Review: Mail Time Delivers Cute, Cosy, and Queer Gaming

Review: Mail Time Delivers Cute, Cosy, and Queer Gaming

Here at Sidequest, we love “cosy games” (and figuring out what their cousin, “wholesome” games, even are). For me, a disabled gamer, cosy games provide low-stakes escapism when I’m poorly—in particular, chill games with little missions to complete allow me to feel like I’m making progress on something when I can’t get out of bed. That was my experience with Mail Time, a self-described “cottagecore” game that I played during a recent mega-flare where my hands were trembling too badly to do anything beyond gripping my Steam Deck propped up by cushions. (more…)

January Roundtable: Sequels

January Roundtable: Sequels

Every year in recent memory has felt like a sequel to the last. Literally, of course, in that time marches ever forward, but also thematically, if the real world can be said to have a theme. New year, same topics. We’re in year three of a sustained pandemic, capitalism continues to ruin everything, and every week is a fresh deluge of news about exploitation in the gaming industry. So what better topic for this cheery occasion of turning over the calendar than sequels? (more…)

Review: Teacup Is a Charming but Buggy Brew

Review: Teacup Is a Charming but Buggy Brew

Teacup is a young frog, and she really loves tea. In fact, Teacup, a chill narrative game from developer Smarto Club, opens with the titular frog preparing to host a tea party, only to discover she is fresh out of tea (and several other supplementary ingredients)! That’s where the player comes in, taking control of Teacup as she ventures out into the world to get what she needs for her party. (more…)

December Roundtable: The Games of 2022

December Roundtable: The Games of 2022

Games really do just keep on coming out, which is why we’re devoting this month’s roundtable to the year’s games. Not the best games. Not the worst games. Just the year’s games, which include the games that we played, the games we didn’t play, and more. The end of the year is a great time for reflection, which, for me at least, means a lot of looking back at all the things I didn’t do. (more…)

November Roundtable: Harvesting

November Roundtable: Harvesting

Welcome to November! Our weather here in the Pacific Northwest went straight from blisteringly hot summer to frozen ground and rain. Though the rapid climate shift left my head spinning, the cold, crisp air has me craving apple cider and pumpkin pie, which are perfectly in theme with this month’s roundtable: harvesting. (more…)