Hands-on with Cozy Playtest is here, where I discuss several games I have had the pleasure of playtesting. I’ve followed LadiesGamers for the longest time, so what better place to write about my experiences than here! You can find my other playtests here.
Playtest: Clean Up Earth
I participated in a playtest of the game Clean Up Earth. The actual playtest required that players download the game onto their computer, which I was not comfortable doing. When I explained this to the devs, and they very kindly offered to send me the key to the unreleased demo on Steam. They said the playtest was essentially the same as the demo. I appreciated their understanding. I played solo, but there will be other options available.
Clean Up Earth was created by Magic Pockets and will be available on Steam. The premise is fairly simple so it’s easy to get started right away! You are equipped with a Terra Cleaner, a superpowered vacuum which can be upgraded. I love the sound the Terra Cleaner makes when you use it, kind of a “chuga chuga” sound. In the game, you clean a wide variety of environments, all of them super detailed, very realistic and beautiful. It’s a familiar yet very satisfying game loop of finding a mess, cleaning it up and leaving the area more beautiful than when you arrived.
It’s a very gratifying game because when you have completed a level, the flora and fauna come to life.
I played Clean Up Earth on a PC with a controller. I ran into some difficulties as I tested the game. The game devs were really responsive and helped me figure it out. They are also making changes to Clean Up Earth based on the comments by other testers. I am always encouraged when game devs do that; it shows their dedication to the quality of the game they are creating.
Clean Up Earth will have at least 15 levels when completed. In the playtest, we were able to play 6 of them. The game can be played solo, in co-op mode with some friends or as part of a large-scale community online mission. I enjoyed my time playing this game. It’s very low stakes and relaxing.
There’s no release date for Clean Up Earth on the Steam page, but there is now a demo available so you can try it for yourself.
Playtest: Olga (Episode 1)
I had the opportunity to participate in a playtest for the game Olga Episode 1 by Workbench Entertainment, a small indie studio based in North Macedonia. The full game will be released in episodes that slowly unravel the bigger mystery. I absolutely loved this game! It’s specifically designed for players like me. Players who want a good story, an immersive environment and no pressures. It’s a walking simulator-type game with a story to tell, set in a secluded mountain village in Belovodica, which is indeed a village in Macedonia.
The Gameplay of Olga Episode 1
The story begins in Olga’s bedroom. You are tasked with finding 5 items for her to put in her backpack. They are scattered around the room, and there are visual cues to help you find them. There are also a lot of other items in the room that you can interact with, which will give you Olga’s background information. Once you find the 5 items, you put them in the backpack. You can actually hear the zipping up of the bag; there’s great attention to detail in this game!
Then you take a car ride with your parents to your grandparents’ house. You’ll be staying with them for a few months (in their secluded mountain village!) while your parents attend to important business things. The dialogue in the car informs you of your parents’ motivations and priorities. Hint – you are not a priority. Your parents literally drop you off at the edge of the forest, and during the playtest, you need to find your way to your grandparents’ house. All alone. In the forest. Did I mention you are an 11-year-old girl?
The rest of the playtest took place in the forest. While it wasn’t a traditionally scary location, it was unsettling. Don’t get me wrong – the graphics are fantastic, you feel like you are right there in a forest. But while exploring, you find the empty campsite of a lumberjack and letters which he’d received from the villagers. They described how desperately they need his firewood as they are cold. You also stumble onto the empty campsite of a hunter. In his journal, he describes how he needs to provide more food for the villagers because they are hungry, but someone keeps releasing the animals from his traps. There is palpable tension between these two men, and it also appears something has happened to the people of this village, which has caused them distress. I wonder what it is….
Olga is an animal lover and sees some lovely animals during her time in the woods. She actually releases a couple of rabbits from the traps the hunter had set. I know she did this with the best intentions toward the rabbits, but I could not help wondering if perhaps the villagers really needed those animals as food?
In the playtest, you solve some environmental puzzles. Not too difficult, but a slight challenge. (Just my type!). You manage to get to the home of a local villager and help him with a task before the playtest ends. I appreciated how the game gave me one task at a time. When that task is completed, I have another. It’s a nice, slow, relaxing pace.
I played on a PC with a controller. At this point, using a controller is a bit clunky. The devs are very aware of this and intend to correct that for the final game. They are very committed to creating a high-quality game. Since I played an early playtest of Olga Episode 1, some aspects of the game may have changed. But the main concept will remain.
This game is unique and really intriguing. What has happened in this secluded mountain village? Olga Episode 1 is scheduled to be released at the end of the year, but a demo will be available before then. I encourage you to try it!
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