and watch the settlers’ lives. Experience a fairy tale world filled with flying pigs, witches, and more. Watch the rise and fall of their relationships as you build a prosperous economy to create a flourishing society. Even find yourself a king or queen and fall in love. Build an army, then select a champion to provide your city with defense against vile neighbors and minions.
Fabledom is available now on Steam!
- Jul 19, 2023
Songs of Glimmerwick is a charming story-driven RPG where you play as a young witch. You’ll be attending the renowned university of magic in the land of Glimmerwick. Complete narrative quests that focus on unique characters and an intriguing story. Attend classes to learn new magic, have fun at bustling festivals, keep an ear out for some juicy drama. Don’t forget to listen out for some mysterious rumors. Learn new skills like talking to frogs, plant crops, and even cast spells using the power of music!
Coming soon to Steam!
- Jul 19, 2023
Craft, Build, Farm, and Explore
ALOFT is an open-world sandbox game where you must survive living on islands set around a giant, eternal hurricane. You’ll build your base, set sail through the skies to discover new islands, and fight to eliminate the fungi corruption threatening to take over. Uncover the secrets of the past civilization, and learn about their demise by reaching new heights.
Build your base however it suits you. Block the harsh winds or allow them to pass through your structures, lay down some ziplines to get across the island faster, farm crops, and raise animals. Craft useful machinery like the windmill to automate your farm and free up your time. And when you tire of that, take to the skies of ALOFT with your handy glider to explore other islands.
Otherwise, craft a bunch of sails and oars to use your own island as a vehicle! You’ll have absolute freedom when it comes to making your sails. Control the height and width of the masts, as well as the sails, and rotate or expand them as needed. ALOFT allows you to create a host of sails suited for your gameplay, and even for decorative purposes.
Now, I know combat isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, or their idea of cozy, but I think ALOFT gets a pass. You will need to fight off corrupt fungi, but that leaves you in a place to revitalize the surrounding world. The fungi will grow on top of corrupted flora and affect the animals in the vicinity. As you fight back the corruption, you’ll unlock new animal companions, livestock, crops, and resources. There’s something wholesome and cozy about saving ecosystems, I think.Coming 2024
Unfortunately, there’s no specific date listed for the release of ALOFT, but it will be here next year! You can find it on Steam where you can add it to your Wishlist, as well as try out a demo!
Steam recommends this game for those who like Ark Survival Evolved and Terraria. It also reminds me of I Am Future.
- Jul 13, 2023
Welcome to Sugar Shack, located at the center of a world that’s stuck in an eternal spring. There, you’ve become the owner of a cute little restaurant where you’ll sell some sweet treats to the townspeople. Tap trees to collect maple syrup, harvest berries, and even grow some crops to use as ingredients in your goods.
As you play, you’ll receive hex tiles to place in order to expand the town. Place each tile how you want to create a fully customized town layout. Each tile interacts with the ones around it with positive or negative effects, so place them wisely. Play Sugar Shack solo or with up to 4 players to collaborate and split the chores. Each player even gets their own room they can decorate to their personal tastes.
You can find Sugar Shack on Steam, though it has no release date yet.
Give Puff Pals a look, too, for a cute village sim experience.
- Jul 13, 2023
I know many people don’t think fighting in games makes for a cozy experience, and I generally agree. However, Cuisineer is an exception! I got a chance to play the demo during Steam’s Next Fest, and I didn’t know I needed a roguelike restaurant management game in my life until then.
In Cuisineer, you play as Pom, a young adventurer turned restaurateur. You’ve just returned to your hometown of Paell to manage your parents’ restaurant only to find it closed and in deep debt. To pay off the debt, you need to re-open and make money. And to do that, you have to go delve into dungeons to collect ingredients.
Explore dungeons in a variety of different biomes. Fight giant chickens, artillery shrimp, fire-breathing peppers, and other creatures. Then collect the ingredients, take them home, and cook up over 100 different recipes to revive the restaurant. Even buy upgrades to expand the restaurant, as well as new furniture and decor to liven up the place, too!
You can find Cuisineer on Steam, though it has no release date listed.
For more cooking fun, check out my review of Yum Yum Cookstar.
- Jul 13, 2023
I wrote about Gourdlets back in November when I first discovered the game. It’s an absolutely adorable little city builder game with no challenges, no quests, no resource management. You just unleash your creativity and build little cityscapes!
Since November, developer AuntyGames has added some great new features to the game. You can now enter buildings and decorate them! Build cozy homes for your Gourdlets and sweet little cafes for them to frequent. This adds another level of customization for players to create the cityscapes of their dreams.
Fences are now more intuitive to build, too. It’s easier to form corners and make enclosures with them. So, if you had been wanting to create tiny zoos or farm pastures, now it’s much easier! What’s also easier is placing land tiles. Gourdlets has a paint bucket tool that lets you create islands without the hassle of all the individual clicking. And my favorite addition is farming! Place tilled dirt tiles, plant seeds, and the Gourdlets will water them and pull weeds. They’ll even pick the mature crops!
You can find Gourdlets on Itch.io, as well as Steam!
