Weekly Wholesome Gaming Round-Up February 17th, 2024

Welcome to our Weekly Wholesome Gaming Round-Up, once again packed with news. About two REDWALL™ book-based video games, a partnership for Farmer’s Dynasty 2 with STIHL’s and the third update for Fashion Dreamer. A free content update for A Weekend in Puzzleburg, a survival adventure called To the Star in a world inspired by Alice in Wonderland and 10,000 puzzles in Islands of Insight. The Kickstarter for pixel art RPG Dreamed Away is already funded halfway through, you can also go on a wholesome hot-air ballooning adventure in Passing By – A Tailwind Journey, join Brok the InvestiGator on mobile and don’t forget about the constantly growing BunHouse!

REDWALL Series: Two Games

Well, this news brought back memories: I know the REDWALL books by Brian Jacques, though I never really got around to reading them all. But our deceased gaming friend Lynne did, and she was super enthusiastic about them. So, the fact that Forthright Entertainment, together with developer Soma Games, is launching two video games on February 20th is great news.

In The Lost Legends of Redwall™: The Scout Anthology, you step into the epic, story-rich world of Mossflower through a linear action-adventure game told in three acts. Play as Liam or Sophia, the newest member of the Lilygrove Scout Corps, as the young mice find themselves on the journey of a lifetime to save their home from ruthless pirates. Will they reach Redwall and save their friends before all is lost?

In The Lost Legends of Redwall™: Feasts & Friends, a cute and cosy cooking simulation, you visit the peaceful town of Lilygrove. Join Scout-Chef Rootsworth in the kitchen as you challenge hand-crafted recipes, meet a charming cast of characters, forage fresh ingredients, and enjoy a beautiful small-town story. Get ready to prepare a feast for your woodland friends!

The Lost Legends of Redwall™: The Scout Anthology will be available on PC via Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S and The Lost Legends of Redwall™: Feasts & Friends on PC via Steam.

Use STIHL in Farmer’s Dynasty 2

Do you know farming game Farmer’s Dynasty 2? Do you tend to such an idyllic farm surrounded by picturesque landscapes? In the game, you can enjoy the seasons to build, farm and feel the country life in this open game world. As it’s a first-person game, I never played it myself, but you might be interested in this news snippet.

Toplitz Productions has teamed up with STIHL, a leading chainsaw and power equipment maker, to bring their products into Farmer’s Dynasty 2. This means players will get to use STIHL’s tools in the game, making it feel more realistic. Whether it’s cutting, mowing, or cleaning, the game will now include these tools for a better simulation of farm life. Toplitz Productions is happy about the partnership and believes it will make the game more engaging by offering players high-quality tools for their virtual farms. More info about the game is here.

Free Content Update: A Weekend in Puzzleburg

On its first anniversary, A Weekend in Puzzleburg has released a free content update titled This Town Ain’t Big Enough. Available now, the update adds new characters and quests to the game, enriching the player’s experience. It includes an Old West-themed hide-and-seek quest with a character named Billie the Kid, where players need to find her four times in the town.

The update also allows players to influence the narrative by choosing a child who might become the town’s future mayor. We loved the base game when it was reviewed and gave it a Two Thumbs Up! 

To the Star: Inspired by Alice in Wonderland

The release date is still to be announced on Steam, but To the Star will really shake things up in the survival adventure game world with its wacky, “Alice in Wonderland”-inspired fantasy land. I mean, the tagline is this:

It’s a kind of game where you smack a cotton candy rabbit, collect its ingredients, and make a shrinking cupcake to fling into the ‘face’ of a cosmic slug

In To the Star, you get to craft all sorts of weird stuff in your own little dimension called the Briefbase and go head-to-head with some wild creatures to figure out the deal with a fallen star. You’ll be mixing up bizarre ingredients – think snail slime and snake meat with a dash of your own bottled-up feelings or dreams you’ve given up on. You can munch on these crazy dishes yourself or chuck them at enemies to literally throw your feelings at them, followed by a satisfying burp.

The game’s got a cool twist on crafting, letting you mix and match materials to make your own recipes for food, weapons, and gear, as long as you’ve got the right tools. And that ordinary-looking briefcase you’re lugging around? It’s actually a portal to your own private space where you can build your base. Reading all of this really reminds me of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld!

Whether you’re flying solo or teaming up with up to three friends in co-op, To the Star is all about diving into its unique challenges, getting creative with building, and battling it out in every playthrough. Plus, with solid mod support, players will get to tweak the game and keep the world fresh and exciting. You can find more info here.

Third Free Update Fashion Dreamer

Marvelous Europe has released a new free update for Fashion Dreamer on the Nintendo Switch. This third update introduces the “Classic Fair” Limited Time Fair, available from Valentine’s Day, featuring steampunk-themed items. The update includes 20 new items, such as apparel, accessories, photo options, and showroom decorations, along with Creative Keys and other items. It also adds ten new patterns. Note that the additional event functions and the limited fair content are exclusive to online mode.

Want to know more about Fashion Deamer? Our review is here, and our guide is here.

Islands of Insight MMO Puzzler

This week, Islands of Insight has been released. Set in a tranquil fantasy world filled with ancient wonders and natural beauty, players take on the role of a Seeker. Their mission? To discover and solve a myriad of puzzles scattered across an open world made up of floating islands. Whether you prefer to explore this serene universe solo or team up with others, Islands of Insight promises a peaceful, puzzle-solving journey.

There are over 10,000 puzzles located within five distinct biomes to solve, and they are designed in a way to interest both new players and puzzle aficionados. Aside from that, Islands of Insight also promises a visually stunning exploration of its vibrant landscapes, filled with secrets waiting to be uncovered. More info about this MMO adventure can be found here. 

Dreamed Away Kickstarter Goal Reached

Pineapple Works, alongside French developer Nicolas Petton, is excited to share that their game Dreamed Away has successfully reached its crowdfunding goals. The game is set for release on PC, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One & Series S/X in the first quarter of 2025. Drawing inspiration from iconic titles such as Earthbound, Undertale, and Omori, Dreamed Away promises a similar vibe in terms of general tone, art direction, and design.

This pixel art indie RPG is set in France during the 90s and tells the story of Théo. One stormy summer night, Théo finds himself alone, his family missing, and the world around him revealing its true, eerie nature. As he ventures through the catacombs and other shadowy locales in search of his sister Louise, he encounters ghosts and phantoms, always seeming to be one step behind and never quite able to catch up.

At the time we publish this news, there is still 12 days to go in the Kickstarter. So if you want to be a part of that, here’s the link!

Wholesome hot-air ballooning adventure Passing By – A Tailwind Journey

On March 12th, Passing By – A Tailwind Journey will be released on PC and Nintendo Switch. In the game, you befriend fellow travellers and quirky islanders, use your wits to solve immersive puzzles, and gather enough resources to continue to where your journey takes you! In this hybrid of 2D puzzle platformer, survival and adventure game, you can explore the world at your own leisure, travelling from island to island by balloon ship and solving various puzzles while having to manage your resources to survive.

An exciting adventure full of wholesome encounters and meaningful experiences awaits you! But remember: since the west wind only ever blows in one direction, once you decide to leave an island, this means goodbye for good. Think carefully before you board your balloon ship; are you prepared to make the long trip through the clouds towards an unknown destination? Check out the trailer, and travel with Curly, a young balloonist who is tasked with delivering a mysterious letter. More information about the game is here

Brok The InvestiGator Coming to Mobile

Already available on Steam and consoles, Brok The InvestiGator is coming to mobile as well from February 21st. We gave the game our Two Thumbs Up, and it’s featured in James’ Best Games of 2023. Check out this combination of point-and-click and brawler that just..works!

You can find the game here in the AppStore and here in the Google PlayStore.

LadiesGamers BROK

BunHouse Expanded by Updates

One of the lovely things about indie games is that they keep on being worked on. Like with BunHouse, the cute management strategy game where you are a bunny working in a greenhouse. It feels like real gardening, and with the updates that Reky Studios keeps rolling out, it’s getting more and more well-rounded. In update 1.7 water plants have been added, 1.6 had barbeque-fun added (don’t fear, the bunny could only grill a carrot dog) and more. Along the way, they keep on tweaking and making the game better.

It’s perfectly playable on the SteamDeck and is available on Switch too (though that’s a bit behind in updates). Anyway, don’t forget about this little gem!

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