foraging Archives

AppWizard

June 11, 2025

I’ve played my share of cozy games, and Tales of the Shire is definitely one for the maximalist decorators

The author enjoys a cluttered and eclectic decorating style, inspired by the hobbit design ethos introduced in "Tales of the Shire" in 2024. During a demo at the Summer Game Fest, they focused on rearranging furniture and creating decorative piles in their hobbit home, finding joy in the creative freedom of decoration. The gameplay allowed for a whimsical approach to cooking and decorating, although the cooking mechanics felt somewhat lackluster. The author appreciated the minimal restrictions on moving items and transforming their space, envisioning a chaotic garden that would defy real-world norms. Despite enjoying the decorating aspects, they found the interactions with villagers to be generic and lacking depth compared to other games like Animal Crossing.

AppWizard

June 9, 2025

Sunless Sea studio Failbetter’s Mandrake is a rural life sim with a folklore twist

Failbetter Games has announced a new rural life simulation game called Mandrake, set in the village of Chandley, where horticulture is forbidden. Players will assume the role of the last horticultural sorcerer returning to their family's abandoned home. The game features typical activities like gardening, fishing, foraging, cooking, and crafting, while also incorporating elements of British history and folklore. Players will interact with a unique cast of villagers and explore various environments. The game includes darker themes, such as trading mundane crops for peculiar seeds and encountering otherworldly beings. A specific release date has not been announced, but the studio plans to conduct playtests and encourages players to wishlist Mandrake on Steam.

AppWizard

May 19, 2025

Mobile apps to continue your birding

Deb Nofzinger and Dave Wilkins recommend several mobile applications for birding enthusiasts, including eBird and Merlin Bird ID, both associated with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. eBird operates on a donation model and allows users to maintain detailed bird lists, track sightings, and utilize a Hotspot function for prime birding locations. It has recorded 149 species at Earth Heart Farms since its addition, with 78 species identified this year. Wilkins has completed 239 checklists at Creek Bend Farm Park and observed 137 species there. The Merlin Bird ID app offers a sound identification feature for 1,382 bird species and is noted for its accuracy in familiar environments. Other suggested apps include BirdCast for migration updates and the Sibley Birds v2 app, priced at .99.

AppWizard

April 26, 2025

Key To Success? Minecraft Study Reveals Adaptability Beats All

A study published in Nature Communications explored human decision-making using the game Minecraft, involving 128 participants who navigated a virtual world to find hidden rewards. The research found that individuals adapt their strategies based on personal success rates; they rely on their instincts when thriving but observe and emulate successful peers when struggling. In clustered reward environments, successful players attracted followers, while in random settings, individuals distanced themselves to minimize competition. The study highlighted the importance of adaptability in decision-making and noted that participants sometimes copied others even when it was unbeneficial. The research was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, with no reported competing interests. The paper was published on April 25, 2025.

AppWizard

February 27, 2025

Only One Cozy PC Game Will Help You Identify Plants In Real Life

Foraging for plants is a key activity in the game "Out and About," where players journey to the coastal town of Portobello to help a campsite manager named Annie recover from an injury caused by a storm. Players gather plants by photographing them, identifying species using a magnifying glass, and harvesting them responsibly. The game emphasizes community support and environmental appreciation, allowing players to create treats from foraged plants and sell them to townsfolk with specific needs. "Out and About" features a customizable character creator and charming animations, and it will be released on PC, though a release date has not been announced.