All posts tagged in Casual
Mar 21, 2024
News Tower, by developer Sparrow Night, lets you live the life of an aspiring influential publisher in 1930s New York. Search the globe for worthy news stories to publish. Follow key moments from the 1930s like Prohibition, the Great Depression, and more. Or write up stories that are a little less important, like the local lost cat. It’s your choice on what stories to cover, but choose wisely, as you aren’t simply writing for yourself! The mafia, the mayor, and other important factions want to use your influence to publish their “truths” for all to see. Bending to their will compromises the integrity of journalism, but it does earn you unique rewards!
Manage and optimize your News Tower of employees as your business expands. Hire writers, janitors, photographers, and more to make sure your newspaper becomes a success. Also ensure each person’s needs are met so they’ll be as productive as possible. Decorate each floor of the tower to offset the oily, noisy printing machines that will cause your writers to write poorly. Lush plants ought to do the trick. Your newspaper won’t make sales and become successful if your employees aren’t happy!
Will you become a newspaper mogul?
Release Date
You can find News Tower on Steam now.
- Mar 21, 2024
Play as the fierce former Fae Queen in the cozy Final Profit: A Shop RPG by developer Brent Arnold. Your daughter felt your plans to save the realm from financial ruin were too radical so she exiled you. You merely wanted to beat the financial predators at their own game! Even the Fae Council thinks you don’t have a chance at taking down the Bureau of Business, but you’re determined to prove them wrong. Starting with nothing and certainly with no help from your kingdom, you set out to become Lord of Business by creating a successful business!
Final Profit offers a combatless experience where progression is tied to running your shop. Gather products and find customers to buy your wares in order to earn a profit. You can buy different buildings to add to your passive income, as well as invest in stocks. Spend your money on upgrades and paying off your debts. Automating your shop is even possible. Then, set out to explore an exciting world full of quests, minigames, and magic. Learn spells to help you in your adventures. Make decisions as you interact with people that will add to your Generosity or Ruthlessness stats, and affect how the story unfolds for you.
Will you save your people or will you reject your morals and become a ruthless agent of capitalism?
Release Date
Final Profit: A Shop RPG is available now on Steam!
Wonder Wandelier is another fantastic shop management game!
- Mar 20, 2024
I recently wrote a review for Spirittea, which is a lovely cozy game where you run a bath house for spirits instead of the usual farming that’s taken over the cozy genre. Overall, I enjoyed the game as the characters are fun and unique, the spirits add a sense of levity (especially your guide Wonyan), and the art is pretty. I’m really excited that there’s a new update for it called the” SpecQUACKular Update”!
This fun new “SpecQUACKular Update” adds a few fun new things, plus fixes a bunch of bugs! Spirittea now has ducks, which I’m sure you could guess from the name of the update. The ducks can swim around the baths in the bath house, eating the algae that forms. So, not only are they cute, but they’re helpful too! There’s also a new vendor who will roll into town every once in a while carrying new items to sell. Seasonal mechanics are now present in the bath house, too. Depending on the seasons, the baths will fill with algae (hence the ducks), ice over, or fill with fallen leaves. You need to keep the baths clean and employ the new bath heaters! Bruce has new animations, and the fishing pole has a reticle so it’s easier to see where you’ve thrown your line.
Bug Fixes
Fixed error where items could be lost by placing them on shelves and tables
Fixed issues with items disappearing within inventory
Fixed issue where NPC’s would disappear behind the restaurant
Fixed bug where NPC’s would become stuck on a path upon reload
Fixed issue with Quill where on Saturday nights at the food stall he would ask if you want to stop hanging out with him
Issue fixed with NPC’s appearing on the map at a certain location but them actually not being there
Fixed issue where NPC’s couldn’t be found during tutorial quests whilst with Amelia if you had quit to main menu mid game
Fixed multiple issues in Miko’s quest around the mysterious rabbit and cake
Fixed issues with a softlock during Leigh’s quest if you spoke to the spirit behind the canvas
Doubled ugligrass spawn rate
Fixed issue with Clarence’s quest where the statues wouldn’t come back if you left the room
Fixed issues with the boar where they could hit the player when they were passing into another room
You can find Spirittea on Steam, Switch, and Xbox now!
- Mar 20, 2024
Meowjiro is a charming combination of job sim, raising sim, and collection game. You work part-time in a convenience store. There, you need to work hard and complete a number of tasks in order to earn your paycheck. Stock shelves, prepare soft serve ice cream, heat up food, and run the cash register. You want to build your skills as a clerk and make a comfortable life for you and your cat, Meowjiro!
Your goal to become an all-can-do clerk in Meowjiro will take some work and planning. You need to juggle customer needs with basic duties. And when it’s super busy, you’ll need to learn how to prioritize and work quickly to satisfy all of your customers. Many of the tasks are completed through mini-games within the game. Like serving the soft serve ice cream! You must time the machine correctly to achieve the appropriate size for the order and turn it off once it has reached the size needed. As you work, you’ll earn a paycheck, which you can spend on food for Meowjiro. Once your furry friend has enough food, you can also buy furniture and decor for your home to make it cozy!
Release Date
This adorable game is available now on Steam.
- Mar 14, 2024
Ever wanted to be the proprietor of your very own grocery store? Now’s your chance! Supermarket Simulator by developer Nokta Games is a relaxing first-person simulation where you do exactly that. Take on a very hands-on role in your supermarket by not only designing it, but stocking all your goods, too. You can even hire some employees to take the stress off you!
Optimize your shelves and displays for efficiency and aesthetics by placing your shelves where you want them. Then, use the computer in Supermarket Simulator to order items to sell in the store. Stock each item where you want it to go, and even set the prices. You want to make a profit, but also want to satisfy customers and earn more business. You also act as the cashier, ensuring each customer has a great overall experience. As you earn money, upgrade your shop’s space and interior decorations!
Release Date
Supermarket Simulator is on Steam now!
Or perhaps you’d prefer to run your very own vampire hotel in Bloody Hell Hotel!
- Mar 14, 2024
Spirittea is a cozy life sim all about helping out mischievous spirits. Developed by Cheesemaster Games, this relaxing sim is perfect for anyone looking to branch out from the usual farming sim. You play as yourself with some customization options, and you’ve just moved to a tiny town in what feels like the middle of nowhere. It’s generally a peaceful town, but the spirits have become restless and lost now that the townspeople have stopped worshiping them. It’s up to you to not only restore the bath house to give the spirits an outlet, but you’ll need to track them down and solve their problems, too!
Overall, It’s an Enjoyable Game
I’ve followed the development of Spirittea for a while, because as much as I love farming sims, having something different in the cozy game category is great. Plus, I love the idea of living in a rural Japanese-inspired town and running a bath house for spirits. It’s like my own personal Spirited Away without the consequences and bad guys.
The game starts with you meeting all of the townspeople, much like every other life sim out there. This time, though, you have Jan the dog to show you around. Speak to Jan and they’ll lead you to the villager, instead of aimlessly wandering around the town looking for people. It was an enjoyable way to force you to meet everyone and get a chance to see the town as you do it.
Being able to sleep at any time of day to advance the day by a few hours, or all night, is seriously one of Spirittea’s best assets. Sometimes you don’t want to open the bath house. Instead, you want to go fishing and catch some bugs, but you also want to do it at night. So, hop in your cozy bed and advance the clock! It was great when I was just done with the day and wanted to move on period.
Throw in the spirits with their different storylines and histories, and Wonyan being a sassy bit of comic relief, and it’s an intriguing game overall. Each of the spirits shows up in their own way, and requires some type of help that differs from the last. Plus, they look unique and have some great dialogue of their own. The character designs are done well, so everyone looks different from each other and easy to distinguish. The town is easy to navigate and explore, too. Everything together makes for a delightful experience.
There Are Some Cons, Though
As much as I enjoy Spirittea, there are some problems with the game. I thankfully didn’t encounter any bugs or glitches, so I suppose these are more gripes than anything. However, there’s definite room for improvement in some aspects.
My biggest issue is the map. It sways. When you open it, instead of the landmarks, houses, and trees being stationary, the sway and bounce to the music. It was a motion-sickness dilemma that posed a problem throughout my whole play. Plus, trying to find someone in the apartment building can be difficult because the sprites stack on top of each other so it’s hard to distinguish who is who. And if you’re at the apartment trying to see if your target townsperson is there, your marker is huge and covers up a good portion of that stack.
I enjoyed Spirittea’s addition of mini-games, and that they were unique. There was no carbon copy with a slight difference. I initially picked the hardest song possible in karaoke and wondered why it was SO hard, until I realized my mistake. The controls for that mini-game are great, though. My problem was with the fishing mini-game. You move your thumbstick the opposite direction instead of in the direction of the circle you want to select. It’s not very intuitive, and it wasn’t very cozy to have to stop and struggle every time I fished. Worse was the drinking mini-game not telling you anything about how to play or what controls to use. You just have to figure it out. Good luck!
Final Thoughts
I would still recommend Spirittea to cozy gamers looking for something different than the usual farm sim. It really is a delightful game, despite some of the issues. The storyline is unique, the characters are fun, and the visuals are nice. I really enjoy running my own bath house, too. It was simple and easy, and just overall fun!
I give it:
You can find Spirittea on Steam, Switch, and Xbox!
- Mar 13, 2024
We’ve had some great cozy MMOs announced over the years. Palia, which is out now, and Loftia and Utopia No. 8 are all some of the cozy multiplayer games I’ve been looking forward to. But if you’re coming from classic MMOs like WoW or RuneScape, Palia hasn’t quite met that massive multiplayer aspect as well as players had hoped. Then there’s Communite, which appears to really focus on that working together aspect people want!
Communite by developer JimJum Studios is an adorable upcoming cozy multiplayer game. Players exist in a tile-based world where they must work together to build and restore. Described as a city-builder, this cute game requires kindness and cooperation between players in order to successfully build the world! Then, tap into your creativity as you build a flourishing world full of thriving plants and happy rescued animals. Craft oceans with hidden volcanos and fun community gardens. Unlock news tiles as you play, and open up a world of possibilities with different biomes!
Release Date
Communite is coming to Steam this year! And it will be free to play!
- Mar 7, 2024
Minami Lane, developed by Doot and Blibloop, is a wholesome little street management game set on a Japanese-inspired street. Build homes to attract new villagers and ensure their needs are met by providing food and entertainment options. Green spaces like parks and hot springs beautify the street, which makes everyone happy, too! Decorate each building by picking from a set of colors, and strategically place your buildings to create an inviting environment. Complete missions or engage in sandbox mode to get creative!
Gameplay
Minami Lane is one of those short, but sweet games that lives in your brain just waiting for you to pick it back up and play again. There’s not a lot to the game overall, and it’s about a 2-4 hour playtime type of game. However, it’s so pretty, so cute, and just perfect enough to keep your attention and drag you back for more. It’s easy to pick and learn. You can use only your mouse to accomplish things by clicking. There’s no complicated controls or convoluted mechanics.
The game is perfectly laid-back in concept and actuality. You can pause the day, let it run normally, or even speed it up if you prefer. Plus, you can check the missions for the level at any time. What I found really neat was being able to save each villager’s request for a change to the street, which helped me better accommodate them. For example, some villagers prefer more egg in their ramen, and some wanted more daisies at the florist. I could save each of those comments and come back to them after the day ended so I could update the inventories of each shop. No guesswork or having to make use of my trusty notebook!
The color palette really adds to the charm of Minami Lane, too. It’s soft and pastel so it’s easy on the eyes, but nothing is muddled looking. This extends to the color choices you can make for your buildings, too. Nothing too bright or flashy is available, though I would love to see a larger color palette option for buildings. You can even pick a color for the park, which changes the colors of the trees so you can go for a cheery springtime cherry blossom look, or fun fall cozy look. Throw in the soundtrack with its peppy, but pleasant sound and it’s a perfect mix of visual and aural.
Final Thoughts
I loved every moment of this game. The simplicity, the adorable graphics, the ease of use. All of it. Plus, you get to pet the cats that show up and they make that great little “brrrt” activation noise. Everything about Minami Lane is charming and wonderful, and I can’t recommend it enough!
You can find Minami Lane on Steam now!
