Princess of Previews: Five Games Out This Week That I Am Excited About
Princess Of Previews has been on hold for about a month now due to time constraints on my end. It's an interesting time of year for me where I just don’t have the time for games.
I didn’t want to be on too long of a hiatus though! Thus I’m going to shift gears, and talk about the indie games coming out this week that I am excited about. I may not be able to play them yet but I definitely want to. My hope, dear readers, is that you can find something you didn’t know about and maybe you too can share my excitement.
Now I get excited about lots of games, so I’m going to pick my top 5, (listed here in no particular order). Without further ado…
RELEASE DATE: Nov 2, 2021
I’m actually super surprised there hasn’t been a dog shelter simulator before. I covered this a while back for Princess of Previews, so I put this on the list with this caveat. I was not thrilled with the demo for one important reason. The control scheme was atrocious. THAT SAID. There’s a lot in the game’s favor that gives it potential (especially if the controls are fixed). The graphics are bright and adorable, and it’s a really fun idea for a game. While I was put off by the demo enough that I wouldn’t buy it per se, I did end up kickstarting it. Thus I’m getting a copy anyway, so I'll give it another chance.
Release Date: November 2, 2021
On one hand, I have no idea if this counts as an indie game. On the other, I haven't heard much about it! Releasing on the Nintendo Switch, Cupid’s Parasite is a game that speaks to my heart. While I'm not a fan of real-life reality television, I am a sucker for reality television tropes ranging from the novel One to Watch to Episode's Bad Boy Bachelor (Side note: If you too like reality television tropes and have the time for either, I recommend both of those for different reasons). This one takes on the trope, but with a super interesting twist of the main character being a god of love, and simply undercover in the modern world! Idea Factory otome games have these achingly beautiful graphics and I have always wanted to own one. I think the time has come, and I will be adding this to my collection.
Release Date: November 5th, 2021
One of the cornerstones of my childhood was Zoo Tycoon. I miss that game. Alas, nothing has been able to fill that void that game left. The original has never been re-released, and instead, Microsoft has opted to release new “Zoo Tycoon” games that don’t quite have the magic of the old one. Let’s Build a Zoo seems to be a viable alternative. The pixel art is inviting and full of personality. It advertises a lot of interesting features such as events, breeding AND SPLICING ANIMALS TOGETHER TO BUILD ABOMINATIONS AGAINST NATURE. All in all, good clean family fun.
Ahem...
4. Unpacking
Release Date: November 2nd, 2021
This is a game with a really simple yet appealing premise. Unpack stuff to fit it all in the room, learning about the object's owner as you go. It looks like a super chill time complete with ASMR like sound effects. I have a feeling it will utilize this format in an interesting way to tell its story--I'm thinking kinda like A Normal Lost Phone. Even better, there is an old blocky desktop computer from the days of the early 2000’s in the trailer. Sounds like a combo of narrative fun and a stroll down nostalgia lane for Millenials. Sign me up.
5. Conway: Disappearance at Dahlia View
Release Date: November 2, 2021
Are detective games in the indie game scene overplayed? Kinda. Is there always room for another one in my life? Yes. Play as a retired detective, chase down a missing girl, question your neighbors, discover dark secrets, etc, etc etc. It doesn’t seem to do anything unique, but it looks like it very’s good at what it does. I am weirdly excited for this as from the trailer it appears a lot of care and polish went into this.
Those are my top 5 for this week. Do you, dear readers, have a top 5 game release, indie or not for this week? What is it? Feel free to share in the comments.
See ya’ll on the flip side next week where I talk about more games I wish I had time to play...assuming my covid booster shot next Tuesday doesn’t knock me flat on my ass.