All posts tagged in Open World
Oct 11, 2023
It’s Steam Next Fest time again! Last time, I found five cute and cozy games to play and wrote about them here. This time around, there are 10 games I thought fit the bill. These games are a fairly wide variety, so hopefully you’ll find one you love, too! One has combat, but the rest are perfectly relaxing and stress-free, so perfect for kicking back for some fun. If you haven’t tried any of these demos yet, I suggest you do it!
Bug & Seek
First up on the Steam Next Fest list is Bug & Seek! Once the lifeblood of the town, as well as the center of its economy, the Insectarium now stands abandoned. Someone stole all of the bugs and displays in the dead of night one day. Now, it’s up to you to restore the Insectarium, and even solve the mystery of the Great Bug Heist! Catch over 175 real-life types of bugs. Use those bugs to fulfill requests, as well as restore the Insectarium to the once fantastic bug display it used to be.
This demo was much shorter than I expected, and left me wanting more! With its charming pixel graphics and simple gameplay, Bug & Seek promises to be a perfectly relaxing game.
Coming this year to Steam!
Cupid Island
Cupid Island is a cute life simulator all about bringing together couples and nurturing their blossoming relationships! You play as a Cupid, and it’s your job to explore the human world and make couples. Once coupled, you can bring those humans to live on Cupid Island where you’ll collect their Love, Joy, and Passion which will help expand the island. Build and customize absolutely everything from your own home to the looks of your couples. Farm, fish, dance, and even play soccer in your down time. And who knows, maybe you’ll find your very own true love!
This was another short Steam Next Fest demo that I really enjoyed. It’s adorable, charming, and just so positive. It definitely will give you the warm and fuzzies!
Coming to Steam January 2024!
Vexlands
If you enjoyed Forager, give Vexlands a try. You’re a lone survivor deep within a cursed land and you need to explore the world by unlocking surrounding tiles. You do this by gathering resources that appear around you, sell them, and use that money to unlock new tiles. Those tiles will reveal more resources, loot, dungeons, monsters, and even disasters! Unlocking a tile also cleanses it of the mysterious curse surrounding it. Craft gear to help you in your adventures, and even build your very own home base with decor. You’ll also unlock the ability to raise animals as you grow your home base. There’s even cute hats to collect!
Coming soon to Steam!
Manitas Kitchen
In Manitas Kitchen, you play as Trexito, a Tyrannosaurus who has a dream to make pizzas! Your short little arms make that difficult, though. Under the supervision of a tiny, rude boss, however, you’ll gather a team of other dinosaurs to make up a kitchen full of the best cooks. With a humorous crime drama narrative, you’re sure to have a ton of fun with this one. You’ll learn to make pizzas and get to unlock new recipes as you buy ingredients from the store.
I found this Next Fest demo to be quite a bit of fun. You get a little bit of story and a little bit of gameplay to get a peek into the whole picture. I did find Trexito to feel a little slow, and the movement felt a little clunky. However, this one seems like it’ll be a ton of fun once released!
Coming to Steam and PlayStation this year!
Snufkin: Melody of Moomin Valley
Snufkin: Melody of Moomin Valley is a charming game with a classic storybook art style. It’s easy to play and easy to navigate with a compelling storyline. You play as Snufkin, who’s returned to the valley after a long winter, only to find a series of parks has popped up. These parks ruin the natural beauty of Moomin Valley, and Snufkin’s determined to get rid of them all. Explore the beautiful valley as you remove ugly signs, knock over unsightly statues, and dismantle grotesque park fencing. Complete puzzles and gain friendly help using your trusty harmonica. Even sneak around park patrols to restore the beautiful valley to what it once was!
I loved this demo. It’s an absolutely gorgeous game. I felt like I’d been dropped down into one of my childhood storybooks. Plus, it’s easy to learn how to play. It’s perfect for relaxing after a long day, and great for adults and kids alike!
Coming to Steam and consoles early 2024!
Nom Nom: Cozy Forest Cafe
Ever wanted to escape city life and run a cute, cozy little cafe out in the woods? Now you can in this Steam Next Fest demo, Nom Nom: Cozy Forest Cafe! This game is a relaxing cafe management game where you complete simple rhythm minigames to bake tasty treats. Serve a variety of adorable animal customers, and even talk to them while they enjoy their food. Even decorate the cafe to your liking with different wall colors, flooring options, windows, signs, and more! You can also design custom t-shirts to give away to your customers as a thank you.
This demo was WAY too short. I got to experience a single customer, made one item for that customer, and decorated the cafe with a few options. I wanted more! What was there was so, so cute, though. Definitely keep your eyes on this one!
Coming to Steam soon!
Time to Morp
Time to Morp is like Pokemon meets automated machine production, and I’m all about it! You’re in charge of building up this planet, starting with making use of the cute little creatures name Morps. Build them suitable enclosures, and feed them different materials to watch them transform and produce resources! Explore a vibrant, colorful world in search of new Morps, new resources, and exciting new biomes. Then, settle in and build a network of pipes, pumps, wires, tubes, and more to create an automated system. Use it to feed your Morps, or direct them where to go, and more!
This demo was a lot of fun. The colors are super vibrant, but work really well within the game. The Morps are fun to take care of, and exploring is interesting with the wild variety of terrain and plants. Plus, the people you interact with are quirky, which makes for fun dialogue. This game doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Coming to Steam early 2024!
Horticular
Next up on my Steam Next Fest list is Horticular! You’ve been magically summoned by gnomes to restore a garden that’s seen better days. You’ll engage in a fantastic world where you have total creative freedom. Build and expand your garden. Use hundreds of unlockable surface types to create lush grasslands, lavish pond habitats, and ornate rivers. Decorate with a variety of items and plants, too. Create inviting habitats to attract back animal friends in order to restore the ecosystem. Just be sure to maintain the magic elements as magic will help you with unhappy animals, garden decay, and corrupted agents sent to sabotage you!
I really enjoyed this demo, too. It was relaxing, even though there were objectives to complete. There wasn’t a rush to complete them, and I could rearrange and redo my garden however I wanted. Plus, the sheer number of items promised in the full game, just makes me more excited. This will be the perfect game for designing gardens!
Coming to Steam soon!
Chill Town
Chill Town promises to be a soothing blend of idle game and life sim. And really, it reminds me of ACNH, but people instead of anthropomorphic creatures. 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. Even take care of your very own furry friend!
This demo was super cute. You got to interact with some of the townspeople and get an idea of what they’re like, while learning how to fish and collect items. I’m thinking this will be a great alternative to players looking for more ACNH-like games!
Coming to Steam soon!
A New Leaf: Memories
A New Leaf: Memories is an adorable new farming sim where you wake up on a mysterious beach with no memories of how you got there. The mayor has graciously gifted you a plot of land, and the townspeople helped equip you with the necessary tools. Grow a number of fruits and vegetables on your farm, and sell the produce or use them to cook fun recipes. Explore the island to find a network of caves where you can gather resources. Even take a moment to fish in the different bodies of water found across the island. Plus, raise farm animals, complete quests and build relationships, befriend an adorable cat or dog, and decorate! You’ll be able to customize your look, as well as change your clothes. And of course decorate your home to create a cozy escape from farm work!
I’m sure we’ve all been eagerly awaiting A New Leaf: Memories, and thankfully they released this demo during this Steam Next Fest, because boy was it adorable. The demo shares just the basic first steps, but it was beautiful to run around and explore. Plus, the plot of land you get for your home is massive! I can’t wait to see all of the fun farms people create!
Coming soon to Steam!
- Aug 31, 2023
Lost Nova is the perfect cozy game for those of you looking for something without time limits or enemies. You play as the adorable Mia. She lost her way during a vacation and crash landed in some mysterious place. Take your time exploring the world and repairing your ship, plus more!
Discover hints of a bigger mystery in Lost Nova as you wander the world. Why is everyone ending up in this world, and why is it so hard to leave? Make friends with the locals and help them find their way. Teach a ghost how to be spooky, help a single parent with his children, and help a robot work through his artistic burnout. Create a hub for your friends to gather, and watch as the world and people change based on the actions you take.
In Lost Nova, you’re equipped with your trusty salvaging laser which you can use to gather all the resources you could need. Earn money by mining, farming, fishing, and resource gathering. Use that wealth to revitalize the local pet store, where you can buy useful items for your spectral cat pet. Whatever you choose to spend your days doing, do it at your own pace!
Available Now
You can find Lost Nova on Steam now!
Also check out Songs of Glimmerwick and Lushfoil Photography Sim for more fun adventure games!
- Jul 19, 2023
Craft, Build, Farm, and Explore
ALOFT is an open-world sandbox game where you must survive living on islands set around a giant, eternal hurricane. You’ll build your base, set sail through the skies to discover new islands, and fight to eliminate the fungi corruption threatening to take over. Uncover the secrets of the past civilization, and learn about their demise by reaching new heights.
Build your base however it suits you. Block the harsh winds or allow them to pass through your structures, lay down some ziplines to get across the island faster, farm crops, and raise animals. Craft useful machinery like the windmill to automate your farm and free up your time. And when you tire of that, take to the skies of ALOFT with your handy glider to explore other islands.
Otherwise, craft a bunch of sails and oars to use your own island as a vehicle! You’ll have absolute freedom when it comes to making your sails. Control the height and width of the masts, as well as the sails, and rotate or expand them as needed. ALOFT allows you to create a host of sails suited for your gameplay, and even for decorative purposes.
Now, I know combat isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, or their idea of cozy, but I think ALOFT gets a pass. You will need to fight off corrupt fungi, but that leaves you in a place to revitalize the surrounding world. The fungi will grow on top of corrupted flora and affect the animals in the vicinity. As you fight back the corruption, you’ll unlock new animal companions, livestock, crops, and resources. There’s something wholesome and cozy about saving ecosystems, I think.Coming 2024
Unfortunately, there’s no specific date listed for the release of ALOFT, but it will be here next year! You can find it on Steam where you can add it to your Wishlist, as well as try out a demo!
Steam recommends this game for those who like Ark Survival Evolved and Terraria. It also reminds me of I Am Future.
- Jul 3, 2023
I love cats. I also enjoy both mystery and adventure games. In the upcoming Peace Island, we get an alluring combination of all of these things. Currently in development by Eric Blumrich and a small team of experienced devs (known for games like Prune and Grand Theft Auto V), this game is already gathering attention online.
About Peace Island:
You’ll play as cats! Starting out, you’ll be playing as the cat named Elizabeth. The day before, she was was coaxed into her pet taxi and dreading a trip to the veterinarian. She never sees the vet, though, instead falling asleep. When she awakes the next day, her human is nowhere to be found and the door is open.
Throughout the game, you will meet 8 other cats. You’ll need to gain the trust of these cats and eventually gain their friendship. At different points, you will control each of the different cats. Each one has unique strengths, weaknesses, and roles.
The world of Peace Island – outside from being Peace Island – is an open-world based on real-life Maine. Inside the island are 4 defined communities. These are Peace City Landing, Greenwood Farms, Ellison Heights, and LaFlamme Fishworks. These are settlements, farmlands, coastlines, woodlands, and more!
The story of the game is that the humans have all gone missing. The mystery is plentiful. There are an invasive species on the islands, artifacts and documents left behind, and 200 years worth of alternate history to unravel. Not only do you have to figure out what happened to the humans, you have to use the divergent storylines to decide if they are worth bringing back.
Game Features:
- Cooperate – You’ll have to gain the trust and build friendships with the other cats. You’re going to need them!
- Discover – It’s up to you to find and piece together all the evidence.
- Explore – The open-world is huge and scattered with lots of details.
- Infiltrate – To solve the mystery, you’re going to have to get inside the buildings. It may take more skill to find a way into some of them.
Peace Island is currently in development for PC, Mac, and Oculus VR. There is no set release date, yet, but a beta should be coming soon. You can check out more and support the game on Patreon. You can also see daily screenshots on Twitter.
Don’t worry – I have your fill of cat games! Take a look at The Good Life, Another Sight, and Calico – just to get started. I also have mystery game suggestions – like the newest iteration of Layton’s Mystery Journey and the kooky Lord Winklebottom Investigates.
- May 3, 2023
Explore a Charming Open World and Battle Unique Monsters
Cassette Beasts is a classic creature collection and monster battle game, with a twist. Featuring beautiful art and unique creatures, the game takes place on the remote island of New Wirral. The island is inhabited by strange creatures and a group of brave people who are plagued by attacks from these creatures. They’re ready to fight back, though.
The residents of Harbourtown use cassette tapes to transform for battle against the aggressive monster inhabitants, and so will you! Use your cassette players to record a monster on tape. Then, play the tape back in order to transform into the creature you’ve recorded. Cassette Beasts isn’t a solo adventure, and you don’t need to fight alone, either! Build friendships and travel the island with a companion. As you get to know your new friend, you’ll unlock the ability to fuse monster forms. Monster fusion will produce a new, unique creature, as well as increase your strength to gain the upper hand in battle. The strength of your relationship will determine how well your fusion works.
Explore an incredible open-world with your battle companion. Solve puzzles and find dungeons to complete. Use some of the cassette beast abilities in human form and fly, glide, dash, swim, climb, or even become magnetic. Ultimately, you’re looking for a way off the island, and the only way to do that is to fight your way through and explore every nook and cranny for answers!
Steam, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch
This cute spin on creature collection and monster battles is currently available on Steam. It will be available on Xbox and Nintendo Switch starting May 25th, 2023.
Want more creature collection games? Check out Monster Harvest, Ooblets, and Palworld.
- Mar 16, 2023
A Combination of New and Familiar
Jump into the fantastic world of Togges, where an endless wall keeps the known universe safe from the dangers of the unknown. The leaders of each domain maintain the balance, and the King protects all of existence.
It’s your job to solve puzzles and use the living blocks, called Togges, to do so. Spread and stack the Togges around the vibrant world to keep the threat of the void at bay and save the galaxy. Complete 7 massive levels, but take your time. There’s so much to discover and look at in the world. You’ll discover a futuristic city in the Savannah, and explore the whole kingdom that’s made out of carrot cake. There’s no lack of interesting and fun things to find in Togges. Make friends all around the cosmos as you adventure, too. Each character has a unique story for you to listen to, packed with humor.
Along with the 7 main levels, Togges has 30 bonus levels for you to puzzle through. Use the different abilities of the different colored Togges to solve puzzles, as well as find all sorts of collectibles. This game takes inspiration from fan favorites like Katamari, Pikmin, and Super Mario Galaxy, and boasts about being a revival of the golden era 3D platformers, so it’s sure to be packed with loads of fun.
Available Now!
This colorful and beautifully designed game is available pretty much everywhere now! You can find Togges on Steam (where it’s on sale until March 23rd!), Epic Games, GOG, Nintendo Switch, Playstation, and Xbox.
For more platformer fun, check out Frogun and Pile Up.
- Jan 4, 2023
Walking, Hiking, and Photography
There are no enemies. There are no quests. Wilderless is just about relaxing exploration in a beautiful, procedurally generated open-world environment. Sit in fields of flowers and enjoy the rolling hills. Hike to the mountains to revel in fantastic sunsets and glorious views. Journey to the tundra to find beautiful frozen lakes. Or go somewhere completely different. It’s all up to you, and you’ll have control over different aspects in generating your world, including choosing the world seed.
Wilderless also offers a customizable character. Choose your hairstyle, clothing, hats, and more. Then, go out and explore the forests or go swimming. You could even shapeshift into a hawk, horse, bear, fox, and more to explore the wilds around you. Place shelters around the world, like the natural rock tent or the small house to set up a home for yourself. Or, ride a pirate ship and shoot off fireworks to light up the night sky. And while you’re exploring, spend time taking photos of your adventures. Wilderless features a dedicated Photomode with different effects, filters, and customizable options.
Coming Soon!
You can Wishlist Wilderless on Steam, ahead of its January 10th, 2023 release! You can also check out the other games from solo developer Protopop on their website.
For another wildlife adventure, check out Alba.
- Nov 19, 2022
Restoration, Exploration, and Horses
Enter a beautifully crafted open-world game where you find yourself vacationing at your aunt’s home. However, you arrive to find the once grand stud farm has now fallen to ruin. You are the only one who can restore the farm. You face a terrible challenge, but you aren’t alone in your endeavors.
Befriend the townsfolk who will help you and complete quests to rebuild the once glorious family farm. From the woodsman to the architect and craftswoman, there’s no shortage of useful villagers to forge friendships with. Perhaps you can even get in the good graces of the prestigious Fèlix family.
You can also journey across the vast open-world wilds and discover the hidden secrets of the island all while on horseback! Ride up the coastline, gallop through the forest, or adventure through wide open fields.
In your adventures around the island, you can find wild horses to tame, ride, and care for. You will even be able to breed your own horses. Select the perfect creatures to receive the finest horses with characteristics, personalities, and colors you want! Take your most admirable steeds and see how they measure up in competitions.
Coming soon to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Steam PC
French publisher Microids and German developer Aesir Interactive announced this exciting new open-world horse game is now available. Players can find it on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Steam PC.
For more open-world goodness, check out Tchia and Palia.
