Mar 14, 2024Reviews
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!
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.
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!
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 6, 2024Indie Highlight
In Nora: The Wannabe Alchemist by RedDeer Games you play as Nora, a young witch who’s made some reckless, questionable decisions in her life. Set out on a journey to right those wrongs, and even become a licensed witch! This whimsical point-and-click adventure will have you exploring a beautiful world as you work to earn a living, restore your grandmother’s beloved garden, and uncover secrets.
Take on the role of a budding alchemist by caring for magical gardens. Care for each plant and gather them when they’re ready. Then, Nora: The Wannabe Alchemist lets you craft a variety of potions using the plants you’ve grown! These potions can be used to overcome obstacles in your adventures, or be sold to earn you some cash. Spend your hard-earned cash on some useful magical items from the magic shop next door, or spend that money on decorations and customizations for your home. As you progress, uncover new locations for Nora to visit and materials to use on your journey.
You can find Nora: The Wannabe Alchemist on Switch and Steam now!
Homestead Arcana is another witchy RPG you should check out!
Feb 29, 2024Snack Size News
The Gardener Simulation places you in a vibrant world full of nature. You are a gardener in charge of your very own plot of land. Manage your garden plot by designing and customizing the space. Arrange pathways and plant beds to fit your vision. Then, plant a variety of flowers, vegetables, fruits, and other plants. Each one has their own growth requirements, so be sure to plan accordingly!
You’ll experience realistic growth cycles as you tend your garden in The Gardener Simulation. Watch as each plant grows from a seed into a flourishing adult. Identify and address pests who threaten your garden, too. Your plants need to thrive so you can sell them. Earn money through sales, then use that money to buy more seeds and tools to continue cultivating your garden!
The Garden Simulation is available now on Switch!
Feb 28, 2024Indie Highlight
I previously mentioned the adorable upcoming farm sim with a dark and gloomy twist called Grimshire. That’s actually the second game for indie developers Acute Owl Studio. Their first was a lovely little cafe management game called Bone’s Cafe! In this game, you play as Bones, a necromancer who runs their very own cafe. You’ll learn a variety of recipes, decorate and upgrade the cafe, and engage in some unsavory activities all in the name of success!
Bone’s Cafe appears to be an average cafe management game on the surface. There are 97 different recipes for you to learn. Design your menu each day to satisfy the different types of customers that come in. Arrange the seating area and kitchen to suit your needs, as well as decorate with different themes. However, this game has a grim twist to it. Some of your recipes need meat, and the only way to get that is to lure a customer to the corner and harvest them! Do it stealthily so you don’t scare off the rest of your customers or you’ll lose money. And if you need help cooking and serving food, use your necromantic powers to summon minions. They can be assigned to different cooking stations, as well as set to serve customers their orders.
Play this slightly bloody, yet charming cafe game solo or with up to 4 players!
Bone’s Cafe is available now on Steam and Switch!
Jan 31, 2024Reviews
Cat Cafe Manager by developer Roost Games is an adorable and casual cafe management game full of cats, decorating, and fun customers. You return to the little village of Caterwaul Way, home to your grandmother’s old cat cafe. You’ve recently inherited the place and it’s your job to renovate it to get it back up and running. Impress the locals with your business savvy, while befriending and caring for the local stray cat population. Even adopt out the cats to forever homes!
I really enjoy the visuals in Cat Cafe Manager. It looks like a hand drawn game, and the backgrounds and character designs all feel unique. They fit in with the sleepy little village vibes and enhance them, even. Every visual works together to create the cozy vibe that this game goes for. The cats are adorable, too. Plus, the main characters each have their own designs and personalities. The regular customers are just carbon copies of each other, which works for this game as they only serve to earn you money. Their designs are nice, though. You can tell who is a fisherman, a witch, and so on.
Cat Cafe Manager is a fairly short game, clocking in around 10-15 hours depending on your play style. It’s reminiscent of Diner Dash, which I played a ton of growing up, just without the time constraints. Instead of dashing around as fast as possible to appease customers and keep them happy, you can take your sweet time taking orders, preparing drinks and food, and delivering to customers. There’s no reason to rush around. Everyone is there to relax and enjoy their time. Plus, they want to hang out with the adorable cats you’ve collected. However, it is a bit grindy and repetitive. Day in and day out is filled with opening shop, serving customers, buying resources, rescuing cats, and upgrading the shrine’s upgrade trees. That’s it.
You get to lay out your cafe’s floorplan yourself, so you can create the perfect little space to suit your needs and design vision. It’s a nice touch to the game to give you almost total freedom from the get-go. Cat Cafe Manager also lets you decorate the space using several different sets of furniture and appliances. However, the decoration options are severely limited. I want spooky, moody wallpaper and flooring to match the harvest and vampire tables, but that doesn’t exist. It’s all up-beat and perky pinks and greens, which are perfect for a plant-heavy cafe, or there are other unsuitable colors. This type of game should be heavy on the decor options, especially when sets are a thing already. The sets should go all the way into walls, floors, etc.
Another element to Cat Cafe Manager is hiring staff to help you in the cafe. This is useful if you’re tired of running around taking orders, making items, delivering to tables, cleaning, and making friends with the local strays. The staff can be tasked with any of those things, taking a load off your plate. However, it really veers into idle game territory once you do that. There isn’t much need for you to do anything besides befriend cats and shop for necessities or decor when you have staff. So, if you’re looking to be more hands-on, don’t hire so many staff members, or any at all.
Overall, I did enjoy Cat Cafe Manager. I did struggle with keeping the desired items stocked so customers could order them, but that could just be a skill issue. The different types of customers are very well interconnected with the rest of the game, otherwise. Each type pays in a certain kind of money, which can then be used at specific shops in town. Having different types of currency added a level of necessary management that the game otherwise doesn’t have since it’s so laid-back. Sometimes the item collision boxes were annoying as they aren’t very apparent, but caused me to get stuck on tables and chairs that didn’t appear to be in the way.
What really got to me, though, was that upgrading the shrine in town didn’t visually appear to change anything. Cat Cafe Manager emphasizes that you’re restoring the shrine by running the cafe and adopting out cats, and does give you upgrade trees to buy into. However, it doesn’t ever visually look run-down, nor does it look improved as you “restore it”. That would have been a super satisfying addition to the game.
This game is cute, but not extremely engrossing. I give it:
You can find Cat Cafe Manager on Steam and Switch!
Jan 24, 2024Snack Size News
Princess Peach: Showtime! is a cute entry in Nintendo’s Mario franchise. This time, you take on the role of Princess Peach as she embarks on her very own adventure full of mystery and abilities. One day, Princess Peach and some Toads attend a show at the Sparkle Theater, but before they can enjoy the performance, The wicked Grape and the Sour Bunch show up to cause chaos. Now it’s your job as Peach, accompanied by the theater’s guardian Stella, to save the play from the villains!
Use the power of Stella’s ribbon to go up against the Sour Bunch in order to reclaim the stage. Stella’s ribbon isn’t enough, though, and you’ll need to employ some other abilities to help. Princess Peach: Showtime! will have you transforming into Swordfighter Peach, Detective Peach, Pâtissière Peach, Kung Fu Peach, and many other transformations to save the day. Each transformation brings unique abilities that will help you dispatch the Sour Bunch, as well as overcome obstacles, and return the show to its rightful stage!
You won’t have long to wait for Princess Peach: Showtime! This adorable entry in the Mario franchise comes out March 22nd on Switch.
If you haven’t, take a look at Paper Mario: The Origami King and my personal favorite, Super Mario Odyssey!
Jan 10, 2024Indie Highlight
Neva is the moving tale of a young woman named Alba. Play as Alba as she sets out on an emotional journey about identity and growth. With her wolf companion by her side, she’s searching for a new home. The world is being overcome by dark forces, and those forces also threaten to overwhelm the pair at every step. Determined to defeat the darkness, you and the wolf cub will explore a dying world in search of a new home. As your journey goes on, the cub will grow from a rebellious cub, to an adult who seeks to forge his own adult image, challenging the relationship he has with you. Although you love your wolf companion, his growing up strains your friendship. It will take love and compassion to overcome all obstacles.
Armed with courage, steadfastness, and fortitude, will you make it to a new home safely and together?
You can find Neva on Steam where you can add it to your Wishlist. There is currently no release date, though. It’s also been announced for Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch.
Mirth Island is another heartfelt adventure.
Jan 10, 2024Indie Highlight
Moonstone Island is an open-world creature collecting life sim full of adventure and encounters. You move to an island in the sky as part of your village’s traditions to set out learning alchemy. Aside from alchemy training, you’ll befriend people, explore hundreds of procedurally generated islands, farm, brew potions, and tame spirits!
On your adventures, you’ll meet a host of new people whom you can befriend. Work to become a member of the community, but listen to your heart, too. Some of the NPCs are dateable. So, go out on some fun dates and perhaps even fall in love! Travel via balloon, broom, or glider to Moonstone Island’s hundreds of unique islands featuring different biomes. On those islands you’ll discover secrets and find over 70 types of spirits to tame. There’s even dungeons you can challenge to earn upgrades and treasures. And when you’re not out and about, take some time to relax at home where you can customize everything, as well as build your own little farm.
Ready to set out on a new creature-collecting adventure?
You can find Moonstone Island on Steam now. A Switch version is expected sometime this year!
Take a look at Autonauts and While the Iron’s Hot, too!