This year, 27 cozy games were played, with notable titles including Fields of Mistria, Sky: Children of the Light, Infinity Nikki, Tiny Glade, and Rusty's Retirement. Fields of Mistria is a farm sim that evokes nostalgia for Harvest Moon games, featuring engaging characters and user-friendly elements. Sky: Children of the Light, a social MMO platformer, successfully transforms the single-player experience of Journey into a multiplayer format, offering a vast world and seasonal content. Infinity Nikki is an open-world adventure that combines outfit collection with platforming, while Tiny Glade allows for creative building with a procedural system. Rusty's Retirement is an idle farm sim that integrates gameplay into daily tasks. Additionally, The Garden Path is highlighted as a refreshing gardening simulator.
Five new Android games were released in November 2024, including Total War: Empire, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete, The Abandoned Planet, Abalon: Roguelike Tactics CCG, and Dungeon Clawler.
Mojang has released two videos showcasing updates for Minecraft, including the availability of "The Garden Awakens" for players. Key features include a variety of free and paid add-ons, two community challenges, 10 new paid Character Creator items, the Avatar: Rites of Passage DLC, and a new rewarded achievement. The updates also introduce a mystery crafted by Mojang Studios. Additionally, a promotional video highlights the Pale Garden biome, which offers a serene environment during the day for resource gathering, and transforms at night with glowing eyeblossoms and lurking orange eyes.
Netflix has turned a show about dehumanization and death into a multiplayer battler to draw in a dedicated audience and keep fans coming back to their service.
Sokpop has released a new game called Grunn, which combines gardening with a mildly spooky atmosphere set in the Dutch countryside. The game features a unique blend of humor and horror, offering unexpected twists in gameplay. Grunn is available on Steam at a 25% discount until October 11.
Four free games highlighted on Steam include:
1. Emergency: Players act as an incident commander, coordinating efforts to save lives by extinguishing fires, apprehending criminals, and assisting injured civilians.
2. Entity Onboard: A sci-fi survival horror game where players evade a mysterious entity using a flashlight and tape recorder in dark environments.
3. Cactiverse: A whimsical gardening adventure where players cultivate cacti, engage in tournaments, and interact with a Discord community.
4. Future Breach - Youngblood: A tactical team-based shooting prologue where players breach and clear areas in preparation for future challenges.
5. Pet Lands - First Steps: An incremental clicker-style game focused on collecting coins, hatching pets, and exploring 100 unique areas.
Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game is a casual, laidback experience where players can immerse themselves in the peaceful life of a Hobbit in Middle-earth. The game allows players to create their own Hobbit avatar, build relationships with other characters, cook, fish, forage, and garden in the village of Bywater. The game will be released on March 25th, 2025, on Android and iOS exclusively through Netflix Games and other major platforms.
Core Keeper is a game that combines mining and survival mechanics similar to Minecraft with pixel art and gameplay reminiscent of Stardew Valley. It officially launched on August 27 after two years in early access. Players explore a procedurally generated underground cavern, mining and illuminating their surroundings. The game features an RPG progression system where skills evolve through various activities, including building mine cart rails, farming, crafting, combat, fishing, summoning creatures, and challenging bosses. Director Fredrik Präntare reported a peak of 45,800 concurrent players on Steam and a 91% positivity rate from over 26,000 user reviews. Core Keeper is available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Game Pass, with a launch on Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One scheduled for September 17.
The Garden Path is a gardening simulator designed for short, fulfilling gameplay sessions, contrasting with traditional farming simulators. Players explore a vibrant map to unlock whimsical characters with vegetable-themed heads by completing tasks that earn stars, which form constellations. Interactions with these characters lead to new quests that are light-hearted and enjoyable. The game features no time constraints, allowing players to progress at their own pace, fostering appreciation for its environmental design and soundscape. An innovative fishing mechanic requires players to whistle to attract fish in a 4x4 grid. The game operates on a real-world clock, with a year spanning 28 days and seasonal changes affecting foragables. The visual design is hand-crafted, with visible brush strokes and watercolor-like characters, creating an immersive experience.
