Come on in, get yourself a nice cup of coffee or tea and pull up a chair.
Another sunny and hot week over here; time for the holidays! Only, I’ve still some weeks to go before our travels. This time our destination will be Scotland. Looking forward to it.
Anyway, let’s take a look at the news that caught our eye this week; enjoy!
Release date Cities: Skylines II
Paula’s gaming week couldn’t go wrong with this announcement: Cities: Skylines II, the eagerly anticipated city-builder from Colossal Order and Paradox Interactive, will release on October 24th for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles.
Check out the first trailer for the new game!
A Little to the Left DLC Coming
Did you like A Little to the Left? Sorting, stacking and organizing household objects into particular arrangements? We know Mina does, so we are preparing to clean out the cabinets and secret compartments of the home with even more charming illustrations, surprising scenarios, and 25 delightful new Cupboards & Drawers-themed puzzles to discover.
Developer Max Inferno and publisher Secret Mode have uncovered a 27th June release date for the upcoming A Little to the Left: Cupboards & Drawers DLC on PC, Mac, and Nintendo Switch.
Take on the Role of The Last Alchemist
Now I must admit that I pay extra attention when I see anything related to the word alchemy in a game title. So, the interesting news is that Marvelous Europe and Vile Monarch announced that a demo for The Last Alchemist, the wondrous alchemy simulation game, will be available in the upcoming Steam Next Fest, June 19th-26th. The game is expected on Steam in 2023. Here’s the game’s description:
Embrace your weird and wonderful role as The Last Alchemist in the world as you build your workshop from the ground up, practice alchemy by solving puzzles, befriend and understand the Agari folk, and roam a vibrant world packed with brilliant resources to bring home and make use of.
Explore colourful and enchanting landscapes rich in resources, secrets, peculiar plants, fungi and minerals and extract essences from each item you collect, fuse them together and obtain the Properties you need to discover the wonders of this charming world. Craft your alchemical laboratory and optimise production by working closely with the Agari, these cute but cryptic mushroom folk that will help you find the cure for your mysterious disease.
Mobile Unpacking
A favourite of ours, Unpacking (check out our review here), is also coming to mobile devices towards the end of 2023!
Steamworld Build
Thunderful and internal development studio The Station has offered a deeper dive into the upcoming SteamWorld Build via a new trailer that debuted this week at the Future Game Show. Due to release on PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch in 2023, you can dig into the next entry in the SteamWorld series between June 19th and June 26th, where a SteamWorld Build demo will be part of the Steam Next Fest. Paula wrote her demo impressions last January and was very enthusiastic about the game!
As is tradition with this beloved franchise, SteamWorld Build takes a well-known genre. It gives it a unique twist, delivering a multi-level city-building experience that tasks you with constructing a thriving town above ground while mining resources and dealing with monsters below.
GameBoy Advance Fire Emblem
If you are a Fire Emblem fan, you’ll be pleased to know that the GameBoy Advance game, Fire Emblem, is coming to Switch Online on June 23. Featuring all the fierce tactical combat and rich, intrigue-filled storytelling the series is known for; Fire Emblem was the first instalment in the series to launch outside of Japan. Plus, it also marked the debut of the hero Lyn, who you may know as the Emblem of Blazing from Fire Emblem Engage!
In Fire Emblem, the nation of Lycia stands on the precipice of war after centuries of peace. Turmoil grows as noble houses plot treason, allies become enemies, and armies stand poised for combat … all while a mysterious figure manipulates empires from the shadows. Now Lyn, along with Eliwood and Hector, must amass their own army to fight back against the forces that would destroy everything they hold dear – and before the world is burned to ash.
You must have a Nintendo Switch Online membership to play it on your Switch.
HORSE CLUB Adventures 2 Premium Update
Aimed at a younger audience, HORSE CLUB Adventures 2 is getting a premium update called Secrets of Skeifa Island. The update will be downloadable for € 13,99 and only available for the Nintendo Switch and opens up a new and vast island of adventure.
At the port of Hazelwood, Captain Francis has arrived with his ferry and brings the main characters to a new and exotic island location. On the island, players can dive into classic HORSE CLUB Adventures action – meeting friends, riding horses, taking on quests, and embarking on adventures. Players must uncover a long-hidden secret on the island about an ancient tale of a mysterious ghost horse haunting the island. Spread across the island. There are also several new racetracks, popular balloon games, and a new minigame in which players will befriend wild horses roaming throughout the island.
Demo Spells & Secrets
A year ago, Mina saw the potential when she previewed Spells & Secrets, though she noticed it did need more work. Now, the official demo for Spells & Secrets is available on Steam. You can now experience the complete first act of the game, including cosmetics, co-op mode, spells, and puzzles.
Release date Koa and the Five Pirates
Remember Summer in Mara? Developer Chibig has embraced the universe of Mara and is bringing us another game that takes place in that magical world. This time, we follow a young Kao and Napopo chasing pirates through a new tropical archipelago and helping restore Qälis in Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara. We now have a release date for July 27th for PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series.
Unlike Summer in Mara, Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara will not be a simulation game but an adventure game. You have to outwit traps, manoeuvre dangerous environments, and explore a series of dazzlingly different landscapes on your quest to recover stolen pirate loot.
That’s it for this week; thanks for reading!