All posts tagged in Xbox
Mar 21, 2024
Set out on an exciting adventure in this whimsical exploration platformer Promenade! The Great Elevator has been broken, and its cogs are now scattered across the world. It’s up to you to explore the world and find those missing cogs. You’re not alone, though. Your trusty little poulp friend has many abilities that you’ll find useful in your journey.
Promenade is a colorful and cute game that features a unique world full of puzzles, mysteries, and so much more. Encounter unique characters. Explore dungeons and defeat the bosses you find there. Use different items you find to your advantage, too. Nothing is off limits!
Inspired by classics like Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, Spyro, this game is sure to be entertaining.
Release Date
You can find Promenade on Steam, Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation now!
Re:Fresh is another cozy platformer you should check out!
- Mar 20, 2024
I recently wrote a review for Spirittea, which is a lovely cozy game where you run a bath house for spirits instead of the usual farming that’s taken over the cozy genre. Overall, I enjoyed the game as the characters are fun and unique, the spirits add a sense of levity (especially your guide Wonyan), and the art is pretty. I’m really excited that there’s a new update for it called the” SpecQUACKular Update”!
This fun new “SpecQUACKular Update” adds a few fun new things, plus fixes a bunch of bugs! Spirittea now has ducks, which I’m sure you could guess from the name of the update. The ducks can swim around the baths in the bath house, eating the algae that forms. So, not only are they cute, but they’re helpful too! There’s also a new vendor who will roll into town every once in a while carrying new items to sell. Seasonal mechanics are now present in the bath house, too. Depending on the seasons, the baths will fill with algae (hence the ducks), ice over, or fill with fallen leaves. You need to keep the baths clean and employ the new bath heaters! Bruce has new animations, and the fishing pole has a reticle so it’s easier to see where you’ve thrown your line.
Bug Fixes
Fixed error where items could be lost by placing them on shelves and tables
Fixed issues with items disappearing within inventory
Fixed issue where NPC’s would disappear behind the restaurant
Fixed bug where NPC’s would become stuck on a path upon reload
Fixed issue with Quill where on Saturday nights at the food stall he would ask if you want to stop hanging out with him
Issue fixed with NPC’s appearing on the map at a certain location but them actually not being there
Fixed issue where NPC’s couldn’t be found during tutorial quests whilst with Amelia if you had quit to main menu mid game
Fixed multiple issues in Miko’s quest around the mysterious rabbit and cake
Fixed issues with a softlock during Leigh’s quest if you spoke to the spirit behind the canvas
Doubled ugligrass spawn rate
Fixed issue with Clarence’s quest where the statues wouldn’t come back if you left the room
Fixed issues with the boar where they could hit the player when they were passing into another room
You can find Spirittea on Steam, Switch, and Xbox now!
- Mar 14, 2024
Spirittea is a cozy life sim all about helping out mischievous spirits. Developed by Cheesemaster Games, this relaxing sim is perfect for anyone looking to branch out from the usual farming sim. You play as yourself with some customization options, and you’ve just moved to a tiny town in what feels like the middle of nowhere. It’s generally a peaceful town, but the spirits have become restless and lost now that the townspeople have stopped worshiping them. It’s up to you to not only restore the bath house to give the spirits an outlet, but you’ll need to track them down and solve their problems, too!
Overall, It’s an Enjoyable Game
I’ve followed the development of Spirittea for a while, because as much as I love farming sims, having something different in the cozy game category is great. Plus, I love the idea of living in a rural Japanese-inspired town and running a bath house for spirits. It’s like my own personal Spirited Away without the consequences and bad guys.
The game starts with you meeting all of the townspeople, much like every other life sim out there. This time, though, you have Jan the dog to show you around. Speak to Jan and they’ll lead you to the villager, instead of aimlessly wandering around the town looking for people. It was an enjoyable way to force you to meet everyone and get a chance to see the town as you do it.
Being able to sleep at any time of day to advance the day by a few hours, or all night, is seriously one of Spirittea’s best assets. Sometimes you don’t want to open the bath house. Instead, you want to go fishing and catch some bugs, but you also want to do it at night. So, hop in your cozy bed and advance the clock! It was great when I was just done with the day and wanted to move on period.
Throw in the spirits with their different storylines and histories, and Wonyan being a sassy bit of comic relief, and it’s an intriguing game overall. Each of the spirits shows up in their own way, and requires some type of help that differs from the last. Plus, they look unique and have some great dialogue of their own. The character designs are done well, so everyone looks different from each other and easy to distinguish. The town is easy to navigate and explore, too. Everything together makes for a delightful experience.
There Are Some Cons, Though
As much as I enjoy Spirittea, there are some problems with the game. I thankfully didn’t encounter any bugs or glitches, so I suppose these are more gripes than anything. However, there’s definite room for improvement in some aspects.
My biggest issue is the map. It sways. When you open it, instead of the landmarks, houses, and trees being stationary, the sway and bounce to the music. It was a motion-sickness dilemma that posed a problem throughout my whole play. Plus, trying to find someone in the apartment building can be difficult because the sprites stack on top of each other so it’s hard to distinguish who is who. And if you’re at the apartment trying to see if your target townsperson is there, your marker is huge and covers up a good portion of that stack.
I enjoyed Spirittea’s addition of mini-games, and that they were unique. There was no carbon copy with a slight difference. I initially picked the hardest song possible in karaoke and wondered why it was SO hard, until I realized my mistake. The controls for that mini-game are great, though. My problem was with the fishing mini-game. You move your thumbstick the opposite direction instead of in the direction of the circle you want to select. It’s not very intuitive, and it wasn’t very cozy to have to stop and struggle every time I fished. Worse was the drinking mini-game not telling you anything about how to play or what controls to use. You just have to figure it out. Good luck!
Final Thoughts
I would still recommend Spirittea to cozy gamers looking for something different than the usual farm sim. It really is a delightful game, despite some of the issues. The storyline is unique, the characters are fun, and the visuals are nice. I really enjoy running my own bath house, too. It was simple and easy, and just overall fun!
I give it:
You can find Spirittea on Steam, Switch, and Xbox!
- Feb 28, 2024
Lightyear Frontier by developers FRAME BREAK and Amplifier Studios is a peaceful open-world farming sim set on a planet at the edge of the galaxy. Live a quiet life on this breathtaking planet as you settle into farming and exploring. So, hop into your customizable mech and see what this alien planet has to offer.
Lightyear Frontier combines modern technology with classic farming. Customize your mech with fun paint choices and use a variety of tools to accomplish tasks. Need to plow some land and water seeds? There’s tools for that! You can also unlock new things through upgrades, making your mech more powerful. Raise a variety of fun crops and trade them for credits or materials to be used on building up your homestead. Explore the gorgeous planet to discover the planet’s past and gain lost knowledge. While out exploring, take time to nurture your relationship with nature by cleaning up the environment, removing invasive weeds, and replanting trees you harvested.
Play this lovely farming sim solo, or with up to three of your friends. Create your perfect homestead, and uncover everything your new home has to offer!
Release Date
Lightyear Frontier is coming to Steam and Xbox March 19th!
Check out Sugardew Island, another upcoming farming sim!
- Jan 25, 2024
House Builder is a first-person immersive sim where you become a one man construction crew who builds homes. Travel the world and through time to build different designs. Learn about new technologies as you progress. Use different techniques and tools as necessary to create a variety of beautiful homes across the world. Sometimes even demolishing things is necessary!
If you enjoy simulation games like Zoo Tycoon, where you have a hand in every aspect of things, House Builder is likely a great one for you. Take a hands-on approach as you process materials and use tools to build a mud hut in Africa, an igloo in the Arctic, a log cabin in Siberia, and many more. Each house consists of hundreds of elements you need to match to the design plans. As you progress through the game, and the ages, you’ll learn about different technologies that will help you build better homes. From materials, to structures, you’ll get the chance to use everything you learn. Use tools to craft the houses, and upgrade your skills to use better tools which will make building go faster. Build to your heart’s content with this beautiful sim.
Limited only by your imagination and bank budget, what will you create?
Release Date
House Builder is available now on Steam. There is also a VR version if you really want to immerse yourself! Plus, you can find this game on PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch.
I’m also excited for the upcoming Paralives game, where home building is available too!
- Jan 10, 2024
The year is 1986 and you play as Meredith Weiss as she takes a step back from her busy tech career to deliver mail in her hometown. Lake follows Meredith as she returns to her lovely home town of Providence Oaks, Oregon, a sleepy lake-side town with just a few residents. You’re filling in for your dad for the next two weeks as you explore the town and get to know the residents. Some are friendly new faces, and some are familiar pals you grew up with. Deliver mail during the day, then spend your after work hours keeping to yourself or hanging out with friends. There are no wrong or right answers in this game, but they all shape your experience!
Gameplay
I found Lake to be somewhat frustrating at first. You walk SO slowly, and there’s not a ton to do besides deliver mail and talk to people. Then I realized, that’s the point. In a world full of high adrenaline platformers and fighting games, this one forces you to slow down and enjoy the simple things in the world around you. There are no cell phones or modern computers to distract you. You deliver mail in a gorgeous town, build relationships with the townspeople, and just take in the scenery. Plus, driving around is fun, and the autopilot feature allows for some great sightseeing.
This is an ideal walking simulator, really. The mountains in the distance paired with the lovely wooded areas of town, and the idyllic small-town are so peaceful and perfect to just stroll through. The sun shining adds a relaxing atmosphere to the unhurried little town. Plus, there’s no timer or clock to compete with. Lake doesn’t have you on a schedule to deliver to each house by a certain time or within a certain limit. You can just get to it when you get to it, so take the scenic route around the lake! When you’ve finished your mail route and any side tasks you want to complete, you can return to the post office to end the day. Then, you’ll have the chance to hang out with friends or chill out at home. Rinse and repeat.
Graphics and Audio
The graphics in the game aren’t top tier, mind-blowing by any means. However, the scenery is still beautiful. Providence Oaks is adorable, and driving through some of the tree-lined roads is highly cathartic. Lake’s homes and their yards border on perfection, which makes them a little too cookie-cutter, but they’re well designed. The character’s facial features seem a little plastic as only the eyes and mouth move, but they’re always well dressed. The clothing choices often scream ‘80s, which helps with setting the time period. Otherwise, there isn’t a ton that makes the game feel like it’s in the ‘80s besides some of the movie posters at the rental store.
As for the audio, Lake’s mail truck is equipped with a radio that plays country-pop songs. Thankfully, you can toggle the radio on and off, because the songs are far from my idea of enjoyable. They often were too loud for my tastes, too. I would have much preferred some ambient muzak or lo-fi jams, but these songs are fairly on-brand for the time. They felt overpowering, though. The music didn’t fade into the background and mix with the scenery to create the perfect relaxing experience.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I really enjoyed Lake. It was relaxing and set in a gorgeous area. I know many people had issues with glitches early on, but I’m guessing they’ve been patched out by now as I had no issues. Engaging in a short story delivered through character interactions made it easy to learn who people were while getting some backstory on Meredith, too. Plus, no timer or clock lets me chill out and explore and get things done at my own pace. It really allowed me to just take in the scenery.
If you enjoy walking simulators with little to do gameplay-wise, and enjoy slower games, this is for you!
I give it:
You can find Lake on Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation.
- Jan 10, 2024
Neva is the moving tale of a young woman named Alba. Play as Alba as she sets out on an emotional journey about identity and growth. With her wolf companion by her side, she’s searching for a new home. The world is being overcome by dark forces, and those forces also threaten to overwhelm the pair at every step. Determined to defeat the darkness, you and the wolf cub will explore a dying world in search of a new home. As your journey goes on, the cub will grow from a rebellious cub, to an adult who seeks to forge his own adult image, challenging the relationship he has with you. Although you love your wolf companion, his growing up strains your friendship. It will take love and compassion to overcome all obstacles.
Armed with courage, steadfastness, and fortitude, will you make it to a new home safely and together?
Release Date
You can find Neva on Steam where you can add it to your Wishlist. There is currently no release date, though. It’s also been announced for Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch.
Mirth Island is another heartfelt adventure.
- Jan 10, 2024
Homestead Arcana is set in a stunning world where deadly Miasma threatens life. You play as a farmer witch who settles on the land that this mysterious Miasma corrupted. Spend your days discovering the secrets behind the appearance of the Miasma, as well as caring for your farm by planting and harvesting crops. Then, heal the land of the deadly mystery plaguing it.
Explore areas of Homestead Arcana that are covered in the dangerous Miasma to go toe-to-toe with deadly creatures. Learn why the Miasma came about, but also find fun new things! Venture into the corrupted land to find new plants, seeds, spells, and recipes. You might also find some useful knowledge along the way. Prepare those spells to ready yourself for your toxic adventure.
Release Date
Homestead Arcana is currently available on Steam and Xbox!
If you’re looking for more witchy games, check out Witchy Life Story, Spells & Secrets, and Grimoire Groves.
