

RELATED: Games With The Best Weather Effects Lo-fi music plays as the cottage changes in real-time to reflect the time of day. With no actual gameplay involved, Virtual Cottage asks players to work on a task of their own choosing (be it studying, getting some work done, or chores) and sets a timer for said task. Virtual Cottage is the latest in this trend of calming games.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is one of the best-selling Switch games, and since then many charming games have been released that are less about the action and more about the mundane. In recent times, many people who weren't gamers have turned to games for an escape. The bright colors and mellow vibes provide a feeling of serenity, and it is easy to get lost in its world.Casual games are becoming all the rage. Players can start a rainstorm at a moment’s notice, mute or resume the music, or just watch the brunette girl bob her head to the music. Once things are underway, there are a few variables at play. From there, players can let the program run its course as they attend to other things. Players list out what they want to focus on for the day, determine how long they want things to go, and choose whether or not they want a sound after the timer runs out. Get cozy in the gameplayĭesigned as a cozy, distraction-free environment, Virtual Cottage is simple at its core. In fact, you can even pause the music and just listen to rain sounds, and since you can’t really hear the loop’s cut, it certainly reduces the blood pressure. I thought it was particularly clever to be able to adjust the intensity of the rain from the main menu, a slider allowing a spectrum of a light sprinkle to a legitimate storm. With the click of a button, the weather changes from bright and sunny to a lovely rainy day, complete with the visuals of rain drizzling outside. The best thing about Virtual Cottage is the ability to add or remove rain effects. Overall, the OST is soothing, and that’s what matters most.

I think one thing that would help the game more would be additional songs over time, but considering the game is free, it’s not like I’m being shafted here. One thing I did wish for was an ability to modify the tracklist, like muting songs I didn’t enjoy as much so that I could hear the ones I loved the most as the songs tend to repeat instead of cycling to the back of the playlist, but it wasn’t that big of a deal. I personally found the music more energetic and upbeat than what I was expecting, but that’s okay - it’s all good here. Of course, the music helps set that relaxing mood these lofi tracks definitely sound more like what you’d hear on the YouTube channel than Kind Words (lo fi chill beats to write to)’s tracks did, which, depending on your preference, either makes a difference or doesn’t. It’s warm here, no matter what time of day it is, and I’m immediately calmer visualizing myself being here. There are lots of little lively touches, like plants, books, and rugs, that make the space feel much more like home. Back on the first floor is a quaint little kitchen underneath the loft, complete with an empty food dish (perhaps that’s why the cat is close by). A loft is situated to her right, a comfortable, soft bed encompassing the entire half floor. A cat sits by her feet, its tail tapping gently alongside her. It’s very cozy here - a girl is seated at a desk, moving her head to the beat as she presumably works or studies at her computer. OstrivĪfter everything’s set up, you’re literally placed in your virtual cottage. I definitely prefer having that timer, as it mentally forces me to try to beat the clock when it comes to tasks. After that, there’s a timer to set followed by the option of playing a sound after time’s up. For the time I’ve spent with Virtual Cottage, it’s mostly been working, but I like to break it down to individual tasks to see how long they’ll take, like writing an article or answering emails. Getting Virtual Cottage set up is simple - first, input the activity you’ll be doing while you have the game open. And only after a few hours of having it open, it’s pretty easy to see why that’s the case. A happy medium between two beloved lofi standouts, Virtual Cottage has already racked up 1,382 positive reviews at the time of this writing, receiving the coveted Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam. Available on Steam for the low, low price of free.99, Virtual Cottage offers more than the viral YouTube sensation lofi hip hop radio – beats to relax/study to yet pares down a game like Kind Words (lo fi chill beats to write to). Developed and self-published by German indie team DU&I, Virtual Cottage is less a game and more of a chill application.
