Aug 28, 2020Event
Times are tough right now, no doubt about it. In a world where video games are the primary respite, but no one can really afford them, games sales are just about the one thing this dreary world still has offer as a glimmer of hope. It certainly appears that Nintendo feels the same way I do, as they have been rolling out sales left and right!
This new sale seems to offer a whole bunch of wonderful multiplayer games at some pretty sweet prices. This includes, but is not limited to, some of my favorite cute games that are currently available on the Nintendo Switch. Games like Cuphead, Luigis Mansion 3 and Crash Team Racing are all now available at a more than fair price!
Of course, these aren’t the only multiplayer games that are in this sale. These are just all the cute ones that I personally like.
Aug 10, 2020Feature
Sometimes it can be nice to pick up a new game just to try it out because it’s free. It can be even more fun to do so when you have a friend to share it with. And what easier way to share than to pick games that are either free, or cost next to nothing.
Well, Nintendo Switch actually offers a few games that aren’t costly, and are still super adorable and sharable with at least one friend. Here are some that I thought all my friends might enjoy, but there are a few more free multiplayer games for Switch on the Nintendo eShop that didn’t quite suit my tastes (i.e. violent, or simply not cute).
Growtopia is like what Terraria would be if it were actually cute. Build an entire world with your friends, with all kinds of different items. Fight an array of whacky baddies with cartable weapons and armor. Or simply chill back and build an entire city. It is up to you and your friends what you choose to do in this game of infinite possibilities. The game even allows you to play with up to 65 people in a single world. Growtopia is also currently available for free.
Super Kirby Clash is a simple yet cute entrance in the Kirby series. The games features a super basic formula of simply fighting many bosses to level up and get new weapons and items. A bit on the violent side for my taste, but it is hard to resist that adorable little pink puffball. Play with up to four friends and take on tons of tough bosses using many of the classic weapons from the series. The game is currently free to download.
Tetris 99 is the latest iteration in the Tetris series. For those who are unfamiliar, Tetris has you stacking different shaped puzzle pieces to complete horizontal lines of blocks. This time the game goes to a whole new level, pitting the player against 98 others in a battle royale to be the last puzzler in standing (so to speak). Its fast paced puzzle action that you can enjoy with your friends, and what’s better, it’s also currently free to download through the eShop.
Jump Rope Challenge is basically exactly what it sounds like. Sometimes it can be tough to get the exercise we need during these tough times, and this game offers you a great way to do just that. Join up with your friends and loved ones, grab the joy-cons, and get ready to jump. Enjoy watching the cute little on-screen counter as you jump your way to a high score. While this game is currently available to download for free, it will only remain that way unil September 30th, 2020.
Another great way to spend relaxing time with your friends is to share your artistic sides with each other. One might do this by playing an interactive coloring book on the Nintendo Switch. With 89 color options and 9 different tools to use, you and your friends will have a blast with the 62 wonderful drawings to color, as well as the whiteboard to truly unleash your creativity. Luckily, Coloring Book is also currently free to download from the Nintendo eShop.
Funbox Party is pretty basic little party game that has three different puzzle style game for you and your friends to compete in. In Up Up, avoid obstacles as you fly ever upward to reach the final goal first. In Dragon Escape, once again we are avoiding obstacles, but this time the stakes are higher as we are fleeing with the intention of not being eaten. In the final game, take on the role of a germ as you try to infect the intestines before your friends. Ewe. But fun. While Funbox Party is not free, it costs a mere $00.39 through the eShop.
Remember Line Rider? For those that don’t, Chalk Dash Carnival is game where you must draw a path through the world to reach your final destination. Your character will ride on the chalk line that you draw as the game goes on. Do crazy jumps and collect mad coin while trying to reach the end before your friends. It’s a fun, cool and kooky way to spend some chill time with your friends. Chalk Dash Carnival is currently available through the eShop for $00.85.
I hope you enjoy checking out these free games, and I hope you get a chance to play them with your friends! Have Fun!
Jul 21, 2020Quick Bits
For those of you that have never jumped at the chance to own this absolutely amazing adventure game, there will probably never be a better time than now. Currently priced at just $10.19, this is one title that surely belongs in every chill gamers library. My Time at Portia is definitely one of the greatest farming and adventure games currently available for the Nintendo Switch.
Also from Team17, Overcooked Special Edition and Overcooked 2 are also both on sale. Which is good for anyone who wants to get some practice in before the new game comes out with the next generation consoles.
You will also find that both Escapists Complete Edition as well as Escapists 2 are on sale, both under ten dollars. If you are into Team17 platform games, you will also find Yooka-Laylee and Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Layer on sale.
Warner Brothers Games is also currently doing a Family Fun Sale! Most notably on the list are the many great games from the LEGO series, like LEGO Worlds and LEGO City Undercover. These are all currently priced between $10 to $15.
They are also currently discounting a couple of the Scribblenauts games, for those out there that like an adventurous puzzle game or two. Scribblenauts Mega Pack and Scribblenauts Showdown are both just $9.99 through the Nintendo eShop.
For those that would like a little touch of nostalgia added to their consoles, you can also pick up Nickelodeon Kart Racers for just $11.99, down from $29.99. These are just a few of the great games currently on sale through the Nintendo eShop.
To take advantage of these deals, head over to the Nintendo eShop now.
If you would like more games by the developers of My Time at Portia, check out my coverage of Ever Forward.
Jul 18, 2020Feature
Garden Story is an upcoming social sim adventure RPG. With an emphasis on helping the residents of a broken island, this game is undoubtedly wholesome. The game is being developed by Picogram and published by Rose City Games and VIZ Media.
The planned release window for the game is currently Spring 2020, although no official date has been given. The game will be released for Microsoft Windows, MacOS and Macintosh operating systems. An official price is yet to be announced.
Players assume the role of Concord, who is a recently appointed village guardian. However, you will definitely be kept on your toes. Whether it be neighbours requiring assistance, or the sudden appearance of a strange rot that has seeped into the foundations of the once thriving island, Concord has his work cut out. Fortunately, he is not alone.
If you help friends with their problems, they’ll help you with yours. Care for the environment, explore new regions, solve puzzles, make new friends, and ultimately, help restore the grove to its former glory.
You can visit the game’s website here. Alternatively, you can check out their Twitter account here.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is an upcoming social simulation game where you play as a human character living on a deserted island amongst anthropomorphic animals. Players can shop, socialise with the animals, and participate in activites such as fishing, catching bugs, gardening and decorating. Nintendo are both the developers and publishers of the game. Therefore it’s understandable that the game will only be released on Nintendo Switch. The game is set to release on March 20th 2020, and will retail for $59.99
Tom Nook is ‘switching’ things up with a new business venture. This business venture is his exclusive Nook Inc. Deserted Island Getaway Package. Naturally, the Tanuki isn’t offering this for free. When you have landed on the island, you also find yourself landed with debt (yet again) by the tiresome tanuki.
Like in previous games of the franchise, players can participate in activities such as gardening, fishing, decorating, and interacting with a variety of NPCs (both old and new), etc. However, the game will also offer some new features. Examples include, collecting resources, crafting furniture and tools, new ways to interact with trees and flowers, more diversity in skin tones, outdoor stair, more multiplayer options, the handy ability to pole vault rivers etc.
Then of course there’s the tiny details that Animal Crossing fans quickly picked up on. These include, shirts with sleeves for villagers, overally realistic kneecaps for players’ characters, toe beans, and even shoelaces..
Mineko’s Night Market is an upcoming cat-themed crafting adventure game that celebrates Japanese culture. The game is essentially about friendship, choices, and of course, cats. The indie game is being developed by Meowza Games, and being published by Humble Bundle. The game will be released on a multitude of different platforms including Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Macintosh operating systems.The exact release date for the game is yet to be determined. However, the game’s official Steam page says that the game will be release in 2020. Fingers (and paws) crossed! ?
Playing as Mineko, a girl who has moved to a superstitious fishing town inundated with cats, you will uncover secrets whilst assisting Mineko in becoming a successful young entrepreneur. This can be done by completing tasks, undertaking quests and gathering resources in preparation for the weekly night market.
Players can craft a variety of odd items, toys, and trinkets, which can then be sold to townsfolk (who are now your customers) at Mineko’s night market stall. After you’ve finished selling your items, you can explore the Night Market yourself, where you can play mini-games, eat unusual foods, and purchase collectibles.
The game allows you to explore distant lands by unlocking different types of transport (which include buses, bullet trains and cat carts). Each land offers new people to meet and unique things to do, dependent on the time of day and season.
There are 16 uniquely themed markets every year which all feature a stage event that you can partake in. Examples of events include Taiko drumming, karaoke competitions, sumo suit wrestling, and more!
The better you perform at the market, the bigger and better the market will become, which may well attract new townsfolk and even celebrity guests!
For more information regarding the game, check out this interview with one of the lead creators of the game here. You can also visit the game’s website here.
To bag some awesome game merchandise, click here.
Ooblets is now out on Xbox One and PC – more info right here.
Ooblets is an upcoming indie game that combines features of popular game franchises such as Animal Crossing, Harvest Moon and Pokemon. Initially, the game was going to be published by Double Fine. Ooblets will now however be developed and self-published by the game’s two main devs, who created a tiny game studio called Glumberland in order to do this.
According to the game’s latest Devlog, Ooblets will release this year, although no definitive date has been specified. It has also been confirmed that the game will release on PC and Xbox One. The price of the game has not yet been revealed.
Ooblets is essentially a game where players have to balance farm life, town life, and the unexpected pressure of having to deal with numerous different Ooblets. On the plus side, you get the experience of helping to grow and train your ooblets, explore strange lands, and have dance-offs!
Lots of awesome Ooblets merchandise can be grabbed here.
For more information about Ooblets, you can visit the Ooblets website here where developers regularly post updates in their devlogs. You can also follow Ooblets on Twitter and Facebook.
Rolling Hills is a life sim game where players run their own sushi restaurant in a town filled with anthropomorphic animals. The game is being both developed and published by Catch & Release, LLC. No definitive release date has been given, but developers are pushing for a 2020 release. It willl initially only be released on PC via Steam, but there is the possibility of the game being released on other consoles also.
Rolling Hills is a life sim game where you get given your very own sushi restauraunt in a small village. This restaurant has been offered for free by inhabitants of the village. The only catch is that you help to rebuild their town. Players will have their work cut out. When not occupied with the sushi shop, you also need to rebuild the town as promised and improve the lives of your neighbours. On the plus side, you’ll make friends along the way. If you’re lucky, you’ll also attract some new villagers.
Make your restaurant successful by collecting different recipes and buying ingredients. You can then use your profits to profit the town. Watch your town improve and better the lives of townsfolk, customers and yourself through the actions you make.
You can follow the progress of Rolling hills on Twitter here.
Hokko Life is an upcoming cute and cozy village life simulation game. The game is being both developed and published by indie game developer Robert Tatnell. Hokko life will be released for PC via Steam at some point this year. The cost of the game is not yet known.
Hokko Life begins with your player stepping off of a train. Having taken over your very own (albeit a little dusty and old) workshop, you are free to craft and create to your heart’s content.
The quiet village which you now call home needs your expertise. Help tocreate an endearing town for those who live there. Armed with paint and tools, design, build and decorate new homes for your new friends.
Players are able to craft materials and combine them however they wish. This allows you to create new and amazing furniture and items for the town. By collecting flowers and mixing paints, you can then use them to design wallpapers, flooring and even clothing.
With plenty of choice, you could design a bright flowery wallpaper set, or instead opt to create an urban-industrial furniture collection. Whatever your taste, with a workshop at hand, you have complete freedom when designing a town for the villagers.
Click here to check out an exclusive interview with the game’s solo developer.
You can visit the game’s website here.
Developed by Peachy Keen Games and published by Whitethorn Digital. Calico is a magical, relaxed and family-friendly simulation game where players are given an opportunity to run their very own cat cafe. The game is expected to be released on Steam at some point during Summer 2020. The game will most likely release on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and MacOS shortly afterwards.
Calico came about due to the game developer’s obsession with cats, magical girls and fluffy animals. However, wanting to create a game that would appeal to everyone, she also included creatures such as lizards, birds, deer, raccoons, dogs, turtles, red pandas, foxes, etc.
She then shares about how she wanted to publish a game that would make players feel ‘soft, happy, cuddly and cozy’. If that wasn’t wholesome enough, she has said in an interview that she just wanted to create a game where the only goal is to have the best time possble.
However, simply running the cat cafe is not the only things that players can do. The game also incorporates enjoyable aspects from other popular gaming franchises such as Animal Crossing. Similarities between Calico and Animal Crossing include the simulation aspects of both games, and the ability to place furnitire and decorations in your buildings. A perk about Calico however, is that the animals will not leave, the shop never closes, and crops never die.
Little Witch in The Woods is an upcoming life simulation RPG. The game is currently in development by Sunny Side Up Games. No official release date has been given, but the developers are aiming for fall of 2020. They plan to release the game on Steam, and are hoping to release the game on Nintendo Switch and PS4.
Little Witch in the Woods is an adorable fantasy RPG. You play as a super cute witch named Ellie. Close to graduating from witch school and becoming true witch, Ellie must experience the life of a witch as an apprentice. This involves moving to a new town and living in a witch’s house in a forest. Upon arriving to the town however, she is inevitably disappointed to find the in a state of disrepair, and a town which is virtually empty.
As the school is grading how well Ellie completes various tasks, she must explore the mysterious and magical region to gather the ingredients necessary for her potions. These potions can be used in other ways in the game too. Many of the ingredients can be acquired from obliging plants and creatures. The more rare ingredients can be obtained in the nearby village, where a curious bunch of NPC’s reside. By helping them out, they will reward you with ingredients, and some useful items as well.
Additionally, lending these characters a hand improves your relationship with them, and allows you to upgrade the small village. The game’s NPC’s, each with their own stories can sometimes move in or out of the village. It is possible to date these NPC’s, but they may not be human..
Check out an interview with the game’s developers here. You can follow the developers on Twitter here.
For more witch-y games, check out these ones.
You can also check out these upcoming magic school games and add them to your calendar.
Alchemic Cutie is a wholesome pixel-art-stylised RPG set on a colourful Island named Wimba, where you players can tame wild jellies. The game is in development by Vakio and Viridian Software, and will be published by CIRCLE Entertainment this summer. Alchemic Cutie will be released on itch.io. and Steam. A price has not yet been announced.
Set on Wimba island, players get to tame slime-like creatures called Jellies. There are over 4,000 visual styles for jellies, each with unique traits and statistics. Players will have to meet the needs of their Jellies, which inlcude hunger, energy and happiness. Raise the perfect jelly companions and you may be in with a chance of claiming the top prize in one of the game’s eight competitions. In order to improve your jelly’s abilities, you can use alchemy in order to create special items with various powerful affects or to change items into something more rare and powerful. When you’re all jellied out, you can explore the island and uncover its secrets. In the village you can chat with its inhabitants and choose whether to form friends, or if you’re so inclined, rivals.
If you would like to receive updates regarding the gaem, or share your modding creations after the game’s release, you can do so by signing up to the game’s ‘Cutie Club’ here.
Peaceful Days is a farming RPG simulation game reminiscent of Harvest Moon games. The indie game is being developed by Nhat Nguyen and published by Nhat Nguyen and Huiyin Studio. According to the game’s Steam page, Peaceful days is set to release for Microsoft Windows on August 31st 2020. It is currently priced at £7.19.
Heavily inspired by the Harvest Moon series, Peaceful Days is a farming simulation set in the attractive Aurora Town, which is located by the sea. Living up to its title, the game appears to be peaceful and wholesome. Players have the freedom of character customisation and farm customisation too! Players can build friendships with the town’s inhabitants, become an important addition to the small seaside town, and participate in a variety of interesting festivals. Additionally you are able to build your very own farm from scratch. In your spare time, you are free to discover fish that you have not yet caught, spend time in the mine to discover ores necessary to upgrade your tools, play minigames, solve puzzles plus more.
As of February 3rd, an early access version of Peaceful Days became available on Steam.
Jul 5, 2020Indie Highlight
Locomotion is a cute railway-themed puzzle adventure game. Both the developer and publisher of the game are a small UK indie studio Polyfox. The objective is to guide a train through a variety of different worlds to reclaim your gold which has been stolen by an alien. Here’s what you should know about Locomotion on Nintendo Switch.
Initially released on Steam on May 10, 2019, Locomotion has received positive reviews and holds an 8/10 rating on Steam. It is currently on sale with a 20% discount until July 9th. You can purchase it here.
Featuring 52 increasingly difficult levels, you must guide your train to the exit of each level, whilst also collecting gold, solving perplexing puzzles, and avoiding along the way.
The family-friendly game will cost $10.99, and releases on the Switch eShop on July 30th 2020. You can find out more information about the game as well as pre-order it here.
Jun 23, 2020Animal Crossing
It’s true that MyPotatoGames posted an article on things that fans would like to see in the game. However, some of these have now been fulfilled. Additionally, as a few months have passed, players have noticed more things that would make the gameplay experience more enjoyable. Whether it be slight glitches, some multiplayer issues, spontaneous travelling merchants, etc, there are definitely a few more features and improvements that players would like to see.
I took the effort to ask fans what features they would like and improvements that could be made. There’s no denying that the game is extraordinarily entertaining, but take notes Nintendo, as I received hundreds of responses. 😂 Here are some features that would improve Animal Crossing: New Horizons even further.
Nintendo did promised us at least three more years of updates coming to New Horizons so hopefully we will be seeing at least some of these features in the game one day!
Whilst it’s almost definite that not all of these features will be implemented, it would be fantastic if even a few of them were.
Please and thank you Nintendo 🙂
Jun 18, 2020Animal Crossing
Animal Crossing: New Horizons couldn’t have released at a better time. I know for me personally, its delayed release was a blessing in disguise. The game has facilitated online friendships with like-minded people (and therefore lessened loneliness) and been a wholesome distraction during these difficult times.
But these are just ways in which the game has helped me. Animal Crossing: New Horizons has helped people cope with so many other disappointments. For example, with many weddings having been cancelled, gamers have been creating virtual wedding ceremonies instead, something which is now considerably easier with Reese and Cyrus’s new wedding season furniture this month.
Students with postponed graduation ceremonies have been holding their very own, in-game birthday parties are now a common occurrence, and Black Lives Matter Designs are being made and shared so that players can still show support and solidarity. We are now in June (this year has flown!), which means that it’s finally Pride month!
With Pride events being cancelled/disrupted, or being a very different experience from what most are used to, you may have sadly decided to give Pride a miss this year. But this doesn’t have to be the case! You can celebrate Pride in Animal Crossing: New Horizons in style with these fantastic fan-made LGBTQ+ designs. 😎
Happy Pride from all of us at MPG! 🥰🏳️🌈
Jun 11, 2020Animal Crossing
Animal Crossing: New Horizons mailed players yet another gift from their in-game Mom at the beginning of June. Players in the Northern Hemisphere received one (from eight different variations) of Mom’s Handmade Apron.
Whilst players in the Southern Hemisphere received one of the eight different variations of Mom’s Handmade Sweater. This is not the only thing that Nintendo has done differently for players living in the Southern Hemisphere this month.
It is thought that the style of gifts received from Mom will be the same throughout the year. This seems like it could be likely, as I have received three pink items in a row. It is thought the ‘style’ of items you receive changes each year. This is useful, as the clothing items cannot be customized like the furniture. Which apron or sweater did you receive?