Y'all, I have played so many games this last month. I've been here at my desk with some tea and a blanket, just enjoying some cozy games, and now I want to share my favorites with you! Today we start off our list with Sunhaven. A few years ago, I backed Sunhaven on Kickstarter and I was really excited to find a new game to hyperfixate on. Sadly, back in 2021, I just could not get into it. The game itself was very barebones, still in early development, and it was just not for me. Fast forward to 2023 when I was asking my Twitch chat what games they've been playing lately. To my surprise, I had multiple people suggest Sunhaven. I thought to myself, what are they seeing that I'm not? I've disliked games that others have enjoyed in the past, so maybe this is a similar situation? I decided to reinstall it since I already owned it and wow am I so glad I did. Over the last two years since I had played it, it's become a completely different game. Sunhaven is a slice of life simulator with farming, combat, building, relationships, multiple races, and a leveling system with various RPG elements. When I tell others about the game, it's as if Dungeons and Dragons and Stardew Valley had a baby. Do you want to play with friends? It includes a multiplayer function that can be played by up to 8 players. The towns, yes plural, have a story progression with numerous shops and NPCs to interact with. Some of my favorite reasons for why I have been obsessed with Sunhaven is due to the fact that there is no energy bar. You can do whatever you want for however you want each day. Speaking of days, you can set the in-game day length. Are you waiting on crops to grow? Set the day to 20 real-life minutes. Do you want a quest and make sure you have time for a little romance? Set the day to 40 real-life minutes. Are you looking to turn in a quest to a specific NPC? Check your map. It shows all of the characters and even ones you can turn quests into or take quests from. You might be asking yourself, Violet, how is the inventory situation? I'm pleased to announce that as soon as you step into the game, your bags are fully open with so much room to spare that you don't even really need to craft chests until the story progresses. No unlocks necessary. Inventory simulator? We don't know her. The fantasy element of Sunhaven brings something very new and refreshing to the table in a sea of lackluster farming simulators. It is currently only available on Steam for $24.99 USD. It is not directly Steam Deck compatible, but according to friends it gets the job done with a few glitches along the way. There are some whispers of a future Switch release, but that hasn't been totally confirmed yet. Next up, we have Roots of Pacha. This prehistoric farming sim is set in the Stone Age, where your character is about to undergo their rite of passage as your clan settles in a new, promising land, full of wildlife and natural treasures to behold. Through quests, we meet different characters, each with their own storylines about exploration, new ideas, and innovative ways for the clan to prosper together. One of the really cool things I enjoyed about Roots of Pacha is while there is farming, mining, and fishing, there is zero combat. You don't have to worry about a cute monster coming up to you late at night or in the caves, which really sets a relaxing tone for your day to day activities. The use of the UI toolbar is also incredibly unique since we already have designated slots for seeds, our main tools, and then any other items we pick up. I once again found myself not even truly needing to craft a chest because my inventory wasn't filling up quickly. While we do have an energy bar, noted by a burning fire, it's more than enough to get your daily activities in, with the occasional refilling by consuming some food. One of the best aspects of Roots of Pacha is befriending animals. The quick time music event is so charming and the song selection is different for each type of animal. The best part? You can even pet your furry friends! This was one of the most relaxed farming sims I have ever played and highly recommend it for wanting to unwind after a busy day of living in the real world. Unfortunately, due to some conflict between the developer and publisher, as of this video, it has been removed from the Steam store. Hopefully they can come to an agreement soon. When it was available on Steam, and hopefully when it comes back, it will be $24.99 USD. It is Stream Deck compatible, and users have noted it runs incredibly smooth. There is a planned launch for the Nintendo Switch and other consoles, but no release date as of right now and assumedly due to the current legalities this may be put on hold while they get the game back up for purchase. Traveler's Rest is a tavern management game set in a fantasy medieval period. You play as a tavern owner and work on expanding your place of business by cooking, serving guests, and gathering materials to ensure your day runs smoothly. On top of tavern and inn management, there's also a bit of exploration to do that will help you unlock new items and activities. There are no real quests here and everything can be done at your own pace, whether that means serving guests all day, or preemptively chopping wood to fulfill a few days of helping run your tavern. As you complete tasks, you will earn some points which can be used in a skill tree that will unlock additional food, drink, or workshop recipes. The pixel art style of Traveler's Rest is very reminiscent of Stardew Valley, but that's really where the comparisons end. This management sim is so easy to sink countless hours into because there's always something to do. You can even customize and decorate your tavern to your heart's content, especially as you expand to offer more overnight rooms and more dining hall seating. While Traveler's Rest is still in early access, there are more features to be added soon such as relationships, magic, and even farm animals. Traveler's Rest is only available on Steam for $14.99 USD and is Steam Deck compatible. There are no current plans for a Nintendo Switch launch, but hopefully in the future. Finally, we have Go! Go! Town. While this won't be released until sometime next year, I did have the pleasure of playing the pre-alpha demo recently and wow, this is absolutely a game to watch and have on your wishlist. Go! Go! Town is a cozy town building simulator that has really wonderful Animal Crossing vibes. You are working with an agency to bring tourism to your new town and want to maximize your profits for ultimate greed. Yes, you will become a pixelated version of both Jeffrey Bezos and a landlord, but don't worry, there's plenty of manual labor to do as well. Once you've set up a few shops, you have to help them run by gathering resources from the forest, mining, fishing, and even taking care of a farm area. One of my favorite aspects of this game is the potential for how customizable your town is between the different shop types, villager types, and terrain tools. If you love terraforming in Animal Crossing, you are really going to enjoy the endless possibilities of rearranging your town. I am truly floored at how much there was to do during this demo, and I spent nearly 3 hours on this first playthrough alone. Did I go back several other times to check out different character styles, shop fits, and bugging the villagers by running them over with the various vehicles in the game? Why yes, yes I did. While this current version of the demo is no longer available, I did leave a link to all of the game information in the description box down below, including links to Steam to wishlist the game, and to the Discord if you'd like to get in on some additional early playtesting. Thank you so much for joining me today. I hope you found a new cozy game to pique your interest. Make sure you hit that like and subscribe button before you head into your own gremlin mode. Be good and kind to yourselves and each other and I'll catch you next time. Bye!