Relaxing Archives - myPotatoGames
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All posts tagged in Relaxing

  • svgMar 7, 2024Reviews

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    Minami Lane, developed by Doot and Blibloop, is a wholesome little street management game set on a Japanese-inspired street. Build homes to attract new villagers and ensure their needs are met by providing food and entertainment options. Green spaces like parks and hot springs beautify the street, which makes everyone happy, too! Decorate each building by picking from a set of colors, and strategically place your buildings to create an inviting environment. Complete missions or engage in sandbox mode to get creative!

    Gameplay

    Minami Lane is one of those short, but sweet games that lives in your brain just waiting for you to pick it back up and play again. There’s not a lot to the game overall, and it’s about a 2-4 hour playtime type of game. However, it’s so pretty, so cute, and just perfect enough to keep your attention and drag you back for more. It’s easy to pick and learn. You can use only your mouse to accomplish things by clicking. There’s no complicated controls or convoluted mechanics. 

    The game is perfectly laid-back in concept and actuality. You can pause the day, let it run normally, or even speed it up if you prefer. Plus, you can check the missions for the level at any time. What I found really neat was being able to save each villager’s request for a change to the street, which helped me better accommodate them. For example, some villagers prefer more egg in their ramen, and some wanted more daisies at the florist. I could save each of those comments and come back to them after the day ended so I could update the inventories of each shop. No guesswork or having to make use of my trusty notebook! 

    The color palette really adds to the charm of Minami Lane, too. It’s soft and pastel so it’s easy on the eyes, but nothing is muddled looking. This extends to the color choices you can make for your buildings, too. Nothing too bright or flashy is available, though I would love to see a larger color palette option for buildings. You can even pick a color for the park, which changes the colors of the trees so you can go for a cheery springtime cherry blossom look, or fun fall cozy look. Throw in the soundtrack with its peppy, but pleasant sound and it’s a perfect mix of visual and aural. 

    Final Thoughts

    I loved every moment of this game. The simplicity, the adorable graphics, the ease of use. All of it. Plus, you get to pet the cats that show up and they make that great little “brrrt” activation noise. Everything about Minami Lane is charming and wonderful, and I can’t recommend it enough! 

    You can find Minami Lane on Steam now!

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  • svgNov 9, 2023Indie Highlight

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    Have you been looking for something chilled out and relaxing to sit in the background while you complete homework or just take a break? Perhaps a gamified version that you can interact with and still achieve things in? Spirit City: Lofi Sessions is perfect for that! 

    Start by customizing your character with lovely hairstyles, outfits, and custom colors. Spirit City: Lofi Sessions is an idle game that lets you set the mood with lofi beats, background noises like rain or a fireplace burning, and the overall lighting. Pick the time of day and relish in the comfort of your spacious room. Laze about on the bed, sit on the comfy bean bag chair by the fire, or get studious by sitting at the desk. You can even customize the space with decorations, so it can reflect your mood. 

    What really makes Spirit City: Lofi Sessions much more than just your run-of-the-mill idle game, is the productivity tools. You can craft your personal to-do list to keep you on track. Use the pomodoro timer to complete work, but also take necessary breaks. All work and no fun, after all! Which, you’ll earn experience as you use the game, and those points can be used to unlock more customization and lore about Spirit City. Plus you can collect a number of different fun spirit friends to accompany you while you work!

    This seems like the perfect productivity game!

    Coming Soon

    You can find Spirit City: Lofi Sessions on Steam, where you can currently Wishlist it. Expected release is Q2 of 2024.

    Perhaps check out this list of games from a recent Steam Next Fest while you’re at it!

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  • svgNov 1, 2023Indie Highlight

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    Looking for a relaxing and strategic game to play? Look no further than Growth! In this gorgeous hex-grid based strategy game, you explore and populate a procedurally generated world. Campaign mode puts your skills to the test by having you grow your own idyllic landscape. During your explorations, navigate around obstacles like mountains as you transform the landscape from a wasteland to lush forests, beautiful meadows, and many more biomes. Expand these biomes to discover 8 different animal species, each with their own abilities. Those abilities will help you further explore and create a beautiful map full of different landscapes. And with a super replayable gameplay loop, paired with intuitive gameplay, this game is perfect for filling up a few minutes of free time or relaxing after work. So what are you waiting for?

    Available Now

    You can find Growth on Steam now!

    Equilinox let’s you nurture your own flourishing ecosystems. Or if you like Zoo Tycoon type games, check out Fantastic Haven.

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  • svgSep 13, 2023News

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    I’ve previously played the cute Everdream Valley, and written a review. At the time, the game was far from a finished product. It was pretty empty and had some other issues. Even as I wrote the review, the devs, Mooneaters, added some features that improved the quality of life of the game. And now, they’ve released a roadmap of new features they intend to work on implementing!

    October Update

    October brings a great update that includes fast travel! One of my chief complaints was how big the Everdream Valley map is, making adventuring a little tiresome because running everywhere was the only option. The developers have been listening, though, and fast travel is certainly an exciting new addition that will improve the game. The fun doesn’t stop there, though. You’ll get access to a new lawnmower tool that allows you to tidy up lawns and hedges. Which sounds like a great way to further decorate and personalize your farm. You’ll be getting new plants to decorate with too! Add some charm and vibrancy to your little farm with a riot of natural colors. 

    Then there’s my favorite part. A Halloween event! Get spooky with fun new items and decorations. Even get dressed up in costumes. I can’t wait for that. There’s nothing like making your home cozy with pumpkins and ghosts. Perhaps the best update, however, if the addition of multiplayer! That’s right, you and your friends will be able to team up to play Everdream Valley together. There’s no word now on how many people can play in multiplayer as the feature is currently in beta, but even just making it two players would be great.

    Roadmap

    As for the rest of the intended updates, here’s the list straight from Everdream Valley’s Steam page:

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  • svgAug 31, 2023Indie Highlight

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    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!

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  • svgAug 24, 2023Indie Highlight

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    A terrible storm rages around you and casts your vessel into the rocks of a nearby island. You wake up to your ship in pieces, shipwrecked on an island full of frogs. Discover what there is to find on this strange new island. Mingle with the locals. Also work to repair your ship. You’re in charge of how your adventure unfolds in Time on Frog Island

    Explore the sandbox world at your own pace. Perhaps run around to take in the sights or experiment with items you find. Any item in Time on Frog Island might be useful in your adventures by helping you run faster, jump higher, or fall slower. You never know what will come in handy, so try everything! Get to know the local frog villagers and help them out where you can. Even learn new skills from them, then put those skills to the test around the island!

    When you’re not exploring, perhaps try your hand at farming or fishing. You can even brew some potions that will change how you get around the island. And when you’re tired of all that, work on fixing your ship! Ask the residents of Time on Frog Island what items you’ll need for the job. You’ll probably need to complete a quest or do a frog a favor in order to obtain your item, but why not lend a helping hand? You’ll even spend time solving fun puzzles to get your hands on the items you need to repair your ship. 

    Available Now

    Time on Frog island is available on Steam and Nintendo Switch now!

    Looking for more froggy fun? Checkout Frogun, A Frog’s Tale, and Frogsong.

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  • svgAug 23, 2023Indie Highlight

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    You wake up on a bizarre, unknown island. There, you meet mysterious statues and curious creatures. Bond with the creatures to use their unique abilities to venture deeper into Ikonei Island. Meet the locals, create your own homestead, and uncover the mysteries of the island!

    Ikonei Island not only lets you befriend and bond with some fantastic creatures, but gives you freedom to create and play how you wish. You’ll harvest materials around the island using tools and creature abilities. Then, build workshops to create materials. Use those materials to build all kinds of fun decorations to turn the island into your very own paradise. Even create and nurture your very own farm. Use different tools and systems for increased efficiency, and plow the land, plant the seeds, tend the crops, and harvest your bounty!

    Get to know the locals of Ikonei Island, each of whom has their own intriguing story. Get to know them and they’ll give you invaluable knowledge about this mysterious island. There’s even a crew of greedy pirates who have taken up residence on the island. They have plans to take over the land and profit from it, but you can’t let them do that. It’s up to you to stop them to keep the peace on the island. 
    Ikonei Island is also co-op capable! Gather up to 4 players to play this cute little adventure together. Everything from farming, building, and questing can be done together.

    Available Now

    Ikonei Island is available now in Early Access on Steam.

    Want more adventure? Try REKA and A Tiny Sticker Tale.

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  • svgAug 16, 2023Indie Highlight

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    Assemble with Care is a charming puzzle game with a rich, evocative story. You play as Maria, a world-traveling antiques restorer. She’s recently arrived in Bellariva, a sun-soaked town full of problems. Maria doesn’t know just how broken the town is until she dives into the lives of the inhabitants. 


    It’s Maria’s job to repair the broken items the townsfolk bring her, but she can’t help but delve into their personal lives too. Assemble with Care is all about fixing what’s broken, and you and Maria will do just that. Not only will you work to repair the sentimental items of the townsfolk, but you’ll learn about their emotional lives and come to love their quirks. Fix their beloved items as well as their relationships with each other!

    Available Now!

    Assemble with Care is now available on Steam and Apple Arcade!

    If you want another charming, relaxing game with similar vibes, check out A Little to the Left!

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