Come on in, get yourself a nice cup of coffee or tea and pull up a chair.
Lots of gaming news to tell this week for big games like Harvest Moon, Against the Storm and Fashion Dreamer, but also for games that are the first proud products like Cat Journey and Petey Pedro unBEETable Adventure.
It’s turned into a long article this time, so enjoy!
Against the Storm Leaving Early Access
Publisher Hooded Horse has announced that Against the Storm is leaving Early Access on Steam on December 8th! At the same time, the game will be available in the Microsoft Store and in Game Pass. Over a year ago Paula gave the Early Access release our highest rating, saying:
If you are a fan of rogue-lite and want a new challenge, try Against the Storm. For those who like city building and can adapt to the ever-changing random aspects and all the strategic elements the game offers, you will find a lot to love in Against the Storm.
Against the Storm has seen some significant developments since then, with content updates every two weeks bringing a host of major and minor changes. Two new species were added to the game, including the popular Fox people, and new mechanics in the form of Ancient Seals transformed the endgame. There were also significant reworks to the strategy layer and Blightstorms, not to mention loads of new glade events, buildings, and more.
The 1.0 update on December 8th brings a new game mode called “Queen’s Hand” for experienced players. In this mode, players face a tough challenge: they have only one Cycle to reforge the game’s toughest task, the Adamantine Seal. Starting from scratch, players must carefully choose upgrades since they are costly, and it’s impossible to get a complete set in this mode. Additionally, there’s permadeath, if players abandon a settlement or fail to reforge the Seal in time, all progress is lost, and the overall game progression resets. Those who succeed will earn the title of Queen’s Hand and get a special audience with the Scorched Queen.
House Flipper 2 is Coming to Steam
On December 14th, 2023, House Flipper 2 is coming to Steam. Are you ready to flip that house? The new trailer below shows a sneak peek into Pinnacove, a place with a cool story connected to every spot. It started as a little fishing village and turned into a busy tourist hub over time. Players will flip homes there, taking inspiration from each area’s vibes and history.
Pinnacove’s design is inspired by real places and different architectural styles. Players can explore the calm suburbs, the charming Crayfish Coast, and the peaceful Coralroot Forest, each with its challenges and opportunities.
In this game, each place looks and sounds different, with ocean waves, forest sounds, and suburban life adding to the experience. Every neighbourhood has unique furniture and decor, with over 2500 items available in the sequel, making it even better than the first game.
House Flipper 2 offers a detailed experience. Each renovation has a personal touch – homeowners share stories, making each project more interesting. Pay attention to their needs and secrets because they might lead to more tasks. Orders come through emails, and every home is like a puzzle with a hidden story. It’s up to players to observe, understand, and restore not just the structure but the story and spirit of the home.
Fashion Dreamer Update
On December 5th, Fashion Dreamer is getting a Free Winter Collection Update with New Features, Items and Ciào Magazine Collaboration.
The Winter Update brings new stuff like patterns, Muse parts, furniture for showrooms, and photo frames. Muses can now have more clothes and show off their styles. You can get some of these new looks through the Limited Time Fair, a free in-game system that gives influencers monthly tasks for cool rewards. The first Limited Time Fair had a fantasy theme with almost two dozen items in a butterfly dream design.
There’s also a new Muse Notebook, like an in-game diary, to keep memories of Muses. You can use the Lookbook to save and name your favourite outfits for quick changes or to show others. Plus, all Muses get a T-shirt and a Photo Egg frame in collaboration with some cool stories.
Petey Pedro unBEETable Adventure
After working on its development for the past five years, developer Sparkley Barkley Games brought Petey Pedro unBEETable Adventure to our attention. They describe the game as “a nostalgic game for those RAD 80’s and 90’s kids”.
In the game, you have to help Petey Pedro get back home after falling into a magical world where the SWEETS he chose over a healthy beet are now his worst nightmare. Want to give it a try? The demo is available here on Steam, and it’s playable on Windows and macOS.
Republic of Pirates Announced
PQube has announced their new pirate-themed city builder and real-time strategy game ‘Republic of Pirates’, coming to Steam and Epic Games Store in 2024. Set sail to the heart of the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy and establish a pirate utopia. Create a resource-based economy, grow your population, engage in real-time naval combat, and navigate complex diplomatic relationships with rival superpowers as you search for the ultimate fortune and glory.
In Republic of Pirates, you’ll be tasked with founding a modest outpost on a remote Caribbean island and growing it into a sprawling pirate settlement with a self-sustaining economy. Construct production buildings such as sugar plantations and rum distilleries to cultivate and refine resources and distribute goods via a network of couriers, warehouses, and black markets to increase the wealth of your citizens.
Visit the inn to recruit talented captains and utilise the shipyard to build up a powerful fleet before taking to the waves in the name of conquest. Command your ships in real-time as you plunder merchant vessels, clash with rival pirate clans, and liberate islands to add to your burgeoning republic. Expand your reach while shrewdly navigating complex diplomatic relationships with influential trading companies and rise above the global superpowers of the time!
Update for Atari 50
Atari and Digital Eclipse announced the first free update for Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration. It’s coming on December 5th, 2023, just before the holidays. This update adds 12 Atari 2600 games that fans love, including official releases, homemade ones, and even some lost prototypes. Atari 50 is like a gift that keeps getting better.
The holiday update for Atari 50 adds 12 new games to the collection, giving new gamers a deeper look into the history of the gaming industry. It includes prototypes, homemade games, and official titles, making the virtual museum even more exciting. This update is just the beginning – Atari and Digital Eclipse plan to add more games, concept art, and interviews with industry legends in future updates. So, there’s more fun to come!
The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered Date and Trailer
We’ve mentioned it before, but now The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered has a release date: March 22nd, 2024, on Switch, PS4, PS5 and PC! First released on the 3DS in 2015 and made by FURYU, it has a turn-based fighting system and classic RPG gameplay. Check the new trailer!
Stardew Valley: Festival of Seasons New Tour Dates
Great news from SOHO Live! They organize live concerts with awesome video games and anime music. Now, due to lots of people wanting it, they’ve added more dates to the Stardew Valley: Festival of Seasons tour.
The new dates cover more places in Europe, Asia, North America, and Oceania, making a total of 13 countries. The tour now includes cities like Paris, Milan, Manchester, Tokyo, Auckland, and San Francisco. In total, there will be over 40 nights of amazing gaming music, making it the biggest concert tour for an independent video game!
The Stardew Valley Festival of Seasons tour features music from the popular game played by a chamber orchestra with talented local musicians at each stop. More info on the official tour website.
Cat Journey, a Cat World on Mobile
We got the news in our mail about Cat Journey. A 2D action-platformer that tells the story of the adventures of a red cat who sets out to rescue his kidnapped sister. Its combat system has a variety of weapons, spells, and abilities of the main character. This, combined with a multitude of diverse enemies, provides a dynamic and engaging gameplay experience.
An interesting element that affects both enemies and the main character is the addition of traps, adding complexity and unpredictability. Cat Journey’s unique levels offer new challenges and change the usual gameplay, keeping players tense. But it’s not only fighting: interactions with NPCs promise to make the story more immersive.
Where it gets interesting for you cat lovers out there is that the developers have created five unique music compositions with cat meowing, deepening immersion in the game and giving it a unique character.
Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos Relaxed Update and New DLC
Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos will receive a patch update that adds Relaxed Mode next month. Stamina loss will be reduced when walking and running, and days will be a bit longer so you can get more done! I’m very happy with this change!
Added to that, there’s another DLC package, this time for new crops, fish and recipes!
Faefarm Free Update Coasts of Croakia
Phoenix Labs has shared news about Fae Farm: Coasts of Croakia, the first big update for our magical farm game. In this new update, players get to explore a fresh realm, meet mysterious characters, and take on new quests. There are exciting things to discover, fun encounters, and new gameplay features.
The update will be available on December 14th, 2023, for free on Nintendo Switch and included in the Deluxe Edition on PC. Get ready for more magic on your farm!
Open-World Survival Craft Game Under a Rock
Publisher Gameforge and indie developer Nordic Trolls have announced their new game, Under a Rock. It’s coming to PC through Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation consoles. In this survival craft game, players need to build, craft, and explore to stay alive and thrive on a colourful but mysterious and dangerous island.
Walk the path of an early nineteenth-century explorer, recently stranded in an exotic and strange new land. A world draped in mysteries once thought lost to time, this land experienced completely different evolutionary paths, with exotic creatures roaming dangerously.
Survivors can build a base, explore dark caves, swim through underwater environments, and traverse a diverse surface world, facing a myriad of unique challenges and discovering much-needed resources. Players must fish, fight, farm, craft, and more as they build their new island base and hope to fight off the forces of nature and terrifying curses.
Under a Rock utilizes procedural level generation to offer a new gameplay experience every playthrough. With multiplayer co-op available for more than ten people and a deeply diverse character creator, players can look forward to surviving a vast new world of fearsome flora and fauna together.
That’s it for this week; thanks for reading!