🌺💐 Spring Cozy Gaming 💐🌸

Most of these games are ones I mentioned in my last Spring Gaming post as a part of my "to-do" list. I've actually enjoyed most of them; only 2 were slightly boring, but I quickly switched those out for something I liked far more.

1. Einstein's Cats 😺

"A cozy, relaxing puzzle game all about cats. Solve brain-twisting logic clues to sort picky cats into their favorite boxes. Unlock stickers as you play to use in your Sticker-book to create your own cute cuddly cat scenes!"

A game about sorting cats into baskets is definitely as adorable as it sounds. The gameplay might seem simple, but as you progress, some puzzles can get difficult - which I approve of. The thing is, while you do get "a change of scenery" each time you clear a room, nothing else changes. 

What I'm trying to say is that it got quite repetitive after a while. I cleared about 65 levels before calling it quits because I wanted to end it before it became a chore. As I said before, the levels change aesthetically (cats got bows instead of ties, or filing cabinets instead of baskets etc.) but the core gameplay doesn't really change. 

It was still pretty satisfying to play and there's one part of the game that I didn't use but some of you might like - you also get a lil scrapbook you can fill with stickers that unlock as you progress the game. I appreciated the gesture and this game is definitely meant to be as relaxing as possible (no timers, no points, no penalties), which they definitely achieved.

2. KuloNiku: Bowl Up! 🍲

"Prep your stations for a cozy cooking game with attitude! Prepare unique meals for quirky small-town locals, upgrade and customize your shop, compete in thrilling cooking battles to become top chef, and protect your family’s long-running restaurant alongside a cast of curious companions!"

Not only does this game have super cute art, but everything is so freaking smooth. Grabbing the bowls, moving from one working station to another, chopping stuff...it was so well done I just had to appreciate the graphics on their own.

Aside from the main storyline (which was fun and intriguing), you also get to befriend the locals and learn something about all of them. Each time you reach a new relationship level, you unlock new customization options and other perks! I loved redecorating my restaurant every 5 minutes lol

As I said before, working at the restaurant was very satisfying - sometimes you'd get this super difficult order to complete and then when you acutally pull it off you'll feel so smug 😂 Basically, you have a limited amount of items you can put in the bowl, but the customer wants a specific dish (with additional wishes like extra spicy, not salty, slightly sweet etc) and you have to season it just right.

I forgot to mention - besides working normal levels at the restaurant, you also participate in chef competitions! You get a list of ingredients, what each judge likes and a limited amount of moves to do everything. Super fun right??

My only complaint (and it's truly a tiny one) is that after playing this game for a few weeks, I realized that the last act of the game is slightly repetitive. As in, you don't get many upgrades and have to patiently finish the hardest levels with the same tools you played all those easier ones. The storyline ending was quite sweet and I'm happy this game became my obsession during May 😂

3. Regency Solitaire II 🎴

"Revisit romantic Regency Britain to build a glorious garden, in this charming solitaire sequel. Tour historic hotspots, silence gossips, and host the season’s most anticipated soiree. Play your cards right to unlock bonus levels and a love story. Don't miss the party everyone's talking about!"

To be perfectly honest, I played this game manically for a week and just had to complete it 😂 I love solitaire. aesthetically pleasing art and Jane Austen - this game combines all of that. 

Do you see that picture?? Each location you play in has a unique, stunningly beautiful background that could fit in a Regency movie. The design on the cards is also gorgeous, and you even get a few more customization options to choose from!

I just generally loved how the levels were constructed because it all made sense. The cards moving around were smooth, the difficulty definitely increased, and you even get some unique twists as you progress (for example, the butterflies you see on the photo above means that card has to be played twice). 

Everything I mentioned makes this game a very enjoyable solitaire game, but what makes it an amazing game in general is the fact that you also get a storyline to progress on! Each location cleared means you get more insight into the lives of the characters and uncover some long-buried secrets. Nothing too scandalous of course 😂

🧃 Honorable Mentions 🧃

 

Lost and Found is definitely a case of "it's me, not you" because when I opened it - the art just pulled me in right away. The attention to detail, the storyline, the number of levels that I knew this game had...it all seemed perfect. Then I finished 3 levels and realized I don't enjoy "find Waldo" types of games 😂😂

I tried getting into it just because I knew this game was made with love, but I quickly realized I'm only going to get annoyed. So yeah...if you're the type of person that likes combing through scenes, trying to find that tiny lil object hidden somewhere - this game is definitely for you! I, on the other hand, will steer clear from this genre indefinitely 😂

Vending Machine Co. got slightly better treatment at first - I finished about 27 in-game days (which took me 2 real-life days) before deciding it's not going to work out. For lack of a better explanation, I feel like this game lacked soul 😂 The game art is sweet and colorful, but the gameplay itself was sucking life out of me - buy a vending machine, fill it with products, go to sleep, collect earnings, buy stock, fill the machine, go to sleep...repeat FOR THE REST OF ETERNITY.

I'm not sure why this bothered me so much because this is not the first game to have that sort of "every day work routine" kinda vibe. Maybe it's because every day was literally THE SAME, and you don't have a clear objective, you just do whatever you want to. It's an endless loop without any guidelines, a pit of despair, but rainbow colored...


Have you played any of the games mentioned above? Or do you plan to in the future?