It’s Stardew Valley Plus Spirited Away (Who Are We Kidding, You Already Clicked)
You can never have too many cosy games between all the big AAA launches, in my opinion, and that’s exactly what makes upcoming slice-of-life sim Spirittea look so inviting.
The sophomore effort from indie dev Dan Beckerton, Spirittea was successfully crowdfunded back in 2020. At the time, Beckerton described Spirittea as reminiscent of games like Stardew Valley, Harvest Moon, and Animal Crossing as well as Studio Ghibli films Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro. Going by today’s sneak peek, I’d say he nailed those vibes.
Spirittea follows an author who has moved to a rural village to finish his book. Our hero’s dreams of a distraction-free writing environment get turned upside-down, however, when he comes face-to-face with the supernatural elements haunting his new home, making it his job to revitalize the local bath house for spirits looking to de-stress.
Here are some of the things Spirittea’s Steam page says you’ll do in the game:
Solving the spirit’s problems — To remember themselves, they’ll need anything from some spicy noodles to finding and digging up their lost treasures, so get your problem-solving hat on!
Making friends with the locals — The townspeople all have their own schedules, likes, dislikes, and hobbies to take part in — from bug catching to karaoke, there’s something for everyone!
Managing the bathhouse — You’ll need to clean towels, chop wood to heat the baths, and seat the spirits with their friends for the ultimate bathing experience.
Upgrading and decorating — The local shops can make a whole lot of cool furniture and help you fix up overgrown areas of the bathhouse. We should make it big and fancy enough to take on all the spirits!
Spirittea is still without a release date, but publisher No More Robots is currently taking sign-ups for a closed beta said to be coming “very soon” if you want to see what Beckerton is cooking up.
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