Come on in, get yourself a nice cup of coffee or tea and pull up a chair.
Several people remarked this week how January seems to be such a long month. Of course, it’s no longer than some others in the year, but the bleak weather, short amount of daylight make people yearn for February. Slowly the gaming industry is gaining momentum again, so time to look at the news we gathered this week for you.
Your Cozy Farmshop: Sugardew Island
After a surprising storm and a shipwreck, your journey begins as you wake up on a deserted island. What can you do but try to make a living for yourself? Collect Harmony by selling goods to the forest folk, heal the island and overcome the thorns. Run your own cozy farm shop, take care of adorable animals, and sell your delightful goods to the charming Forest Folk!
What’s not to like? A Kickstarter campaign for Sugardew Island is coming, until then, check out this video for the new game.
Atelier Resleriana is Available
Instead of the expected date of January 31st, Atelier Resleriana, Forgotten Alchemy, and the Ploar Night Liberator were released on January 25th. The free-to-download game on Steam, iOS and Android, with in-app purchases, is a Cinematic Alchemy RPG with some awesome visuals. This time, we don’t follow Ryza but a new protagonist. There is a tactical, timeline-based battle system and an easy-to-use but still profound synthesis system. The reviews on Steam are mixed so far. I haven’t had a chance to look at it myself, but you can expect my thoughts on the site!
Save Avalice in Freedom Planet 2
On April 4th, the high-speed platforming adventure Freedom Planet 2 will be released on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One.
Return to the vibrant world of Avalice to battle an ancient threat in the long-awaited sequel to the surprise indie action-platformer hit Freedom Planet. In the years since the original game’s events, our three heroines have refined their signature abilities, making them more formidable than ever before. Take advantage of Lilac’s speed with her Dragon Boost, reach new heights with Carol’s Jump Disc or motorcycle, or take a more measured approach with Milla’s shield. And the all-new playable character Neera won’t be left out in the cold, as she can use her powerful Frost Arts to punish foes.
With 24 expertly designed stages, an ambitiously expanded Adventure mode, retro-but-refined 2D visuals, and the addition of the highly requested Boss Rush mode, Freedom Planet 2, this seems like a real James game!
Demo Fae Farm Available
Good news if you haven’t decided to go for Fae Farm yet: there’s now a demo available in the Nintendo eShop. Here’s the demo trailer!
Content Update My Time at Sandrock for Switch
The version of the Nintendo Switch of My Time at Sandrock could do with an update to make the performance better. And aside from that, Pathea has announced a big content update (no date yet). To celebrate this, the price for My Time at Sandrock is 20% in the eShop until January 31st. The update will have these additions:
For the explorers…
- Added Northern Starship Hazardous Ruins, challenge your skills and earn valuable resources.
- Dozens of new romance side quests for Fang, Logan, Nia, Qi, Grace, Amirah, Owen, Ernest, Catori, Jane, Unsuur, Pablo, Venti, Burgess, and Elsie.
For the fashionistas and socialites…
- New Wardrobe furniture type for hanging up your collection and picking the right one before going on the next side quest with your favourite NPC.
- Ability to dress up NPC in brand new costumes!
- Romance away with more NPC preferences and wishes.
- Save your precious memories with the group photo feature.
New ways to enjoy marital bliss…
- Have and raise the perfect child with your chosen partner.
- Go on adventures with your partner in special marital side quests.
- Ask your partner to follow you around in your day-to-day activities.
For the builders…
- The Factory allows you to manage all your machinery and what they produce in one central location.
- The Greenhouse allows you to manage, harvest and maintain your plants all from one location.
- Added load indicator allowing you to know how many more items can be placed in the Workshop.
And by popular demand, according to the developer, more beard choices!
Spiritfall has a Release Date
Last year, James wrote down his early impressions of Spiritfall and felt the game showed a lot of promise in that early stage. It’s good to know then that Spiritfall now has a release date on Steam: February 28th.
Here’s the new trailer for this Smash-like rogue-like game.
Dreamed Away Starts Kickstarter
Pixel art indie RPG Dreamed Away is expected on PC, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One & Series S/X in Q1 2025. To gather funds to support the game’s development, French developer Nicolas Petton and Polish indie game publisher Pineapple Works are launching a Kickstarter campaign on February 1st, 2024.
Dreamed Away is a pixel art indie RPG heavily inspired by games such as Earthbound and Omori, whose action takes place in France in the 90s. You play as a little boy, Théo, who is lost in a dark and mysterious world that seems like a dream. On a rainy summer night, Théo wakes up in his bedroom and realizes his parents and his sister Louise have disappeared. The true nature of the world reveals itself. Ghosts, Phantoms and Revenants haunt Théo inside the catacombs and dark places where he searches for his sister – always a step behind and never able to catch up.
Fancy Flying a Skatebroom?
Magic Rain Studios has unveiled the Demo Teaser for ILA: A Frosty Glide, an enchanting adventure game set in a magical world with a cosy atmosphere. In this game, players take on the role of ILA, an aspiring witch on a journey to reach a summit by improving her special skatebroom’s flying ability. The game offers gravity-defying platform puzzles, customizable witch appearances, and enchantments. The experience is enhanced by an original soundtrack by Joaquim Scandurra (Sku), which evolves as players approach the summit.
ILA: A Frosty Glide was originally developed in just 19 days during the Bigmode Game Jam. The demo is now accessible on itch.io here. It showcases Magic Rain Studios’ unique combination of longboarding and magical elements.
Pocket Oasis: the Balcony Garden in Your Pocket
Coming out on May 8th, Pocket Oasis is a charming gardening game created by the Swiss indie studio knit’n’purl. The game will be released on Steam and Switch later this year. In this laid-back simulation, players can relax and enjoy tending to their small balcony garden, growing plants, decorating, and reaping the rewards.
Choose from three beautifully illustrated European backdrops, each with its distinct weather systems and climates to consider when growing your plants. Much like gardening in real life, Pocket Oasis progresses at a relaxed pace with no stressful quick-time events or taxing puzzles to solve, offering players a welcome break from the busy world around them. Take in the original score, each city boasting its unique music, and admire the beauty of your balcony. Every single element is skillfully hand-painted by watercolour artist Ioana Mihai, providing a truly breathtaking backdrop as you tend to your quiet section of the city.
The House of Tesla Coming
If you loved your time in The House of Da Vinci, you’ll be pleased to know that a successor is in the works.
Journey through a brand new adventure in The House of Tesla, filled with handcrafted puzzles, hauntingly beautiful locations and challenges for your brain’s grey matter. Explore the world through the eyes of one of the most famous inventors, the father of electricity, the man behind alternating current, science wizard Nikola Tesla.
Science brings mysteries toward the light one by one, strips them of their secrets, and makes them part of something greater. It is true that some myths are rooted too deeply, are too resilient, and even seem like having a mind of their own as they resist men of science trying to shine the light of understanding. But in the end, science and mystery are anything but anathema to each other. On one stormy night, a person was brought to this world. A child of darkness and a child of light, full of mysteries and full of scientific curiosity, just starting to build a myth of their own.
Here’s a trailer:
That’s it for this week. Have fun gaming!