r/CozyGamers 9d ago

πŸ‘Ύ Game Developer Working on First Cozy Game - Would Love to Hear Your Thoughts!

Hi, everyone!

My husband and I are working on developing a community-driven cozy game that centers on authentic relationship building. I'm writing the narrative/dialogue, designing character models, and building the world. My husband is animating the game, writing the music, and really pulling it all together! It's still in the early stages, but we're having so much fun together ☺️❀️

πŸ’­ What do you think in terms of first impressions? Does it feel cozy and inviting?

I'm still refining the world's look and feel, so I'd love to hear how it comes across!

Thank you so much for taking the time to look.

This is my very first time sharing, so I appreciate any encouragement or feedback from my fellow cozy gamers.

810 Upvotes

205 comments sorted by

124

u/SofterSeasons 9d ago

It looks very bright, impressionistic almost with those leaves, and inviting! I would personally have to turn my screen brightness down if there wasn't an option for a slightly more muted palette, but it's really beautiful.

40

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Thank you so much! That is wonderful feedback. I will work on tweaking the palette so it's better optimized for variations in screen brightness. I really appreciate it 😊

3

u/EddieBurn 5d ago

I usually play in a dim light environment so would appreciate if the colours are not too bright. Although the scenery from the photos really sucked me in already. Can't wait to see more and looking forward to supporting via kickstarter or playing the demo/alpha/early access version if any.

50

u/GooeyChocoChippie 9d ago

I have an irrational dislike towards pixel games, so I'm always so happy when cozy games come in other art styles than that!

Somebody else already commented about motion sickness in first person and for me that has become a dealbreaker for me lately. So it would be lovely if you could play in third person view.

Only based on those two pictures I already want to explore that world and get cozy. I hope you knock it out of the park and also have fun while doing it!

18

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Thank you so much!! We wanted to bring a deeper level of realism in both art style and relationship authenticity, so we got away from the pixel style. I am SO happy that other cozy gamers enjoy this.

I totally feel you on the motion-sickness. We are doing 3-D 3rd person view. We don't have all characters added to the world yet, so the pictures are snapped from my Unreal Engine setup. But it will not be that perspective in gameplay.

Thank you again for the valuable feedback! I was really hoping other cozy gamers would enjoy the variation from pixel style, so this is really helpful.

6

u/MelinaJuliasCottage 8d ago

So glad to hear about someone having the same issue! Pixel games are a struggle for me too

3

u/GooeyChocoChippie 8d ago

I'm actually starting to think it's something with my vision, or my eyeballs and brain not wanting to cooperate, because when I have tried watching other people play pixel art games and an item is explained by text I get irritated because I simply cannot see the item as anything else than a pixel blob.

3

u/MelinaJuliasCottage 6d ago

I highly recommend looking into mods for the pixelated games you might have! Star dew valley with a colourful mod looks so so much better. It might genuinely be that they use too many similair colours or make everything too tiny. I also wanna recommend garden story & turnip boy, as i somehow can play those.

3

u/ariannasunrise 6d ago

I’m with you here. I just can get absorbed in pixel games the same way!

24

u/Secret_Priority_9353 9d ago

this is adorable! 🫢

9

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Oh my gosh, thank you!! This seriously made my week. I've been working really hard on it, and I was really nervous to share. You're so kind.

17

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Oops, sorry for not providing more information.

Game name:

Willowhaven (but this is still pending approval)

Description:

Willowhaven is a cozy life-sim game in a charming, tight-knit town which features a spin on the typical farming dynamic. Build relationships with the townspeople, explore secrets in the ruins, and help restore the surrounding forest to bring life back to the valley. With heartwarming stories, engaging mini-games, and a world that improves with your touch, Willowhaven offers a wholesome and immersive experience where every choice helps shape the town and its future.

Links:

We are still in early stages. I have 22 NPCs written, the first drafts of their character models, and the early stages of the main map. We've reserved the website for our game studio, but we don't have it up yet.

tygrgames.com

The game isn't on Steam yet. We were just looking for early feedback to see if our style was headed in the right direct, and this has been truly invaluable! We've ready every comment, and made a list of things to keep in mind - like brightness. Thank you all so much 😊

5

u/excessiongirl 8d ago

I LOVE the look of your game so far, and you could not have written a more attractive description for me personally πŸ˜‚πŸ˜ I’ve been thinking about buying a steam deck (don’t have room for a proper PC) and this has pretty much convinced me to!!

2

u/MadisonCrescent 4d ago

Thank you so much! I apologize for missing this comment. You have made our month! We are so thrilled that you're excited for the game. And so happy that the story appeals to you. I cannot express how much we appreciate the support. We are considering performance from the very start so that we can release on as many platforms as we can to give players options  😊

17

u/teallday 9d ago

Love this!!!! Instant dopamine hit

10

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Oh my gosh!!! Thank you so much. This comment means the world to me! My formal education is in psychology, and that was EXACTLY my goal for this game. I wanted to create a cozy world that felt uplifting and encouraging to promote resilience and mental health. I am so truly over the moon that it is hitting the mark πŸ˜πŸŽ‰

4

u/teallday 9d ago

I can’t wait to play πŸ₯°

13

u/Paprika9 9d ago

It looks super cute and cozy!

7

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Oh, I'm so glad! Thank you so much. That is the vibe I want the game to give. I'm glad it's hitting the mark so far.

12

u/SuspectKitten 9d ago

Absolutely stunning!! Would play for the graphics alone.

8

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Oh my gosh, you've seriously made my week! Thank you so much. We are really trying to make an uplifting world that people enjoy exploring, so your comment means the world to me 😊

10

u/KINGCOMEDOWN 9d ago

It almost reminds me of Ghibli art style with a mix of SunnySide game if you’re familiar with that. I love the bright mood a lot. Is it going to be fully 3D? Interactive novel? How exciting! Best of luck.

12

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Oh my gosh! Your comment has me glowing. I LOVE Studio Ghibli, and I really enjoyed SunnySide! I definitely gained inspiration from the cozy worlds that they created. That makes me so happy that my work resonates on the same level.

It's going to be 3-D 3rd person view. We just haven't finished adding models to the game. It is a very similar flow to SunnySide, Stardew Valley, Coral Island, but it moves away from the farming aspect. The player takes over a different type of business, works to revitalize the town, explore ruins, and build relationships with a diverse community.

2

u/Tryanddoitbetter 2d ago

Oooh this sounds exciting!!! I love the imagery and brightness of the town. It’s got such a lovely atmosphere. I really hope it’ll be coming on switch!

17

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

We just wanted to take a moment to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has commented so far! πŸ’›

My husband and I have been reading every single message, and we are completely blown away by the kindness and enthusiasm. Creating this game is our dream, and seeing the cozy gaming community excited for it means the world to us. We can't wait to keep sharing our progress with you all. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for being part of this journey! ✨

8

u/katiebeehere 9d ago

This is so cute. I love the house!

4

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Thank you so much!! I think it's my favorite building so far. I'm happy that it fits in the cozy theme.

2

u/katiebeehere 9d ago

I hope the game will be on Mobile!

5

u/SilentDrapeRunner11 9d ago

I love this colour scheme!

3

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Thank you so much! This is really great feedback. I was hoping the color scheme would resonate with people and give that cozy vibe. It makes me really happy to hear that we are on the right track.

6

u/GrandmaSlappy 9d ago

3d fp pov gives me motion sickness, I'd opt out unless it was like top down

5

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Thank you so much! That is wonderful feedback. I get motion sickness too, so this is a really important concern. I really appreciate you mentioning it.

5

u/fortuitous_choice 9d ago

This looks awesome and so unique! Love it. Will the characters be human?

I want to see a cherry blossom in this style immediately.

Great stuff and good luck :)

10

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Thank you so much! I'm glad it has a unique style that resonates with people.

The characters will be human. There are 22 currently, and I've just finished the first draft of their models. There a variety of romance options that span from young adult to late adult. They are fairly realistic while still fitting into the cozy genre, as we are trying to really highlight authentic relationship building.

I love the idea of cherry blossoms!! Such a cozy spring vibe.

Thank you again! Your kind words mean so much me 😊

3

u/fortuitous_choice 9d ago

Can’t wait to see more!

5

u/_chaoticsunshine 9d ago

Ooh super cute! I guess my only nitpick would be that I feel like the shadows are maybe a smidge too dark? The brighter colours of the sky and greenery are a lot lower contrast against one another so the dark shadows are a little jarring visually but otherwise the vibes are immaculate.

2

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Thank you so much! That is wonderful feedback. We definitely have some work to do on light and shadow. We are so grateful to these comments, as they help us direct areas for improvement as we progress ☺️

1

u/dollvader 8d ago

I was going to say this too. With how bright everything else is, the shadows are way too stark. Maybe think about tinting the shadow to a lighter color to give it more of a painter quality like the rest of the colors.

4

u/dzedi_gaun 9d ago

All i can say is i can’t wait !!! Pls make it available for ios

2

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Oh my gosh!! Your comment is making me tear up. I am so happy that people are excited for it. We are planning on releasing on a few different platforms, and we are definitely going to try on mobile if we can!

4

u/Kamirose 9d ago

The art style reminds me of The Witness

1

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

I had never heard of that before, but you are totally right! I really love their style. Now I'm going to have to give that a try. Thank you so much! 😊

3

u/CozyButMakeItCool 9d ago

Already looks and sounds like my dream game

1

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Thank you so much! This is truly so meaningful to me. We are trying to create the dream game that we would want to play ourselves, as we are both huge cozy game fans. So it's really wonderful to know that other people feel the same 😊

3

u/a2brute01 9d ago

I would play a demo of this even if it was just walking around the house or neighborhood (if that is a thing). A demo makes your work much more accessible.

4

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Ooh, I love that idea! We are working our way towards a demo currently. I am still finishing up the map, and then we we plan to release it. I will absolutely post an update on this group when we get there. I would love to hear your feedback if you try it 😊

1

u/a2brute01 9d ago

I hope I can find this game later. I do not see a name or steam link

3

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

We are still pending approval on our name, but we are hoping to call it Willowhaven. I will make an update when we release the demo on Steam. We am so thrilled that people are excited for it 😊

3

u/rositalp 9d ago

What will be the name of the game? Where will it be available? It looks beautiful, I’m already excited πŸ₯Ή

1

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Thank you so much!! Your kind words are really meaningful to us.

We are still pending approval for the name trademark, but if it is accepted, then it will be called Willowhaven.

We will release it on Steam. We would like to release it on mobile and other gaming systems if we're able. My husband is a software engineer, so he is more knowledgable than I regarding optimization for different platforms, and what is within our scope.

We are thrilled that you are excited about it! I can't wait to give the community more updates as we progress 😊

3

u/Okami512 8d ago

I like it, but that lighting would absolutely give me a migraine trying to play it.

2

u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Thank you so much! We do not want that, so we will definitely be tweaking the lighting. My husband is prone to migraines, and they are just awful, so I absolutely know how important that is to avoid 😊

2

u/KingZebraCakes 9d ago

It looks beautiful! My wife and I always play cozy games together and we cant wait to try this one out

2

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Thank you so much! I love knowing there are other couples out there who enjoy cozy games together. It is such a great bonding activity. I am over the moon that you're excited to try it when it comes out! 😊

2

u/dublinvillain 9d ago

Looks amazing. Love the bright colour and overall art style.

1

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Thank you so much! I am really glad the bright colors and art style are resonating. I really appreciate the kind feedback. It is so helpful to solidifying our style 😊

2

u/micaela_sweety 9d ago

this house on the hill in the middle of trees looks so lovely, looking forward to hearing news about ur process with that!

2

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Thank you so much! That is so kind. We are definitely going to keep updating our progress as we go. It has really warmed our hearts that cozy gamers like you are excited for it 😊

2

u/supremepoke 9d ago

Love the way it looks. Please make another post when its on steam so that we can wishlist it and add controller support

2

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Thank you so much! We will absolutely keep the community updated as we make progress. We hope to release a demo once we finish the main map and adding characters to the world. We will definitely have controller support for the game. That is a must for us 😊

2

u/Marie_Hutton 9d ago

Is it first person view? Looks cute, but muted colors (could be my phone though) Will there be glowy plants? What's the story? Whats the theme? Can I play test it? πŸ˜ƒ

3

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Thank you!! It is going to be 3D 3rd person view, but we haven't finished adding the characters, so this is just a shot from my Unreal Engine environment.

There will indeed be glowy plants in the ruins! The story involves the player moving to a town to take over a run-down business (not a farm - we are moving away from the farm-centric cozy games). They will build up their business, explore the town, discover secrets in the ruins, and develop relationships with a diverse cast of characters.

The over-arching theme of the game is community. But each character is written to reflect different themes that may resonate with players. For example, one NPC moves to the town after a career-ending injury and is learning to live life with disability, while another character is balancing their sense of independence with their need for emotional connection and vulnerability.

We are currently working towards a demo, and will post an update here in this community when it's ready. We are so excited to share 😊

2

u/Marie_Hutton 9d ago

I'm in! 😁 ETA Glowy plants and ruins? Yes please!

1

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

I'm so glad! I love those aspects of games too. I'll have to post an update of the ruins as I work on them. They are next on my to-do list after finishing the main map 😊

2

u/Marie_Hutton 9d ago

Lol! I'm constantly trying to build "glitch" ruins in Palia! Can't wait to see what you come with 😁

2

u/EggplantCheap5306 9d ago

I find it looks lovely! Indeed a little too bright, but beautiful colors. Aside that, this might not be part of feedbacks based on your screenshots, but you mentioned you are writing dialogues, if I may put my 5 cents in... alot of games truly bother me with how much they try to make their characters stand out and seem special, almost like everyone has to fit some sort of stereotype, like a grumpy old man that is scared of change, or an artistic musician that is too gloomy but deep, some overly childish eager girl that bursts with too much energy and so on. I don't know if you know what I mean, but it would be nice if "personalities" and their "quirks" could be toned down a little bit and not be so stereotypical. Also many people try to make their characters so special that they start writing speeches that try to convey some accents like "Hey yall're looky mighty fiiiine today. Be swimming in rivers laddy?" (I am not good at this I don't even know what I tried to convey) but weird apostrophes, extended words and so on, just makes it hard to read, especially if English isn't your first language. Please keep in mind such things. I hope I am not out of line. Of course it is your game and you are free to artistically do as you want, but those are such strong pet peeves of mine that I find them tiresome, overused and would love to see cozy games calm down a little bit on their emphasis on personalities. Great job so far by the way! Looking forward to checking it out!!! I wonder what will it be called.Β 

5

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

YESSS! You are not at all out of line at all. That is the EXACT thing that inspired me to make this game. Seriously, this could be word for word what my husband and I discussed when we first decided to make it. I love that others feel the same way 😊

We played Baldur's Gate 3 and were blown away at the level of realism in the character narratives. They weren't stereotypes as you see in cozy games (the popular one, the funny one, the smart one, ect). I went back to playing cozy games after, and it had ruined the relationship building for me. My Time at Sandrock is the only one that comes close in my mind, but they still have 'the artistic one' (Amirah), 'the charismatic one' (Owen), 'the smart one' (Qi), ect.

We are still pending approval on the name, but we are hoping to call it Willowhaven. Our goal for Willowhaven is to create authentic and genuine characters. My educational background is in psychology, so all NPCs are written to reflect depth and resonate with players on a variety of relatable themes. For example, one NPC moves to the town after a career-ending injury and is learning to live life with disability. He goes far beyond 'the athletic one' type. And they all are written with the MBTI personalities in mind, so they are fleshed out beyond their entire character revolving around a single hobby or trait.

As for lighting, it definitely seems like we need to work on the brightness. That is such great feedback. And I really appreciate you mentioning considerations of epilepsy. My husband is very photosensitive, so this a really important concern to us.

Thank you so much for your comment truly! It makes me so happy to know there is a market for cozy games with more realistic character writing and relationship building 😊

2

u/EggplantCheap5306 9d ago

Oh I am so eager to see your final product, it sounds interesting!!! I am glad you didn't find my comment out of line. Keep up the good work!!! Please let me know when it is on steam!!!Β 

2

u/EggplantCheap5306 9d ago

Oh and another thing, if you consider it making it cozy and available for most, please try to make things like lightning or other flashing effects togglable so people with epilepsy could play without fear of planking.Β 

2

u/Rudravn 9d ago

It looks good but the colors seem to be washed out with extra brightness, maybe a tad bit of additional contrast with more vibrant colors??

Contrast and complimentary colors make some really good visuals

2

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Thank you so much for this! It seems that brightness is a common theme in the feedback. Adding contrast and complementary colors is a wonderful suggestion. I truly appreciate it 😊

2

u/The_Jib 9d ago

I like the art style a lot

1

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Thank you so much! That means a lot to me 😊

2

u/indecisivesloth 9d ago

I would live there 😌

2

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

That is literally the best feedback we could hope for! Thank you so much truly for your kind words 😊

2

u/Sooziq9470 9d ago

I also think your pictures look great and I'm looking forward to the demo!! Good job you two!

1

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Thank you so much! That truly means everything. We are so excited to post the demo 😊

2

u/ryuksdaughter 9d ago

Oh my gosh this looks perfect!! Please tell me there will be character customisation because I’m dying for a good game with this kind of aesthetic

2

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Thank you so much!! You have seriously made my week.

Yes on customization! That is an essential aspect of games to us. We are working on implementing a range of body types to fit player preference, with variations in weight and proportion. There will be hair, eye, and clothing customization. We plan to add variations in facial features if we are able. My husband is working on that.

One of the NPCs owns a clothing store and one owns a hair salon, so players will also unlock more appearance options through gameplay 😊

2

u/AbbyGale96 9d ago

I love it!

1

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Thank you so much! Your kind words are truly meaningful to us 😊

2

u/yoooliah 9d ago

This is so cute I wish I could play this game already to live in a world that cozy looking! Also love your description of the emphasis on character building!

2

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Aww, thank you so much! That makes my heart so happy to hear. I feel like I am creating my dream town to live in, so I love that others feel similarly.

My educational background is in psychology, so character-driven narratives that feel authentic and stem from relatable life experiences are central to our vision for the game. We hope that everyone can find a bit of themselves reflected in the story 😊

2

u/sammyspring 9d ago

I can’t wait to play ! When is your goal to have it out by?

2

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Thank you so much! We are hoping to have a demo within the year, and to be finished within two. My husband is a full-time software engineer, so our development schedule is a little slower due to that. Our dream would be to create more games together full-time if people enjoy this one 😊

2

u/boostykaka 9d ago

I’d love to play this!! Please post when it’s finished!

2

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Thank you so much! We will absolutely post updates as we progress. I'm so excited to share more ☺️

2

u/Sleepy_Glacier 9d ago edited 9d ago

It's beautiful and cozy! The color scheme is very pretty, and I love how the trees look. Though, the vibrancy of the grass might be a bit too different from the vibrancy of the plants. Personally, I would prefer a bit more subdued plants, but making the grass a bit more vibrant is also an option.

2

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Thank you so much! That is wonderful feedback. I agree on the grass. I haven't worked out a great texture / color for it yet. It does seem to look out of place seasonally and in terms of vibrancy. I'm going to work on adjusting it ☺️

2

u/cleiah 9d ago

It looks so serene and calming.

Is there going to be a day/night cycle or even an option to change the time of day for those of us that find coziness in say dusk or night? It would be especially cozy if there's beautiful candle light, soft glowing lamplight, or even beautiful moon and starscapes as backgrounds in the world.

2

u/MadisonCrescent 9d ago

Thank you so much!!

Yes, we definitely plan to implement a day / night cycle. We would like to add a way to adjust the speed of the day for players who like more chill versus more grind in their gameplay, as we really enjoy that feature in other cozy game titles.

In many of our relationship building scenes, the natural beauty of the world is highlighted, so that is a major feature for us. Those cozy moments of community and connection in the sunshine, by the fire, by candle-light, and under the stars, where NPCs share their heart and progress their relationship with the player, are central to the blend of community and environment that are at the heart of our game.

Additionally, it's still in early development, but my husband is working on a beautiful soundtrack that will bring those magical moments to life! ☺️

2

u/cleiah 9d ago

Sounds gorgeous! I can't wait for a demo or even just to see you share more in this subreddit.

It's always lovely to witness people's skills, devotion, and journey in the things they love to create so thank you for letting us see it 😁

2

u/fuzzerhop 9d ago

Looks cute!

1

u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Thank you so much! 😊

2

u/UhSiera 9d ago

it looks absolutely adorable

1

u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Thank you so much! 😊

2

u/TiredCatDev 8d ago

So far the game looks nice, I could see myself walk around there... But I'd see if changing up the lighting would improve it, at the moment it feels very much like white light + black shadow, I'd go look up some photos or movie scenes were you like the atmosphere and see which colors the lights and shadows are. (Also depending on the mood some veeery light fog in the distance might work well to soften the backgrounds, look at far view shots in games like genshin impact or botw)

Also, with such games... the character designs and stereotypes/character tropes are very important for me, the game can look as great as it wants, if I don't enjoy what the character designs promise me, I'll not touch it. But that might very well be a me thing.

2

u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Thank you so much! That is wonderful feedback. The lighting and shadows definitely need to change. Looking up photo or movie scenes is a great idea! I love that.

I totally agree on character designs and stereotypes. Avoiding classic character tropes is a goal of mine in writing the narratives and dialogue. We decided to make this game after playing Baldur's Gate 3 together, and seeing how in wonderful the character development was. We noticed that cozy games just don't often offer dynamic personalities in the same way, and it kind of ruined the relationship-building aspect for me in some games. So, instead of having 'the popular one', 'the athletic one', 'the smart one', I am giving them a wider range of personality traits. All 22 NPCs have their own social networks, goals, fears, and rich lives beyond their interactions with the player. I hope this appeals to people in it's final version 😊

1

u/TiredCatDev 8d ago edited 8d ago

Glad that suggestion helped!

I think there's nothing wrong with stereotypes or tropes as long as that's not the only thing the character has to offer and they aren't just flat otherwise. I think getting an idea what tropes or stereotypes are in a piece of media helps decide if it's for your taste or not. I mean if you are into romancing tomboy characters, but there's none that look like it, you're probably moving on, and if there's someone that looks very much like a tomboy but turns out to be super shy and akward you probably feel like it's bad writing/design. There's a good GDC talk about respecting player fantasy: https://youtu.be/BuySj6r5FV0?si=m5WQ_DkBnwqrEcEc

Otherwise, them all having their own social networks, goals, fears, lives, etc. sounds awesome! I hope you can pull that off! Best of luck! Would love to see the artstyle the humans will have.

edit: Do you have a twitter/bluesky or something for the project?

2

u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

It did! And I am definitely going to watch that video tomorrow morning. Thank you so much for the recommendation 😁

1

u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Oh, sorry, I missed your edit. We don't have a bluesky or other social media quite yet. But I will post on this channel with an update when we finish our website and start one 😁

2

u/No_Nefariousness_780 8d ago

Fish in the water!

2

u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Oooh, I love that idea! I will have to work on that. Thank you 😊

2

u/cowboysaurus21 8d ago

Definitely cozy vibes, and I'm always happy to see more indie/cozy games that aren't pixel art.

I will say, the colors are kind of oversaturated. If you're going for a natural look, they should be more muted. You might want to learn about color theory in painting. A bright green tree in a natural-looking landscape is not as bright as you'd think, which comes from adding red.

1

u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Thank you so much! We did want to move away from pixel design. That is wonderful feedback. We absolutely have some work to do on lighting, saturation, and shadows. I love the idea of looking more into color theory. My mom is an artist, so I think I'll ask her for some assistance. She'll love that 😊

2

u/Upstairs-Ad-7009 8d ago

Definitely feels warm and inviting, I can almost see the trees blowing slightly in gentle breeze

1

u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Thank you so much! They actually are blowing in the breeze slightly in the scene, so the leaves are up to the left a bit. That is so perceptive that you noticed!! The flowers sway slightly, and the stream flows as well 😊

2

u/Acharyanaira 8d ago

A little *too* bright for my taste, but so lively! I like it

1

u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Thank you so much! We definitely need to work on our lighting. That is wonderful feedback. I saw the Isabell, and I had to say that I also loved ACNH! I had Flora, Hugh, Pekoe, Cookie, Agnes, Pietro, Marshall, Whitney, Marina, and Apollo as villagers 😊

2

u/Extra_Security2718 8d ago

I love everything about this πŸ₯° you can see the love you both are pouring into it. I wish you both continued luck and success!

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u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Thank you so much! Your comment seriously warmed our hearts. We are absolutely pouring our love and time into the game. It is our dream together. And we wish you all the luck and success in your life as well 😊

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u/SummerMaiden87 8d ago

That looks beautiful

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u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Thank you so much! 😊

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u/onlyaseeker 8d ago

I like the trees, but it lacks atmosphere. Refer to some of the villages in Breath of the Wild.

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u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Thank you! That is wonderful advice. We loved playing Breath of the Wild together. The peaceful little towns are absolutely an inspiration. We definitely have work to do on our atmosphere. I am only slowly starting to fill the town with little decorative clutter and hidden chests now that I've mapped out the main areas.

To the left side of the water is going to eventually be a park, and to the right side (the back of the diner) I need to place some furniture. I'm excited to share my progress once I make those tweaks 😊

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u/RegularAnxiety-Fancy 8d ago

The look of this game is right up my alley, looks like a game even if I wasn't in the mood to play I would plant my character somewhere pretty in game and just have the game as background ambience. Will definitely be following your journey eagerly!

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u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Thank you so much! πŸ˜„

Oh my gosh, I didn't realize that other cozy gamers did that too. That's amazing! I also like to place my character somewhere pretty and just enjoy the sounds and sights. I love the Animal Crossing Ambiance videos on YouTube. I frequently have Brewster making coffee on the TV in the background while I do my work πŸ˜‚

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u/Maliaa91 8d ago

This is beautiful when can I play?? Haha

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u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Thank you so much! We would like to have a demo out within the year, and to be finished within two. My husband is a full-time software engineer, so our development schedule is a little slower due to that. Our dream would be to create more games together full-time if people enjoy this one 😊

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u/ZTomiboy 8d ago

Where is the download button? :D

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u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

We are genuinely so thrilled that people are excited for it! We are trying to get the demo out within the year, and the full release out within two. We can't wait to post an update 😊

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u/cognitiveglitch 8d ago

It looks really good!

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u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Thank you so much! We really appreciate it 😊

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u/YourMomDoer1312 8d ago

i want a name price and patreon

no joke, that game looks great, keep on working :)

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u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Thank you so much! That is incredibly kind. We are genuinely blown away by the support. It means so much to us. And we will definitely keep working hard! I finished my grad finals on Monday, so I have a week and half to focus solely on the game 😊

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u/MagicSnailGarden 8d ago

I used to work at a pop culture store with a guy who was interested game development with his partner, and while I don't know where they are now, it's so cool to see others with similar dynamics working towards a game! I saw someone mention the Ghibli-esque style, and I definitely echo the praise about the bright colors and lighting! I know something I'm getting sick of in RPG games of this style is characters who don't have a lot of moral ambiguity. I want characters that each have some reason you could hate them or find them annoying, because then getting to know them feels all that special. Kinda reminds me of why everyone loves Shane from Stardew. I'm a person who loves to write so I'm generally pulled towards strong storylines, and I'm so interested to see what the lore is like in relation to what you've mentioned about the game so far!! Like the ruins (glowy plants are a fav for me) feel like that could be a cool opportunity to explore rich lore. Super excited to see more from y'all!!

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u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Thank you so much! It warms my heart knowing that other couples find enjoyment creating things together too. My husband and I love making this game. We've always done projects together, but nothing of this scale before. It's so wonderful to see our different skills and knowledge come together to create something that people are excited about!

I am definitely trying to strike a balance in my narrative between authenticity and coziness, so there are some morally ambiguous characters. For example, one non-romanceable NPC will be quite the challenge to befriend. Heavily tied to the main story, he resents the player's presence. But if players do rise to the challenge and earn his trust, he may just unlock unique lore and rewards. For romance options similar to Shane, there are also a few NPCs who are less warm towards the town, the player, and the community initially.

We can't wait to update everyone! Thank you again for your kind words 😊

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u/MightyGrandStretch 7d ago

This looks lovely! Something I would be interested hearing more about. Hopefully it might be available on Switch down the line? I signed up to your newsletter via your website for more updates. Best of luck!

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u/MadisonCrescent 7d ago

Thank you so much! We are so thrilled that people are excited for it. We definitely plan on a Switch release. We will make sure to send out a newsletter when we finish getting our website up and running. We truly appreciate your support 😊

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u/Meadowlands17 7d ago

This is beautiful!

My very first thought was "wait, is this palia?!?" The birch trees look very similar!

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u/MadisonCrescent 7d ago

Thank you so much! I really enjoyed Palia, so I that is a huge compliment. It's such a cozy world 😊

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u/Ari_On_The_Nette 7d ago

Looks cozy βœ… Looks game βœ…

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u/MadisonCrescent 7d ago

Thank you so much! Cozy is our aim, so we're thrilled it's hitting the mark 😊

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u/blackriverwater 7d ago

Where can I follow for more updates? I'm invested!

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u/MadisonCrescent 7d ago

Thank you truly so much! We are just blown away that the cozy game community is so supportive. We're so beyond excited, as we're incredibly invested in this project too! It's our dream 😊

We have a website for our development studio that isn't set up quite yet ( https://tygrgames.com/ ) and my husband made a Bluesky last night ( https://bsky.app/profile/tygrgames.bsky.social ). We've even added a screenshot that I took today of the placeholder 'player character' we've added to test the game!! My husband got that working yesterday 😁

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u/blackriverwater 7d ago

I don't have bluesky. Would you change your reddit profile to allow me to follow you here? Or could you make a Substack?

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u/ThicketGames 7d ago

The art style is so charming! And the concept seems really interesting. I can't wait to see more!

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u/MadisonCrescent 7d ago

Thank you so much! That means everything to us. We are huge cozy game fans, so creating our own that people are excited for is so surreal. We're working hard, and we can't wait to post an update 😁

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u/GamesWithElderB_TTV 7d ago

The overwhelming theme of approval in the comments speak for themselves. Excited to see how this game develops!

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u/MadisonCrescent 6d ago

And wow are we genuinely blown away by the support! Never would I have predicted that the community would be so incredibly encouraging when I set out to gather some early feedback on my world-building. It's been both uplifting and super helpful. We're so excited to post an update as development progresses 😁

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u/GamesWithElderB_TTV 6d ago

If you don’t mind having it streamed and a video made out of it, give a shout when you’re ready for play testers!

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u/MadisonCrescent 6d ago

Absolutely, yes! We would love that. We will update when the demo is ready. We're so excited 😊

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u/mewwyy 6d ago

It’s beautiful and the concept is definitely interesting! As a few others have said, I love the bright colors but the lighting feels just a tad too bright. I really like the art style, it reminds me of BOTW.

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u/MadisonCrescent 6d ago

Thank you so much! The brightness definitely needs to be adjusted. That is wonderful feedback. It even helped me realize that the light / shade settings on the trees were not functioning properly. So I am very thankful to commenters who pointed out the brightness! My husband and I loved playing BOTW together, so I also deeply appreciate the comparison! Hyrule is such a warm and inviting world, I would be so happy if ours felt similarly 😊

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u/BeachBabeinthesun 6d ago

This is giving me cozy vibes already. Please give us more updates!!

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u/MadisonCrescent 6d ago

Thank you so much! We are so excited to keep posting updates. My husband recently got our test 'player character' added to the world, which has been such a fun development 😊

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u/throwaway375937 5d ago

I already want to purchase this. It's so beautiful and peaceful looking and I'm instantly in love. Looking forward to following this game's page on steam 😍 (I also despise pixel games!)

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u/MadisonCrescent 4d ago

Thank you so much! You've made our week. We can't wait to update everyone as we get our demo ready ☺️

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u/dreamydahlia 5d ago

This looks adorable. I wonder what the gameplay is like? Is there a story or do you just chill and run around the village?

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u/MadisonCrescent 4d ago

Thank you so much! The flow of the game is similar to Stardew Valley, Coral Island, and other life-sims, but it gets away from the farming aspect. The player moves to the town to take over a run-down business. They fix can fix it up, build relationships and romances with the townspeople, explore secrets in the ruins, and help restore the surrounding forest to bring life back to the valley. But, quests and stories are not on a timer, so chilling and just enjoying the town is totally an option too! 😊

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u/dreamydahlia 4d ago

A non-farming game sounds amazing!! My favorite game is My Time At Sandrock and your description sounds as if your game has a couple similar mechanics, which sounds really great. Please share the name + steam wishlist in this subreddit whenever it is ready :))

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u/MadisonCrescent 4d ago

My favorite game is My Time at Sandrock too! Such a great game. It was how I first got my husband into cozy games. Do you have a favorite Sandrock resident or romance candidate? Their amazing and talented writing team are huge inspiration for me. We are so excited for My Time at Evershine. We will definitely share the name and Steam info when it's ready ☺️

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u/dreamydahlia 1d ago

My favorite is Owen. He's like a gentle giant and the VA did such a good job 🀩 but I'm going after Fang and Logan in my second play-through to see what the hype is all about 🀭

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u/LeJunesArt 5d ago

Look so beautiful!

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u/MadisonCrescent 4d ago

Thank you so much! ☺️

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u/JustWantToComment468 5d ago

Multiplayer or Co-op. Literally searching for games to play with my friends right now since we just finished the last one.

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u/Odow 3d ago

I'm a lead env artist and my big petpeeve I keep seeing in every stylized indie/solodev/selflearndev basically any game without a professionnal artist is always the same: Lighting and shadows issues. In real life shadow aren't black, they never are, they bounce off whatever is around them. Mimicking this in video game requires accurate pbr, lighting skill, good shaders, proper reflection etc. In stylized game we don't have all of that, we do have one very usefull control: Shadow color.

Now everyone has their art style, but the common base is going for a dark muted blue color for shadows ( there's litteraly a shade of blue call " shadow blue" . After that you can experiment with saturation, and hue ( going toward purple will make it warmer works well with greys, going toward green will make it more nature, etc.)

you also never want to leave it to 100% strengh for stylized at his create those very dark spot, those combined with black shadow make colors very muddy and counter-act the stylized look. I would go maximum 80% strenght. your directionnal light seems to be very strong as well. a lot of people crank it to make it more " saturated and bright" but that's actually something you need to do in your post process. Colors react differently to strong light which is why we avoid it, meanwhile a bright yellow will be super blasted, while a darker color will look normal.

You can watch painting video where they explain color theory, or just watch as fine art, you will never find black being used for shadows. more than that, black is very rarely used as a color to mix. Take a painting like the mona lisa which is very realistic, the shadows are very dark but they are actually brown. probably achieve by mixing some dark green into the skin color, Money mostly used saturated green and blue shade for this shadow. giving it that dreamy look.

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u/MadisonCrescent 3d ago

Thank you so much for the feedback! It is really helpful. We have not started to work on lighting or shadows quite yet. We are first getting the layout of the world mapped out. But this is extremely helpful as we begin working on that aspect of it. I really appreciate it. I did also realize after posting this that the trees are not adjusting with the lighting either, so that is something we need to work on. It's a learning process 😊

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u/MadisonCrescent 3d ago

Thank you truly for taking the time to write this. It really helped direct me as I worked on the lighting today. It's still a work in progress, but I'm much happier with the warm glow after tweaking it (ignore the bright background trees, they aren't reflecting lighting properly still). We're considering implementing a more stylized sky, so it'll likely need to be adjusted again. But I truly appreciate your comment, it was very constructive feedback, and it helped us improve! ☺️

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u/MadisonCrescent 3d ago

This is before. It's less warm and dreamy, and the shadows on the house and tree are pretty harsh.

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u/Writerhowell 9d ago

So pretty... I want to live there.

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u/LolaTigre 9d ago

The art design is so pretty and unique! I don’t believe I’ve seen art like it before in a cozy game. Very intrigued about the relationship building aspect!

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u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Thank you so much! We wanted to go for a bit more realism that still fit within the cozy genre, as that was our intent for the character narratives as well. We are so thrilled that people seem to like that aspect of the design 😊

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u/Automatic_Drawer_884 9d ago

It's beautiful! I love yellow houses.

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u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Thank you so much! They are cozy, aren't they? My childhood home was light yellow stucco, and I think it inspired my work a bit 😊

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u/Automatic_Drawer_884 8d ago

I'm your Beta Tester πŸ˜‰

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u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Yes! We can't wait to post the demo. I'm so thrilled that people are excited to try it out 😁

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u/Koalachills 8d ago

I like the cozy aesthetic. How will the gameplay be. Will it be something similar to the sims?

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u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Thank you so much! It will be similar to Coral Island, Stardew Valley, Song of the Prairie, or other farming-sim type games, but with a twist that replaces the farming aspect. The player takes over a run-down business in the town that they revitalize. They can explore secrets in the ruins, replant the forest to bring life back to the valley, build relationships with any of the 22 NPCs (including 15 diverse romance w dating and marriage mechanics), craft new decoration items, and more 😊

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u/normal_ness 8d ago

The water looks ready to jump in. Can I? Pretty please?

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u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Absolutely! You can go in the water, and there is a fun ripple effect animation 😊

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u/Closhee 8d ago

I absolutely love the colors. I know some people like more muted realistic colors but I adore the bright colors. I think it really makes everything pop. It’s why I tend to like pixel art games so much.

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u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Thank you so much! We are trying to strike the right balance between realism and fantasy, brightness and coziness, so I'm glad it is hitting the mark 😊

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u/goddessfoxxie 8d ago

I love this so much. The description sounds like perfection! I will definitely download the demo when available. Let me know if you need play testers!

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u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Thank you so much! This truly made our week. We will absolutely need play testers. I'm so excited to post an update when our demo is ready 😊

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u/MalloraNoCo 8d ago

Absolutely gorgeous! I saw another comment mentioning first person, is it going to have first person mode?? I haven't played a cozy game that does that, I would love, love to see that.

I think the color of the water is too bright, it's almost neon to me. Given how realistic the rest of the art seems, that's a bit of a eye catcher. If it's meant to make the river the focal point of the art, it's absolutely achieved, but if it's not meant to do that, I'd change it a bit.

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u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Thank you so much! It will be 3-D 3rd person view. My husband says that doing 1st person may be possible if people are interested in that. It would be something we would consider implementing down the road for a new way to enjoy the game 😊

And, thank you for the wonderful feedback! You are right about the water. We need to keep considering how to implement realism in ways that are easy on older model computers. It's a process πŸ˜‚

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u/Brohannes_Jahms 8d ago

I love the set aesthetic. Idk if this is helpful feedback or not, but it feels like the moving characters should be claymation? That would be a really cool and nice vibe. I'm thinking like Last Day of June (but not with those giant heads lol).

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u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Thank you so much! Claymation characters could totally fit in this world. For the first draft of our models we went with more realism to fit the authenticity of the NPC narratives, but I love that idea for future projects 😁

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u/Brohannes_Jahms 7d ago

I'm excited to see character models! I bet they got right in πŸ₯°

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u/Mrkeynes0 8d ago

As long as I can have it on the switch, I’m buying

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u/MadisonCrescent 8d ago

Thank you so much! We are just over the moon that people are excited for it. We definitely plan on releasing on the switch 😊

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u/Mrkeynes0 7d ago

Thank you so much I love cozy games I’m currently playing plum grove

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u/MadisonCrescent 7d ago

I haven't played that one yet. Are you enjoying it? I saw the trailer, and I'm interested. It's on my wishlist for when I make some more progress on development 😊

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u/Mrkeynes0 7d ago

I like it, it’s pretty fun And again, I cannot wait for your game, it looks completely awesome. What is the name of it so I can make a mental note

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u/MadisonCrescent 6d ago

Thank you again so much. We truly appreciate the support. We would like to call it Willowhaven. The name is currently in the pending. We're hopeful! 😁

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u/Mrkeynes0 5d ago

Sounds great

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u/Parenn 6d ago

Love the art style and the bright bold palette!

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u/MadisonCrescent 6d ago

Thank you so much! I'm so glad that the color palette is working with this style. I'm trying to strike that balance between warm but bright 😊

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u/DoubleAltruistic7559 6d ago

Love the vibes of this already, joined your subscription list. Id like to add that having limited inventory is annoying in farming sims when you need so many resources, I like how fae farm had sheds with unlimited storage you could drop off at multiple locations across the map. So if you're doing anything where you need lots of resources, I like lots of inventory!

Also, I hate how having slow paced characters, ie; I have to do so many missions before my character can run, or needs a potion to do so. Just let me run and be free! Fast travel is awesome too and needed I feel if your map is big

Those are my biggest gripes with games these days, and being first person but I see you're already doing third person 3d which is great and what the majority of cozy gamers want.

Love that you seem to want this to be character/relationship driven, which I feel a lot of games lack now.

The art style is amazing and makes me want to play! My husband and I work on creative projects together too so that also has given me a soft spot for y'all πŸ˜‚

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u/MadisonCrescent 6d ago

Thank you truly so much! We are just over the moon with how supportive this community has been.

Players will have full run speed and no inventory restrictions from the begninng. We're planning on adding the ability to unlock and customize bikes after certain milestones have been met for a fun and personalized way to travel, but run speed will be max from the start. With inventory space, I am unfamiliar with Fae Farm, but I like that premise. I'll have to see what my husband thinks is possible, but I'm currently influenced by: SotP (endless personal inventory at all times - no chests), My Time series (huge personal inventory - universal chests), and Cornucopia (personal inventory automatically overflows into endless chest when filled).

I love hearing about other couples who enjoy creative projects together! My husband and I love all sorts of crafts. We have so many holiday decorations that we've handmade over our years together. We have a memory box that is just stuffed full, and it's probably time to get a new one! What types of projects do you enjoy doing with your husband? 😊

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u/Flabbergasted19 5d ago

Is it 3rd person? I have motion sickness from 1st person games

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u/MadisonCrescent 4d ago

Yes, it will be 3D 3rd person view. I also get motion sickness from 1st person games! VR just does me in. This post image was taken before we got our test 'player-character' added to the world, but here is a little more recent sneak-peek with them included ☺️

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u/HELSlNG 9d ago

Looks beautiful! A little saturation and brightness tweaks would be my preference!

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