All posts tagged in Life Simulation
Dec 28, 2023
I truly don’t know where the year went. It’s been an interesting year, and it’s certainly been full of a ton of top-tier games. We’ve seen the release of Palia, a lovely cozy MMORPG that lets you gather friends and strangers alike to farm, mine, and more. The Moonlight Peaks demo dropped recently, too! Then there’s Spells & Secrets, a great roguelite wizarding adventure. dotAGE is the perfect survival city builder. And Roots of Pacha takes top spot for my favorite farming game this year. Some other notable games are Spirit City: Lofi Sessions and Smushi Come Home. But what’s in store for next year? Well, time will tell, but here are nine games to look forward to in 2024!
Little Kitty, Big City
First on the list is Little Kitty, Big City! You play as a kitty who’s lost in a big city. You can hurry on your way and find home, or you can take time to explore this brand new place. Cause a little chaos as you explore, too.Dive into trash cans, knock potted plants off their ledges, and walk through some fresh paint to leave behind your paw prints. Meet stray animals on the streets and become friends with them. Find different adorable hats to wear. Plus, so much more!
Bloomtown
Next up is Bloomtown: A Different Story. You play as Emily and her younger brother Chester as they spend their summer holiday in their grandpa’s cozy and quiet town. Underneath this sleepy little town, however, a demon world is growing and children are going missing. Embark on a grand adventure to save the towns from this mysterious demon world. The demons are the fears and vices of the townspeople that have come to life. As Emily, figure out the mysteries and the disappearances and save the souls of everyone! Face off against giant demons and dungeon bosses in the Underside using a turn-based combat system. Fight alongside your friends, who each have their own sets of abilities, as well as summon your own inner demons. Even capture new creatures to use in other battles by weakening them during combat.
Coming to Steam and PlayStation!
Chilltown
Third on the list is Chill Town! This game promises to be a soothing blend of idle game and life sim. You run around collecting resources on a beautiful island. Catch bugs, visit the shops or town hall, fish, farm, and tame cute creatures. Unleash your creativity in build mode and create your perfect home using a variety of different decor items. Even add your personal touch to the outside of your home with benches, light posts, and more. Plus, take care of your very own furry friend!
Coming to Steam!
Horticular
Horticular is a relaxing garden-builder with a little magical twist. You’ve been summoned by mysterious gnomes to restore an abandoned garden. Immerse yourself in a magical world with a day-night cycle, weather patterns, and adorable animals. Meanwhile, build your dream garden with hundreds of unlockable items. Create lush flower gardens and flourishing crop plots. Attract creatures by fulfilling their requirements and taking care of them. You’ll need to fight off decay and corruption by using the magic within your garden. You’ll also get to rename inhabitants to personalize your gardening experience. And if you want to prove your abilities, enter the in-world competition, plus much more!
Coming to Steam!
Critter Cove
Next on the list is Critter Cove, an open-world life sim set in a post-apocalyptic world. You’ll restore an old town, and sail across a gorgeous archipelago. Collect relics and treasures as you explore. Fish for a variety of sea life. Craft everything you might need from tools to decor. You’ll even get to find new residents to invite to your town. And so much more! There’s tons to do in this game, and it’s all up to you to restore it to its former glory.
Coming to Steam!
Chef RPG
Next up is Chef RPG! The beautiful little seaside town of White Ash harbor is your new home, and once was a thriving tourist destination. Now, it’s up to you to help revive the town using your experience as a traveling chef. In Chef RPG, you’ll run your very own restaurant to serve up delicious dishes in order to attract tourists back to town. Hunt, harvest, and shop for the ingredients you’ll use in your cooking. Build a thriving restaurant and become a successful chef!
Coming to Steam!
Tavern Talk
Sixth on the list is Tavern Talk, where you find yourself to be the owner of Wayfarer’s Inn. It appears to be a normal inn in the middle of the world, but looks can be deceiving. And you can infuse beverages with magic that can influence someone’s fate. You’re known for helping the people of the realm via these magical drinks. Listen to the stories of the unique cast of beautifully designed adventurers that come in. From boasting about their glory or commiserating about failures, you’ll experience a variety of different personalities and tales. Help them find a place that feels like home by building relationships and creating an inviting environment inside the inn. Craft different interesting drinks, while you’re at it, but be careful what you serve. Your drink choices will alter their fate and the path their quests will take. Your choices shape the story of Tavern Talk!
Coming to Steam!
SunnySide
Welcome to SunnySide. You’ve just purchased your first plot of land located in an aging town in Japan’s countryside. Your goal is to create a homestead you can be proud of. You’ll learn to collect your own water, generate power, grow crops, craft food, care for your animals, and much more in order to help your local economy. You’ll get to ferment soy sauce, grow and grind your own flour, and even make cheese. Then, you can take it all a step further and cook recipes using your homemade ingredients. SunnySide also features a colorful cast of characters for you to interact with. Life in the small town is peaceful, but not without its problems. What sets this game apart from the other farm sim games is that it seeks to combine modernism with the old.
Coming to Steam!
Meetlight and the Secrets of the Universe
In the last game on the list you play as Anna. Anna has faced a terrible tragedy and lost her spouse. Now, she has taken over her great-uncle’s forge and become the new blacksmith. You’ll build your house from scratch (and decorate it too!), customize your character’s appearance, and befriend animals, nature, and your neighbors (some are even romanceable!). You’ll even be able to complete quests for the villagers or trade with them. With the loss of your spouse, you’ve gained the ability of clairvoyance, which you’ll slowly develop and perfect as you play. Enter the magical world of energy where you’ll meet new inhabitants, explore lost places, and discover the secrets of the universe. In this 3D open-world, with 19 places to visit on the map (so far), there’s just SO much to do and see. Plus, there’s farming, animal companions, cooking, and alchemy for you to enjoy!
Coming to Steam, with plans for Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation!
- Dec 27, 2023
I Was a Teenage Exocolonist takes place on humanity’s very first extrasolar colony called Vertumna. You spend your teenage years here, and while growing up is hard enough, the dangers of a brand new world add to it. Explore the wilderness, study different skills, fall in love, and so much more in this gorgeous RPG. Don’t forget that your choices matter, too. Your choices will shape how your life turns out!
You are in charge of your life on Vertumna, and the choices you make now will shape your future. There are 15 different skills for you to grow, as well as 25 different jobs for you to choose from. I Was a Teenage Exocolonist puts it all in your hands, and everything you learn will help the colony in some way. No choice is wasted. As you experience formative moments in your life, you’ll earn battle cards you can use to help you overcome obstacles. Those moments include memories from past lives, friendships, dates, and more.
What really makes I Was a Teenage Exocolonist truly unique is that it offers over 800 different story events. Plus, you may live many different lives before you get things right and save the colony. You’ll get to use the memories from your past lives in order to help you in your current one, too!
How many lives will it take you to succeed?
Release Date
This gorgeous watercolor-type game is available now on Steam, PlayStation, and Switch!
Firefly Cove is an open-ended ranching sim you should check out too!
- Dec 21, 2023
Travellers Rest is a tavern management game where you’re the boss. You’re an innkeeper who wants to turn the run-down inn into a bustling watering hole. Build and also decorate the tavern to suit your tastes by using furniture, cosmetics, and decorative items. Set in a fantasy world, you’ll encounter a variety of fun characters, and uncover ancient magics as you explore.
Grow crops on your own farm in Travellers Rest, then turn them into different types of drinks. Brew beer, distill liquor, and make wine. And, of course, no watering hole is complete without tasty foods, either! Craft a number of different dishes to serve your customers. Expertly manage your tavern to meet customer demands and improve your business’s reputation!
Release Date
Available now on Steam and Epic!
Want more tavern fun? Try Tavern Master, Tavern Keeper, and maybe even Tavern Talk!
- Dec 14, 2023
Have you been wanting to care for a host of houseplants, but don’t have the green thumb or the space necessary? Then Taking Root could be perfect for you!
Taking Root is a cozy and casual game all about taking care of houseplants. You’ll take time to water them, and prune the plants as necessary. Ensure their growth by preparing the perfect environment for them. This game takes “realistic” seriously, too, as the plants all grow in real time. Then, you can even propagate offshoots and cuttings of your plants to create a flourishing at-home garden! Sell your cuttings to earn some money that you can use to decorate your space, too. There are over 100 pieces of furniture and decor items for you to choose from. Plus, furniture is customizable.
Taking Root is sure to be a comfy and cozy gardening experience!
Release Date
You can find this lovely game on Steam, where you can add it to your Wishlist. However, there is no release date listed. It’s just expected to release sometime next year.
Want more gardening? Try Garden Galaxy and Botany Manor!
- Nov 30, 2023
Galactic Getaway is the ultimate space adventure for you and your friends! GG Enterprises has selected you to pioneer a space expedition to explore the far reaches of the galaxy. You’re also tasked with setting up a brand new planetary settlement. Team up with your friends to create and decorate your cozy new settlement, as well as play a variety of fun minigames.
Start your Galactic Getaway journey by customizing your character. Choose your clothes and hairstyle to create the perfect look. Then, set out on an exciting adventure to explore the galaxy. Compete in different missions (minigames) like space races and laser tag. Both play with friends or against them for the ultimate bragging rights.
When you reach your new planet, take some time to explore the wilds of an alien environment. Get to know the local flora and fauna. Report your findings to GG Enterprises to win rewards. Then, settle into building your new Galactic Getaway home! With a large selection of building types, gadgets, pets, and decorations, you’ll be able to create the cozy home of your dreams. Even invite your friends over to relax in your carefully crafted home!
Release Date
You can find Galactic Getaway on Steam where you can add it to your Wishlist. There is currently no release date available, though.
Looking for more cute MMORPGs? Check out Utopia No. 8!
- Nov 29, 2023
Welcome to Cheaphaven! It’s a short, but charming game full of agriculture and delightful NPCs. Play as a cute little lizard as you get to know a cast of NPCs who live in a nearby small town. Take time to clear the land of trees and debris in order to start your very own farm. Grow some crops, raise some chickens, and fish for a while. Even go shopping in town and collect fun cosmetics for your character like hats!
You won’t get hundreds of hours out of Cheaphaven, but you will encounter a few great hours of relaxed escapism in it!
Available Now
You can find this cute game on Steam now!
Craving more farming sims? Check out Little-Known Galaxy and Wish Upon a Llama!
- Nov 15, 2023
Did you ever watch Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away and think to yourself “I’d love to run a bath house for spirits”? What better way to get to interact with the fantastical and wonderful, after all. Well, now’s your chance! Spirittea offers that opportunity. You drank the Spirittea and now can see all of the different spirits that are causing trouble in town. Humans have stopped worshiping and leaving them offerings, so they’ve become lost and purposeless.
Your job in Spirittea is to find those mayhem-causing spirits and help them solve their problems! They’ll only become paying customers of the bathhouse once you’ve helped them. This might involve getting the spirit a bowl of spicy noodles, digging up their long-lost treasure, or some other task. You’re also in charge of running the bathhouse, so you’ll need to keep it running smoothly. Sweep away cobwebs, provide clean towels to customers, collect used towels, and keep things dry and organized. Provide tasty meals for your customers while ensuring their bath water is heated to their preferred temperature. And make sure you plan carefully. Some spirits dislike each other, so sit them apart from each other, while placing friends together for best results!
When you’re not busy running your mountain-side bathhouse, be sure to talk to the townspeople of Spirittea. They each have their own unique personalities and schedules, as well as hobbies. Plus, many run the local shops which will be helpful in decorating your home. The shops can make a variety of furniture to fit your interior decorating tastes. Make your simple house a cozy home fit for you!
Available Now
Spirittea release November 13th, and is now on Steam, Switch, and Xbox!
Japanese Rural Life is another relaxing sim game! Set in the Japanese countryside, you farm, fish, and spend time with your pet.
- Nov 2, 2023
Roots of Pacha is a lovely farming and life sim set in the Stone Age. You and your tribe mates will discover new ideas and inventions, as well as bring those ideas to life. Improve your community as you explore the world. Tame animals, make friends, even get married! And of course, you’ll run your own farm where you plant a variety of crops to use in jams and other recipes.
Now, Roots of Pacha is receiving another fun update that brings more content, and goodies! This update will add a new animal, called the auochs. This cow-like creature will be tameable by playing its own unique song. Move them to a barn on your land and gather fur and milk from them. Plus, they may even play a major role in future game updates!
Roots of Pacha is adding quite a few new additions for NPCs, too. Voda will be romanceable now. You can join her in the woods to visit with the wolves, and more. Plus, there will be new NPC cut scenes, as well as gifts from those NPCs you’ve achieved a high enough friendship level with. Receive 16 new recipes, 10 new hats/masks, 11 furniture pieces, and 2 new accessories. Then there’s unions. Players have wanted to be able to break unions (marriages) for a while now, and now they’ll be able to! So, if you like to marry everyone in a game for completionism, this is your chance!
Then there’s these fun new Roots of Pacha additions:
- Sitting on chairs will restore your stamina
- You can now grow herbs and mushrooms
- Use traps in savanna to get meat, or butcher animals you’ve raised
- The race maps were polished
- Performance optimizations implemented
- Fruit tree costs lowered, plus a new one added that makes animals never get sick
- Fish will have quality levels
- Japanese language added as a playable option
- Cross play will be available with Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox releases.
Finally, and perhaps the most exciting, is that Roots of Pacha is coming to Nintendo Switch and PlayStation November 28th! An Xbox port will come sometime next year. You can also find it on Steam now.
