Saturday, October 15, 2022

Mori Kei 30 Day Challenge: Day 17

Day 17: Do you play any video games, board games, etc.? If so, recommend us your favorite mori-like game!

I play a lot of games, but here are my top 5 mori game recommendations!

1) Stardew

Content Warnings: None really, although a few of the characters have heavy themes in their life stories. Nothing graphic though! The tone of this game is very light-hearted.
Category: Adventure, Farming, and Simulation RPG
Good for: People who enjoy cozy games, people who like connecting with characters, people who enjoy farming sims
BONUS! Recommended mod: After your first playthrough on vanilla (of course) I recommend checking out Stardew Valley Expanded! It's a ton of fun and there is a reason it is so popular. (I use a ton of mods, both content and appearance wise, but this one adds the most amount of things to do.)

In this game you play as the new farmer in town, cleaning up your Grandpa's farm, planting crops, bettering the town, making friends, and discovering the valley's secrets. What more could you ask for! The game is super chill, and very cozy, and great for playing in both long binges and shorter periods.


BONUS+! My Favorite Characters: Elliot is my babe and I managed to marry him in my first year (yeah, I'm kind of a big deal *sarcastic hair flip*). I also really love Krobus. What a precious baby. Also I made this Stardew art recently! Can you guess the characters it represents? :)

2) Eastshade

Content Warnings: None! 
Category: Adventure, Quest-based, Photography
Good for: People who enjoy slow-moving or relaxing/cozy games, people who enjoy walking simulators, people who like side quests, people who like beautiful games, people who like open-world type games

In this game you play as a painter, visiting the island of Eastshade from across the sea, seeking beautiful things to paint. You can explore freely the entire island, accept quests and art commissions, and generally just relax and explore. It honestly is super immersive and I felt like I was the one taking this vacation while I was playing. 

3) What Remains of Edith Finch

Content Warnings: Various stories about death and suicide (although dealt with in a mature and touching way, death is a major part of this game, so approach this with caution if that will bother you)
Category: Walking simulator, story based
Good for: People who enjoy meaningful storytelling, people who enjoy walking simulators, people who enjoy beautiful visuals and music

This game is a story-based walking simulator, where you explore the lives of the "cursed", or simply unlucky, Finch family. Each family member's stories are touching, ranging from heartwarming to heartbreaking tales about life and society. Death plays a major role in this game, so it isn't for everyone. But if you don't mind a slightly melancholy story for the payoff of amazing storytelling and visuals, I highly recommend it. It's stuck with me even years now after I first played it.

4) A Short Hike

Content Warnings: None!
Category: Adventure, Platforming, Quest-based
Good for: People who enjoy a cozy game, people who like side quests

In this game you play as a little bird trying to hike (and fly and climb) to the top of a mountain! There is a little bit of a story, and lots of side quests along the way, but it is as the name implies: a short and cozy hike!

5) Heaven's Vault

Content Warnings: None, but some discussions of dead civilizations in a historical context and the bad things that happened to people in those societies (nothing graphic however)
Category: Adventure, Choices Matter, Archeology/Philology Simulation, Story-Driven
Good for: People interested in history and archeology, people interested in a story where choices matter, people who enjoy games with replayability, people who enjoy deep lore within a game

This one is not specifically mori, but a lot of the areas you can explore have a mori feel, and the game itself rewards slow-moving exploration, which makes it very relaxing to play. The game follows an archeolgist exploring the past of a mysterious nebula, accompanied by her robot companion Six. It features an expansive in game language translation system, and hours or replayablity based on varying choices that impact your experience, and the fate of the nebula. It's one of my favorite games ever, and I've been obsessed with it since the first time I played. I continue to learn new things each time I play!


(I also highly recommend the two tie-in novels if you play and enjoy the game. They are absolutely wonderful.)

Bonus honorable mentions!

  • Alba - A wildlife adventure: a cute game where you save the local natural beauty of a small town
  • Fe: a beautiful platformer with amazing graphics and creative fantasy creatures
  • Flower: float through life as a lovely flower petal, super relaxing
  • Omno: A cute puzzle and platformer game with interesting abilities and beautiful scenery
  • Paperbark: Play as a cute wombat in the Australian wilderness
  • Roki: A puzzle and adventure game following a young girl learning the magical secrets of the Scandinavian wilderness in order to save her brother
  • Sable: An open world game based in a desert world where you can plan your own future, meet many interesting kinds of people, and unravel secrets
  • Virildi: plant and tend to some cute succulents! 
How about you? What mori games do you enjoy! I'd love to hear your recommendations.





1 comment:

  1. Animal Crossing - Does this one go without saying?
    Journey - like Heaven's Vault, this is the exploration of a dead civilization. It's alternately melancholic and glorious and heart rending and a continuous cycle of trying to reach the top of the mountain.
    Gris - Content warning: Gris deals with parent loss and grief recovery. While exploring a world broken by loss, you help Gris find her voice and return color to her world.
    The Longing - a curious adventure/idle game where you must wait 400 actual days for your king to awaken from slumber. There are things to do every day for 400 days and certain areas or actions can only be accessed by waiting for the passage of time. It is a game about loneliness and patience.
    Shadow of the Colossus - a study in loneliness and what we are willing to do for love. In the beautiful ruins of a lost civilization, you must find and fight 16 colossal creatures in the hopes that a mysterious voice in the sky 'might' be able to raise the dead. Content warning here: it deals with a woman being put to death because she had a 'cursed fate' and the game is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
    Chicory - a top down coloring book of a game in which painting is your superpower to solve puzzles, make friends, and explore.
    The Unfinished Swan - This game is a tie-in to Edith Finch and describes what happened to one member of the Finch family. In Swan, you lob ink at the world around you in order to finish the 'painting' and find your way to the Swan.
    The Untitled Goose Game - because you know you just want to cause trouble some days. XD
    Donut County - a puzzle game about delivering donuts and dropping things into holes. It's absurd and hilarious and will make you happy to have a garbage day!

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