Come on in, get yourself a nice cup of coffee or tea and pull up a chair.
Last week I shared that my daughter got her diploma. And now I can share that this must have been her lucky week, as she landed herself a job as well! But first, there’s a holiday planned. We count ourselves lucky! Anyway, let’s take a look at the news that caught our eye this week; enjoy!
Take our Survey: Video Games and Mental Health
In the last YvoCaro Plays I talked about how difficult it is to explain Animal Crossing to a non- gamer. You can describe exactly what it is you do on your island, but it’s so much more than that. Researching the internet I found articles about the health benefits of Animal Crossing. Very intriguing that Animal Crossing, a game I dearly love, and I suspect so do many of you, has such a profound effect on people.
Of course, New Horizons was released right at the start of the pandemic, but still. I’m sure there are a lot of games that help us in the same way. Time for a survey!
Everdream Valley Making You Dizzy?
Always love it when a developer like Mooneaters stays on top of things even after a game has been released! On the Discord for Everdream Valley, they asked players if they have any feedback on experiencing motion sickness while playing the game. Now I recently featured an article about gaming sickness, so this caught my eye. I must say, I did feel nauseous while playing Everdream Valley on my Steam Deck, but I didn’t have any trouble on the Switch.
So if you have experience with that, you can give them feedback on their Discord channel, which you can find through their website. What’s interesting too, is that they have included an Anti Dizzy Dot option in the game settings. I’d never heard of that, but I will surely try it.
Tired of Cleaning House?
Why is the number of games about cleaning being made rising? Funny to think that though the real task at home can be so demanding, it can be such a calming experience in a game! After titles like Fresh Start and Power Wash Simulator, another one is coming to Steam.
Terahard Studios has recently released a demo for Monster Mop Up on Steam, and it looks like excellent cleaning fun. Here’s the description:
“Grab your mop, your high-tech trap, a pair of trusty gloves and get ready for Monster Mop Up! Rescue adorable little Ragamuffins, clean their mess, and build their home. Your relentless efforts to keep our existence concealed from humans are greatly appreciated by the Ministry of Monster Concealment. Adorable little Ragamuffins are crossing over to the human world and are wreaking havoc. You have to set out to clean their mess, leaving no trace behind. Whether you are cleaning at a leisurely pace, or actively seeking out the Ragamuffins, you’ll discover new and funny ways of cleaning messes in this sandbox game! Fulfill your Ragamuffin Retrieval requests, by providing a home to those little creatures – with dozens of customization options nonetheless!”
You can find the demo here, which Kalina will check out for LadiesGamers!
A Combination of Books and a Video Game
A new game is coming to Steam, featured in last month’s Wholesome Direct: Tiny Book Shop. In this ambient narrative management game, you open a tiny bookshop by the sea. Stock your tiny bookshop with different books and items, set up shop in scenic locations, and run your cosy second-hand bookshop while getting to know the locals.
It sure looks cozy and interesting, but we don’t know a release date yet. More information on the game here.
Tiny Thor Soon on Nintendo Switch
Tiny Thor, a charming 2D platformer that feels like it has been plucked from the good old retro days of platforming, was already available on Steam (James’ review is here) and will be released on Switch pretty soon too. From August 3rd you will be able to join Thor, who has just received his hammer, Mjolnir, for his 8th birthday from Odin.
He’s got a little time to play before his big birthday bash, so he goes exploring. Soon he encounters an Elf-looking NPC who needs your help sorting out a Queen wasp problem. However, before Thor knows it the quest turns into something a bit more significant, and he needs to save the nine realms and prevent Ragnarok itself.
Permanent Price Drop for Video Game Fables
A year ago, James reviewed Video Game Fables and found it worthy of our highest praise, two thumbs up. He wrote in his conclusion:
Video Game Fables is an example of a game you shouldn’t judge by its cover or in this case graphical style. It’s clear the solo developer has put a lot of hard work into creating this world whilst adding some unique flavour to the RPG mechanics with its levelling system and use of critical moves. With flexibility in the levelling system, it allows the player to really create the RPG experience that suits them. Sure the game has a little grinding and some sections feel they go on longer than needed. However, the sheer originality and effort on display here, is why I decided to give this the highest recommendation. I found plenty to love and hopefully you will too.
Now, the game has gotten a permanent price drop for its one-year anniversary from $ 19.99 to $ 13.99. In the past year, new gameplay content was added to the main game with a Sticker Collection. Plus, there’s paid DLC ($ 2.99) that features over 40 super-challenging arena battles and an extremely difficult super boss. You can find the new trailer below:
Christmas Themed DLC for Lake
I know, with the sun out while lounging on the beach, it’s not really the time to think of Christmas. But this trailer to the new Christmas themed DLC that is coming might get you in the mood already. In this trailer for Lake: Season’s Greetings you will get a glimpse at some of the early work being done to transform the small town of Providence Oaks into a gorgeous, festive winder wonderland.
This DLC shows the prequel to the relaxing mail carrier narrative adventure and introduces a new chapter to the story. It presents a different perspective to many of the familiar faces players know from the main story.
Pick Up Your Parasol and Parachute Through the Skies
I just know James will be thrilled with this news: the legendary Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble III is coming to PlayStation 4 & 5, Nintendo Switch and Xbox at the end of 2023.
Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble III is a classic platformer developed by TAITO that first graced the gaming scene in 1991. As a sequel to Rainbow Islands and the third instalment in the legendary Bubble Bobble series, it recaptured the magic and charm that delighted fans worldwide. While it never made its way to arcades, it instead captivated players on home consoles, such as PC Engine and TurboGrafx, and home computers like the Amiga. Now, it’s time to relive the excitement as Parasol Stars makes its triumphant return to modern platforms!
That’s it for this week; thanks for reading!