Critical Reflex has revealed Denkiworks�upcoming courier title, Tanuki: Pon’s Summer. It stars one of Ja??pan’s beloved “raccoon�dogs and is coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and P?C.

It’s going to be very difficult to not make juvenile innuendo here, so I’m first going to point you in the direction of this article ??to help you understand what I’m referring to when I speak of the Tanuki’s substantial endowment.

I’m not sure said tacklebox is going to be alluded to in Tanuki: Pon’s Summer. Instead, you play as the stripèd canid as they go about their business as a ??bike courier, which must be uncomfortable for them. I feel like I’ve been talking about mail delivery games a lot lately, but I also think that it’s a good profession to center a game around. 

But beyond just thrusting packages toward waiting recipients, you also can take part in other summer activities such as bug catching, plating sushi, karaoke, baseball, and everyone’s favorite summer pastime: sumo. If this game doesn’t end with a fireworks festival, I don’t know what’s real anymore. You can also pull off tricks on your bike. I doubt it will be quite as stylish as Courier Corps, but I also se?e no reason why you wouldnâ€??™t want to do backflips on your bike.

Tanuki: Pon’s Summer is clearly aiming for the cozy descriptor, which I’ve had mixed feelings on. It also promises that you can befriend the locals and “manage your relationships with an intuitive, emoji-based dialogue system!�My snob sensibi??lities go into overdrive at the word “emoji.�Surely a Tanuki would have other ways to impress the locals.

Tanuki: Pon’s Summer is coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.

The post Tanuki: Pon’s Summer has you slinging packages all summer appeared first on Destructoid.

I think it’s plain to see that cozy games are som??ething of a soft spot for me. There’s nothing I love more than relaxing with friends, real or in-game, to escape the pressures of the real world and the stress I encounter every day. ??;

What better way to unwind than relaxing in be??d, or in the ba??th, or simply away from the computer, with a Switch in hand. Cozy isn’t restricted to big consoles and PCs, you can take the entire experience on the go. 

I’ve played a lot of games which could be ??considered ‘cozy�in my time, and here’s 10 of the best that I’ve found. The good news? All of them can be purchased through the Nintendo eShop, so there’s nothing stopping you from starting a play through right now.

A Little to the Left

The concept of A Little to the Left is simple; organise household items into small spaces in order to make them fit, with the occasional interruption of a chaos causing cat. If you get a kick out of a good spring clean, or enjoy organizing the space around you, then you’ll love A Little to the Left. Some? of the puzzles can be a little challenging at first, but there's a huge sense of satisfaction when you figure out where everything goes.

Unpacking

If you want a deeper look at Unpacking, check out our in-depth look at it, but here’s the TLDR:

Unpacking is about, as you might expect, unpacking. You’ve got to unpack boxes and place items in a variety of rooms in a way which makes sense. What might surprise you is the depth of the story, and the strong connection that you’ll end u??p having with the person whose belongings have been entrusted to you. Although you never meet them, you get to know them and their story through their household items. 

Donut County

I think it’s safe to say that I’m a fan of Raccoons, so I might be a little biassed here. However, Donut County is a hole.io style game with added stories and characters to fall in love with. Although the gameplay is pretty linear, there’s a weird sense of satisfaction that comes from swallowing the items of the world in a big dark ??hole, ?and that leads to replayability. 

Stardew Valley

I think this one goes without saying, but Stardew Valley i??s definitely a cozy game that you need?? on the Switch. Wherever you are, you can take the farm with you and progress your story. Farm on the go, or connect to the TV and form connections with the villagers in Pelican Town on the big screen. 

New Pokémon Snap

There are no battles in New Pokémon Snap, which already puts this right up there on my own personal list of cozy Switch titles. It’s essentially a Pokémon where?? you take photos of the Pokémon in order to document them, and get to the bottom of weird phenomena in the area. You don’t even have to move, as you move along a sort of track that takes you where you need to go, so you can just get snap ha??ppy.

Dorfromantik

Dorfromantik is like a puzzle with no pre-determined result. All you need to do ??is place down individual hexagonal pieces in order to create a landscape. Connecting similar tiles together will cross off goals and unlock new tiles, allowing you to create endlessly changing worlds. This one is really good for getting mildly creative and allowing yourself to forget about the real world.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Animal Crossing is one of the OG cozy games, and you’re never going to be short of things to do if you start a new game. Meeting new villagers is only part of the fun, and creating and designing your island is endlessly sat??isfying. Ther?e’s a whole community of people willing to share their items, open their island for visits, and even allow you to come shopping. 

Tavern Talk

Tavern Talk is what happens when a game makes you the NPC. As the bartender of a fantasy tavern, you don’t move or go anywhere, but you still get to see the world change around you through the people who come to drink at the bar. Your tasks are simple - make drinks and create qu??ests for patrons to complete, then listen to their stories. 

Spirittea

Spirittea is adorable, and although it can be hard to get to grips with the enormous map to begin with, the characters you meet in your new countryside life are fun and memorable. Y?ou leave the city and begin a new life in the countryside, but things aren’t all as they seem and there are spirits in the town, which often scare the residents. 

Things get more complicated as you progress, and eventually you'll need to run your own bath house for the spirits. Spirittea is like Spirited Away i?f it ??were a pixel sim, and it's one of my favorites.

Disney Dreamlight Valley

Imagine taking Animal Crossing and replacing all of the villagers with beloved Disney characters, and you’ll end up with Dreamlight Valley. To begin with, the Valley is fairly empty and overtaken by darkness. You unlock new characters as you progress, unlock new biomes, place their homes, and become closer to them to get rewards. Fishing, mining, and farming still play their role in Dreamlight Valley, and you’ll never run out of things to do.

The post 10 Best Cozy Switch Games appeared first on Destructoid.

There seems to be something of a tidal wave of cozy farming sims hitting the market currently, and it can be hard to tell what makes one stand out against all the rest. Back in June, I played the demo for Garden Witch Life, and fell in love with it.

Garden Witch Life is out now on PC (via Steam and Epic? Games), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. If you play on any of the mentioned platforms and have been looking for a new cozy game to dive into, you should give it a try. 

After losing your job to mass layoffs and realizing that you’re not quite ready to head home to your parents and admit defeat just yet, you bump into May, who is a rather lovely anthro??pomo?rphic cactus with a café on Moonflower Island. Not only does she give you cake (which makes anyone instantly likeable in my eyes) and good life advice, but she goes out of her way to let you stay with her overnight. This cactus lady is very trusting of strangers.

Then, in what is perhaps the most generous move anyone could possi??bly make, she gives you the keys to an entire (admittedly run down) treehouse, along with a bunch of land that you can do with as you please. Apparently nobody else wants it, for reasons which are left unsaid, and of course you bite her hand off because who wouldn’t? If only real life were more like a farming sim. This is the first step in a massive life change, and we've all needed one of those at some point.

You’re then left to pretty much fend for yourself. Of c??ourse you have regular interactions with the many anthropomorphized townsfolk, and you have to do quests for them as well, but it’s very easy to forget about that aspect of the game entirely?. There are endless corners of the map to explore, items to be foraged, and even a few animals to be petted. You’ll keep going until you pass out. No, literally, but more on that later.

One of the best things about Garden Witch Life is the decoration aspect. In a move that makes me more happy than I could ever say, you’re not limited to right angles or a grid system when it comes to placing furniture. You can more or less freely rotate everything, and place it wherever you want. Items can slightly overlap to prevent irritating gaps, and squares are a thing of the past??. It’s beautiful. 

I will say that Garden Witch Life is not my perfect cozy sim game. There are things not currently in the game which definitely should be, such as crafting from storage. In order to craft or cook anything, you have to have the necessary resources in your inventory. It’s not that? much of a big deal, and you can easily work around it by placing chests close to the crafting bench, but it does add an unnecessary extra step.

Crafting or cooking anything, especially ear??ly on in a playthrough, will unlock more recipes. Turning logs into planks will provide the recipe for a wooden storage chest, for example. Gathering items works in very much the same way, with everything you pick up unlocking some form of recipe. I??t’s always exciting to see the pop-up telling you what you’ve learned, and I’ve found that I’m more driven to craft, knowing that I’ll get new recipes from doing so. 

The cooking mini-game is a joy in itself. It reminds me of my dearly beloved Cooking Mama. You use the chopping board to p??repare ingredients and then you need to cook them in the cauldron. You control the temperature, add ingredients one at a time, stir the mix, and eventually end up with a fully cooked meal to increase you?r stamina. All that’s missing is an interactive blow feature.

One of the things I’m hoping is added in future updates is some kind of warning before the end of the day. It’s very easy to lose track of time in Garden Witch Life, and??? I’ve found myself passing out at the end of the day multiple times simply because I forgot to look at the clock. I pride myself on my ability to never pass out from exhaustion in cozy games, so this has been a humbling experience. 

I’ve only just started my play through of Garden Witch Life, and I know that I am very far from unlocking and understanding all of the fea?tures that await me, but I know that I could throw hours of my life into creating the perfect hideaway treehouse and exploring everything Moonflower Island has to offer. I think the things that make me love Garden Witch Life are the very issues that I've mentioned above.

Life isn't perfect, but sometimes it throws you curveballs taking you in a direction you never imagined you could go. That's the lingering thought when playing, and I happen to love it when games impart valuable wisdom without really even trying. While Garden Witch Life might not be perfect, it's beautiful, charming, and it feels... Free. You can be whoever you want to be on Moonflower? Island, and we all need more of that kind of free??dom.

The post Looking for a new co??zy game? Try Garden Witch Life appeared first on Destructoid.

There are always new games being released which hope to break into the cozy market, and the latest is Critter Cove. The 3?D animal-based game takes inspiration from all of the usual titles, and was released into early access on Septem??ber 10. 

Before the game was even available to play, developer Gentleman Rat Studio revealed some of the updates which have already happened due to player feedback from the demo. It also revealed a roadmap for the ??game's first two major updates, set to arrive at some? point during early access.

If you’re hoping to dive into Critter Cove and have previously played the d??emo, you’ll be happy to know that your save file from the demo can carry over into the full game. This is something that the dev team hopes to continue with future updates, although it has been acknowledged that there may be issues with this moving forward. 

Updates to the demo

If you played the demo, you’ll know that there were some pretty standard features which were missing from it. However, the devs have put a ton of effort in to improving Critter Cove in time for the early access launch, with a lot of improvements and adjustments? coming as a d?irect result of player feedback:

• New locations

  • Sunken City
  • Hotter Tropic
  • Boomerang Bay
  • Five Little Crabs
  • Rig’s Outpost
  • Underwater areas to explore

• New quests and critters
• New plants, seeds, and recipes
• Recycler and underwater farming
• Improved and additional relationship building
• Radio to track weather and tourists
• Fins and wetsuits
• Fishing*
• Tourism updates

  • Sales carts
  • New recipes for tourist activities
  • Upgrade and decorate the town

• Additional customization, including a mirror to change character appearance
• Wall and floor customization in player house
• Museum ready for donations
• Clothing and furniture shop

*Gentleman Rat Studio revealed on Twitter that its has removed the Fishing minigame from the early access build for the moment, due to ‘accessibility issuesâ€? You can still fish, just wi??thout the minigame aspect. 

First major update

The first major update, which doesn’t have an estimated date of arrival as of yet, will increase the size of Critter Cove by a third, while also introducing further q??uest lines and other game play features.

Gentleman Rat Studio has said that while this is the planned course of?? updates over the coming months, there is a possibility that things will change depending on player feedback and priorities as the game goes through early access.

Here’s everything we ??can expect in the first major update:

• New locations

  • Reflection Pool
  • Research Island
  • Villager Island
  • Botanical Island

• Robo-helpers
• Copperbottom’s Story quest line
• New quests and critters
• Further customization options
• Crafting upgrades
• A whole new museum wing and gift shop
• Control remapping
• Steam achievements
• Options to change who lives in the town
• Bakery and Gym

Second major update

Again, there is no ballpark date for when to expect this second update, but it will add a lot of basic features to Critter Cove, as well as new areas to explore:

• New Locations and points of interest
• Expanded player housing
• Woolington’s Story quest line
• New equipment

  • Sea Scooter
  • Plunger Launcher
  • Metal Detector

• Townsfolk relationship enhancements

  • Seasonal celebrations
  • Birthdays
  • Home visits
  • Nicknames
  • Catchphrases

• Tourist attractions

  • Carnival
  • Ferris Wheel

• Further customization options
• New quests and critters
• Additional weather effects
• New recipes and salvage items
• Boat upgrades, including a new ship type
• Additional town buildings

  • Clinic
  • Dye system at the clothing shop
  • Salon
  • School

The post As Critter Co?ve enters Early Access, dev shares roadmap and ?details of future updates appeared first on Destructoid.

The Wholesome Games Steam event is here to announce new games and spotlight current releases, and one of today's reveals is Ritual of Raven. This witchy farming sim comes from Spellgarden Games, who previously worked on Sticky Business. It's currently due out th???????????????????????????rough publisher Team17 sometime in 2025.

Beyond Steam, Ritual of Raven is eyeing a release on Nintendo Switch. Spellgarden is aiming for maximum coziness with this one, as pr??evi??ewed in the announcement trailer below.

Ritual of Raven describes itself as a farming sim, but you actually collect and enchant Arcana Constructs to work on your magical herb garden for you. While these magical creatures help grow ingredients fo??r rituals, it's up to you to embark upon quests, befriend various characters, and get to tradin'. You'll also want to suss out what's up with all these portals that have been popping up throughout the land.

If the crux of your coziness lies in customization, it seems there's plenty ??of it to go around here. You can decorate your farm as you see fit, and you can also apply a bunch of customization options to the wider world of magic beyon??d your farm's borders.

Enchanting ingredients

So far, it all looks like it's eyeing a nice balance between chill sim gameplay and a touch of mystery lurking around the edges. If you want to try it out for yourself and happen to be heading to gamescom, Ritual of Raven will be playable at the event. Look for the demo at the Indie Arena Booth in Ha?ll 10.2 | F010 E019 for all your occult-adjacent cultivating needs.  

The post Ritual of Raven is a witchy farming sim? from the Sticky Business devs appeared first on Destructoid.

Pounce Light has announced that its free-form scene creator, Tiny Glade, now has a release date. It’s hitting PC on September 14, 2024.

Tiny Glade (I keep writing “Grove� is a cozy game where you construct little buildings using an impressively intuitive editor. There’s no judgement (no “wrong answers�as the developer says), so the go??al is to simply create scenes that please you. Maybe pet the sheep while you’re at it.

The unique hook here is its editor. It’s not grid-based, and features that you place adapt to being morphed. The structure adapts to objects placed, such as windows, so it’s all about plopping and dragging. It’s a game that really sells itself because even watching the trailer and the gifs on the store page is?? satisfying. 

I’m someone whose mind has been polluted enough by modernity that I feel the need to have some sort of progression, and it doesn’t look like Tiny Glade has that, but the creation kit alone has me wan?ting to play it. Considering the fact that poor life choices have practically ensured that I will never own a home of my own, the idea of bein?g able to easily create one from my imagination is appealing.

Tiny Glade had an impressive demo this past May’s Steam Next Fest. Paula Vaynshteyn gave it a look and came away with a craving for more.

We won’t have to wait long, as Tiny Glade launches on PC September 14, 2024.

The post Cozy scene-building game Tiny Glade is out in? September appeared first on Destructoid.

Dear Villagers and Studio Plane Toast are closer to nailing down a release date for their post-apocalyptic adventure, Caravan SandWitch. It will be out in September for PC, PS5, and Switch. The exact ??day hasn’t been?? announced.

Based on the name, if you asked me what Caravan SandWitch was, I would have guessed that it was a whimsical food truck game. Not so, as it’s actually a sci-fi, post-apocalyptic exploration game set on the planet Cigalo. It’s post-apocalyptic in the sense that humans ruined the environment, as we’re wont to do. There wasn’t an actual apocalypse there in the cosm??ic or religious sense.

Caravan SandWitch is billed as a “semi-open�world. It’s a journey, and along the way, you meet folks and help them with their problems. You drive across a “Provence-like�world in a van. There is ?no combat, no death, no timer. The art style and aesthetic execution look top-notch based on the trailers.

It’s been in development for a while, starting off as a small indie project that was described as an anti-Mad Max. There was also a demo released a while ??back. From what I hear, it did a good job highlighting the graphics and movement system, but ended abruptly before you got to any real meat. Hopefully, the meat?? is good.

We’ll find out next month when Caravan SandWitch launches on PC, PS5, and Switch.

The post Cozy post-apocalyptic exploration game Caravan SandWitch isn’t as delicious as it sounds, out in September appeared first on Destructoid.

If you’re a fa??n of ??the cozy side of gaming, August is set to be a very good month. August 15 in particular should be a date you mark off in the calendar, but there are other games coming this month as well to give you all the cozy vibes. 

On August 13, Tavern Manager Simulator finally gets its full release. This game sees you as, and I’m sure this will come as no surprise, the ??manager of a medieval tavern where you serve wanderers who come through the doors. You need to balance your stock levels, do ??the dishes, and gradually rebuild your tavern to what I’m sure was its former glory. 

Love, Ghostie is fully releasing on August 14. This game, which had a demo available during the latest Steam Next Fest, has you playing as a dead cupid. In a house full of animals, it’s up to you to decide who will make the best couples, and use your ghostly abilities to set them up u??sing a variety of methods. It’s very cute, and the stories which emerge are heartwarming. 

Oddada is the first game releasing fully on August 15, and if you took part in Steam Next Fest then you likely already know what this is. There’s no real goals in Oddada, all you need to do is make music by playing with toys. At the end of the game, once you’ve constructed your melody, you have the option to download your own music as a .wav file. The visuals are simple yet oddly hypnotic, and I can’t wait to somehow lose hours to Oddada.

Next up on August 15 is the latest DLC for Sticky Business, Camp Zinnias. This is the only of these releases that I haven’t played a demo of, but I have spent far too many hours on Sticky Business so I can attest to the ease at which this game will steal away hours of your life. Camp Zinnias ?promises new interconnected stories and lots of new nature themed stic?ker elements. 

And last, but absolutely not least, Just Crow Things is coming on August 15 to cause chaos and steal all the shinies. This is one of my?? most anticipated games of the Summer, and there’s something so appealing about wreaking havoc on unsuspecting people from above. Poop and fart on random members of the public while helping your animal friends with bizarre quests - doesn’t that sound like fun?

These aren't the only cozy games launching in August, but they're a small selection of some?? solid-looking offerings. Got any you're keeping an eye on? Let us know down below.

The post Five cozy ??games are releasing this Augu?st, and you should play them all appeared first on Destructoid.

If you’re a fan of cozy games that inspire creativity, challenge organizational skills, and feature a ton of unlockables, then I’m willing to bet you’ve heard of Sticky Business. Just a year after its launch, d??eveloper Spellgarden Games has a new DL??C on the way. 

This will be the second Sticky Business DLC. The first, Plan With Me, was released back in December 2023, and the second, Camp Zinnias, launches on August 15. 

There’s more to Sticky Business than meets the eye at first glance. Yes, at the most basic level, it’s a game about designing stickers. However, once you really get into it and start receiving requests for specific designs and f??illing orders, things quickly grow complicated.

Designing stickers is just one aspect of Sticky Business. You’ve got to come up with your p??rices, and those affect how many muc??h-needed sales you’ll make. This money goes right back into your virtual sticker business as you unlock new sticker slots and more designs to work with, purchase more paper, and set up your online store. 

Each DLC for Sticky Business comes with new design elements, packaging styles, and even more requests that need to be fulfilled. Camp Zinnias adds a bunch of nature-themed goodies and new interconnected customer stories, which will have you sending out stickers and fulfilling orders for new characters Zelia, Hazel, and others at Camp Zinnias. 

And, as I have a particular soft spot for making glitter stickers in this pixelated slice of cosy gaming, I’m happy to say that there are more glitter sticker designs on the way in Camp Zinnias, too. 

If you’re wanting to dive in and run your own virtual sticker business, you’ll need to first purchase the Sticky Business base game. It’s currently available on Nintendo Switch, Mac, and PC, where you can purchase it through Steam for $9.99 USD. Plan With Me is currently available for an additional $3.99 USD, with Camp Zinnias likely to be priced similarly.

The post Sticky Business expands its stick??er shop with nature-themed DLC Camp?? Zinnias appeared first on Destructoid.

The Lucky Dragon update is coming to Disney Dreamlight Valley on June 16. After the update, players will not only have a new realm and quests with Mulan and Mushu, as well as the brand new Majesty and Magnolias Star Path event, but ??also a new time-limi??ted event too.

The Inside Out 2 themed event, Memory Mania, will be available as soon as the update goes live on June 26 and will run until July 17, giving players three weeks? to complete daily requiremen??ts and unlock exclusive event rewards. 

The rewards for this event will be companions inspired by characters from Inside Out 2, including what is likely a very anxious squirrel who reminds me of Bucky from The Emperor’s New Groove, and a turtle in a hoodie who seems to be inspired by Embarrassment in Inside Out 2. 

I?n order to get these rewards, as w??ell as any others associated with the Memory Mania event, players will need to find event items which will spawn daily in order to complete memories. Once these memories are completed, you’ll be able to obtain the rewards. 

While it’s nice that players will have plenty to do when the Lucky Dragon update drops, there are some players (myself included) who feel that time-limited events would benefit players more if they took place during downtime. With everything coming all at once, it can feel slightly overwhelming and players c??an be left feeling as ??though their attention is split in too many directions. 

Hopefully the requirements for Memory Mania will be?? quick to ??complete each day, leaving plenty of time free to grind away at the Majesty and Magnolias Star Path event, or otherwise build friendships with Mulan and Mushu.

The post M??emory Mania event and new companions coming to Disney Dreamlig?ht Valley with Lucky Dragon update appeared first on Destructoid.

Tiny Glade has taken the cozy corner of the internet by storm since the release of its demo on May 30, with players sharing their builds and figuring out all of the tiny details over on Twitter and the game?'s official Discord ser?ver. 

Today, though, marks a huge milestone for the two-person development team Pouncelight �Tiny Glade is now on over one million wishlists on Steam, and it comes as no surprise. So what’s next for Ana and Tom, the minds behind Tiny Glade?

Well, not least of all they’re hoping to clean their kitchen, and honestly I know the feeling. However, top priority is a break after the chaos they’ve faced since releasing the Tiny Glade demo. With nearly constant demo pat??ches, they’ve definitely be?en busy making sure that everything runs smoothly. 

Tiny Glade Steam demo extended one week

Most importantly, they’ve decided to extend how long the demo will be live, giving players another week to dive in and start building their own tiny worlds. You now have until June 23 to download Tiny Glade on Steam and experience the joy that so many alrea??dy have, and continue to on ?a daily basis. 

Sadly, the daily prompts provided by the Nok Nok audio pair Oda and Martin will be coming to an end. These prompts have pr??oved hugely inspirational, allowing players to really test their building skills and come up with some gorgeous tiny builds. 

Over the last week, we’ve had the foll?owing prompts:

• Tiny House on a Hill
• Tiny Secret Garden
• Tiny Neighborhood
• Tiny Wizard Tower
• Tiny Mysterious Ruins

The final of these prompts is perhaps the best yet. Players have been tasked with building a Tiny Tavern, with Oda and Martin citing the need for somewhere to gather and celebrate all of the excellent demos experienced ??during Steam Next Fest. 

I first heard about Tiny Glade way back in 2022 and now that I’ve been able to experience the joy of playing it, I’m even more excited for the game to release fully later in 2024. I can’t wait to see how far Tiny Glade will go.

The post Ultimate cozy game T??iny Glade hits one million wishlists on Steam appeared first on Destructoid.

Special Delivery

When I checked out the Mail Time demo earlier this year, I had a number of reservations. It felt rough and directionless, both of which are okay in a pre-release demo, but don’t inspire much faith. I need some indication that the concept will be delivered on. I need to see some chops. There weren’t a lot of chops on display in the Mail Time demo, which left me feeling cold.

So cold that I almost passed on the opportunity to review it. I was afraid that this would be yet another “cozy�game that thinks that being wholesome means not having any pota?to on its plate. That it would focus so much on being non-threatening that it loses all it’s depth and becomes a hollow, uncharmi??ng experience.

And I was right.

No, I’m joking. I’m never right. Mail Time is a good time.

[caption id="attachment_375713" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Mail Time (PC [Reviewed], Switch, PS4, PS5)
Developer: Kela van der Deijl
Publisher: Freedom Games
Release: April 27, 2023 (PC), TBA (Console)
MSRP: TBA

Mail Time puts you in the tiny socks of a mail scout (in training). It’s your first delivery, and if you manage to succeed, you become a full-blown mail scout. Mail scouts deli??ver letters, if you weren’t aware. There are a lot of rules, and your avatar k?nows them all by heart.

The ?big problem is that you’ve only got a name to tell you where your delivery is going. To find them, you’re going to have to ask around, and you’ll soon find that everyone has a problem an?d want their mail delivered.

You’re very tiny, and everything else is extremely big. The aesthetic evokes a hand-drawn style, and while it’s not technically impressive, it’s visually appealing. As much as I love the lo-fi aesthetic that is currently conquering the indie market, it’s nice to see such a unique art style. The way the dialogue windows are presented using expressive? 2D images of the characters, much like a visual novel, is a very nice touch.

//youtu.be/6F5CJHqCruM

There goes the neighborhood

Mail Time isn’t a very big game, and I don’t mean that as a complaint. You’re let loose in a smallish open-world. It doesn’t take you very long to cross it, especially whe?n using your glider. However, all of its characters are nestled nicely in their homes. If anything, it’s a decent representation of an isolated neighborhood. Everybody knows each other and has some sort of opinion and gossip.

Considering objectives largely see you going from point A to point B to deliver messages and fetch items, the smaller world map is probably ideal. I kept hoping that there’d be another map that you move onto after completing the first one, but I later realized that would require you to leave all the charac??ters you met behind, which probably wouldn’t be as cozy.

There’s a decent amount of verticality and much to explore. The movement physics in Mail Time are rather loose an??d weightless in a less modern sense, but it really works for the game’s exploration. While the area you trek through is rather small,? there are a lot of visibly distinct areas to it. It reads very easily, making it difficult to get very lost.

[caption id="attachment_375716" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Fat cat

The story isn’t very deep, but the dialogue is charming. Just beware if you’re the type? to skip dialogue, because it’s extremely easy here. Text boxes pop up already populated, so you can end up striking them down as quickly as they appear.

The writing has a light and optimistic touch. People can be jerks, but not in a very offensive way. There’s a lot of clever wordplay and a tonne of amusing jokes mixed throughout. Skipping through it would be an unfortunate waste, which is why I bring up that it’s ?so easy to do. The concept of delivering mail works in an interactive medium because it gives you the opportunity to get to know the characters better,

Even if you do read every last drop of language, Mail Time is a rather short game at maybe around 2 hours. There are stamps to collect, secrets to find, and you can generally go at your own pace, but even if you go out of your way to experie??????????????????????????nce everything, it’s not going to stack up very high.

[caption id="attachment_375717" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Cottage-core fringe

I’ve become somewhat skeptical of the cozy cottage-core fringe of the indie market after being left disappointed by a few titles, but I’m happy to say that Mail Time delivers where I’ve seen others fall short. Try??ing to be friendly and welcoming doesn’t compromise it as a game. It manages to be compellin??g while not being challenging. It does this through breezy design, a lightweight world map, and enjoyable writing. It’s an excellent execution on its philosophy.

At the same time, it comes with a warning that applies to a lot of cozy games. It’s not a transcendental experience that is going to leave a permanent mark. It doesn’t aim to be taken very seriously. Mail Time wants to be an enjoyable and easy-going experience for everyone. It’s cute, inoffensive, and creative. Mail Time is perhaps exactly what we need more of.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Mail Time appeared first on Destructoid.

Who doesn't need a lil gator in their life?

I don't know about you guys, but I'm always hunting for the next cozy, relaxing game I can lose myself in. Based on the news I've seen today, it seems that experience is right around the corner in the form of Lil Gator Game. Wholesome Games is one of my favorite Twitter accounts to follow seeing as they keep me up to date on all of my wholesome game needs (of which I have many), so their endorsement means a lot to me. They've been thrilled about the upcoming release of Lil Gator Game, so I am absolutely on board.

As you may have guessed, you play as a lil gator who is exploring a beautiful island. You'll make friends with other animals, complete little tasks like skipping rocks on the water, or shooting at little cardboard targets, and of course you can take t?hings at your own pace to fully enjoy everything the island has to offer.

//twi??tter.com/PlaytonicGames/status/1602692402053058560

As much as I've love the many excellent action-centric games that have come out this year, the idea of not having any fail state or time limit sounds like a dream. The Steam page advertises that you can "climb, swim, and glide" your way around, and it seems to me like we're still seeing Breath of the Wild's in?fluence on open world game design �which I will ta??ke as a win.

Lil Gator Game is the debut for indie studio MegaWobble, and if the game lives up the trailers I've seen so far, I think they're going to be in it for the long haul. Their publisher, Playtonic Friends, has also helped release indie favorites like Blossom Tales II, Demon Turf, and A Little Golf Journey.

Lil Gator Game is available December 14, 2022 on PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch.

The post Wholesome?? Games highlight Lil Gator Game is out tomo?rrow appeared first on Destructoid.