Cozy Trophies for Cozy Gamers

[Mokkajunior]

Work caught up a bit, so not much to report for now

 

Completed Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery as it was advised by someone a week or 2 ago, and it's a nice story. The mechanics are a bit wonky but nothing too annoying. Overall, I liked it very much!

 

Then I finally completed Subnautica (without dev-cheat ofc, as it's disabled now anyway :)). The game has been in my library for 4 years and the first time I played was when it launched and there were no guides at all, so this was very hard to know where to go, and I didn't want to use the dev-cheat like 95% of platinum achievers did. Did it with some guidance now and truly enjoyed it :). Think this game can be counted as there is no actual fighting needed and although there are some more difficult sections, there's no real challenge to this game, and you can breeze through (if using some guides to know where to go 🤣).

 

Getting ready to catch up on some more story based games now

 

So Mokka +2 = 7 Points

Edited January 30 by Mokkajunior

[graphic_violins8]

Got the main post updated with everyone's current score.  Also @Mokkajunior good catch on Subnautica.  I thought the trophies would require combat but it doesn't seem to be the case.

 

Currently I'm working on Crash Bandicoot 4 still, which is ridiculous.  Just hit 103 hours and I'm finally seeing what I have left to be done.  Probably another 30 hours, but I've been saying that since 65 hours so who knows ;p.

For this event I'm going back to the PS3 and going for Undergarden.  Highly recommend.  From a technical standpoint it's a little rough but it's a lot of fun otherwise.

[Hurricane_Tanya]

Hi, it’s been a while since I posted, but I finished Submerged and Firewatch in January.

 

I loved Submerged, it may be an older game now, but I thought the atmosphere was so eerie and interesting. I also enjoyed Firewatch, although I basically ignored Delilah whenever any flirty options came up. I was expecting something different to the story we get, but I found the conclusion to be pretty satisfying as well as bittersweet.

 

I’m pretty much done on Tinykin, Submerged: Hidden Depths and Mineko’s Night Market too. I only have 1 trophy left to unlock, but I’m waiting to finish RDR2 first. Hopefully I’ll be done this month

[BeesTrophies]

New game complete: Unboxing

New Points: 1

I'm a little late to the party on this one. But I did actually enjoy it, found myself rearranging things even after they fit 

 

Points earned to date: 3

 

Previous Games Played

• Venba
• Dredge

[graphic_violins8]

Ok, I got the main post updated on Monday.  Also, as of yesterday, I have another game.

Title:  Captain Toads Treasure Tracker 

System : Switch
Total Points: 6

 

 

So I'm going to be honest.  This wasn't what I wanted it to be.  So if you're not a Mario fan, this game is a spin off of Super Mario 3D World, originally on the Wii U then brought to the Switch.  Having played both, I loved the idea of taking one of the smaller facets of that game (and one I really liked) and expanding it into a full game.  It actually plays really well in handheld mode (not as much in docked but it's more of a texture issue than a technical one).  The problem is the gameplay loop is hampered by nonsensical gate keeping.

 

Every level (for the most part) has three gems you can find that function as collectibles.  These aren't made clear to be mandatory at first, but then the game cuts you off.  Sure, you found all the stars and naturally progressed to this point.  Too bad you have to go get the diamonds to unlock this new level.  Locking progression behind collectibles is fine is it's made more obvious you need to be doing it.  But it's annoying here, and used a lot more often than feels justified.

[nyx770]

Ill sign up for this as i tend to play a bunch of cozy games throughout the year . also will give me some motivation to keep working on Stardew Valley Platinum. 
 

Here are some i finished since jan 1st.

1. Slime Rancher - raise  and collect slimes  Only semi hard trophy was the rush mode but easy once you have basics of game down. Lots  of youtube videos to help strategize this .

2. Toem - photography adventure game. Enjoyed black n white aspect and the story. Dlc is also worth the time .

3. A Little To The Left - problem solving , organization puzzle game . DLC also worth the time. Recommend you play  ps4 version ps5 trophy list still not showing .

 

[graphic_violins8]

Got you added @nyx770 and welcome!  Got everything updated on the sit3e.  I'll update the spreadsheet tomorrow.

[graphic_violins8]

Ok so I have nothing new this week, and with Final Fantasy 7 Remake dropping Thursday, I expect I won't for a little while.  I still need to get the spreadsheet updated but everyone's stuff in the OP should be fine.  I also started Majora's Mask on the 3DS last night.  It's not a cozy game but if I finish it this time, it'll mark my fourth Zelda completion and I'm down with that!

[graphic_violins8]

I'm gonna go ahead and swap to biweekly updates.  I'm already a little overwhelmed with FF7R, so I'll likely take a break and play something cozy here soonish.  Hope everyone is having a great year!

[setobox]

So I hope I am doing the points system right. And if some of these don't count let me know. In all total of 4 points I think.

Game: CODE: REALIZE - WINTERTIDE MIRACLES

Points +1

Played this game on my vita. The final game in the Code Realize Otome Game Trilogy about a young woman with a poisonous and deadly touch and the five men sworn to protect her. 

I do like that, at last, Cardia and her little brother are finally happy but I hate that this character development for both characters were sent to fandisks that people probably would not play since the first game Guardian of Rebirth (or the PS4 version called Bouquet of Rainbows) put people off of the series.

Another plus was that it showed that this still isn't "happily ever after" but just "happy enough." In some endings in the main game, Cardia still has a deadly touch and so can't kiss the man she loves (or hug her brother) and that and her other problems are still issues looming over her head. But she is still happy and loved and that is enough for her. 

This is sadly the last otome game released on playstation consoles by Idea Factory/Otomate as they switched (lol) to the Nintendo Switch for their otome games from now on. I can only recommend this game if you have played the previous entries on the switch, vita, or PS4 and this series is definitely an acquired taste.

 

Game: Save Room

Points +1

So this game is just RE4'S attache case in a mini puzzle mode. Very short, very cozy, and very good. If you are too scared to play RE 4 but you want to play with its attache case, then this is the game for you! I had a lot of fun.

 

Game: Nicole

Points +1

This is an interesting stat building romance visual novel. Released 11 years ago on steam and ported to consoles in 2020, Nicole is about a first year college student juggling her classes and love life on top of investigating the disappearance of three other women on campus. She later finds out that one of the boys she likes could be responsible for these kidnappings!

It is pretty short, around 10 hours, since there is now a visual novel mode but it is highly recommended to play in stat building/time management mode for your first playthrough. It makes the game harder to get through but it makes it more rewarding when you reach the end.

Also, this is one of Winter Wolves' earlier works and it shows as there are flaws in the writing at times and the art is dated. However it is a charming little game.

Game: Kaichu: Kaiju Dating Simulator

Points +1

 

This is the fourth game I played for Dating Sim month after Code Realize Wintertide Miracles, Mass Effect 3 and Nicole. This was a game shown off during a wholesome direct back in 2022 and it is about a Kaiju named Gigachu (who's pronouns you can choose) and their quest for love!

This was a very cute and short game about dating other Kaiju while destroying famous monuments and landmarks.

 

There was a headache trying to get perfect dates as the guides online are not helpful. All of the questions are randomized so you will never get the same questions in a different playthrough! It took me 7 hours too 100%  and get the plat for it.

Edited March 23 by setobox

[graphic_violins8]

On 3/10/2024 at 1:45 AM, setobox said:

So I hope I am doing the points system right. And if some of these don't count let me know. In all total of 4 points I think.

Game: CODE: REALIZE - WINTERTIDE MIRACLES

Points +1

Played this game on my vita. The final game in the Code Realize Otome Game Trilogy about a young woman with a poisonous and deadly touch and the five men sworn to protect her. 

I do like that, at last, Cardia and her little brother are finally happy but I hate that this character development for both characters were sent to fandisks that people probably would not play since the first game Guardian of Rebirth (or the PS4 version called Bouquet of Rainbows) put people off of the series.

Another plus was that it showed that this still isn't "happily ever after" but just "happy enough." In some endings in the main game, Cardia still has a deadly touch and so can't kiss the man she loves (or hug her brother) and that and her other problems are still issues looming over her head. But she is still happy and loved and that is enough for her. 

This is sadly the last otome game released on playstation consoles by Idea Factory/Otomate as they switched (lol) to the Nintendo Switch for their otome games from now on. I can only recommend this game if you have played the previous entries on the switch, vita, or PS4 and this series is definitely an acquired taste.

 

Game: Save Room

Points +1

So this game is just RE4'S attache case in a mini puzzle mode. Very short, very cozy, and very good. If you are too scared to play RE 4 but you want to play with its attache case, then this is the game for you! I had a lot of fun.

 

Game: Nicole

Points +1

This is an interesting stat building romance visual novel. Released 11 years ago on steam and ported to consoles in 2020, Nicole is about a first year college student juggling her classes and love life on top of investigating the disappearance of three other women on campus. She later finds out that one of the boys she likes could be responsible for these kidnappings!

It is pretty short, around 10 hours, since there is now a visual novel mode but it is highly recommended to play in stat building/time management mode for your first playthrough. It makes the game harder to get through but it makes it more rewarding when you reach the end.

Also, this is one of Winter Wolves' earlier works and it shows as there are flaws in the writing at times and the art is dated. However it is a charming little game.

Game: Kaichu: Kaiju Dating Simulator

Points +1

 

This is the fourth game I played for Dating Sim month after Code Realize Wintertide Miracles, Mass Effect 3 and Nicole. This was a game shown off during a wholesome direct back in 2022 and it is about a Kaiju named Gigachu (who's pronouns you can choose) and their quest for love!

This was a very cute and short game about dating other Kaiju while destroying famous monuments and landmarks.

 

There was a headache trying to get perfect dates as the guides online are not helpful. All of the questions are randomized so you will never get the same questions in a different playthrough! It took me 7 hours too 100%  and get the plat for it.

So you actually have 6 points!  Each game is worth 1 now so I have you down for 6.  Also, I gott say, Save Room looks interesting.  I've seen it on sale a couple times and never grabbed it, but I may change that next time I catch it.

[graphic_violins8]

Just an update to keep the thread going (two super cool competitions have launched in the last few weeks so I'm actually dropping out of two of mine and focusing on those and this one now).  Gonna be doing a lot of PS3 playing over the coming months as well as getting my percentage up.  What's everyone playing (doesn't have to be cozy, just curious).  Think I'll be tackling Innerspace finally.  Still working up the courage (heavy quotes) to plow through Flower.  It's not that it's hard.  It's that I've never been able to get the Pure trophy.  Everything else is pretty much a breeze....hehe.

[esstee11]

Well I played that Trials Fusion a bunch, for 145 hours, then i havent really been in the mood for gaming much recently so i just played a little of The Outlast Trials (wasnt as good as i thought it would be) then I redownloaded Texas Chainsaw Massacre again 😂 cuz they introduced cool new maps and characters I wanted to check out 👍

[ValkerianCreator]

Just dropping good recommendations here:

 

Cozy games in VR

-------------------

On psvr1: Fujii (best "cozy game" I ever played), The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets, Astro Bot Rescue Mission, Bound (a dramatic story, but its gameplay is cozy material, like Journey or Abzu, and VR makes it much more realistic), The Playroom VR (free download), O my Genesis VR! (the free demo includes 35% of the full game and you can get all the trophies in the "demo" too), Tripp, Xing the land beyond

 

On psvr2: CyubeVR, Cosmonious High, Garden of the Sea, Tripp

 

Cozy games not in VR

-----------------------

PC/ps4: Xing the land beyond

 

Multiplatform: Abzu, Aer memories of old, The First Tree, Atelier Sophie 2, Dream house days DX, Animal shelter simulator

 

[Hurricane_Tanya]

I’ve been finishing up some of my cosy games now that RDR2 is complete.

 

Mineko’s Night Market is a lovely game, with really nice art, but it fell short in the gameplay side. I was hoping for something more like Stardew Valley with shop elements, but it’s much, much shorter and linear. I had finished almost everything I needed by Autumn of the first year, with just fish and the last friendship trophies to get

 

Tinykin is a really great pikmin style game. It has a really great setting and art style. Very fun, and now the rest of my family want to play it

 

Submerged: Hidden Depths was a bit of a disappointment for me personally. I really enjoyed the first game and was expecting more from the story. Instead it felt like more of the same, even most of the same story. It was fine, I just wanted to learn more about what happened to the world and see how people were living

 

Sable was everything I was hoping from Submerged: Hidden Depths. It was a lovely open world game, with climbing challenges, lore and backstory, and towns with people to interact with. Unfortunately it has some frame rate issues and some glitchy parts, but I really loved speeding around the sand dunes

 

Finally, I finished Mystic Pillars, a mobile puzzle game that was ported to consoles this month. It had an alright (if a bit predictable) story. The puzzles themselves were quite fun, although I found the difficulty to be unpredictable, some of the early puzzles were really hard, and then some of the puzzles in the last level were done almost without thinking

 

My next ‘cosy games’ will probably be Arcade Paradise, Syberia 3 and House Flipper

[graphic_violins8]

On 4/1/2024 at 6:17 PM, Hurricane_Tanya said:

I’ve been finishing up some of my cosy games now that RDR2 is complete.

 

Mineko’s Night Market is a lovely game, with really nice art, but it fell short in the gameplay side. I was hoping for something more like Stardew Valley with shop elements, but it’s much, much shorter and linear. I had finished almost everything I needed by Autumn of the first year, with just fish and the last friendship trophies to get

 

Tinykin is a really great pikmin style game. It has a really great setting and art style. Very fun, and now the rest of my family want to play it

 

Submerged: Hidden Depths was a bit of a disappointment for me personally. I really enjoyed the first game and was expecting more from the story. Instead it felt like more of the same, even most of the same story. It was fine, I just wanted to learn more about what happened to the world and see how people were living

 

Sable was everything I was hoping from Submerged: Hidden Depths. It was a lovely open world game, with climbing challenges, lore and backstory, and towns with people to interact with. Unfortunately it has some frame rate issues and some glitchy parts, but I really loved speeding around the sand dunes

 

Finally, I finished Mystic Pillars, a mobile puzzle game that was ported to consoles this month. It had an alright (if a bit predictable) story. The puzzles themselves were quite fun, although I found the difficulty to be unpredictable, some of the early puzzles were really hard, and then some of the puzzles in the last level were done almost without thinking

 

My next ‘cosy games’ will probably be Arcade Paradise, Syberia 3 and House Flipper

Nice!  Got your points added and that put you at 7!

 

On 4/1/2024 at 4:40 PM, esstee11 said:

Well I played that Trials Fusion a bunch, for 145 hours, then i havent really been in the mood for gaming much recently so i just played a little of The Outlast Trials (wasnt as good as i thought it would be) then I redownloaded Texas Chainsaw Massacre again 😂 cuz they introduced cool new maps and characters I wanted to check out 👍

Nice.  Saw you about finished the list, well done!  Trials always beats me out but I get a bit further each time (stuck on the last main main game level actually, can't remember the name, but my bunny hop game is trash so I'm not moving atm).

[esstee11]

38 minutes ago, graphic_violins8 said:

 

Nice.  Saw you about finished the list, well done!  Trials always beats me out but I get a bit further each time (stuck on the last main main game level actually, can't remember the name, but my bunny hop game is trash so I'm not moving atm).

 

Yea I got real close to the 100%, I just can't do the last like 3 things so I've had to move on. It's the extreme challenges that are evil. I can complete last level inferno easily and big bunnyhop easily, Out of the 120 challenges there is only 3 I havent completed! I gave it my all but I just really really can't do them. Oh well.

[nyx770]

Small update of finished games

4. Stilstand - artistic story game

5.undertale - pacifist mode 

6. legend of skyfish -short puzzle game

7.venba- heartfelt story and Indian cooking fun.

8. dredge - fishing  game with spooky elements . I found it cozy

9. a sketchbook for her sun - short animated  interactive music game 

10. sable - exploration adventure , enjoyed the story .

Edited April 8 by nyx770

[Platinum_Vice]

First update post - four games to report.

 

Far: Lone Sails was far more compelling than I expected, but in fairness, I went in with low expectations. It is somewhat similar to Inside as a side-scroller that uses simple puzzles to make progress in a dark future. Unlike Inside, which is heavy on its industrial/dystopic design, Far: Lone Sails provides a non-lethal and more introspective, low-risk experience. Your screen is often taken up by the interior of your character's ship. Your character has to weave back and forth inside the ship to stoke the engine, refuel it, unfurl the sail or stow it, exit the ship to obtain more fuel, et cetera, and that act of plate-spinning is the 'stress' in this cozy game. I found that 'stress' to be perfectly balanced and am confidently able to confirm that this experience still qualifies as a 'cozy game.' While it is an acquired taste, if you think it looks like your type of game (trailer here) then I wholeheartedly recommend it and am looking forward to playing the sequel.

 

The story lasts for about two hours. The trophy hunt requires three further playthroughs. The speedrun is not particularly intimidating and I did it during my third of four playthroughs while following this run. Pausing the game will pause the timer.

 

The Humongous Classic Collection features six point and click adventure games from Humongous Entertainnent. As a youngin' I played these as very early gaming experiences. I loved them then, and I loved my time replaying them with my kids this year. They worked through the simple, cartoonist puzzles while I drove the controller.

 

The puzzles and humour are just as I remembered: not childish, but absolutely child-appropriate.  

 

Unlike almost every other adventure game, the puzzles here are approachable and always solvable without needing online hints. Also, there is slight variations for each playthrough with minor branching paths, meaning that repeated playthroughs are always slightly different. 

 

The six games consisted of two Pyjama Sam games (a boy learning to overcome his fears at bedtime), two Putt-Putt games (a car experiencing colourful adventures), a Freddi-Fish game (a detective sleuth adventure) and a Spy Fox game (a James Bond parody). Different family members had there own favourites so there is something here for everyone. 

 

100% recommended for a cozy family experience with kids 5-10 years old. 

 

Interaction Isn’t Explicit 

 

This free-to-play experience lasted for about 40 minutes. Based on this trailer I expected clunkier controls, far more bugs, and a far more enigmatic/arthouse story. It was a lot smoother and less buggy than expected. It wasn't a walking simulator with an actress reading a meandering script for four hours; it was a 40 minute thesis of how the developer perceives some basic gameplay mechanics. It was direct and clear in its delivery and the game allows the players to experience those mechanics via gameplay.

 

While I didn’t learn anything, the developer’s logical reasoning of how games should prioritise gameplay to deliver meaning is accurate grounding for those new to understanding the value of the gaming medium as an legitimate artform. 

 

A laidback 40-60 minute experience. 

 

LEGO Builder’s Journey 

 

This game fits the event perfectly with one exception: it’s outstandingly mid.  

The father/son story lacks tension. 

The gameplay is basic. 

The puzzles are disinteresting. 

The controls are just outright poor. 

Graphically, the minimalist style was aesthetically pleasing and my favourite part of the experience... but that’s more of a comment on the mediocre experience as a whole rather than the artstyle itself. 

 

Every time I play a LEGO game I come to the same conclusion:  I should have just played with real LEGO. 

 

 

It's been great reading everyone else's cozy experiences so far. 😎✌️

 

[nyx770]

Uodate of Two more

11. Mystic pillars- puzzle math game with ok story

12. strange horticulture - mystery puzzle game  with occult theme .

[graphic_violins8]

On 4/10/2024 at 5:03 AM, Platinum_Vice said:

First update post - four games to report.

 

Far: Lone Sails was far more compelling than I expected, but in fairness, I went in with low expectations. It is somewhat similar to Inside as a side-scroller that uses simple puzzles to make progress in a dark future. Unlike Inside, which is heavy on its industrial/dystopic design, Far: Lone Sails provides a non-lethal and more introspective, low-risk experience. Your screen is often taken up by the interior of your character's ship. Your character has to weave back and forth inside the ship to stoke the engine, refuel it, unfurl the sail or stow it, exit the ship to obtain more fuel, et cetera, and that act of plate-spinning is the 'stress' in this cozy game. I found that 'stress' to be perfectly balanced and am confidently able to confirm that this experience still qualifies as a 'cozy game.' While it is an acquired taste, if you think it looks like your type of game (trailer here) then I wholeheartedly recommend it and am looking forward to playing the sequel.

 

The story lasts for about two hours. The trophy hunt requires three further playthroughs. The speedrun is not particularly intimidating and I did it during my third of four playthroughs while following this run. Pausing the game will pause the timer.

 

The Humongous Classic Collection features six point and click adventure games from Humongous Entertainnent. As a youngin' I played these as very early gaming experiences. I loved them then, and I loved my time replaying them with my kids this year. They worked through the simple, cartoonist puzzles while I drove the controller.

 

The puzzles and humour are just as I remembered: not childish, but absolutely child-appropriate.  

 

Unlike almost every other adventure game, the puzzles here are approachable and always solvable without needing online hints. Also, there is slight variations for each playthrough with minor branching paths, meaning that repeated playthroughs are always slightly different. 

 

The six games consisted of two Pyjama Sam games (a boy learning to overcome his fears at bedtime), two Putt-Putt games (a car experiencing colourful adventures), a Freddi-Fish game (a detective sleuth adventure) and a Spy Fox game (a James Bond parody). Different family members had there own favourites so there is something here for everyone. 

 

100% recommended for a cozy family experience with kids 5-10 years old. 

 

Interaction Isn’t Explicit 

 

This free-to-play experience lasted for about 40 minutes. Based on this trailer I expected clunkier controls, far more bugs, and a far more enigmatic/arthouse story. It was a lot smoother and less buggy than expected. It wasn't a walking simulator with an actress reading a meandering script for four hours; it was a 40 minute thesis of how the developer perceives some basic gameplay mechanics. It was direct and clear in its delivery and the game allows the players to experience those mechanics via gameplay.

 

While I didn’t learn anything, the developer’s logical reasoning of how games should prioritise gameplay to deliver meaning is accurate grounding for those new to understanding the value of the gaming medium as an legitimate artform. 

 

A laidback 40-60 minute experience. 

 

LEGO Builder’s Journey 

 

This game fits the event perfectly with one exception: it’s outstandingly mid.  

The father/son story lacks tension. 

The gameplay is basic. 

The puzzles are disinteresting. 

The controls are just outright poor. 

Graphically, the minimalist style was aesthetically pleasing and my favourite part of the experience... but that’s more of a comment on the mediocre experience as a whole rather than the artstyle itself. 

 

Every time I play a LEGO game I come to the same conclusion:  I should have just played with real LEGO. 

 

 

It's been great reading everyone else's cozy experiences so far. 😎✌️

 

I'm glad to hear Interaction Isn't Explicit was quick enough, I may go into that one myself.  Also, that's a bummer about Lego Builder's Journey, but I guess not ultimately surprising.

 

 

On 4/8/2024 at 6:13 PM, nyx770 said:

Small update of finished games

4. Stilstand - artistic story game

5.undertale - pacifist mode 

6. legend of skyfish -short puzzle game

7.venba- heartfelt story and Indian cooking fun.

8. dredge - fishing  game with spooky elements . I found it cozy

9. a sketchbook for her sun - short animated  interactive music game 

10. sable - exploration adventure , enjoyed the story .

Legend of Skyfish is really good.  

 

Everyones stuff is updated in the main leaderboaerd (I've been seriously slacking on the google doc sheet, I'll need to sit down for an hour and just hammer it out).  I'm working on finishing Dead Island 2 at the moment but I've got Abzu and Observation queued up for this event.

[Hurricane_Tanya]

I finished a few more games

 

Arcade Paradise is possibly one of my favourite games of the last year. It starts out like a time management game of doing people’s laundry, cleaning up and collecting money, and ends up as an arcade game simulator. It was just a very chill game, I thought that a couple of the trophies for completing machine goals would be frustrating, but you end up with so many arcade cabinets that it’s pretty easy to find enough games you can gel with.

 

Ive seen Coffee Talk recommended as a good cosy game. The vibes are definitely cosy, hanging out in a coffee shop while it’s dark and rainy outside is a really good atmosphere. I enjoyed going through the stories and making coffee, I just wish that there was a little more game to it. It seems like the sequel has branching narratives with different endings so I will definitely be picking it up at some point.

 

I also played through I Am Dead. I actually finished it just before it was announced to be leaving the Extra catalogue so that was lucky. I really enjoyed the weird world in this game. The art style is definitely unique and the puzzle of ‘slicing’ through objects to find secrets or to make a certain shape is really fun and satisfying. My favourite part is how British it is, both in the voice acting (obviously), but also in the kind of quirky humour of the game.

 

Finally, my latest cosy game is Afterparty. This game has been in my backlog for forever, I’m a huge fan of Oxenfree and it’s made by the same developers. Surprisingly, for a game set in Hell, it’s not really horror themed, and it’s actually quite cosy. The gameplay revolves around making friends, helping people and demons, and getting drunk in the various demon pubs. There’s a lot of swearing and drunk/drug talk so I won’t recommend it to everyone, but it was a fun time.

 

Next games I’m focussing on are; Syberia 3, Last Stop and House Flipper

[esstee11]

I played a cosy game! Lol.

 

PS5 game - The Forest Quartet.

As usual with my purchases, I knew nothing about this game, just saw it in a sale thought the trailer looked nice so gave it a whirl.
It is a nicely made, good quality indie game, with a slow and gentle pace. Turns out its like half walking sim - well floating sim actually as you are a spirit - and half puzzles, but very very mild puzzles that you won't need a guide for. An easy completion, and a quite pleasant experience. This game is the emotional and personal story shared by the developers - in short musicians live in a forest, a spirit guides them and assists them to break free from depression. It's not bleak it's intention is to be uplifting. I did a blind playthrough that only took under an hour and a half to complete the game, i did miss 2 lamp collectables though so had to google a guide to find them, fortunately what i had missed was in the first 4 minutes of the guide video! But yes generally a nice little indie game.  I don't know if I'd call it the hidden gem others are saying, but it was still quite good.

Trailer:

 

[setobox]

So here is a round up of all the games I completed.

Game: Where the bees make honey

Points +1

I went into this game expecting a cozy game about bees.

What I got was a surrealist game about a woman thinking about her childhood and how much fun she had with her wild imagination. . This all leads up to

Spoiler

the woman working up the courage to leave her shitty job that made her work alone on the weekend.

Only real issue are the bugs with some of the puzzles and the enemies. Yes there are enemies in this game.

I give it a 7/10. I like it went games go absurd and dive into surrealism.

 

Game: What Remains of Edith Finch (The PS4 and PS5 versions)-

Points +1 (or 2 since they have different trophy lists?)

 

So I first started this game back in 2019 but stopped because the subject matter was so heavy and I told myself that I would pick it back up one day. Fast forward five years and I completed the game twice in one day, first the PS4 version I originally started and then the PS5 release that came with extra trophies and a platinum.

 

This is a very beautiful, emotional game about curses and death and the pain and trauma that multiple back to back tragedies cause. For example, Barbara's murder traumatized her younger brothers and eventually lead to their deaths. Calvin and Sam swore to never be scared again and that lack of fear for both of them caused their deaths,

Spoiler

ironically both by falling off a cliff.

Walter was so traumatized that he

Spoiler

locked himself in the basement for 30 years

. There were so many parts in this game where I would just gasp when I realized what was happening or about to happen,

Spoiler

like with poor Gregory and poor Lewis.

 

I understand why Dawn decided to run away. She lost her father and brothers in a short time period and  for ten years she was happy! And then her husband dies,

Spoiler

her middle son vanishes in the night, her uncle is killed by a train.

All within three years of each other. The straw that broke the camel's back was her oldest son's death. I understand why she went "Fuck this, I'm out." Because that can wear a person's soul down.

 

But I think what Edie and Edith were trying to tell us that you can't fear death and to just accept that it. That death will happen regardless if you are in the house or outside of it. That it wasn't the family stories that were causing the curse to continue but just bad luck. And if there is a curse then you just have to make the most of what you have and love your family while you are here and they are here. And that it is okay to document and learn about your family, unlike what Dawn feared.

 

I give this game a 10/10.

 

If you haven't played The Unfinished Swan, there was a part in this game that called back to it and showed us that Edith's brother Milton is

Spoiler

The King in that game and has a son named Monroe. Which means, along with Edith's own son, the Finches still live on. One in the real world and then one in world of paint.

 

Game: Astro's Playroom

Points +1

 

So this is my first introduction to Astro since I did not have a PS4 camera for The Playroom  nor a VR headset for Astro's rescue mission. This was an adorable platformer that showed off what the PS5 can do plus a love letter to the previous consoles.  It was great looking for the shout out to old playstation games or games that used to be exclusive to playstation. Also I was not expecting the

Spoiler

T-rex from the tech demo from 1994 to show up!

 9/10

 

Game: Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus? 

Points +1

 

This was one of the many FMV games Wales interactive made during lockdown along with Five Dates. This murder mystery game is very funny because you quickly realize that all of Abby's family are assholes who could reasonably be murderers and it is your job to find out who it was. The self centered nature of the suspects can wear you down fast because there were times I went "no one gives a shit about your singing. please stop."  But the true ending where the main character decides to

Spoiler

distance herself from her toxic family except from her uncle and her sister, leave her toxic job and finally follow her dreams was cathartic. Money and doing things that made them unhappy had destroyed her family and even though she knows she won't make a lot of money as a game dev, she would be happy.

7/10

 

 

Game: Teacup

Points +1

A short and cozy game about an introverted frog named Teacup who is planning on hosting a tea party but is shocked to learn she is out of tea! So now she has to leave her home to look for some. 

Teacup has a small book that tells you all the different kinds of teas and how they are made has she finds them. There are minigames and puzzles and only one was slightly difficult. I recommend this game if you just want a short and quick game to play to wind down for the day.

7/10

Note: From what I was able to figure out is that Teacup does not leave her home at all and people she encounters are actually worried that she is out until she says why. Which kinds added to the charm of this game. That the villagers rarely see her but they do care about her. (edited)
 

 

So I think this is 5 (or 6) points which is a total of 11 or 12 points!

 

 

[nyx770]

Small update 

13. Dave the Diver -fishing management game . Great game . I played both ps5 then ps4 versions ( not auto popped) Its that much fun .

14.Cat slide tiles - short 80 levels of puzzles . Later ones get bit harder .

15. Turnip boy commits tax evasion- short cute adventure .