Indie Game

Vivaland

Vivaland: Next-Level Online Play in a Multiplayer Life Sim

Vivaland: A Comprehensive Overview

Vivaland, an emerging title in the life simulation genre, presents an intriguing multiplayer-centric approach. Let’s explore its development, gameplay features, and how it stands in the life sim landscape.

Development and Team Insights

Development Journey

  • Vivaland’s development began in January 2022, following a year of research to optimize asset pipelines and workflows​​.

Release Timeline

  • An early access release is slated for 2024​​.

Platform Availability

  • Primarily for PC, with potential expansion to consoles due to engine compatibility​​.

The Development Team

  • The team comprises 8 industry veterans, some of whom worked on the Sims 4 Multiplayer Mod. They collaborate with HypeTrain Digital for publishing​​.

Gameplay Features

Multiplayer Focus

  • Vivaland is designed as a multiplayer life sim where every household is controlled by real players​​.

Community Interaction

  • Players can visit other Vivas (characters), access community areas, and start businesses, all within a buzzing online community​​.

Modding Support

  • While not a current priority, modding support is planned post-early access​​.

Connectivity

  • Internet connection is required for multiplayer, but single-player mode is available offline​​.

Group Play

  • Up to 8 players can join a game, each with their own household and Vivas​​.

Game World

  • The game is set in a small town and neighborhood, but it’s not an open world​​​​.

Visiting and Interaction

  • Players can visit friends’ households, but can only interact with their Vivas when they are online​​​​.

Control Scheme

  • The game will primarily use point & click controls, with potential expansion to keyboard movement​​.

Content Rating

  • Targeting an E rating, the game may adopt a mature approach for realism suitable for adult players​​.

Life Stages and Pets

  • Initially featuring only adult Vivas, with other life stages and pets planned for later updates​​​​​​.

Variety of Locations

  • The game currently has residential lots, with plans for a wider variety of locations​​.

Weather and Seasonal Changes

  • These features are not planned for the initial release but may be added later​​.

Market Positioning and Comparison

Vivaland’s unique multiplayer-centric approach sets it apart in the life simulation genre. While its development is still in the early stages, the focus on real-player interaction and community building is a fresh take compared to more traditional life sims like The Sims series. The game promises a blend of personal storytelling and shared experiences, with an emphasis on connectivity and real-time interaction. read more

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Indie Game Spotlight: ‘A Space for the Unbound’ Review – A Journey of Emotion and Nostalgia

A Space for the Unbound Trailer

Exploring Emotional Depths and Indie Charms in “A Space for the Unbound”

Dive into the captivating world of “A Space for the Unbound,” a game that masterfully blends a deep, emotional narrative with charming indie retro graphics and engaging casual gameplay. If you’ve enjoyed games like “Always Sometimes Monsters” (review here), its sequel “Sometimes Always Monsters” (preview here), “Undertale” (mentioned here), and other narrative-driven indie gems, you’ll find “A Space for the Unbound” to be a remarkable addition to your gaming collection. read more

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Review of Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical (Nintendo Switch Version)

When I first heard about *Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical*, my excitement was palpable. Being an ardent admirer of David Gaider’s work with Dragon Age, and given my penchant for musicals, the concept of a roleplaying game that integrates musical elements sounded like a dream come true.

The narrative of *Stray Gods* drew me in immediately. Playing as Grace, tasked with proving her innocence against the accusation of murdering the last muse, while navigating the world of Greek gods, is nothing short of exhilarating. The stakes are high, the drama is palpable, and the narrative choices make for a deeply immersive experience. Each choice influencing the story’s progression, especially in the musical lyrics, adds a whole new layer of depth, resonating with the musical lover in me. read more

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Mobile Game Review: Tales from the Table: Embracing the Warmth of Bear’s Restaurant And Walking Away Hungry For More.

Welcome to another adventure in gaming, where we dive into older titles that have been patiently waiting in our backlog. Today, we’re exploring Bear’s Restaurant, a game that has garnered high praise on Steam and other platforms. After years of anticipation, I finally got around to playing this charming game. As I immersed myself in its cozy world, I found myself grappling with mixed feelings. Was it the enjoyable experience I had expected, or did it fall short of the hype?

While Bear’s Restaurant undoubtedly has its merits, I couldn’t help but feel that something was missing. Despite the high ratings and glowing reviews, the game seemed to lack the finesse in writing and development needed to truly connect with players. Join me as we delve into the delightful and sometimes disappointing world of Bear’s Restaurant, and ponder whether it lives up to its reputation or leaves us craving more. read more

Mobile Game Review: Tales from the Table: Embracing the Warmth of Bear’s Restaurant And Walking Away Hungry For More. Read More »

Arcadia Fallen – Visual Novel With Alchemy Review

Thanks to the folks at Galdra Studios for allowing me to review their debut visual novel, Arcadia Fallen. As a first release from an indie game publisher, Arcadia Fallen definitely exceeded my expectations in many ways. First of all, the game’s high production values from voice acting, to character portraits, and even a catchy anime opening song and animation, all pull you right into the game. From there, the characters and story and unraveling the mysteries of the game keep you glued to your gaming chair. For those that find routine visual novel gameplay a bit dull, you might like the puzzle aspects in Arcadia Fallen because it has a nice crafting and alchemy feature. read more

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Impostor Factory Game Review

I just finished Impostor Factory, a little short indie game by Freebird Games. They have a few other games under their belts including To The Moon, which is probably their most famous title.

Impostor Factory is meant to be a prequel in a way to To The Moon, although it’s slow to link the puzzle pieces together. It all makes sense by the end. You will see some familiar characters from To The Moon by the end.

I had thought I reviewed To The Moon here at some point, but I couldn’t find the review to link to it, so perhaps not. read more

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The Best Nintendo Switch Games For Girls 2021

2021 is more than halfway over. Here’s what I have been playing (new releases) and what I’m looking forward to releasing for Nintendo Switch this year. They’re not in any particular order. The first one is my favorite, the next 20 are in reverse chronological order (newer games or unreleased games first) – After that, who knows lol. There’s of course many more great games that I just couldn’t cover all of them here. Nintendo Switch is truly the best console for gamer girls. read more

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Shining Nikki Review And Shining Nikki Redeem Codes

Hello, today I am reviewing the latest dressup game, Shining Nikki. This is the latest in a long-running series of dressup games from Chinese developer, Paper Games. In Nikki’s newest game, you can see Nikki modeling her outfits for the first time in 3D. Much of the game is still in 2D anime style too, so you’re not missing that anime aesthetic.

Before I get too far let me share with you some codes you can redeem in Shining Nikki for some nice perks:

First, download and install Shining Nikki from the app store: https://nikki4.playpapergames.com/m/home

Next after setting up the game, click the user profile in the top left and then click settings and Redeem Code. read more

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Wildermyth RPG Indie Game Review

I just started playing Wildermyth on the PC yesterday. This game is very fun and very challenging. I warn you, don’t get too attached to any of your characters, because it won’t be long before they die. Permadeath is real in this game. You get two chances. First time, your character will be maimed, second time, dead. I’m thinking I have to start all over because my characters just aren’t strong enough for the battle that they’re facing. I’ve tried twice now. Some had already died before that too. read more

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20 Game Series That Need A Sequel

1.) Lunar

Still my favorite game series of all time, Lunar, deserves a sequel and has plenty of source material to derive such a sequel or rather, prequel from. What I’d like to play is the original tale that started it all, playing as Dyne, with the original reincarnation of the goddess Althena, and Ghaleon, and Mel, and the other 4 heroes (whose names I’ve forgotten at the moment). Of course, they could always just spin it off in a new direction in a future somewhere and use return appearances or references of some of the characters. But the logical next step to me, would be to let us see and play the tale of the original 4 heroes. read more

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Calico – Cute Cat Cafe Game With Tons Of Customization & Inclusivity

I just purchased Calico and began playing it over the weekend. Calico is a cute anime style Cat cafe game. The gameplay is simple and relaxing. You collect cute animals and run errands for towns folk while baking cute treats to sell in your cafe. You can also buy and unlock new recipes, new furniture, and new outfits.

What I love most about this game is how inclusive it truly is. You can be fat, slim, short, tall, black white, or green, or yellow, red, pink, whatever. You can have long hair, short hair, curly hair, straight hair, bangs, no bangs, side bangs, etc. I mean my character looks almost exactly like me in real life. And within game, the NPCs are various body/skintone types too. read more

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Pine – Kickstarter Game Based On Personal Illustrations By Tom Booth

Pine is a successfully funded Kickstarter game about a grieving woodcutter who lost his wife. What makes the game unique and even more interesting is that it is based on an internet-famous set of images from illustrator Tom Booth.

For the past 3-4 years he has been creating the story of the Wood Cutter based on his own deeply personal feelings of dealing with the death of a loved one. No one knows the whole story because Tom has said he wanted to “try something different” to tell his story – so here it is. He has chosen to do a kickstarter game. read more

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Beacon Pines Kickstarter Game Where Words Can Alter The Fate Of Furrie Characters

I did back a third game yesterday, but didn’t get a chance to post about it yet. If you haven’t already checked out the other two posts yesterday for Ova Magica and Coral Island you can click their names to read them now.

Beacon Pines is entirely different from the above “farming games”. Instead, Beacon Pines bills itself as a “Cute and Creepy” Adventure game where “Words You Fine Can Change The Course Of Fate”. It’s also featuring cute anamorphic or furrie characters. read more

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Coral Island Kickstarter For Inclusive Farming Simulation Game

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/coralisland/coral-island-reimagining-the-farm-sim-game

One good kickstarter deserves another I guess. This is the second kickstarter I’m blogging about today, and is in some ways quite similar to the previous Ova Magica. Both kickstarters are still active at time of this posting.

This next kickstarter is titled Coral Island, and it aims to make inclusivity a big focus of its game. Bringing in characters of different races and ethnic backgrounds.

The gameplay itself looks fun. You date the townsfolk while tending the farm. You even have children and watch them grow into teens. And the other people of the village also grow older as well. read more

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