Recent reviews by Laura Fae

I cannot recommend My Dream Setup enough.

You see, it is not a game, but an architectural tool that you can use to your heart's content, feeling like you have done something important (or maybe it's just me?!). I use My Dream Setup to plan how to redecorate my office, to convince myself that it absolutely is worth it to redecorate again, and also to plan the building of my real-life cottage. Its a blueprint generator that helps me keep things in good scale and perspective. The only complaint I have is the furniture, which is way too modern for a whimsical fairy such as myself.

I am afraid to play House Flipper.

The review that mentioned that you "clean up and renovate strangers' homes while neglecting your own in real life" is true. In my case, I actually have a Real House to renovate: there is wallpaper to put up, and loads of walls to paint, and things to install, and yet guess how I spent 4 valuable hours as soon as I bought the game? All while my partner came from time to time to remind me that if I enjoy this game, I can and should actually do "the fun stuff" in real life.

Now, I long to play some more House Flipper but I don't dare. I can understand the pull of it, though. How awesome would it be to paint the walls without moving any furniture and using no painters tape at all. How cool to demolish a bunch of walls just like that, no dust, no cleanup (it really does not work like that in real life, trust me!!!!) And then get paid, too?!

Anyhow, yeah. If you have a spotless home and no renovation to do, House Flipper is a delight. If you DO have cleaning and renovation to do...

This is a really cozy demo where you guide Agnes to take care of a 17th century monastery garden while taking part in the beginning of a Dumas-like drama! Wonderful atmosphere, relaxing and quite accurate gardening, and a nice story to enjoy. Highly recommended!

Feed a bunch of super cute birds right from your desktop and get the lovely reward of their happy chirping? To me, this is worth more than the price of a coffee (depending where you buy said coffee, I suppose), which is why I recommend this game.

The birds are super cute (aka I like the graphics), there is an extensive menu of upgrades (do birds really eat that much sugar?!!!), and I love the fact that you can efortlessly customize how this little bird cafe looks and feels on your screen. What I don't really love is that, as another person mentioned, the game does not feel very idle/ relaxing to me. But then again, can running a business ever be relaxing?

A quick and fun roguelike experience with Diablo vibes. If you don't have much time, but still miss venturing in treasure filled, dangerous dungeons, this is a good game to try.

A soothing and very beautiful game with a soundscape to match, Under Leaves is a gentle experience that feels like a magical stroll through a welcoming forest. When I play, I feel peaceful and creative. I love the elegant design, focused on mastering a simple idea while celebrating an amazing sense of color and aesthetic. Strongly recommended for anyone in need of a simple, soothing hidden object game, crafted beautifully.

Ithya is a beautiful and creative work of art that soothes my heavy workdays considerably. It is a beautiful and elegantly done productivity tool, designed in an interesting setting (I love the ancient Greece/ Rome vibes!). As a game developer who is creating an experience in a similar vein, I feel deeply inspired by Ithya and also deeply thankful for it. My most favorite vibe is the Oltak library, using only the evening atmospheric sound - it puts me in a high focus mode almost instantly, and inspires me to light incense and dim the lights.

A relaxing space with a very chill vibe that you can customize in many ways, Spirit City is a gentle companion during some of my long working days.

You know that feeling when you have a bubble wrap and you Just Have To Burst All The Bubbles? Froguelike is like that, only with bugs! And you get to "fancyfy" your bubble bursting abilities in all kinds of ways. Think Serious Sam, except you are a frog invaded by all sorts of delicious insects!

What Comes After is a beautiful love letters to those who feel like a burden. Like me. It's a very sad, very kindly written experience I highly recommend. But since I wasn't in the best of places when I started it, it was very difficult for me to continue playing. There is a trigger warning in game, but of you still decide to carry on, have tissues at hand.