ST Extras #1
ST Extras rises from the ashes of the toast I burnt that I forgot about in the toaster while I was working on this edition of the newsletter
Next Episode Preview
The next episode of the podcast is lookin’ likely to be about Escape Simulator.
I’m honestly glad we played Escape Academy (Ep. 78) before we played this because Simulator might have made our experience with Academy worse.. it’s interesting how the order you experience something can impact your feelings on the matter. Like, Academy did nothing wrong and I still think it’s great but now there’s this game in my life and I just feel… different now. You get it, right? If you don’t, you’ll hear me try to justify this on the podcast
We also have an episode about Disney Lorcana: Illumineer’s Quest – Deep Trouble already recorded so that might be technically the next episode but like it’s been recorded already (even though it hasn’t been released yet) so it’s old news to my lil brain at this point.
Treasure Chest
Have you been listening to the podcast long enough to remember the ‘Treasure Trove Indie Game Highlight of the Week of the Month’? The segment where we shouted out some smaller co-op games we probably weren’t ever going to get around to playing and producing an episode on? I bet not! But that’s fine because all you need to know is that the Treasure Chest is now a segment of this newsletter where we’ll hand you a smattering of co-op game options for you to check out for yourself!
Whispers in the West | PC
Hour long mysteries to solve as a team
Spacelines from the Far Out | PC, Xbox
A roguelike/roguelite teamworker where you operate an alien airline? Could be a decent pizza party game 🍕🎮
There’s even a free prologue!
Just Shapes & Beats | PC, Mac, Switch, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox X/S
Hour long mysteries to solve as a team
Grace harvests some Harvest Moon-likes… or are they Stardew Valley-likes now? How do we feel about calling them “Starvest Moon” games?
The original Harvest Moon games were some of my favorites as a kid and I spent hours crafting my own notebook of information I’d need to make sure I could romance everyone and remember their preferred birthday gift. While I’m not the biggest fan of the term “Stardew Valley-Like”, I won’t pretend that Stardew Valley wasn’t the refresh the genre needed. There are plenty of games now trying to hit that same dopamine vein that Stardew Valley did for so many of us. For me, most have not succeeded, but I enjoy checking them out nonetheless.
Here are a few titles that I think bring something new to the table while also maintaining that warm and satisfying vibe a small town farming game should:
Sun Haven - This is the most recent of the farming genre I’ve been playing and it’s really surprised me in the depth of content as well as the richness of the writing and story. It even has the kind of aesthetics that those of us who owned Dragonology as a children may enjoy. If you pick up Sun Haven, just make sure to take your time and don’t let it rush you into quests. This is a game to play at your own pace while also collecting cute outfits and decorating your house to resemble a tea party for fairies.
Wylde Flowers - Don’t judge a book by its cover. Wylde Flowers succeeds in pulling you into an interesting story revolving around joining a coven of witches. The characters you meet are well-developed and diverse with backgrounds of their own and always something new to say.
Roots of Pacha - The unique factor of Roots of Pacha is obvious from the jump: instead of a modern or fantasy setting, you’ll be creating your farm in the time of the Stone Age. Instead of cows, chickens and sheep, you’ll raise bison, guanaco and ibex. If you’re looking for a new take on the genre consider checking out Roots of Pacha
Can you believe Grace got through that whole segment without using the word “cozy”? Anyways, that’s it for this edition of ST Extras. Stay tuned for more podcast episodes and newsletter releases from us at Saves Together! <3