Welcome to our Weekly Wholesome Gaming Round-Up, once again packed with news.
The winners of the Thinky Awards have been announced, a cosy-looking underwater strategy game Crab God is announced, Ender Magnolia is the sequel to Ender Lilies, and the Women-Led Games Showcase is coming. Kickstarter Cinnabunny has you baking together with bunnies; open-world RPG The Witch of Fern Island looks interesting, there are loads of updates for Snacko, and we have a progress update for Camper Van, and SunnySide shares its title track.
The Winners of the Thinky Award!
The winners of the inaugural Thinky Awards have been announced, awarding Can of Wormholes the top prize of Game of the Year (on jury and community votes combined), alongside 15 other games and content creators in other categories. Paula and I were a part of the jury, and we also featured some of the nominated games on LadiesGamers.com, like The Talos Principe 2 (Community Choice: Game of the Year). Can of Wormholes also won in the categories of Most Challenging and Best Aha Moment. A game we’ve loved for quite some time, Viewfinder, won the prize of Most Innovative Game.
You can find the full announcement on the site of ThinkyGames, a community dedicated to games all about thinking carefully through puzzles and challenges, prioritizing problem-solving over execution. Thinky Games and the Thinky Awards are funded by the Carina Initiatives, which believe in using thinking games to create a culture of problem-solving and encourage kids to take up STEM subjects.
If you’re quick, some great deals on many of the award nominees and winners are available in the accompanying Steam sale, ending after Saturday, March 2nd.
Underwater Strategy Game Crab God
Crab God is an underwater strategy game that has just been announced for PC. It combines the strategic, resource-gathering gameplay of Kingdom with the wholesome, oceanic aesthetic of Loddlenaut. Created by Australian developers Chaos Theory Games, Crab God reflects the studio’s own mission to design games that can directly improve the environment. Accompanying the passionate team of developers, indie publisher Firesquid are thrilled to be working with them on this title.
With an army of adorable Crablings under your claw, you must lead The Great Migration to birth a new Crab God deep in the ocean depths. Protect your Crabling colony, build mighty coral reefs, and, in turn, help aquatic life in the real world through dots.eco.
The game is expected later this year on Steam.
ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom In The Mist Coming
A year ago, James reviewed Ender Lilies Quietus of the Knights and gave it our highest rating, saying:
Ender Lilies Quietus of the Knights is one of those games where, usually, this level of high difficulty would put me off and I would just walk away due to frustration. But I didn’t, some bosses took me multiple attempts to complete and yes I had to take breaks. Maybe it was the delightful piano score, the light vs dark story arc or the smooth control system, but I kept getting drawn back to fight the darkness.
The good news, then, is that the sequel is underway. ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom In The Mist will be published by Binary Haze Interactive and developed by Adglobe and Live Wire. The title launches on PC via Steam Early Access on March 25th. And while it will be later in the year, the console version will come to PlayStation 4|5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch later in 2024.
In this sequel, players will journey through the Land of Fumes, using the unique abilities of Lilac, an “Attuner” who purifies corrupted souls. Accompanied by the formidable Spirit Reaper, players will unlock a plethora of spirit abilities to battle against tainted AI foes and unravel the land’s mystical secrets. All of this is added to the background of hand-drawn visuals and the melodies of Mili.
Women-Led Games
The Women-Led Games Showcase is set to return with its second annual event from March 8th to 10th, kicking off on International Women’s Day. This event is held to celebrate and highlight the talents of women-led and majority-women game studios, developers, and content creators.
This event, supported by notable sponsors like Devolver Digital, WINGS, and Big Blue Sky Games, promises an even grander affair this year. The showcase begins on March 8th with an exciting lineup of 22 game trailers and announcements. March 9th, attendees can look forward to in-depth developer interviews. The showcase concludes on March 10th with a content creator panel led by KiwiOnTheSticks, engaging in discussions likely to inspire and inform.
In addition to the livestreams, you can also play demos for the games participating in the event during the WINGS Women’s Day Steam Sale Event that runs from March 1st to March 10th.
Cinnabunny – A Bunny Baking Game
Patrick Gauthier, the man behind Reky Studios, must really love bunnies. After the relaxing, wholesome game Bunhouse, he’s now bringing Cinnabunny to Kickstarter. Fancy backing goodies with your bunnies? The Kickstarter campaign will start running from March 20th.
Open World RPG The Witch of Fern Island
Recently released on Steam, The Witch of Fern Island is an open-world RPG that encourages players to explore and discover the hidden mysteries of Fern Island. Kalina checked out the Early Access game a year ago, and wrote this about it:
Even in the earle access state of the game, I can see myself spending many more hours on Fern Island.
Fern Island is a lush temperate isle home to three great magical cultures – Boran, Apatut, and Kuqkwa – including one bright-eyed newcomer, Abrill.
After crashing onto the island during her travels to a magical academy, the young witch makes the most of the situation, still eager to become a full-fledged Witch. Instead of waiting idly for her arrival, the Academy of Witches also decided to use this as an opportunity for young Abrill to demonstrate her mastery of magic… And unveil the secrets of the mysterious island.
But know this: Becoming the Witch of Fern Island isn’t just about passing exams! It’s about finding your place in the world, making friends, and, most importantly, finding joy within every passing moment. The game is available on Steam and Epic Game Store!
Loads of Updates for Snacko
Since Snacko’s launch in Early Access on Steam, there have been a tonne of major and minor updates, bringing new features, new ways to play, and, of course, plenty of welcome quality-of-life updates and bug fixes along the way.
There have been major house expansion updates, with five newsrooms, eleven new wall styles, ten new floor styles, fully functional windows, and six uniquely styled townhouses. Camera mode has been added, and there are four new storage containers, dye improvements, and a blueprint shop at the Carpenter’s, along with new crafting materials. In addition, minor bug fixes have been performed, and quality-of-life updates are constantly being worked on. For more in-depth details, please stroll over to the Steam page.
Progress Update and a Steam Page for Camper Van
Camper Van: Make it Home is a relaxing video game about camper vans and discovering a story through the objects, adventures and experiences of its protagonist. Inspired by the welcoming experience of video games such as Unpacking, it will take players on a journey of personal discovery.
Through the new development video below, you will get to know Camper Van: Make it Home in more depth, and you will be able to discover the improvement of its object placement system, new mechanics and greater visual polishing after what was shown during its last Kickstarter campaign.
The game is scheduled to launch in late 2024 for PC on Steam, mobile platforms: App Store, Galaxy Store, App Gallery, Amazon Store, and for consoles on Nintendo Switch. Nice to look forward to!
SunnySide: Open World Farming JRPG
SunnySide, a game I’m looking forward to as I backed it on Kickstarter, announced that it will be heading to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Physical retail versions of SunnySide will also be heading to PlayStation 5 for keen players looking to lock in on the platform. No Switch, unfortunately.
SunnySide is an innovative farming and life simulation set in a small, diverse Japanese town with a compelling story to uncover. Featuring a rich anime-inspired cast of characters, modern gameplay, and a cozy turn-based combat system, SunnySide promises to push the boundaries of the entire farming sim genre. With over a hundred different crops to grow and over 25 characters to meet, SunnySide’s “hang out” system allows players to balance cultivating new relationships while building their perfect homestead seamlessly.
Also, the title track from the SunnySide OST is here: “Watch This Garden Grow”! With music playing a huge role in building the overall SunnySide experience, developer RainyGames set out to create a soundtrack that not only captures the serene and uplifting essence of rural life but also speaks to the studio’s unique brand of empathetic storytelling.
Written and performed by Matthew Payne Thompson, AKA JellyFox, the animated music video features characters from the game as well as studio clips of the live band. “Watch This Garden Grow” transports players into a world filled with warmth, nostalgia, personal growth, and self-reflection. Check it out, it does sound lovely!
That’s it for this week; enjoy your gaming!