All posts tagged in Pixel Graphics
Sep 21, 2023
Tiny Life is an isometric pixelart style simulation game that seeks to capture the essence of The Sims. Like The Sims or the upcoming Little Sim World, you control a group of people and take care of their needs, build their skills, forge new relationships, or whatever you want to do. Have them lead perfectly normal lives, or cause chaos and totally upend their lives. It’s up to you, really!
You get to create your own characters using a number of different options. Tiny Life lets you choose personality traits and skills. Plus, there are over 100 clothing items and thousands of colors for you to pick from. There’s even age groups that you can pick, each with its own unique interactions and gameplay possibilities. Craft each of your Tinies exactly how you want them.
Then, build houses and community spaces like parks and cafes for your Tinies to explore. Tiny Life has hundreds of furniture, wallpaper, tiles, roofs, and more so you can create a beautiful town. You’ll even be able to share all of your creations with the community, as well as use mods to add additional content to the game!
Available Now
You can find this fun simulation game on Steam now!
- Sep 7, 2023
Welcome to White Ash harbor! This beautiful little seaside town 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!
Chef RPG is an open-ended RPG so you get to choose how your story plays out. You’ll get to decide how to expand your restaurants as well as befriend the local townspeople. Will you become a master chef and create the most fabulous tasting dishes? Or will you be a renowned adventurer who impresses customers with rare ingredients, instead? Perhaps you’ll be the chef who networks with friends and customers to build a thriving business through charisma and influence! Whichever route, it’s all yours to choose.
Release Date
Unfortunately, Chef RPG does not currently have a release date. It’s simply listed as “coming soon”. However, you can find it on Steam now to add to your Wishlist!
Want more cooking fun? Check out my review of Yum Yum Cookstar! Plus, check out Epic Chef!
- Sep 6, 2023
Coffee Talk 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly is the second episode in the Coffee Talk series. In it, you play as the proprietor of a cozy little coffee shop that’s only open at night. Set in an alternate present-day Seattle, join a cast of fantasy friends and serve up some delicious hot drinks as you explore the world by listening to their stories. Even use your phone to follow their lives outside of the coffee shop via social media, and return lost items to further influence story outcomes.
The Story
I’ll be honest, I did not play Coffee Talk. I have only played Coffee Talk 2, but I don’t feel like I missed out on anything vital to the story. I’m sure meeting the characters in Coffee Talk would have made their stories richer, more fleshed out. However, it was easy to settle into the story, overall. The characters are interesting and diverse. They have varying personalities that you get to experience through the conversations you have with them. Each person struggling with their own real-feeling issues, as well as sharing their joys and achievements with you really adds a beautiful, personal touch to the game. You’re more than just a barista at their favorite late-night hangout. These characters feel familiar and real. Nevermind the sass and sarcasm that’s thrown around. You’re genuinely a friend to everyone, and it’s heartwarming.
Setting the Scene
Besides the fun characters, the setting is nice and cozy, too. Set in rainy Seattle, the ongoing rainstorm provides a wonderful sound backdrop. Pair that with the lofi chillhop beats that play and Coffee Talk 2 really has a great, relaxing environment. The overall color palette is pleasing to the eye, too. Some characters wear some bright colors, like Lucas in his bright yellow hoodie, but it’s not overwhelming. The coffee shop is decorated in neutrals and muted colors, too. It’s an easy-to-look at environment that still offers a great variation in color so it’s not boring. It is the perfect cozy environment.
The Drinks
Figuring out what people want to drink via hints (mostly) was an interesting game play element. It not only gives Coffee Talk 2 a sense of replayability so you can discover all of the drinks and outcomes, but makes it a little bit more than just a reading experience. Correctly, or incorrectly, guessing someone’s drink gives you just a touch more immersive play than if you simply read the pre-written dialogue and picked pre-made drinks. Now, you can influence the conversation and other game outcomes by serving drinks. Plus, the latte art portion is fun. I’m by no means good at it, but it’s fun to play with and see what you can make. I made a palm tree once! Accidentally.
Final Thoughts
This was a chill, relaxing game. It was fun serving drinks, and interesting reading the conversations with everyone. There’s no rush to complete things, and you can save in the middle of a day. Coffee Talk 2 is the perfect cozy visual novel, really. I can’t recommend this enough for anyone looking for a relaxing, no stakes, no pressure game to play. It’s perfect for curling up on a comfy couch, cozy blanket on a rainy day.
I give this game:
You can find Coffee Talk 2 on Steam, Epic Games, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox!
- Aug 24, 2023
The spirit of the forest has transferred you to the parallel dimension of Firefly Cove. You’re warmly welcomed by the citizens of this magical town where whispers of a legend come true. Some legends say there is one powerful enough to restore the balance of nature spirits, become a dragon kin, and uncover the secrets of the dragon ruins. Will that be you? Can you learn magic, become a great magician, and make this mysterious place your home?
Hotaru Village is where you find your new home in Firefly Cove. There, you can befriend the villagers and learn the stories. You can even go on adventures with them. Take part in seasonal village celebrations throughout the year like Dance of the fireflies, too. Develop different skills like farming, foraging, mining, magic and more. Even hone your magical abilities like water-bending, and show those skills off to the Dragon Temple.
Firefly Cove is even co-op! Team up in multiplayer mode to restore balance to nature spirits with your friends. Cross-play and split-screen are both available.
Coming Soon
Firefly Cove is coming soon. You can find it on Steam, where you can add it to your Wishlist!
Want more unique farming games? Check out Wish Upon a Llama, Moondrop, and Farm Folks.
- Aug 23, 2023
Everholm features Lilly, who is on the search for her lost sister, Melanie. As Lilly searches, she comes across a magical portal that draws her to Everholm. The little island is cute and cozy, and everyone already seems to know who she is. Despite the brand new setting, Lilly needs to find her sister while uncovering the mysteries of the island, and sets out to do just that with the help of a local witch.
Everholm is an open-ended role playing game that focuses on interpersonal relationships. You’ll play as Lilly as she works to solve the mysteries of the island. Meet the residents of Everholm, gain their trust, and figure out why they’re stuck on this cryptic island. It’s not all about just meeting the villagers, though. You’ll need to learn to live together, learn new skills, as well as making the most of life on the island. Learn how to farm crops, raise livestock, forage for resources, go fishing, and more. Turn your run-down homestead into a thriving farm.
However, Everholm isn’t all sunshine and butterflies. The little island holds many secrets, and it’s up to you to discover them. Dive into procedurally generated dungeons to fight the monsters that lurk underground. Use your weapons and spells to achieve success. Delve deep enough into the underground and you’ll likely be rewarded with rare materials!
The non-linear story allows you to play however you wish. Get to know all the villagers, or ignore some of the more difficult ones. Spend most of your days farming, or go dungeoning all day. However you choose to play, you’re sure to uncover the mysteries of Everholm and why your sister disappeared!Coming Soon
Everholm has a planned release of 2024 sometime. You can find it on Steam, where you can add it to your Wishlist!
Looking for more cute RPGs? Check out Brookhaven Grimoire and Roots of Pacha.
- Jul 13, 2023
Raise Animals, Have a Family, and Decorate
Wish Upon a Llama is an immersive open-ended RPG where you take on the role of a rancher. You’ll raise a variety of adorable animals like llamas, geese, bunnies, sheep, fish and more. Plus, meet the unique townspeople like the determined engineer and the chill gamer. Each one has their own interesting story to tell. You can even challenge them to jump rope, cleaning the town, trivia, spelling bees and more!
Spend time discovering the over 50 different special breeds through caring for and breeding your livestock. Wish Upon a Llama features animals with a number of different traits to collect. There are different colors, patterns, personalities and more. Babies will inherit traits from both parents, so breed specific pairs together to receive animals that look and act how you want.
When you want a break from caring for your animals, go explore the town. As you contribute to the town’s fundraising efforts, you’ll gain access to new areas. Vacation islands, lush forests, bustling cities, and picturesque beaches will all be available for you to enjoy. You can even start a family and have an active hand in raising your children! Guide them as they grow, go to school, and make their own friends. Wish Upon a Llama even allows you to unleash your creativity by decorating your home and surrounding lands!
Coming Soon
I’ve been following Wish Upon a Llama via their Instagram for a while now, impatiently waiting for more news on this adorable game. They just recently released their Steam page, and there is no release date available. However, you can add it to your Steam Wishlist to keep an eye on it!
For more cozy farming, check out Harvest Moon Winds of Anthos!
- Jul 12, 2023
Farm Keeper is an adorable tile-based farming game with nostalgic pixel graphics. It’s your job to survive when rent comes due. You need to strategically build your farm to maximize profits. Learn how each tile type interacts with each other, then carefully plan your farm’s layout. Each new tile offers the chance to not only change your strategy, but to expand your farm. Just be careful as tile choices are random. You can complete challenges and unlock secret tiles as you play.
Plant and cultivate crops, care for livestock, and profit!
You can find Farm Keeper on Steam! Also checkout APICO, a sweet little beekeeping management sim.
- May 11, 2023
Sushi Restaurateur by Day, Diver by Night
Dave the Diver is a casual 2D deep-sea exploration and fishing game. You control Dave, a diver who explores the depths of the ocean at night and runs a sushi restaurant during the day. He is in search of treasure and looking to solve puzzles. It is up to you (and Dave) to unravel the mysteries of the Blue Hole as you explore its depths.
The game features a variety of different environments to explore, including beautiful coral reefs, enticing shipwrecks, and even the mysterious Mariana Trench. Dave must use his diving gear to survive in the harsh conditions of the deep ocean, including low oxygen levels and high pressure. You can also use your trusty harpoon to catch fish as you explore.
Don’t forget to make your restaurant successful, though. The profits you earn from selling sushi will fund your deep-sea adventures. Collect resources and use your income to upgrade your equipment or buy new weapons to prepare for what lurks in the depths. If you run out of oxygen, you’ll leave your precious fish and finds behind!
You’ll also encounter a quirky, but fun and lovable cast of characters, plus a full story. Encounter fun jokes, goofy spoofs, and other humorous scenes as you get to know your customers and others.
Dave the Diver features a combination of pixel and 3D graphics to provide a stunning art style with breathtaking ocean scenery. The game is set in a realistic marine environment and includes over 200 different kinds of sea creatures for you to discover while you explore, complete quests, and play minigames.
Available Now!
Dave the Diver is available in Early Access on Steam now. Developer MINTROCKET plans to release the full game in June of this year.
Want more ocean exploration? Give Blue Beyond a try!
