Feb 1, 2023
Dinkum let’s you play with friends in an Australian inspired outback island.
Dinkum, an RPG and simulation game developed by sole developer James Bendon much like how Stardew Valley started.
If you are not familiar with the game, at heart Dinkum is a life simulator with town building elements, farming, fishing and just so much more. The game is inspired by classics such as Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon.
In Dinkum you arrive with a group of explorers to a previously unexplored island. You will be be able to let your creativity roam free as you place and build a home for yourself as well as helping other villagers create the house of their dreams.
James has recently released a first good look at the game revealing the feature packed life simulation game. In addition the trailer gives you a glimpse at the exciting multiplayer part of the indie game, as you can watch two people on a mining spree together.
Play Dinkum Now
Dinkum is currently available on Steam. A console release is currently not planned but may still happen in the future!
Palia an open world fantasy life and Animal Crossing like
If you enjoy Animal Crossing you may also want to take a peak at Palia.
- Jan 31, 2023
Farm, Learn Magic, Befriend the Town
In Wylde Flowers, you play as Tara as she starts her new life in the town of Fairhaven, located on a small rural island. She may be a city girl turned farmer with little outdoors experience, but she has the can-do attitude needed to help Gramma Wylde take care of the family farm.
Learn how to plant and care for crops, mind animals, and gather materials like mushrooms and wood. You can also learn to fish, craft items, and much more!
Wylde Flowers features a diverse multicultural cast of characters. Get to know each of them through talking, quests, and story moments. Each one has a compelling backstory and even personal mysteries to discover. You may even find romance and love in one of them! Or if you prefer, platonic relationships and friendships are available and equally fruitful.
Rural life isn’t the only new thing for Tara, though. She’s also learning to become a witch! You will learn how to fly your broomstick, craft potions, control the weather and the seasons, and turn into a cat. Join the local coven who will guide you in your lessons.
Available on Steam Now
Wylde Flowers is already available to play on Apple Arcade and is now also available on Nintendo Switch and Steam. There is currently a free demo available on Steam, too.
The game is also getting a huge free content update, take a sneak peak here.
Check out Sun Haven or Super Zoo Story more cute sim games.
- Jan 28, 2023
The next farming and life simulation game in the Doraemon Story of Seasons series will put a big focus on connecting with villagers.
Doraemon Story of Seasons for the ones who don’t know is a spin off hybrid game combining the best out of Story of Seasons and Doraemon in one game. Following the great success of the first game, Friends of the Great Kingdom is set to make a great game even better.
Bandai Namco released an adorable new gameplay trailer showcasing everything you can do to help the lovely residents in your village. Make friends, share little gifts and even receive rewards for your acts of kindness.
Kingdom of Friends even supports two player co-op, a feature fans have been asking for a long time. The game will also have a beautiful world that Bandai says looks like it came “straight out of a picture book”.
Plenty of new farming features, new crops and recipes are also part of the upcoming experience. Doraemon Story of Seasons Kingdom of Friends sure looks to be this holidays most cozy game to play!
Take a look at the adorable trailer below.
Doraemon Release Date and Platforms
Bandai Namco published a new trailer with even more gameplay footage to announce the upcoming release of the game. Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom is available on Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Steam.
- Jan 27, 2023
Palia is aiming to capture hearts of Animal Crossing fans with its charm and beautiful open world.
Palia is an upcoming game inspired by gems such as Animal Crossing. The huge open world MMO takes place in a time where all humans have disappeared and it is up to you and your friends to rebuild a lost world as humans have just started to reappear again.
The developers describe the title as a “Cozy Life Simulation Game ” and while not too much information about Palia is available just yet, the first trailer revealed some interesting details about the MMO.
Much like in Animal Crossing you will be able to build and decorate your house from the ground up. You are also free to roam the large open world in hopes to find a piece of land that suits you the most. Find a quite plot by the lake or climb the mountains and place your house high up in the sky with stunning valley views.
In addition to placing, building and decorating your house you will also be able to grow a garden, plant and harvest crops as much as you desire.
Palia aims to capture the spirit of games like Animal Crossing, Harvest Moon and even a little bit of the adventure from games like Fable and Zelda Breath of the Wild.
Palia offers the best out of life simulation games with expansive building tools for your own home and combines this with farming and adventure elements. Spend some time farming in the morning, embark on an adventure with your friends and close the day by doing some fishing in the nearby river – there is always something to do in the world of Palia.
Palia Release Date
Palia has no set release date yet, but a 2nd pre Alpha test went live a few months therefore nearing an open beta test soon!
The game will most likely launch on PC first with console releases likely to follow. I have reached out to the developer for clarification on this and will update this article accordingly.
More Animal Crossing Like Games
If you would like to play some more Animal Crossing like games, take a peak at this expansive list of similar cute, cozy and laid back games.
- Jan 27, 2023
Hokko Life let’s you customize furniture or even build them from the ground up.
If you are not familiar with Hokko Life, it is an indie game much in the spirit of Animal Crossing. The life simulation game lets you hunt for bugs, spend a day fishing, decorate your home and meet plenty of friendly villagers.
Hokko Life also features an incredibly easy to use but yet powerful customization tool that lets you make your own furniture in the game. From chairs, to beds, arches and even bridges. There is no limit and letting your creativity run free in this game is just so much fun.
Many updates over the past year added plenty of new features such as a shopping district where you can check out other players creations or even showcase your own. In addition you will find plenty of shops to grab some new items for yourself. You may even find some brand new seasonal items just in time for this years spooky season!
New Nintendo Switch Update
Since it is now December 1st, Winter has arrived in Hokko Life, players from all over the world are sharing their holiday creations and the stores in the game now carry festive items you can use to cozy up your game!
In addition the latest patch fixed multiple issues, such as disconnecting issues, problems with the game stuttering and more. You may check out the full patch note right here.
Hokko Life is Now Available on Console
The game launched as a Steam exclusive but since September you can now also play Hokko Life on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Xbox. If you haven’t played it yet, I recommend checking out the adorable trailer below to see this village simulation game in action!
Wylde Flowers – Relaxing Open World Game
Wylde Flowers is all about relaxing, magic and gardening, take a look at this hidden gem for Nintendo Switch!
- Jan 26, 2023
Design, Grow, and Nurture Your Garden
Welcome to Garden Life, where you are in charge! The goal of this realistic sandbox game is to build the garden of your dreams. There’s no magic or miracles to it, though, and it’s all up to you to plant and nurture your garden. Use the appropriate techniques, the correct tools, your creativity, and a little bit of elbow grease to create a flourishing paradise.
Take the time to learn the needs of your plants. Each one will need different types of care, like fertilizer and pruning. And don’t forget to water! You’re not alone in Garden Life, either. You’ll be able to fulfill the requests of your friendly neighbors, who will reward you with new tools, fun decorations, and even new plant varieties. Take those new plants, and the ones you’ve grown, and experiment with them. Create new hybrids and beautiful variations to further beautify your garden.
Garden Life implements a grid-free placement system, so players really are in control of the design of their gardens. There’s no snapping to place, and fighting against a grid system to create your vision. It also uses a specially developed procedural growth simulation technology. Every plant in your garden is unique, but will also easily adapt to its environment.
Release Date To Be Announced
Unfortunately, the beautifully crafted Garden Life has no publicly available release date. You can add it to your Wishlist on Steam, though. Developer Stillalive Studios also lists the game as being developed for Xbox and Playstation consoles, though the store pages for the game aren’t available yet.
For more gardening fun, check out A Garden Witch’s Life or Witchy Life Story.
- Jan 26, 2023
Cozy Grove is an adorable survival and camp building game inspired by no other than Don’t Starve and Animal Crossing.
If you have ever played Don’t Starve you will most likely be very familiar with the concept of Cozy Grove. For the ones who haven’t – much like in Don’t Starve – a survival game as the title already gives away, In Cozy Grove you will find yourself on a haunted island and you will be tasked to bring color back to it.
The haunted island may appear empty and overtaken by florals but as you continue to explore and gather resources you will quickly begin to build up a new camp on the deserted and remote place and breath some life back into it.
The game features a huge hand-drawn world that becomes more colorful as you help the haunted spirits around. As you embark on your adventure you will meet dozens of different and interesting characters and spirits.
Everyone you meet will have his or her own backstory that you uncover over time.
While the game has plenty of storyline that you may indulge in, just like in Animal Crossing New Horizons you will be able to gather resources to craft all the items you desire. Build up your camp and create the coziest place you can possibly imagine.
In addition you can also fill your spare time by spending an afternoon fishing, gardening or other activities you find joy in. In Cozy Grove there is always something to do and only you decide which directions your very own haunted island will take.
Cozy Grove update
Cozy Grove is now available on Nintendo Switch and Steam and has received many updates since the launch of the game.
Games for Magic Lovers
If the haunted island in Cozy Grove got you in the mood for more spooky and magic focused games, take a look at this list filled with magic focused games.
- Jan 25, 2023
Chop Your Way Through the World and Solve Puzzles
Lumbearjack is an adorable and charming puzzle adventure where you play as Jack the bear. Jack is a humble bear with a very simple dream. He wants to defeat the dishonest industrial giant, Evil Works, and restore nature. Join Jack, his trusty axe, and his wacky woodland friends on their mission.
Hack and slash your way through forests, construction sites, and other exciting locations. Solve various environmental puzzles as you explore. Upgrade your chopping skills when you reduce, reuse, and recycle! You’ll also take time to rescue the adorable cast of critters, then join forces with them to defeat Evil Works. Can you put a stop to the environmental havoc?
Jack and his friends have also teamed up with Ecologi to restore their home. Ecologi empowers everyday people to make changes for the betterment of the environment. And for each copy of Lumbearjack sold, Ecologi plants one real life tree!
Available Now!
The charming Lumbearjack is currently available on most gaming platforms. You can find it on Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, GOG, and Epic Games!
For more bear fun, check out Bear and Breakfast or Little Bear Chef. Or if you’re interested in more environmental cleanup games, try No Place Like Home. which has farming, quests, and more, or Fresh Start Cleaning Simulator, which is just cleaning the environment.
