Welcome to Digitally Downloaded’s weekly catch-up news feature, the catch-up coffee. With each issue I will bring you the best news that you may have missed. Grab the biggest mug you’ve got, fill it with your favourite brew, and catch up with us (and our favourite news anchor, Dee Dee)!
Delicious – Miracle of Life comes to Apple Arcade in + form
Delicious – Miracle of Life has been around for over 15 years now as a free-to-play app, and it is now coming as a no-microtransactions Apple Arcade title. Delicious – Miracle of Life + follows Emily as she begins a cooking blog. Around the same time, she learns that her and her husband are expecting a baby. Emily will have to face the challenges of balancing motherhood and career, creative aspirations and family duties.
The game features six locations and six new Delicious characters. Players will immerse themselves in a heart-warming family story about creativity, friendship, and life’s unexpected moments. It is a time management game, with gameplay that a common thread between games in the Delicious series. The F2P version of the game boasts over 100 million downloads.
Developed by GameHouse, Delicious – Miracle of Life + is available now for Apple Arcade, which is compatible with Apple TV, iOS, iPadOS, and Mac.
Growth launches for Nintendo Switch in December
Cozy, hexagonal grid-based soft strategy game Growth is already available for PC, and it’s now set to make the leap to Nintendo Switch in less than a month. In the game, players work together with animals to populate and expand upon the procedurally-generated land. The more you expand, the more animals you come across. Each animal has their own abilities to help you overcome obstacles coming your way. Claim newfound clusters or points of interest to receive additional wildlife or rewards.
There are eight different animals available, including deer, boars, bees, and ducks. There are nine different tile types. The game aims to blend cozy exploration and challenging puzzles. It is designed to be accessible by many different skill levels.
Developed by VoodooDuck and published by Assemble Entertainment, Growth will be released for Nintendo Switch on December 21. It is currently available for PC via Steam; it is Steam Deck Verified.
Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator launches in February for PC, consoles (minus Switch)
An ode to gardening and flowers, Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator allows players to look after their garden at their own pace and add a variety of plants. Anyone can play, from someone with a seasoned green thumb to a complete newbie. Plants develop with procedural growth simulation technology designed for the game. Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator is set to be released early in 2024.
Story Mode allows players to meet colourful characters, fulfil requests, and unlock new varieties/decorations/zones for the garden as they progress. There’s also Creative Mode where players can build the garden of their dreams, with unrestricted access to all plants, tools, and decorations. Photo Mode means it’s easy to take beautiful shots and share them with the world.
Developed by stillalive studios and published by Nacon, Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator will be released for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, and Xbox One on February 22. A Nintendo Switch version will be released later in the year.
Detective Instinct: Farewell, My Beloved announced
Detective Instinct: Farewell, My Beloved is a detective adventure game and visual novel in the style of classic Japanese games of the genre(s). In the game, a man has been murdered at an unassuming hotel, and a woman has vanished while travelling across the country via train. But nobody on said train remembers that she even exists – except you. Can you solve the woman’s disappearance before the end of your trip abroad? Here is the game’s trailer, via Gematsu:
Investigate areas and interrogate witnesses to solve the mystery while also uncovering a sinister conspiracy. The story is inspired by hard-boiled crime fiction, classic cinema, and other video games (perhaps Phoenix Wright). Am entire cast of colourful characters are available to interrogate, with many unique interactions and optional dialogue. The game combines expressive 2D pixel portraits with old-school pre-rendered background.
Developed and published by Armonica, Detective Instinct: Farewell, My Beloved will be released for PC via Steam in 2024.
