Talk about making an impact.
Steam Next Fest is almost upon us, and while there are typically going to be quite a few fantastic games that make an appearance, the cosy building game Tiny Glade is already leading the pack with over 800,000 wishlists on Steam, a fact that's not gone unnoticed..
Ex-PC Gamer editor Tom Francis, the creator of Heat Signature, Gunpoint, and Tactical Breach Wizards took to Twitter to explain what it's like for developers releasing games this Steam Next Fest. "Next Fest hasn't started yet, but there's a way to preview the rankings, and I love that the juggernaut game we're all dwarfed by, the baddest motherfucker in the room, is Tiny Glade. A delightful toy where you just draw a lovely little castle and admire it. It looks great."
We can't see these rankings yet, but David Ortiz (COO at ICO Partners) replied to Francis' tweet, joked: "Over 800k wishlists, no big deal." It really does seem like Tiny Glade will be the one to beat this Next Fest.
The developers, Pounce Light, have certainly earned their success—making a fantastic effort on social media to show it off. Everywhere I look, there's a short Tiny Glade building video with hordes of people in the comments gushing over its idyllic vibes.
I love that there's seemingly no wider strategy behind crafting these cosy cottages and castles, other than the fact that they look great. It's a nice break from all the crunchier city-building and management games we've had recently, like Manor Lords or Synergy. "Let yourself unwind through the joy of making something pretty," one of the release trailers says. "There's no management, no combat, and no wrong answers. Just kick back and turn some forgotten meadows into loveable dioramas."
Tiny Glade looks to be a simple, relaxing sandbox-building game that lets you create castles, huts, and cottages in a peaceful pastel world, which may not sound like anything groundbreaking. Still, all of that, coupled with the satisfying clatter of cobblestones and cute sheep, makes it a game that I desperately need in my Steam library. Honestly, I could use an escape to the countryside—and so can the lot of you, apparently, if the thousands of wishlists are anything to go by.
