All posts tagged in sci-fi
May 2, 2024
Little-Known Galaxy is a super cute space-based farming sim by developers Carbon & Kay. In this game, you’ve recently joined the Space Alliance as a new captain-in-training. The Space Alliance assigns you to a working spaceship, but it’s seen better days. Together with your new crew, you’ll live life on the cozy ship, explore the galaxy, solve the mysteries of the ancient relics found on the Grey Planet.
Start this exciting galactic adventure by creating your own customized character. Use your Restoration Ray to clean up the captain’s quarters and other parts of the ship that are uninhabited. Then, get to know your crew members as you’ll be living in close quarters with them. Little-Known Galaxy is self-described as a farming sim, too, because you’ll start your own container farm in your quarters. Plus, there’s crafting, cooking, microbe research, and more! Explore new worlds to gather resources, upgrade and restore your ship, fix the on-board museum by donating specimens to it, and even romance some of the characters. If you play your cards right with keeping crew morale up, procuring enough resources, conducting the proper amount of research, and restoring the ship well, you’ll even rank up to full fledged captain! There’s so much to do in this cozy game, it’s sure to keep you glued to your computer.
Release Date
Little-Known Galaxy releases on Steam May 20th! In the meantime, you can add it to your Wishlist and try out the demo to get a small taste of what’s to come.
- Feb 29, 2024
I got to experience the closed beta version of this game thanks to the developer and publisher!
If you missed the last time I talked about Time & Galaxy, then let me get you up to speed! This game is a vibrant, quirky visual novel where you play as the galaxy’s first robot reporter. You’ve just begun your internship at the renowned holopaper, Times & Galaxy, and you need to prove your worth. Take on different assignments and brush up on your journalism skills as you investigate the scene of a crash, interview contestants in a contest, or gather quotes from onlookers. Then, use the Build-a-Story tool to create your piece!
Gameplay
Times & Galaxy is a visual novel, so you just need WASD keys to move, and your mouse to click. Interact with your crewmates, as well as the people you want to interview using the mouse, and that’s it! It’s simple and easy to play, which is perfect for focusing on the engaging dialogue you’ll come across.
I was immediately captivated by this game. Every single character design is unique. Personalities are different from each other. Plus, you interact with over 100 different characters across the whole game. I experienced a limited closed beta version, so did not encounter all 100+ characters, but if you like visual novels, you need to! The characters I did get to interact with were fun to get to know. Some were grumpy, some upbeat, and every other flavor of personality you can think of. And all of the dialogue was interesting. Not a single conversation made me bored, so there’s clearly been a lot of thought and care put into this game. You can even flirt with people, or robots, or aliens! You, a robot, exhibiting flirting skills was possibly the highlight of interacting with folks, too.
I really enjoyed traveling to the different locations in Times & Galaxy, too. Each assignment let me see a small peak at the different planets in the galaxy. Not to mention, each assignment was super unique. One was a shuttle crash site where I examined the shuttle and interviewed people. Another was a cat show fluff piece where I got to visit with the cats and talk to their owners. I don’t think there’s a single thing in this game that I can call boring. It’s quirky, fun, humorous, and overall just great.
Visuals and Soundtrack
If you aren’t as charmed by the beautiful visuals as I am, then we need to talk. They are vibrant without being overwhelming and just fit the story and setting so perfectly. I couldn’t imagine playing this game without these lovely graphics. They’re clever and add so much life to what is ultimately a limited view of the galaxy. You spend most of your time on the ship or at specific places for your stories, often a single room or area. So, it’s important that the visuals (and dialogue) make an impact. And they do!
Pair everything with the great soundtrack and Times & Galaxy has really nailed what it was aiming for. The music fits each scene and situation perfectly. It doesn’t overwhelm, either. You’re not listening to the same track over and over again. Nor is anything obnoxious. Each track fits well where it is and sits perfectly in the background like it should.
Final Thoughts
If you don’t have Times & Galaxy on your Wishlist already, what are you waiting for? It’s so charming and funny. The characters and situations are fun. The visuals are gorgeous. The soundtrack is great. What more could you ask for from a game?
I give it:
You can find Times & Galaxy on Steam!
- Feb 22, 2024
Set out on a vibrant interplanetary adventure as the very first robot reporter for the Times & Galaxy. You’re just a simple intern for the solar system’s most trusted holopaper. You might be able to keep your job if you do it well, though! Take this unpaid opportunity to get the scoop on exciting situations like shuttle crashes, intersolar cat shows, even space ghost funerals. Write great stories and impress your coworkers, and you just prove you’re worthy of the newsroom.
Your job in Times & Galaxy is to get the necessary interviews (there’s over 100 characters!), find clues, and investigate the scene. There’s always more to a story than what appears on the surface, too. So whip your conversational and investigative skills into shape to get all the answers. Then, piece together your story with the Build-a-Story tool. Your choices impact the quality and tone of your story, plus how your editor and readers interpret the article. The reputation of the paper is at stake, too. When you’re not busy with assignments, get to know a unique cast of humans and aliens that serve as your crewmates and coworkers. Or spend some time in the Garden where you can plant seeds to restore its beauty and take a relaxing break.
Do you have what it takes to become more than just an intern?
Release Date
Times & Galaxy is listed on Steam and set to release some time this year! There is currently a demo available.
Little-Known Galaxy is another interstellar game coming soon to Steam.
- 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!
- Apr 24, 2019
Trüberbrook, a mystery adventure game, is set in rural Germany in the late 1960s. Play as an American physicist, Hans Tannhauser, and discover why your dissertation on quantum physics notes have been stolen! Trüberbrook was released for PC on March 12th, 2019 and now you can buy the game today, as of April 17th, 2019 on PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One.
Hans Tannhauser happens to win a trip to the tranquil village of Trüberbrook. This place is an old but beautiful health resort somewhere in the densely forested countryside of West Germany. He decides to go in order to work quietly on his PhD thesis. But, something in the town seems odd and now you’re suddenly thrown into a puzzling sci-fi mystery!
While investigating the case of your stolen notes, you run into quirky villagers, travelers, and spa guests. They will give you tasks as you begin to wonder whether you’re truly in Trüberbrook by chance.
The Visual Style
Something rather noteworthy about this game is its unique visual style; the whole scenery and all backdrops were built as real miniature scale models. They were then captured with a 3D scanner, digitally polished and blended with animated characters, visual effects, and set extensions. See more information about it below.
All the locations were designed in advance and built by hand in the workshop. For several months, set designers worked on the dollhouse-like miniature models. These were then individually staged and filmed. Among other things, we use small lamps and many colorful foils to simulate different hours of the day, different seasons and weather conditions. We then use a process called photogrammetry to digitize the models.
By Hannah Kloth – Casting TeamThe Team
Trüberbrook is develeoped by “btf GmbH”, published by “Headup”, and co-funded by the “Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg”. The game is made up of quite an extensive team of talented individuals. See below on what inspired them to create this mystery thriller.
Mood and atmosphere of the game are inspired by TV series like Twin Peaks, The X-Files, and Stranger Things. The game mixes German folklore with a gripping sci-fi storyline, covering universal themes like love, friendship, loyalty, rootlessness, self-discovery and monster hunting.
By Hannah Kloth – Casting TeamFor more point-and-click adventure games with mysteries to solve, check out our articles about Deponia and Firewatch, both available to play right now!
