Cozy Games

👋 Hi there! Welcome to the latest edition of SUPERJUMP Weekly. This week, we're delving into cozy games. While not quite a genre, it's definitely true that both gamers and developers have increasingly noticed the calming effect that games can imbue. Some developers deliberately set out to create relaxing vibes, too - you'll see a number of interviews with some of them presented here. In this issue, we also showcase the works of Benjamin Macready and feature Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire in our latest On the Radar update.

We hope you enjoy this issue. Please consider becoming a Backer if you would like to support our unique brand of independent games journalism. Thank you.

IN THIS ISSUE

✍️ Story Showcase: Cozy Games
⭐ Author Showcase: Benjamin Macready
📡 On the Radar: Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire
📅 This Week on SJP
🏆 Backers

What is a Cozy Video Game?

Explore the world of cozy games designed to take the stress away and find suggestions for getting into the genre

SUPERJUMPCat Webling

Night in the Woods Has the Perfect Cozy Game World

Games don’t have to look realistic to feel that way

SUPERJUMPTyler York

An Interview on the Upcoming Cozy Game Pine Hearts

We chat to Rob Madden of Hyper Luminal Games about their new cute puzzle platformer, which discusses growing up and moving forward

SUPERJUMPCat Webling

Card Crawl Adventure: Taverns and Troglodytes

Cozy caverns, devious monsters, and shiny treasures

SUPERJUMPAndrew Johnston

A Home with Good Bones: An Interview with Jes Negrón, Retcon Games

Learn more about an industry veteran game developer’s approach to cozy horror in this exclusive interview

SUPERJUMPAndrea Blythe

Dredge is a Relaxing Take on Horror

Fishing Fiends

SUPERJUMPJosh Bycer

An Interview With the Creator of Cinnabunny, a New Cozy Bunny Baking Game

SUPERJUMP sits down with Patrick Gauthier to chat about his new game where you can play “co-hop” with your friends

SUPERJUMPCat Webling

Mineko’s Night Market: Cats, Crafts, and Covert Ops

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the cat

SUPERJUMPAndrew Johnston

Why Do Birds Fly? The Moral Philosophy of Tales of Berseria

Morality, autonomy, and the choices we all face

SUPERJUMPBenjamin Macready

Are Golden Endings Always the Right Path?

Sometimes an ambiguous ending is more satisfying than a triumphant one.

SUPERJUMPBenjamin Macready

Total War: Attila and the “Dark Ages”

Total War: Attila portrays the collapse of the Roman Empire as an unmitigated tragedy. How does this depiction measure up to scrutiny?

SUPERJUMPBenjamin Macready

There are few consoles that inspire nostalgia as much as the Dreamcast, with plenty of people stepping up to try and replicate the games of the era. Sky Oceans, a sixth generation-inspired RPG with that distinctive Sega flavor, looks to be an extremely strong attempt.

Humanity lives in the aftermath of the Big Scattering, a cataclysm that reshaped the entire world. It started with the discovery of a mineral called Aerius, which yielded a massive amount of energy but also splintered the planet into a series of floating continents. It's the perfect world for Glenn Windwalker, the latest in a long line of explorers. With a mighty airship and a misfit crew drawn from across the shattered world, he's taken up the job of fixing everyone's problems.

Sky Oceans has the look of a traditional turn-based RPG with one aesthetic twist: The battles are dogfights. Glenn and his crew emerge from their airship in customized fighters to engage in high-altitude combat with rival pirates. Combat is visually far more dynamic than you'd expect from an RPG, with lots of action camera angles to track the movement of the fighters.

Sky Oceans also features a management-oriented side. Glenn can't operate his airship solo, leaving him to recruit colorful outcasts to fill various roles. As the crew expands and gains the loyalty of different towns, Glenn gains resources that can be used to expand the capabilities of the airship. With time and diligence, Glenn can end up piloting a flying city by the end of the game, providing everything an RPG protagonist could want and then some.

Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire is scheduled for a 2024 release.

💻 Created by Octeto Studios
✍️ Andrew Johnston

Zenless Zone Zero Shows the Limits of Mobile Action Games

Zeroing out on gameplay, but not on monetization

SUPERJUMPJosh Bycer

When Mario Met Sonic at the Olympic Games

It’s a them!

SUPERJUMPHarel Cohen

Indie Monthly: August 2024

Summer’s end brings a bevy of indie delights

SUPERJUMPAndrew Johnston

Are Gacha Games the Wave of the Future?

A rising genre with several caveats

SUPERJUMPSUPERJUMP Team

Nobody Wants To Die and the Unsung Beauty of Expiration Dates

Investigating the implausible dream of immortality

SUPERJUMPMarvel Maximus

Thank you to Berke, Brandon, CT, Cathie, Claire, Geena, Lexi, Nick, Oren, Peter, Troy, Radha, and Wes for supporting independent, cynicism-free games publishing.