First of all, I hope you all have a healthy and happy 2026, filled with lovely games! And, as a new year is a good time to change things around, from now on the news will be called Cozy Gaming Round-Up!
This week, we have news about the upcoming classic‑inspired pixel RPG Philna Fantasy and multiplayer deduction game Meowstery Wisp. There’s a playtest open for Sparrow Warfare, a free plush for some pre-orders of Pokémon Pokopia and a physical edition for Shovel Knight Dig. And also, a big update and Switch 2 version for Core Keeper and some attention for the number puzzle adventure Stip.
Classic‑inspired Pixel RPG Philna Fantasy Coming
Publisher Another Indie has lifted the curtain on Philna Fantasy, a classic‑inspired pixel RPG that looks like a colourful throwback to the golden age of adventure games. You’re heading to the continent of Votland for a 15‑plus‑hour journey when the game launches on 15 January 2026 on Steam, and there’s a demo up on Steam already.
You’ll explore a mix of lush forests, ancient ruins, and puzzle‑filled dungeons as you uncover the truth behind the Void, a mysterious force consuming the world. With four classes to choose from, the game gives you plenty of room to shape your build through fast‑paced combat, equipment modifiers, and loot that meaningfully shifts your playstyle.
Votland looks packed with secrets, from hidden rooms to tricky mechanisms waiting to be solved. You’ll gather materials to craft weapons, upgrade armour, brew potions, and slot stat‑boosting gems, giving almost every resource a purpose. Along the way, you can help locals through side quests, collect rare artefacts, and even raise a loyal pet companion to fight beside you.
Playtest Open for Sparrow Warfare
Although there is no release date yet, we did get info about a playtest you can now join for Sparrow Warfare. The game looks like a wonderfully chaotic mash‑up of mahjong and deckbuilding, inviting you to chain wild tile combos as you free trapped birds and take on the sinister Storyteller. You’re matching sets of three tiles, either identical tiles or neat little runs, to attack, defend, and steadily upgrade your deck with rewards from the birds you rescue.
According to the developers, the real magic kicks in when you start unlocking wildtiles. With more than 150 of them to discover, you can experiment with outrageous synergies as you work to free over 100 birds. It’s the kind of system that keeps you chasing “just one more run” as you push for bigger, stranger combos.
You also get four playable characters, the four “Ways”, each offering its own flavour of strategy. Fire burns, Song charms, Water multiplies, and Ghosts protect, giving you distinct tiles, playstyles, and long‑term approaches to master.
Across six biomes, each ruled by a boss, you’ll climb through a progression system that looks balanced but demanding. Daily Flights add fresh modifiers and global leaderboards, giving you a reason to return even after you’ve cracked your favourite builds.
Physical Edition for Shovel Knight Dig
On January 8th, you can buy the physical edition of Shovel Knight Dig. There will be 4000 Nintendo Switch and 2500 PS5 Standard Editions available for sale worldwide at Super Rare Games.
Find the link to the store here.
Pre-orders Live for Pokémon Pokopia with Gift
Nice news if you live near a Pokémon Centre in the United States. Pre-orders for cozy game Pokémo Pokopia have gone live (of the game-key card, not the physical game!), and if you buy one, you can expect to receive a free Ditto Sitting Cuties Plush!
Multiplayer Deduction Game Meowstery Wisp
Multiplayer game Meowstery Wisp by DMT Games is announced for Q2 2026 on Steam. The game looks like a playful but tense social deduction game where you and up to ten other players try to uncover five key artefacts before hidden enemies derail the investigation. Across five rounds, you’ll explore the map, watch other players closely, and poke at points of interest to gather clues, Insight points, and special powers that help you piece the mystery together.
You’ll need to act quickly, though. The game uses a pressure‑filled clock that quietly advances based on certain actions, and spies are especially good at nudging it forward without anyone noticing. It creates a steady sense of chaos as you try to work out who’s helping and who’s sabotaging the mission, all while an occultist pursues their own secret agenda.
You can customise your Cat Detective however you like and dive into a loop of exploration, analysis, and mini‑games as you navigate hidden alignments and competing objectives. With proximity voice chat, cross‑platform play, diverse maps, and no player elimination until the final phase, Meowstery Wisp aims to keep everyone involved right up to the last reveal.
Big Update and Switch 2 Version for Core Keeper
You’re getting a big start to the year with Core Keeper, as the sandbox adventure arrives on Nintendo Switch 2 on 28 January. You can expect it to look sharper, run smoother, and support up to eight players thanks to boosted graphical fidelity, higher framerates, and expanded co‑op on Nintendo’s new hardware.
That same day, the free Void & Voltage Update lands across PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch. You’ll dive into fresh gear, powerful new weapons, a hefty new boss encounter, and a whole biome, Breaker’s Reach, that looks ready to shake up your underground expeditions.
Published by Fireshine Games and developed by Pugstorm, it’s shaping up to be a colourful, action‑packed refresh for anyone already hooked on Core Keeper or jumping in for the first time.
Number Puzzle Adventure Stip
Belgian solo developer Sam Agten (SixtyFour) is gearing up to reveal Stip, a number‑puzzle adventure that looks simple on the surface but loves to twist the rules when you least expect it. You can expect it to land on Steam later this year, bringing a blend of exploration, deduction, and just a hint of mischief. And by the way, Stip is the Dutch word for Dot!
You’ll work through clean, striking puzzle rooms where you place numbers based on constraints that aren’t always obvious. As you experiment, undo, and deduce, the game nudges you deeper into its maze‑like spaces, where items, environmental clues, and hidden rules peel back new layers of mystery.
Look too closely, and the puzzles start to misbehave. Stip will flatter you, tease you, and distract you with odd-number facts, all while trying to keep your attention fixed on the dots instead of the fraying edges around them.
If you’re after relaxing number puzzles, you’ll find them in Stip, and you’ll also uncover an intricate puzzle box full of secrets, lateral‑thinking challenges, and mechanics that evolve in unsettling ways. And if you enjoy a good ARG‑style hunt, keep an eye on trailers, social posts, and even press releases; Stip looks ready to scatter clues far beyond the game itself.
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so hyped for Pokémon Pokopia, do you think the free plush will be available for all pre-orders or just certain editions?
Looking forward to it as well! I’m not sure tbh, but what I do see in the Pokémon Center that it’s with every pre-order as long as supplies last.
What I also noticed over there and in the My Nintendo Store as well is that they are gearing up with merchandise. Very nice!
I like wholesome roundups like this because they spotlight games that feel relaxing without being boring, and they’re a nice break from the usual action-heavy hype cycle.