I feeel you, there are so many reasons to stop playing a game but I love that you are one of the people who actually stop. Some people keep pushing and burn themselves out 🥺
I completely understand but from a different perspective Reasons why I stop playing or never end up playing ADHD: Hyper focuses on the game and plays it consistently then gets burnt out/bored; too many saves; restarts constantly 😅 Autism: Researches everything about the games; watches gameplay and looks up guides Then gets overwhelmed with so many options; feels like I’ve already played the game without actually playing; gets stuck in preparation mode, never plays Realizes I don’t want to play just watch gameplay 😅🫣🤦🏽♀️
I’ve started waiting until full release. I work full time and have limited gaming time. The chance of revisiting a game, especially longer games, is pretty low. So, I wait now.
I personally adore Sun Haven, but I'll freely acknowledge the game is a lot. And keeps being a lot with each major update. It could really use a thorough replay by the developers and possibly even some restructuring or pacing balance passes. Or at least feel more like it really is 'play it your way' as opposed to go hang out in Elf Town and Demon Town for a few hours then get back to your 'real farm' in Sun Haven. And you know, honestly, I think the devs know it too. Both Nel'vari and Withergate only have year round crops that can survive you not watering them for days/weeks at a time, whereas Sun Haven requires constant pampering unless you turn off season pests/negative weather effects or have late game seasonal greenhouses that you want to set up elsewhere. I love it. I love it so much I've got 750 + hours in it and three fully completed play throughs. I come back to it and fire up a new save every few months and play all the content from beginning to end and set up challenges to keep things fresh (like my last playthrough was the divorce olympics where i worked through every single steam marriage achievement with one character) or rushing to get and stay in either Nel'vari or Withergate year round first or whatever. But there's so much to do and it can be very overwhelming and unwieldy. And you bet your booty I'll be right back in it again once the switch port drops and they introduce the fourth full city and next round of marriage candidates. But that doesn't mean it's for everyone or even a lot of ones and there are so many options for farming sims alone that it's okay to bounce off things, take them slowly or need a bit of time to get back to it. I got gifted Stardew Valley years ago when 1.5 dropped and I couldn't get into it at all. I tried again with 1.6's announcement and I not only loved it, it served as a gateway to other games I adore in the subgrenre like Sun Haven, Roots of Pacha, Coral Island, Little-Known Galaxy, Fields of Mistria and Moonstone Island. Love what you love, play when you can and explore for your youtube hustle. They'll be there if you want to come back. Thanks for taking the time to play all these games Min and to share your experiences and opinions. It helps a lot to see gameplay when so many games come out nowadays.
I LOVE that you ADORE Sun Haven and have been able to enjoy so many hours in it! That’s amazing!!! I wish it could be for me 😭 I definitely want to give it another try! It bet there are so good guides out there for beginners??? Haha! Well I hope so 🩷🥰 Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me!!! I love to hear them!!
@@mintendogaming I don't actually know about beginner guides, my only tip for Sun Haven is that the main story is quest driven, not seasonal so if you ever want to just go in and explore or spend time in one or more cities you really can. There are festivals, but those aren't tied to the main plot at all. There's a point pretty early on where they ask you to unlock access to the other two towns. Each other town then has really simple 'how to get your house/apartment' quests that will also unlock fast travel back to Sun Haven so you can choose to go back and forth without the actual back tracking through the woods. Oh there are a few romances tied to advancing the main plot, but mostly people are already there or arrive with seasonal changes, not plot advancement. The game is such a hot mess. I totally get people being confused, overwhelmed, put off or like...maybe one or two more patches and we'll see game. We'll see.
@@perchalicious808this helps I might try it again. Because part of my issue was I felt overwhelmed and was thinking of it like stardew valley where I had a timeline to follow. Idk it was just a lot 😅 but the game is still so enticing and I want to play but I’m like put into adhd paralysis when I try.
Re: Coral Island, I totally feel that! I avoided playing it in early access for a similar reason - I didn’t want to have to restart. I’m now playing it in full access and loving it! But there isn’t as much of a community or hype about it online now. Still loving the game, but def a trade off of sorts.
It's literally so easy to earn moonstones and not pay. I have been playing since ea released, have a ton of premium items and have never spent a dime on moonstones. As far as the f2p, I think in the long run charging for the game was the best decision because we probably wouldn't of got the ability to earn moonstones and probably wouldn't continue to get constant free updates. People would of ended up having to pay more money in the long run. Their mistake was ever announcing it was going to be f2p in the first place.
I'm on a Coral Island break because its nuts to get to town rating A, like repeatedly doing the dive or searching in the mines for those missing artefacts that are missing in the museum. Even though there is now the option for Town rank S how much intense is the grind supposed to be?
same actually. I am a bit bored with coral island cause the grind to A and S is just boring at this point. All I can do is traverse the Savannah every day and that got boring
I REALLY wanted to like Sun Haven… but I got like an hour in and it just seemed too complicated and overwhelming for me. Maybe I didn’t give it enough time and I need to give it another chance. But this is coming from someone who has been playing farming sims for like 5 years now.
Oooo I totally relate! I play tons of farming sims and did get decently far with this one but it just has SO much! Not necessarily a bad thing but just overwhelms me!
I love the aesthetics and also want to love this game but the controller controls feel unintuitive and I’m not adept at keebs/mouse. Like you both, it feels overwhelming when others definitely feel more cozy
I mainly play farming games and loved Sun Haven! One game that I could not get into and felt was so overwhelming was My Time at Sandrock. I see so many people loving it but I found the farming/gathering aspect so stressful. 😭
I am so with you on this. I feel so bad I buy a game and play it enthusiastically for many hours then never pick it up again. Sometimes its just because I can't remember what I'm doing but the thought of starting again is so daunting. Sunnyside and Coral Island are amongst my list too.
This is exactly how I feel! But I feel like I’m doing to an injustice to just pick up where I left off because I won’t know what’s going on at first and my regress will be messed up because of my not knowing what’s happening. But to start over is just too much sometimes.
Unfortunately Devs nowadays go for the hype. So once you buy the game because you re excited about it, for them it stops there. They don't care if you stop playing, you already paid. That's what I feel
It's almost never the devs fault. It's their higher ups who make the financial decisions. Pretty sure most devs would love to finish their projects but aren't allowed to.
Same reason on Sun Haven as you, once I unlocked the 2nd farm, I felt overwhelmed (not just the 2nd farm,but with tons of things to keep on track of) and I simply got demotivated to go further. Imo, the game needs more polishing . I also prefer playing games like these alone because I get to properly know the story. As for Coral Island, I simply am just waiting for the near-finalized stage of the game before playing it again .
I'm constantly taking breaks from playing coral island. I love the game but there are so many grindy aspects when it comes to upgrades and quality of life improvements. The trash mechanic is really really grindy. The game is gorgeous but despite having a pretty decent gaming laptop the game stutters and so many other issues when it comes to the graphics. I like coming back to it every now and then especially ones after playing games like league as it helps cool down my head after every intense round xD. I wish the trash requirements in coral island would lessen in the next few updates but then again the main theme of that game is to clean trrash so probobly not ;-;
Sometimes its good to mix it up. Cozy or something like cyberpunk or wuthering waves its fun to mix it up. Even crime scene cleaner is actually relaxing.
I don't think I could enjoy Sun Haven without QoL mods. With mods, the game is a lot more relaxing and fun, personally. Things like increased walk speed/instant travel/sprinklers/etc. make the pacing a lot more quicker, and its easier to get things done in a timely manner. So I'd recommend them if you get back into it!
Immortal Life is my favorite game. I'm actually playing it right now while listening. I like Asian dramas and have read a number of Chinese cultivation novels.. so that definitely plays into why I like it. But.. talking about the characters not being fleshed out. I like the characters, and also, I've never been one to like a game based on pre-made characters. That is just not even close to the top of my list. I'm more about the game mechanics. I like that there's no museum (hate those). I like that there's one succinct storyline. I love the cooking!! And I like how as you go, everything you do gets more advanced. Nothing feels flashy. Everything is actually useful and has purpose. You shouldn't sell random stuff to get money because it's genuinely a pain and really difficult to regain certain items!! Also.. the storage is unlimited.. you can have so much items.
I got 100% achievements on Steam for Bandle Tale, by the end I was super burnt out on having to pick up the house and move to a specific area to craft x, then another area for y, and so on. Wish they had streamlined it more at the end.
I also finished Bandle Tale (Switch), and I agree that the END of the game is particularly unbalanced. There were so many unused features - I didn’t even use one of the cooking implements. It’s a shame, because I really enjoyed it for the most part, and there’s no way it’s getting updates (because the team was let go).
I'm a BIG fan of Immortal Life. I will recommend this game to anyone that I can haha! I played it two weeks before 1.0 and enjoyed my time with it a lot but also had issues. It is a fetch quest story driven game and was very confusing without a roadmap of the story which there is now an in game storyline map where it will tell you what to do next which is extremely helpful because I was stuck for like 10 hours at some point during EA. The xianxia/cultivating aspect of the game is done super well as someone who's spent years watching Chinese period dramas. The characters are interesting and the friending them is actually worth it because they give good rewards for it so there's a reason to befriend them, however it's so slow. The main story is long, and the ending is incredibly grindy but the ending cutscene and stuff was nicely wrapped up. I don't think I could play this game again, once was enough, but it's certainly among my favorite farming sims with Stardew Valley and Story of Seasons and Dinkum. Also the 1.x updates have left me disappointed. There was a roadmap of the content they would add and it's been delayed or there's very small updates that would be helpful in a new playthrough not an old one. Still love it. The grind is less of what Coral Island has though. I played 1.1 Coral Island this summer and enjoyed it, but it felt like a very standard farming game and the unique part was the mermaid which was a grind to get to. Getting to A rank is so long and then S rank is another grind. There's SO many npcs to the point where it feels overwhelming and the cutscenes I've seen did not interest me so I ignored it. Events are okay, some can be fun and some are just doing the task and that's it. Even after spending 60 hours, it feels very much like a Stardew Valley copycat and this is what I felt before even playing it and watching others play it. I've played a lot of farming games and this is the only game where I see that same exact formula but it's just 3D, mermaids and more grind to it. I have enjoyed my time with it but it's not a game that impressed me.
@@mintendogaming I love Immortal Life too. It might even be my favorite farm sim currently (though there's plenty I haven't tried yet, so that might change). I haven't finished it and some things can be a little slow compared to some other farm sims I have tried, but I am really enjoying the mechanics, characters and story so far.
I'm such a game restarter too 😅I agree, the Sunnyside interview did not leave a good impression. I hadn't heard of While the Iron's Hot before. Going to have to check that one out.
I had the issue with coral island. I really enjoyed it for 2 ingame years, but then i hit a wall where i had no new quests or anything anymore, just a few rare seasonal things to collect and some rocks for the museum, and it became such a grind to reach town rank A, that i ditched the game right after unlocking the underwater farm.
I stopped playing Coral Island because I kept feeling like it was "When Mom says we have Stardew Valley at home." I dropped Coral Island when Stardew 1.6 came out and just never came back to it. When 1.1 came out for CI, I was like "nah, that ship sailed and you weren't on it."
I don't play any of these games but something similar in mobile was called Harvest Town. Tho the reason I stopped is because I got tired of these events that happens every week or two? Its quite a limited event that you get from mobile games which I get super burnout when it's supposed to be a cozy game. So I feel you about playing these games and stopped playing them for various reasons.
What I do is when I'm starting to feel burnt out by a game, I just switch to another genre and play that for a while and then get back to the previous games.
I absolutely would love to play coral island, but the camera angle drives me insane. Its really zoomed out, and with the specific art style it has I don't like that. Another thing is that my bf and I have been waiting for the multiplayer forever now, its been so long.
One that I stopped playing is My Time at Sandrock. I love it - but I put it down when another game I was looking forward to came out and then I find it really hard and overwhelming to pick it up again. And now I don’t think I’ll go back to it. I do think you should give While the Irons Hot another go - because it’s one of my favourite games 😊
As soon as the full version of Coral Island was released, my entire game file was corrupted. I was stuck in a limbo since I just had my house build to the full version and surpassed the child-option before having one yet but as soon as I logged in again, my house was back to missing the two rooms with no option to build them again. I now have a husband, the unfinished house and no way to add to my family. Needless to say Coral Island lost me. 😅 It's always so sad to feel bad about a game you had such a good time with a few moments before...
I stopped Sun Haven exactly at the same spot. Once the second farm unlocked, it became too much. Especially basically the same resources with a different skin that just need more inventory space. But I really liked the art style and many game mechanics, so I might start it again. But then I absolutely detest the DLC policy. I like cosmetic DLCs, but they're just way tooo expensive.
Absolutely!! I kinda wanna restart the game and give it another try with the tips a lot of people have given in the comments! 🩷 I’m glad the DLC is cosmetic and doesn’t make us buy story expansions. I’m sure they may go on sale from time to time? ☺️
I am really bad at playing games obsessively for 20 hours or so and then never finishing them. Especially farming games. I just get into it so much and then something else grabs my attention. I would like to be able to stick with a game and finish it but my brain is so distracted by new shiny things hehe.
I definitely disagree about Sunnyside, they have been doing very consistent updates, with quality of life improvements as well as plenty of bug fixes. Just yesterday they released an entire Sandbox mode that lets you customize individual aspects of the game to your liking. You also have all the travel modes unlocked at the start in Sandbox mode (bike, scooter, truck, horse) which makes traveling much more convenient.
I quit Coral Island too, shortly after the full release. It seems like the updates are just coming out way too slow and I was running out of things to do, or I wasn’t able to progress things I had wanted to. Also stopped playing Fields of Mistria a short ways in because it’s just not that exciting. I do feel like the cozy game genre is becoming a bit too oversaturated and perhaps games just aren’t as exciting as polished as they used to be, since lots of them take inspiration from each other and aren’t necessarily brand new ideas. Really takes away from the element of excitement.
honestly true... though chef rpg just came out and I have my eyes on it. It's still on early access but it looks a bit more interesting to me than fields of mistria
Ok so Sun Haven is one of my favorite cozy games ever. However, the trick for me of not getting overwhelmed is I only work on one farm at a time. Right now I’m just building and decorating my Sun Haven farm. Next month I’ll probably work on the Withergate one for Halloween. There are no penalties for not touching a farm or any of those side quests until you’re ready. And I play in chunks. A few days to a week, then maybe play other stuff until the following month. I find myself continuously coming back to it. It gives me those cozy vibes similar to Animal Crossing. And I really tried to like Stardew, but that game was too overwhelming to me with the time restraints, stamina and damage taken (I turned off the damage in Sun Haven). But idk, that’s what works for me! (My little TH-cam avatar is my original Sun Haven character lol) Great video as always Min!
Those are some really great tips!!!! I love hearing your input and experience with the game thanks so much for sharing it is super helpful!!! I feel inspired to give it another go!
I kinda did that too. I was like: let me just play in Sun Haven the first year. In hindsight I should've unlocked the ability to use magci in Nel'Vari but otherwise the plan worked out great. Just aking my time in getting to know the map and NPCs, discovering fun, secret areas in Sun Haven and just hang out. Turns out not unlocking the magic makes it take longer and makes it harder too. But I'm nearly ready to get back into it. But I also wann play other stuff so we'll see when I get back into it.
@@mintendogaming Thank you! I disabled combat, disabled seasonal pests, disabled seasonal crop effects (no burning crops for me) and made the days 40 minutes. I just tailored the gameplay to the most comfy cozy vibes. And that’s just with the in game settings, no mods. And it has kept me coming back like my multitude of Animal Crossing islands 😂🤣 I really hope you do revisit this game! It’s such a Min game at is core 🤣🫶 So cutesy, cozy and whimsical! And it’s the first game to actually make me fall in love with pixel art 😍 Also they’ve added so much content (a new zone, too) just since I started playing in December. There’s always a reason to come back, and they still have future updates planned. I think this could genuinely be a game you could fall in love with.
Coral Island and Sun Haven I've put dozens of hours into but got burnt out. Sun Haven just got bigger, and bigger, and bigger, just a little too much for me only getting to play a couple hours a week. Coral Island I was playing on Game Pass and loved it for a while, but the events being bugged so have to restart the day multiple times or just skip the event and how much things cost drained me. Maybe the Steam version is better about the bugs, but I played 3 in game years and didn't get the same feeling of accomplishment as the same time in Stardew.
Coral Island is quite grindy and it feels "empy" compared to Roots of Pacha or Stardew. I can't interact with pets or with objects as much as in even Pacha. Why do I decorate so much if I can't even sit in a chair?
SunnySide, and how the devs've handled things between lying on KSer/in stuff originally going to have marriage or similar but nixing it, to the whole BS "relationships" which are basically nothing(like frick not even holding hands?) to the way the character itself responds pretty horribly to one of the "romanceables" just made me never want to play that game again and wish I could get my time and money back. Between that and performance IDEK how it remotely has as many positive reviews as it does.
I understand the coral island part. I was not updated for a while about coral island so when i got back to it recently and opened my world, the shock that i had when i had to restart fr got me panicked so then i googled what the heck happened lol pero its okay... maybe i'll just go back to playing it later on once i have accepted the fact that everything has to be re-done lol
I wanted to love Coral Island so much. I play my cozy games as a way to unwind after work so I typically only play full releases because my time is very limited... So I waited until Coral Island "fully released" BUT stuff was still missing! Like the NPC halloween costumes in fall! It just killed it for me 😅
When I got my steam deck, I started playing Coral Island like right away. I enjoyed playing it. It was relaxing since I suffer from ADD. It was kind of overwhelming and I really enjoyed playing it. I stop playing Sunnyside. They was just too many glitches for me and I just put it down.
I put about 25 hours into the content they've got so far but I'm totally bleh on picking it up when the next update comes out. I mean, I _like_ the game, but I don't _love_ it enough to be jazzed about picking it up and playing it when I could be playing something else, if that makes sense.
I stopped playing Coral Island after going through the Halloween event 3x between two saves and still no costumes. All the dialogue is there but no costumes is crazy lol. Pretty much anything I stopped playing was because something more exciting came out in 1.0 and made me forget about the last game.
Agree with you about Sun haven it's too much, and when I played it. It was difficult to play on the deck or controller. Will probably get back into it at some point
Ahh, I appreciate this video - I've only been gaming for a few years and have been feeling guilty about my growing list of unfinished or unplayed games (I also get stuck between not wanting to continue a game I've forgotten how to play, but not wanting to restart either 😩). It's a good reminder that starting/stopping games is normal and happens for lots of reasons, all of which are valid!
I can totally relate I stopped playing so many cozy games for the same reason you mentioned they were captivating at first but then kinda got dull afterwards 😅
I’m going to be serious if u ever get back to play my time at sandrock I highly recommend that u have to married to doctor fang as soon as possible because why because he is a very important character in this game & he have the most event & u might ending up meeting fang father while u are married him & there is a emotional cutscene that will make u cry during the confession event with doctor fang & u might find the answer how to cure ginger disease in the post game & in my time at poria ginger actually passed away in that game & the only way to save her is find the cure to save her life & that’s why my time at sandrock is the only game that will give u the answer for ginger sickness & i might know more about Logan because u might be ending up teaming up with Logan to save sandrock & u might find the true who behind of stealing water & break the water tower in the very first place
@@mintendogaming it’s a great game. The story is good but some parts seem to drag a bit. Hope to pick it back up soon. You might like it more than I have! Def avoid the switch version. Any other version of the game is good. I play on Xbox series x and it ran very well.
Whenever Stardew updates get announced I put the game aside and tried other games in the waiting period, trying to find something that hooks me like Stardew.Then the updates hits and I'm sucked back into it. Some games come close, but so far nothing hit like Stardew did. I tried so many things, Sunhaven, Spirittea, Coral Island, Cloud Garden, Havendock, Moonstone Island, Anvil Saga, Death and Taxes (That one I did finish and liked, but I did all the endings and felt it was done) and for one wild moment: Palworld. That was not exactly what I wanted, then Nightingale came out and yeah always online was not a great thing. The game has gotten an offline mode, so I might try it again or I wait until my favourite modder releases the mega crop and artisan good mod he is updating right now, mod Stardew up to the gills with even more people and jump straight back in. I do have a few other games: Dorfromantik and, since last weekend, Tiny Glade. Both are games I enjoy and at least with Dorfromantik, I know I will keep it.
I put down Graveyard Keeper because I realized I was just grinding and not actually having fun. Tried to get back into it and I’m COMPLETELY lost, I literally cannot remember how to do anything or the plot at all, but I also don’t feel like starting all over again 😭
I actually restart games often if I forget what I was doing in them or just enjoy the beginning the most. I've remade my ACNH island so. many. times. Sun Haven - I got it when it first came out and didn't really like it. It felt overwhelming with how much there was to do. It definitely seemed like it was meant to be multiplayer, not single player. I died to enemies so easily even with upgraded weapons and armor so I ended up just giving up. Recently, I decided to start completely over and give it another shot. I didn't even know until after I started playing again that they had rebalanced the combat, which helped a LOT. Now it actually feels doable as single player. There's still an overwhelming amount of stuff to do, but I've just been focusing on main story requirements and anything I actually feel like doing, instead of trying to do it all. I'm having a lot more fun with it now than I was back then. Coral Island - I played it a lot in EA and it was disappointing to start over for the full release. The fact that everything felt exactly the same made me question whether it was really necessary to lose our progress. Obviously it must have been, I'm just saying it didn't feel that way. Like other people have said, I'm stuck on the grind to Town Rank A and unlocking the Savannah. You basically have to do every single thing in the game in order to rank up xD. It's gotten really repetitive and boring for me. Although I like how unique all the characters are, I didn't really like any of them enough to try to marry them. I feel like I'm just sleeping through the days so I can get to the next season and keep ranking up the town. I've put 151 hours into it now and I just don't want to play anymore xD. SunnySide - I tried the demo recently and it felt very clunky. I have a 4090ti and even with graphics settings on low things kept popping in and out. The tutorial images would start out blurred before fully loading in. It bothered me a lot. I think I'll still give the demo another shot but idk if it's for me. The other games you mentioned I haven't played.
I get what you mean with Sun Haven! I love this game because it's the first farming game that I actually ever played, and it feels like there was A LOT to do! Especially for a first timer in the genre 😂 but when I feel overwhelmed I just take a step back and return to it another day, or just simply wander around and concentrate on other stuff in the game (like one day I only farm or mine or talk to people, or explore just one place and stuff like that)... I really love the fact that there are a lot of stuff to do and places to be, but it can be really overwhelming if you try to do it all right away... I always reminder myself to simply slow down and enjoy the game without being stressed 😊 because I still have A LOT to do as I haven't finished it yet ahaha and they also added a new town and storyline, so yeah there are pros and cons about it, but maybe give it a try again! There are lots of guides and videos to help you out, but also take your time because a lot of the quest there don't require you to do them in a certain amount of time, and also some farms don't require you to be there every day! 😁 Ps. Thank you for talking about instant gaming!! This is my first time hearing about it, but I will definitely check it out 😍
I stopped playing Sun Haven also. I just found 3 farms pretty hard to manage. like my first farm is obviously the biggest one it has the most Crops and Chickens and Cows and I just didn't like going back and forth between my farms and I felt like I barely had enough time to do it. I was always rushing to get things done before passing out.
Immortal Life is very, very unique. The gameplay and main storyline are really nice, but it gets extremely grindy later. The social element is /not/ the focus on the game, so it doesn't really fall into the neighorvania genre in the same way some others in the list do. Characters do develop more over the story and their personal quests, and eventually you can have a roommate. It's worth playing if you like the aesthetic, though not so much if wanting a social simulator.
I love Immortal life, I have like 40hrs in it. I totally get what you mean though. There were certain quests I had to look up on the wiki because I was lost and the game doesn't tell you. But once I got past those it really started unfolding and I fell in love with it.
thats so real, i try to start a new save and once i get the hang of it, i go back to the old save! but i'm too lazy to even do that for most games lmfao, i mainly stop based on my moods or just wanting to explore other games 😭 i did see that someone here suggested watching streams/vids so thats a really nice idea!!
i love coral island but having to get to town A just to get savannah unlocked is kinda annoying. I did everything else and was getting tired of it plus genshin impact had the new natlan event and afk journey's new update distracted me lol I'm gonna get back to coral island but I keep putting it off because I know I'm just gonna be farming and mining over and over again lol
You dont need to reach town A to unlock Savannah, just have to finish the advanced altar if im not wrong. Im still in town B and have already unlocked it. You do need to get to town A before you can unlock the underwater farm, cellar etc tho.
I get what you mean about not wanting to restart games! I always feel sad putting in so much effort into progressing in the game and trying to make everything look pretty just to have it all wiped and everything needing to be done all over again :(((
In Sunhaven you can adjust the length of the days, I have my days super long, I also have a little bit of a schedule so I am not constantly running between all three farms
Nothing is like Stardew valley, I burned out on coral Island too. a lot of them are early access unfinished games & some become unsupported forever. The original price point for others is a closed door. I wait for steam sales.
I Stopped playing Everafter falls after a while. I came to that point... doing the same stuff every day. And Cozy caravan. That one really disappointed me.
1. **Introduction and Overview (00:00)**: The video discusses cozy games the creator stopped playing, with varied reasons including being overwhelmed, preferring other games, or losing interest over time. They plan to go through several games and explain why they moved on from each. 2. **Sun Haven (00:33 - 02:33)**: Initially loved for its fantasy elements and content, the creator stopped playing due to feeling overwhelmed with too much to do after unlocking more areas. They preferred the simplicity of *Roots of Pacha*. 3. **Sunnyside (03:05 - 05:10)**: This farming sim flopped for the creator due to bugs and a lack of polish. Despite some fun elements, the unpolished aspects and the developers' acknowledgment of issues discouraged further play. 4. **Immortal Life (06:49 - 08:45)**: A cute Chinese farming sim that the creator found enjoyable but confusing and somewhat boring after repeated attempts. They struggled with consistency and are unsure if they will return to the game. 5. **Coral Island (**10:24** - **12:32**)**: The creator enjoyed *Coral Island* for over 100 hours but got burned out due to repeated restarts in Early Access. They are unsure if they will return to the game, despite once loving it.
I was really looking forward to Sunnyside, but my pc couldn’t even load the demo. I checked out the reviews and beyond disappointed to find out how unfinished it felt. I was also really disappointed in how they handled romance because they made it sound like a character would like your character based on complex things than just liking any character, only to find out it was just sexualities. Like I assumed it would be the case, but I thought it would include more factors like how you act, your play style, or your character’s appearance. Currently the only farming sims I’m interested in are fields of mistria, and the new rune factory spin off game
I really enjoyed Bandle Tale, but the ending felt really sudden. I got to the end of the game but still had a large chunk of the tech trees locked. So I expected there to be something after the main plot line, or just once you're finished it would let you finish up the trees and you'd get a little something. But nope, that wasn't the case. Once you complete the last party, watch the credits etc, the game saves you to the point just before the final party. No way to finish up the tech trees unless you do it all before doing the final party. Which was really odd because I had no use for the locked items, not even quests. It felt really weird considering how important it was throughout the game to progress the trees to get through the story.
It's interessting, when I decide restart a farming Sim, I can't wait to optimize Things or to do better because of my knowledge after the first try. I hope solve the issue of restarting a farming Sim. 😊
i find coral island so fun for a stretch and then it’s super grindy and i’m just not feeling like doing all the work to get to the next fun section :/ i’m through about a year in game
Sun Haven and Coral Island interest me sooo much, but they also both intimidate me. So I haven't gotten either yet. I think I will eventually, but I want to get them when I know I'll have time to keep playing them a little each day so I don't forget what's going on. I need to get back to Wylde Flowers. I finished the first year, but stopped at the beginning of the second year because it wasn't as interesting. But they did a new update that added more content so it's time to get back to it and see if I can complete the second year.
There’s sooo many games I haven’t finished, I feel so bad cause some I actually love. But the thought of being confused on what I was doing really keeps me from starting them back up. And I’m with you on hating to restart. 😂
I completely agree with you on Sun Haven! I wanted to love it so much, but I feel so overwhelmed trying to learn new games recently. I don't even know if the problem is the game or me 😂 I'll definitely try to come back to it later though!
I loved Sun Haven back when I played it in early access, but I haven’t been able to get back into it. It’s partially because I don’t want to start over and partially because I don’t like the changes that have been made since then😭
Aaaa!!! Starting over can be so hard!!! I’m not sure what the changes have been but it’s definitely a BULKKKYYY game with lots and lots of stuff that’s been added!! 🩷🩷
@@mintendogaming I can’t exactly remember the differences outside of the additions, but it felt different somehow. Maybe I was wrong about something😂 I’ll probably try again with the Switch version if it runs well!
I liked Sun Haven a lot and have played it since early access, but the developers have really been taking a nosedive lately, both with the insane amounts of too expensive dlc but also them begging the player base to translate their game for free, without crediting anyone
I've clocked in 100+ hours on sun haven and I spent 100% of those hours on multiplayer. Idk how you would play the game single player. It's a lot. Even in multiplayer, my friend and I only managed one farm at a time.
Game are meant to be fun. Never be upset about something not bringing you fun anymore and moving on. Some games you need to be in the right headspace to enjoy.
I actually backed Coral Island as a Switch user and idk if you've seen THAT part of the community but uh. If they had not allowed us to change our backing from Switch to Steam, I'd have given up on trying to play it at all. It was incredibly disheartening to see that Switch is never mentioned in updates or promises or so much as breathed upon and that sort of thing left me feeling kinda crummy towards the game going in- not because of any gameplay or graphics or whatever. Now that I can finally play it, though, I've been having fun! But I think if I had to restart my save file any time soon, I'd probably just not try again. :/
As soon as they opened the little demo for SunnySide, I immediately dropped the game. After following it since their start, it just felt so underwhelming and I'm so glad I never ended up buying it. Immortal Life was fun for a while, but it felt like there was no point in it? And Coral Island is a work in progress, so I go on and off it every few months, currently on a break after 50h into a new farm save.
I recomend Little big adventure remake Twinsens quest that has a digital release november 14. There is a demo out now on steam!🔥 really good and cozy adventure game.
I stopped playing Sun haven, While the Iron is Hot and Coral island for the same reasons! I have been wanting to try Sun Haven again though🤔. I agree about getting stuck in While the Iron is hot, I kind of forgot I had this game, definitely willing to pick it up again! I am hoping I want to play coral Island again but yeah... idk about that lol
I stopped playing House Flipper becuse it gave me migraines. Don't see myself retuning to that anytime soon, if at all. Also Little Witch in the Woods because I got stuck because I accidentally sold something I needed later and couldn't craft yet. That was one of the things I think you got for that quest, the item you need to repair the appliance needed to make the thing and also access to the ingredients. It was just unclear the shipping bin was a shipping bin, at least to me at the time. Anyway I'll pick that one one back up once it fully releases. I generally like th play the story just once (with the Exception of GRIS). This is probably because I have a bunch of unfinished games and might change when my library has fewer unfinished games in it. GRIS was the first game I got on Steam. I loved it so much I got a copy for the Switch so I could play it on the go since I didn't have a Steam Deck yet. Wouldn't do something like that now. Both because I do have a Steam Deck and because I want to play more of the games I have. I'd like to get to point where I have 10-15 incompletely played games in my library (except the one I actively chose to quit and didn't just fall by the wayside, of course) so I can just sit down with any game and sink in the hours without thinking about all the other games in my library I still wanna play or finish regardless of if it's a first playthrough or a repeat one.
For the House Flipper one it might be because of the first person. I don’t like first person games but I have heard of people who are playing those kinds of games get motion sickness.
@RedK5 yeah. I've heard that, too. I'm not sure migraines fit with the motion sickness idea, though. I'm also more into 2D and 3rd person because of how it feels, even if it doesn't make me get migraines and such
@@ammalyrical5646 copy and paste info: In 2021, researchers found a link between migraine and motion sickness. Studies using virtual roller coasters show a connection between migraine and motion sickness; both involve reflexes that relay in the brainstem. A study also showed that migraine sufferers have a heightened vulnerability to motion sickness.
I can't imagine there are many achievement hunters in the cozy game community, but that's why i stopped playing coral island.. this one specific achievement requires you to sell at least 1 of each fish/insect/fossil.. but there is no easy way to check what you have or haven't shipped.. 😭
@@catsplat1272 oof thats so rough... are they unreasonable though? With a game as big as sun haven if it required you to do multiple playthroughs to get them all I would probably pass on that too... to get this coral island achievement i would probably have a checklist and start all over on a new save.. i don't have the patience for that lol 😥
I did not buy Sunnyside because I do not care for the traveling. It isn't gameplay when all the time is spent traveling. I have not done the newest stuff on coral island yet because i do not want to have to worry about loosing my saves again. The whole transferring coins was not clear enough when they deleted the first save and I lost millions. It was not fun having to go back and try to grind all the coins back.
Hi Amy! 🩷 Totally agree- the traveling in Sunnyside is super frustrating 🥲!!!! Ugh. So sorry you had a rough experience losing ur coral island progress too. It really took me out of the game too 😭
I have tried to play Coral Island so many times now and each time I feel completely bored and REALLY put off that the opening is literally a one for one rip off of Stardew’s opening scene from the mayor to the carpenter to the teasing. It felt really scummy and afterwards even after 4 hours nothing hooked me. I love farming sims but I just don’t get the hype for that one.
I dropped Bandle Tale because I couldnt stand the grind after a few hours in. I had loved it, but then you start getting less exp while the game requires more and more skills to continue the game without offering any good side content to make the grinding not feel like....mindless grinding.
I was really excited about sunny side but it feels early access to me. Like it could’ve done with more time in development because it’s kinda ugly to me respectfully
I feeel you, there are so many reasons to stop playing a game but I love that you are one of the people who actually stop. Some people keep pushing and burn themselves out 🥺
🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷
I completely understand but from a different perspective
Reasons why I stop playing or never end up playing
ADHD: Hyper focuses on the game and plays it consistently then gets burnt out/bored; too many saves; restarts constantly 😅
Autism: Researches everything about the games; watches gameplay and looks up guides
Then gets overwhelmed with so many options; feels like I’ve already played the game without actually playing; gets stuck in preparation mode, never plays
Realizes I don’t want to play just watch gameplay 😅🫣🤦🏽♀️
I’ve started waiting until full release. I work full time and have limited gaming time. The chance of revisiting a game, especially longer games, is pretty low. So, I wait now.
I personally adore Sun Haven, but I'll freely acknowledge the game is a lot. And keeps being a lot with each major update. It could really use a thorough replay by the developers and possibly even some restructuring or pacing balance passes. Or at least feel more like it really is 'play it your way' as opposed to go hang out in Elf Town and Demon Town for a few hours then get back to your 'real farm' in Sun Haven. And you know, honestly, I think the devs know it too. Both Nel'vari and Withergate only have year round crops that can survive you not watering them for days/weeks at a time, whereas Sun Haven requires constant pampering unless you turn off season pests/negative weather effects or have late game seasonal greenhouses that you want to set up elsewhere.
I love it. I love it so much I've got 750 + hours in it and three fully completed play throughs. I come back to it and fire up a new save every few months and play all the content from beginning to end and set up challenges to keep things fresh (like my last playthrough was the divorce olympics where i worked through every single steam marriage achievement with one character) or rushing to get and stay in either Nel'vari or Withergate year round first or whatever. But there's so much to do and it can be very overwhelming and unwieldy.
And you bet your booty I'll be right back in it again once the switch port drops and they introduce the fourth full city and next round of marriage candidates.
But that doesn't mean it's for everyone or even a lot of ones and there are so many options for farming sims alone that it's okay to bounce off things, take them slowly or need a bit of time to get back to it. I got gifted Stardew Valley years ago when 1.5 dropped and I couldn't get into it at all. I tried again with 1.6's announcement and I not only loved it, it served as a gateway to other games I adore in the subgrenre like Sun Haven, Roots of Pacha, Coral Island, Little-Known Galaxy, Fields of Mistria and Moonstone Island. Love what you love, play when you can and explore for your youtube hustle. They'll be there if you want to come back.
Thanks for taking the time to play all these games Min and to share your experiences and opinions. It helps a lot to see gameplay when so many games come out nowadays.
I LOVE that you ADORE Sun Haven and have been able to enjoy so many hours in it! That’s amazing!!! I wish it could be for me 😭
I definitely want to give it another try! It bet there are so good guides out there for beginners??? Haha! Well I hope so 🩷🥰
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me!!! I love to hear them!!
@@mintendogaming I don't actually know about beginner guides, my only tip for Sun Haven is that the main story is quest driven, not seasonal so if you ever want to just go in and explore or spend time in one or more cities you really can. There are festivals, but those aren't tied to the main plot at all. There's a point pretty early on where they ask you to unlock access to the other two towns. Each other town then has really simple 'how to get your house/apartment' quests that will also unlock fast travel back to Sun Haven so you can choose to go back and forth without the actual back tracking through the woods.
Oh there are a few romances tied to advancing the main plot, but mostly people are already there or arrive with seasonal changes, not plot advancement. The game is such a hot mess. I totally get people being confused, overwhelmed, put off or like...maybe one or two more patches and we'll see game. We'll see.
it’s my favorite game too!
@@perchalicious808this helps I might try it again. Because part of my issue was I felt overwhelmed and was thinking of it like stardew valley where I had a timeline to follow. Idk it was just a lot 😅 but the game is still so enticing and I want to play but I’m like put into adhd paralysis when I try.
Re: Coral Island, I totally feel that! I avoided playing it in early access for a similar reason - I didn’t want to have to restart. I’m now playing it in full access and loving it! But there isn’t as much of a community or hype about it online now. Still loving the game, but def a trade off of sorts.
The reddit sub is very active and thriving tbh. I love talking in there with people and they're very helpful!
oh to be in ur position *crying*
I stopped playing Dreamlight Valley for the shady sh*t they kept pulling,and the microtransactions is unforgivable
It's literally so easy to earn moonstones and not pay. I have been playing since ea released, have a ton of premium items and have never spent a dime on moonstones. As far as the f2p, I think in the long run charging for the game was the best decision because we probably wouldn't of got the ability to earn moonstones and probably wouldn't continue to get constant free updates. People would of ended up having to pay more money in the long run. Their mistake was ever announcing it was going to be f2p in the first place.
I'm on a Coral Island break because its nuts to get to town rating A, like repeatedly doing the dive or searching in the mines for those missing artefacts that are missing in the museum. Even though there is now the option for Town rank S how much intense is the grind supposed to be?
I heard it’s quite the grind!!!! Pretty interesting. Not sure if I’ll ever be up to trying that 😅
@@mintendogaming I'm pretty sure I'll be back - just not yet. Fortunately I got the game just this year. ^_^
same actually. I am a bit bored with coral island cause the grind to A and S is just boring at this point. All I can do is traverse the Savannah every day and that got boring
@@gloriasdaughter940 I dunno what you guys do differently but I barely survive 3-5 levels in the savannah dungeons. Also a reason why I'm on a break.
@@Handnail I just bring lots of foods that replenish health and stamina and am picky about what I pick up down there lol
I REALLY wanted to like Sun Haven… but I got like an hour in and it just seemed too complicated and overwhelming for me. Maybe I didn’t give it enough time and I need to give it another chance. But this is coming from someone who has been playing farming sims for like 5 years now.
Oooo I totally relate! I play tons of farming sims and did get decently far with this one but it just has SO much! Not necessarily a bad thing but just overwhelms me!
Me too! I got so overwhelmed right at the beginning. I’ve restarted 3 times and never get past week 1
I love the aesthetics and also want to love this game but the controller controls feel unintuitive and I’m not adept at keebs/mouse. Like you both, it feels overwhelming when others definitely feel more cozy
I mainly play farming games and loved Sun Haven! One game that I could not get into and felt was so overwhelming was My Time at Sandrock. I see so many people loving it but I found the farming/gathering aspect so stressful. 😭
I am so with you on this. I feel so bad I buy a game and play it enthusiastically for many hours then never pick it up again. Sometimes its just because I can't remember what I'm doing but the thought of starting again is so daunting. Sunnyside and Coral Island are amongst my list too.
So nice to know I’m not the only one 🫣😭 Starting over feels so dreadful to me with a lot of games- esp the ones i’m new to! 🩷
This is exactly how I feel! But I feel like I’m doing to an injustice to just pick up where I left off because I won’t know what’s going on at first and my regress will be messed up because of my not knowing what’s happening. But to start over is just too much sometimes.
Unfortunately Devs nowadays go for the hype. So once you buy the game because you re excited about it, for them it stops there. They don't care if you stop playing, you already paid. That's what I feel
It's almost never the devs fault.
It's their higher ups who make the financial decisions.
Pretty sure most devs would love to finish their projects but aren't allowed to.
Same reason on Sun Haven as you, once I unlocked the 2nd farm, I felt overwhelmed (not just the 2nd farm,but with tons of things to keep on track of) and I simply got demotivated to go further. Imo, the game needs more polishing . I also prefer playing games like these alone because I get to properly know the story. As for Coral Island, I simply am just waiting for the near-finalized stage of the game before playing it again .
I'm constantly taking breaks from playing coral island. I love the game but there are so many grindy aspects when it comes to upgrades and quality of life improvements. The trash mechanic is really really grindy. The game is gorgeous but despite having a pretty decent gaming laptop the game stutters and so many other issues when it comes to the graphics. I like coming back to it every now and then especially ones after playing games like league as it helps cool down my head after every intense round xD.
I wish the trash requirements in coral island would lessen in the next few updates but then again the main theme of that game is to clean trrash so probobly not ;-;
Sometimes its good to mix it up. Cozy or something like cyberpunk or wuthering waves its fun to mix it up. Even crime scene cleaner is actually relaxing.
I don't think I could enjoy Sun Haven without QoL mods. With mods, the game is a lot more relaxing and fun, personally. Things like increased walk speed/instant travel/sprinklers/etc. make the pacing a lot more quicker, and its easier to get things done in a timely manner. So I'd recommend them if you get back into it!
Immortal Life is my favorite game. I'm actually playing it right now while listening. I like Asian dramas and have read a number of Chinese cultivation novels.. so that definitely plays into why I like it.
But.. talking about the characters not being fleshed out. I like the characters, and also, I've never been one to like a game based on pre-made characters. That is just not even close to the top of my list. I'm more about the game mechanics.
I like that there's no museum (hate those). I like that there's one succinct storyline. I love the cooking!! And I like how as you go, everything you do gets more advanced. Nothing feels flashy. Everything is actually useful and has purpose. You shouldn't sell random stuff to get money because it's genuinely a pain and really difficult to regain certain items!!
Also.. the storage is unlimited.. you can have so much items.
If I’ve stopped a game for too long, what I do now is watch streams of the game to refresh me. Then I’m generally ready to jump back in.
That’s a great idea!!!!!
Honestly when I stop playing a game, I never find the will to go back to it. There are so many interesting games out there...
I got 100% achievements on Steam for Bandle Tale, by the end I was super burnt out on having to pick up the house and move to a specific area to craft x, then another area for y, and so on. Wish they had streamlined it more at the end.
I also finished Bandle Tale (Switch), and I agree that the END of the game is particularly unbalanced. There were so many unused features - I didn’t even use one of the cooking implements. It’s a shame, because I really enjoyed it for the most part, and there’s no way it’s getting updates (because the team was let go).
I'm a BIG fan of Immortal Life. I will recommend this game to anyone that I can haha! I played it two weeks before 1.0 and enjoyed my time with it a lot but also had issues. It is a fetch quest story driven game and was very confusing without a roadmap of the story which there is now an in game storyline map where it will tell you what to do next which is extremely helpful because I was stuck for like 10 hours at some point during EA. The xianxia/cultivating aspect of the game is done super well as someone who's spent years watching Chinese period dramas. The characters are interesting and the friending them is actually worth it because they give good rewards for it so there's a reason to befriend them, however it's so slow. The main story is long, and the ending is incredibly grindy but the ending cutscene and stuff was nicely wrapped up. I don't think I could play this game again, once was enough, but it's certainly among my favorite farming sims with Stardew Valley and Story of Seasons and Dinkum. Also the 1.x updates have left me disappointed. There was a roadmap of the content they would add and it's been delayed or there's very small updates that would be helpful in a new playthrough not an old one. Still love it. The grind is less of what Coral Island has though.
I played 1.1 Coral Island this summer and enjoyed it, but it felt like a very standard farming game and the unique part was the mermaid which was a grind to get to. Getting to A rank is so long and then S rank is another grind. There's SO many npcs to the point where it feels overwhelming and the cutscenes I've seen did not interest me so I ignored it. Events are okay, some can be fun and some are just doing the task and that's it. Even after spending 60 hours, it feels very much like a Stardew Valley copycat and this is what I felt before even playing it and watching others play it. I've played a lot of farming games and this is the only game where I see that same exact formula but it's just 3D, mermaids and more grind to it. I have enjoyed my time with it but it's not a game that impressed me.
That is awesome to hear about immortal life!! you are def inspiring me to pick itup again! Thanks for sharing your experience!!
@@mintendogaming I love Immortal Life too. It might even be my favorite farm sim currently (though there's plenty I haven't tried yet, so that might change). I haven't finished it and some things can be a little slow compared to some other farm sims I have tried, but I am really enjoying the mechanics, characters and story so far.
I'm such a game restarter too 😅I agree, the Sunnyside interview did not leave a good impression. I hadn't heard of While the Iron's Hot before. Going to have to check that one out.
I had the issue with coral island. I really enjoyed it for 2 ingame years, but then i hit a wall where i had no new quests or anything anymore, just a few rare seasonal things to collect and some rocks for the museum, and it became such a grind to reach town rank A, that i ditched the game right after unlocking the underwater farm.
The way you described going back to a game after a long amount of time was very relatable
I stopped playing Coral Island because I kept feeling like it was "When Mom says we have Stardew Valley at home." I dropped Coral Island when Stardew 1.6 came out and just never came back to it. When 1.1 came out for CI, I was like "nah, that ship sailed and you weren't on it."
🤣🤣🤣 oh my gosh!!! you’re killing me that’s honestly pretty true tho
I don't play any of these games but something similar in mobile was called Harvest Town. Tho the reason I stopped is because I got tired of these events that happens every week or two? Its quite a limited event that you get from mobile games which I get super burnout when it's supposed to be a cozy game. So I feel you about playing these games and stopped playing them for various reasons.
What I do is when I'm starting to feel burnt out by a game, I just switch to another genre and play that for a while and then get back to the previous games.
I absolutely would love to play coral island, but the camera angle drives me insane. Its really zoomed out, and with the specific art style it has I don't like that. Another thing is that my bf and I have been waiting for the multiplayer forever now, its been so long.
I see what you’re saying! And OMG I totally forgot that they had planned to at multiplayer!!! I think it’s still in beta?
omg i agree! the drawings of the NPCs while you're talking to them is ok, but i realllly hate how the characters walking around look lol
@@mintendogaming yes.. its been 84 years
@@ssamdaly right? why am i looking down from the sky like im god and not a farmer in town
One that I stopped playing is My Time at Sandrock. I love it - but I put it down when another game I was looking forward to came out and then I find it really hard and overwhelming to pick it up again. And now I don’t think I’ll go back to it. I do think you should give While the Irons Hot another go - because it’s one of my favourite games 😊
I just started playing Coral Island because its in this month Humble Choice. Its the only cozy game i enjoy. I usually play action or rpg games.
It's definitely an amazing game
As soon as the full version of Coral Island was released, my entire game file was corrupted. I was stuck in a limbo since I just had my house build to the full version and surpassed the child-option before having one yet but as soon as I logged in again, my house was back to missing the two rooms with no option to build them again. I now have a husband, the unfinished house and no way to add to my family. Needless to say Coral Island lost me. 😅
It's always so sad to feel bad about a game you had such a good time with a few moments before...
OMG!!!!! That’s awful 😅
I agree!! I had so much love for the game! Maybe it’ll return some day? lol 😆
@@mintendogaming Yeah, I'm still waiting for the moment I'll be passionate enough again to start all over. :,) But for now it'll be Zelda. XD
I stopped Sun Haven exactly at the same spot. Once the second farm unlocked, it became too much. Especially basically the same resources with a different skin that just need more inventory space. But I really liked the art style and many game mechanics, so I might start it again. But then I absolutely detest the DLC policy. I like cosmetic DLCs, but they're just way tooo expensive.
Absolutely!! I kinda wanna restart the game and give it another try with the tips a lot of people have given in the comments! 🩷
I’m glad the DLC is cosmetic and doesn’t make us buy story expansions. I’m sure they may go on sale from time to time? ☺️
I am really bad at playing games obsessively for 20 hours or so and then never finishing them. Especially farming games. I just get into it so much and then something else grabs my attention. I would like to be able to stick with a game and finish it but my brain is so distracted by new shiny things hehe.
i hate that I'm the same way 😅
@@mintendogaming at least we are not alone haha
I definitely disagree about Sunnyside, they have been doing very consistent updates, with quality of life improvements as well as plenty of bug fixes. Just yesterday they released an entire Sandbox mode that lets you customize individual aspects of the game to your liking. You also have all the travel modes unlocked at the start in Sandbox mode (bike, scooter, truck, horse) which makes traveling much more convenient.
Ahhh good to know (:
Dont buy it on console though, it is a broken mess. Also the port was done by Merge games and they shut down yesterday so…… 😢
Sunnyside is so bad though
I just started coral island. I waited for the main story to be finished because I tend not to go back to games.
I quit Coral Island too, shortly after the full release. It seems like the updates are just coming out way too slow and I was running out of things to do, or I wasn’t able to progress things I had wanted to. Also stopped playing Fields of Mistria a short ways in because it’s just not that exciting. I do feel like the cozy game genre is becoming a bit too oversaturated and perhaps games just aren’t as exciting as polished as they used to be, since lots of them take inspiration from each other and aren’t necessarily brand new ideas. Really takes away from the element of excitement.
FoM is a bit slow. There's a flurry of stuff near the beginning but now it's about find artifacts and figuring out how to progress the story.
honestly true... though chef rpg just came out and I have my eyes on it. It's still on early access but it looks a bit more interesting to me than fields of mistria
Ok so Sun Haven is one of my favorite cozy games ever. However, the trick for me of not getting overwhelmed is I only work on one farm at a time. Right now I’m just building and decorating my Sun Haven farm. Next month I’ll probably work on the Withergate one for Halloween. There are no penalties for not touching a farm or any of those side quests until you’re ready. And I play in chunks. A few days to a week, then maybe play other stuff until the following month. I find myself continuously coming back to it. It gives me those cozy vibes similar to Animal Crossing. And I really tried to like Stardew, but that game was too overwhelming to me with the time restraints, stamina and damage taken (I turned off the damage in Sun Haven). But idk, that’s what works for me! (My little TH-cam avatar is my original Sun Haven character lol)
Great video as always Min!
Those are some really great tips!!!! I love hearing your input and experience with the game thanks so much for sharing it is super helpful!!! I feel inspired to give it another go!
I kinda did that too. I was like: let me just play in Sun Haven the first year. In hindsight I should've unlocked the ability to use magci in Nel'Vari but otherwise the plan worked out great. Just aking my time in getting to know the map and NPCs, discovering fun, secret areas in Sun Haven and just hang out. Turns out not unlocking the magic makes it take longer and makes it harder too. But I'm nearly ready to get back into it.
But I also wann play other stuff so we'll see when I get back into it.
@@mintendogaming Thank you! I disabled combat, disabled seasonal pests, disabled seasonal crop effects (no burning crops for me) and made the days 40 minutes. I just tailored the gameplay to the most comfy cozy vibes. And that’s just with the in game settings, no mods. And it has kept me coming back like my multitude of Animal Crossing islands 😂🤣
I really hope you do revisit this game! It’s such a Min game at is core 🤣🫶
So cutesy, cozy and whimsical! And it’s the first game to actually make me fall in love with pixel art 😍
Also they’ve added so much content (a new zone, too) just since I started playing in December. There’s always a reason to come back, and they still have future updates planned. I think this could genuinely be a game you could fall in love with.
Coral Island and Sun Haven I've put dozens of hours into but got burnt out. Sun Haven just got bigger, and bigger, and bigger, just a little too much for me only getting to play a couple hours a week. Coral Island I was playing on Game Pass and loved it for a while, but the events being bugged so have to restart the day multiple times or just skip the event and how much things cost drained me. Maybe the Steam version is better about the bugs, but I played 3 in game years and didn't get the same feeling of accomplishment as the same time in Stardew.
Coral Island is quite grindy and it feels "empy" compared to Roots of Pacha or Stardew. I can't interact with pets or with objects as much as in even Pacha. Why do I decorate so much if I can't even sit in a chair?
SunnySide, and how the devs've handled things between lying on KSer/in stuff originally going to have marriage or similar but nixing it, to the whole BS "relationships" which are basically nothing(like frick not even holding hands?) to the way the character itself responds pretty horribly to one of the "romanceables" just made me never want to play that game again and wish I could get my time and money back.
Between that and performance IDEK how it remotely has as many positive reviews as it does.
I understand the coral island part. I was not updated for a while about coral island so when i got back to it recently and opened my world, the shock that i had when i had to restart fr got me panicked so then i googled what the heck happened lol pero its okay... maybe i'll just go back to playing it later on once i have accepted the fact that everything has to be re-done lol
I wanted to love Coral Island so much.
I play my cozy games as a way to unwind after work so I typically only play full releases because my time is very limited...
So I waited until Coral Island "fully released" BUT stuff was still missing! Like the NPC halloween costumes in fall! It just killed it for me 😅
While the iron is hot is short enough that it's a good one to finish and tie a bow on. It drags near the end but you can power through.
When I got my steam deck, I started playing Coral Island like right away. I enjoyed playing it. It was relaxing since I suffer from ADD. It was kind of overwhelming and I really enjoyed playing it. I stop playing Sunnyside. They was just too many glitches for me and I just put it down.
And I also stop playing Disney Dreamlight valley on my Nintendo switch. I just got tired of the crashing.
Like fields of mysteria i found it just ok nothing overwhelming great but it's overwhelmingly positive on steam.
I put about 25 hours into the content they've got so far but I'm totally bleh on picking it up when the next update comes out. I mean, I _like_ the game, but I don't _love_ it enough to be jazzed about picking it up and playing it when I could be playing something else, if that makes sense.
I stopped playing Coral Island because I got a really bad glitch and could never bring myself to go back
I stopped playing Coral Island after going through the Halloween event 3x between two saves and still no costumes. All the dialogue is there but no costumes is crazy lol. Pretty much anything I stopped playing was because something more exciting came out in 1.0 and made me forget about the last game.
Agree with you about Sun haven it's too much, and when I played it. It was difficult to play on the deck or controller. Will probably get back into it at some point
Ahh, I appreciate this video - I've only been gaming for a few years and have been feeling guilty about my growing list of unfinished or unplayed games (I also get stuck between not wanting to continue a game I've forgotten how to play, but not wanting to restart either 😩). It's a good reminder that starting/stopping games is normal and happens for lots of reasons, all of which are valid!
Aw for sure!
We only have limited time to play games so we should play what we feel like playing!
I can totally relate I stopped playing so many cozy games for the same reason you mentioned they were captivating at first but then kinda got dull afterwards 😅
I really struggled with My Time at Sandrock. The grind was just too much. I hope to pick it up again when I have more time.
Oooo interesting to hear! So many people tell me to try that one!!
I’m going to be serious if u ever get back to play my time at sandrock I highly recommend that u have to married to doctor fang as soon as possible because why because he is a very important character in this game & he have the most event & u might ending up meeting fang father while u are married him & there is a emotional cutscene that will make u cry during the confession event with doctor fang & u might find the answer how to cure ginger disease in the post game & in my time at poria ginger actually passed away in that game & the only way to save her is find the cure to save her life & that’s why my time at sandrock is the only game that will give u the answer for ginger sickness & i might know more about Logan because u might be ending up teaming up with Logan to save sandrock & u might find the true who behind of stealing water & break the water tower in the very first place
@@mintendogaming it’s a great game. The story is good but some parts seem to drag a bit. Hope to pick it back up soon. You might like it more than I have! Def avoid the switch version. Any other version of the game is good. I play on Xbox series x and it ran very well.
I still haven't played Immortal Life, woops 😅 I will eventually haha! Coral Island keeps me busy 😊
I love hearing about your adventures in Coral Island!
Whenever Stardew updates get announced I put the game aside and tried other games in the waiting period, trying to find something that hooks me like Stardew.Then the updates hits and I'm sucked back into it. Some games come close, but so far nothing hit like Stardew did. I tried so many things, Sunhaven, Spirittea, Coral Island, Cloud Garden, Havendock, Moonstone Island, Anvil Saga, Death and Taxes (That one I did finish and liked, but I did all the endings and felt it was done) and for one wild moment: Palworld. That was not exactly what I wanted, then Nightingale came out and yeah always online was not a great thing. The game has gotten an offline mode, so I might try it again or I wait until my favourite modder releases the mega crop and artisan good mod he is updating right now, mod Stardew up to the gills with even more people and jump straight back in.
I do have a few other games: Dorfromantik and, since last weekend, Tiny Glade. Both are games I enjoy and at least with Dorfromantik, I know I will keep it.
I put down Graveyard Keeper because I realized I was just grinding and not actually having fun. Tried to get back into it and I’m COMPLETELY lost, I literally cannot remember how to do anything or the plot at all, but I also don’t feel like starting all over again 😭
I actually restart games often if I forget what I was doing in them or just enjoy the beginning the most. I've remade my ACNH island so. many. times.
Sun Haven - I got it when it first came out and didn't really like it. It felt overwhelming with how much there was to do. It definitely seemed like it was meant to be multiplayer, not single player. I died to enemies so easily even with upgraded weapons and armor so I ended up just giving up. Recently, I decided to start completely over and give it another shot. I didn't even know until after I started playing again that they had rebalanced the combat, which helped a LOT. Now it actually feels doable as single player. There's still an overwhelming amount of stuff to do, but I've just been focusing on main story requirements and anything I actually feel like doing, instead of trying to do it all. I'm having a lot more fun with it now than I was back then.
Coral Island - I played it a lot in EA and it was disappointing to start over for the full release. The fact that everything felt exactly the same made me question whether it was really necessary to lose our progress. Obviously it must have been, I'm just saying it didn't feel that way. Like other people have said, I'm stuck on the grind to Town Rank A and unlocking the Savannah. You basically have to do every single thing in the game in order to rank up xD. It's gotten really repetitive and boring for me. Although I like how unique all the characters are, I didn't really like any of them enough to try to marry them. I feel like I'm just sleeping through the days so I can get to the next season and keep ranking up the town. I've put 151 hours into it now and I just don't want to play anymore xD.
SunnySide - I tried the demo recently and it felt very clunky. I have a 4090ti and even with graphics settings on low things kept popping in and out. The tutorial images would start out blurred before fully loading in. It bothered me a lot. I think I'll still give the demo another shot but idk if it's for me.
The other games you mentioned I haven't played.
Shame about SunnySide not being polished up that well, it's one cozy game I had my eyes on 😅
I get what you mean with Sun Haven! I love this game because it's the first farming game that I actually ever played, and it feels like there was A LOT to do! Especially for a first timer in the genre 😂 but when I feel overwhelmed I just take a step back and return to it another day, or just simply wander around and concentrate on other stuff in the game (like one day I only farm or mine or talk to people, or explore just one place and stuff like that)... I really love the fact that there are a lot of stuff to do and places to be, but it can be really overwhelming if you try to do it all right away... I always reminder myself to simply slow down and enjoy the game without being stressed 😊 because I still have A LOT to do as I haven't finished it yet ahaha and they also added a new town and storyline, so yeah there are pros and cons about it, but maybe give it a try again! There are lots of guides and videos to help you out, but also take your time because a lot of the quest there don't require you to do them in a certain amount of time, and also some farms don't require you to be there every day! 😁
Ps. Thank you for talking about instant gaming!! This is my first time hearing about it, but I will definitely check it out 😍
I stopped playing Sun Haven also. I just found 3 farms pretty hard to manage.
like my first farm is obviously the biggest one it has the most Crops and Chickens and Cows and I just didn't like going back and forth between my farms and I felt like I barely had enough time to do it. I was always rushing to get things done before passing out.
Immortal Life is very, very unique. The gameplay and main storyline are really nice, but it gets extremely grindy later. The social element is /not/ the focus on the game, so it doesn't really fall into the neighorvania genre in the same way some others in the list do. Characters do develop more over the story and their personal quests, and eventually you can have a roommate. It's worth playing if you like the aesthetic, though not so much if wanting a social simulator.
I love Immortal life, I have like 40hrs in it. I totally get what you mean though. There were certain quests I had to look up on the wiki because I was lost and the game doesn't tell you. But once I got past those it really started unfolding and I fell in love with it.
thats so real, i try to start a new save and once i get the hang of it, i go back to the old save! but i'm too lazy to even do that for most games lmfao, i mainly stop based on my moods or just wanting to explore other games 😭
i did see that someone here suggested watching streams/vids so thats a really nice idea!!
i love coral island but having to get to town A just to get savannah unlocked is kinda annoying. I did everything else and was getting tired of it plus genshin impact had the new natlan event and afk journey's new update distracted me lol I'm gonna get back to coral island but I keep putting it off because I know I'm just gonna be farming and mining over and over again lol
You dont need to reach town A to unlock Savannah, just have to finish the advanced altar if im not wrong. Im still in town B and have already unlocked it. You do need to get to town A before you can unlock the underwater farm, cellar etc tho.
I get what you mean about not wanting to restart games! I always feel sad putting in so much effort into progressing in the game and trying to make everything look pretty just to have it all wiped and everything needing to be done all over again :(((
In Sunhaven you can adjust the length of the days, I have my days super long, I also have a little bit of a schedule so I am not constantly running between all three farms
Nothing is like Stardew valley, I burned out on coral Island too. a lot of them are early access unfinished games & some become unsupported forever. The original price point for others is a closed door. I wait for steam sales.
I Stopped playing Everafter falls after a while. I came to that point... doing the same stuff every day. And Cozy caravan. That one really disappointed me.
1. **Introduction and Overview (00:00)**: The video discusses cozy games the creator stopped playing, with varied reasons including being overwhelmed, preferring other games, or losing interest over time. They plan to go through several games and explain why they moved on from each.
2. **Sun Haven (00:33 - 02:33)**: Initially loved for its fantasy elements and content, the creator stopped playing due to feeling overwhelmed with too much to do after unlocking more areas. They preferred the simplicity of *Roots of Pacha*.
3. **Sunnyside (03:05 - 05:10)**: This farming sim flopped for the creator due to bugs and a lack of polish. Despite some fun elements, the unpolished aspects and the developers' acknowledgment of issues discouraged further play.
4. **Immortal Life (06:49 - 08:45)**: A cute Chinese farming sim that the creator found enjoyable but confusing and somewhat boring after repeated attempts. They struggled with consistency and are unsure if they will return to the game.
5. **Coral Island (**10:24** - **12:32**)**: The creator enjoyed *Coral Island* for over 100 hours but got burned out due to repeated restarts in Early Access. They are unsure if they will return to the game, despite once loving it.
I was really looking forward to Sunnyside, but my pc couldn’t even load the demo. I checked out the reviews and beyond disappointed to find out how unfinished it felt. I was also really disappointed in how they handled romance because they made it sound like a character would like your character based on complex things than just liking any character, only to find out it was just sexualities. Like I assumed it would be the case, but I thought it would include more factors like how you act, your play style, or your character’s appearance.
Currently the only farming sims I’m interested in are fields of mistria, and the new rune factory spin off game
I really enjoyed Bandle Tale, but the ending felt really sudden. I got to the end of the game but still had a large chunk of the tech trees locked. So I expected there to be something after the main plot line, or just once you're finished it would let you finish up the trees and you'd get a little something. But nope, that wasn't the case. Once you complete the last party, watch the credits etc, the game saves you to the point just before the final party. No way to finish up the tech trees unless you do it all before doing the final party. Which was really odd because I had no use for the locked items, not even quests. It felt really weird considering how important it was throughout the game to progress the trees to get through the story.
It's interessting, when I decide restart a farming Sim, I can't wait to optimize Things or to do better because of my knowledge after the first try.
I hope solve the issue of restarting a farming Sim. 😊
i find coral island so fun for a stretch and then it’s super grindy and i’m just not feeling like doing all the work to get to the next fun section :/ i’m through about a year in game
Sun Haven and Coral Island interest me sooo much, but they also both intimidate me. So I haven't gotten either yet. I think I will eventually, but I want to get them when I know I'll have time to keep playing them a little each day so I don't forget what's going on.
I need to get back to Wylde Flowers. I finished the first year, but stopped at the beginning of the second year because it wasn't as interesting. But they did a new update that added more content so it's time to get back to it and see if I can complete the second year.
I’m just getting starting to play Coral Island. I love Harvest Moon but I think I enjoy most playing Coral Island
I've started playing Sun Haven and Coral Island but I can't get into them and I have no idea why but maybe I'll try playing both of them again!!
There’s sooo many games I haven’t finished, I feel so bad cause some I actually love. But the thought of being confused on what I was doing really keeps me from starting them back up. And I’m with you on hating to restart. 😂
Oh for sure!!! 😭🩷
I completely agree with you on Sun Haven! I wanted to love it so much, but I feel so overwhelmed trying to learn new games recently. I don't even know if the problem is the game or me 😂 I'll definitely try to come back to it later though!
Aaa for sure!!! It's definitely one I am constantly keeping on my radar and hoping to go back to!
Sun Haven is fantastic ❤ it's a shame people just need quick stories or they quit. I see this very often lately, is either quick or be gone.
I loved Sun Haven back when I played it in early access, but I haven’t been able to get back into it. It’s partially because I don’t want to start over and partially because I don’t like the changes that have been made since then😭
Aaaa!!! Starting over can be so hard!!! I’m not sure what the changes have been but it’s definitely a BULKKKYYY game with lots and lots of stuff that’s been added!! 🩷🩷
@@mintendogaming I can’t exactly remember the differences outside of the additions, but it felt different somehow. Maybe I was wrong about something😂 I’ll probably try again with the Switch version if it runs well!
@@cozymandydee I totally understand!!! hahaha! Hope we get a switch port sometime soon ☺️
I liked Sun Haven a lot and have played it since early access, but the developers have really been taking a nosedive lately, both with the insane amounts of too expensive dlc but also them begging the player base to translate their game for free, without crediting anyone
I've clocked in 100+ hours on sun haven and I spent 100% of those hours on multiplayer. Idk how you would play the game single player. It's a lot. Even in multiplayer, my friend and I only managed one farm at a time.
Game are meant to be fun. Never be upset about something not bringing you fun anymore and moving on. Some games you need to be in the right headspace to enjoy.
I actually backed Coral Island as a Switch user and idk if you've seen THAT part of the community but uh. If they had not allowed us to change our backing from Switch to Steam, I'd have given up on trying to play it at all. It was incredibly disheartening to see that Switch is never mentioned in updates or promises or so much as breathed upon and that sort of thing left me feeling kinda crummy towards the game going in- not because of any gameplay or graphics or whatever. Now that I can finally play it, though, I've been having fun! But I think if I had to restart my save file any time soon, I'd probably just not try again. :/
Same experience with Sun Haven, too much. Their museum collections are ridiculous.
It's difficult to finish games as more and more amazing games are released.
That’s so true haha 🫣☺️🩷
As soon as they opened the little demo for SunnySide, I immediately dropped the game. After following it since their start, it just felt so underwhelming and I'm so glad I never ended up buying it. Immortal Life was fun for a while, but it felt like there was no point in it? And Coral Island is a work in progress, so I go on and off it every few months, currently on a break after 50h into a new farm save.
I recomend Little big adventure remake Twinsens quest that has a digital release november 14. There is a demo out now on steam!🔥 really good and cozy adventure game.
I stopped playing Sun haven, While the Iron is Hot and Coral island for the same reasons! I have been wanting to try Sun Haven again though🤔. I agree about getting stuck in While the Iron is hot, I kind of forgot I had this game, definitely willing to pick it up again! I am hoping I want to play coral Island again but yeah... idk about that lol
Sun Haven seems to be the one to give another go for sure!!
I stopped playing House Flipper becuse it gave me migraines. Don't see myself retuning to that anytime soon, if at all.
Also Little Witch in the Woods because I got stuck because I accidentally sold something I needed later and couldn't craft yet. That was one of the things I think you got for that quest, the item you need to repair the appliance needed to make the thing and also access to the ingredients. It was just unclear the shipping bin was a shipping bin, at least to me at the time.
Anyway I'll pick that one one back up once it fully releases. I generally like th play the story just once (with the Exception of GRIS). This is probably because I have a bunch of unfinished games and might change when my library has fewer unfinished games in it. GRIS was the first game I got on Steam. I loved it so much I got a copy for the Switch so I could play it on the go since I didn't have a Steam Deck yet. Wouldn't do something like that now. Both because I do have a Steam Deck and because I want to play more of the games I have.
I'd like to get to point where I have 10-15 incompletely played games in my library (except the one I actively chose to quit and didn't just fall by the wayside, of course) so I can just sit down with any game and sink in the hours without thinking about all the other games in my library I still wanna play or finish regardless of if it's a first playthrough or a repeat one.
For the House Flipper one it might be because of the first person. I don’t like first person games but I have heard of people who are playing those kinds of games get motion sickness.
@RedK5 yeah. I've heard that, too. I'm not sure migraines fit with the motion sickness idea, though.
I'm also more into 2D and 3rd person because of how it feels, even if it doesn't make me get migraines and such
@@ammalyrical5646 copy and paste info:
In 2021, researchers found a link between migraine and motion sickness.
Studies using virtual roller coasters show a connection between migraine and motion sickness; both involve reflexes that relay in the brainstem.
A study also showed that migraine sufferers have a heightened vulnerability to motion sickness.
I stopped coral island too and haven’t restarted since the big update-it jsut seems so daunting to get back into
Aaahhh I feel that! 🫣😭
I can't imagine there are many achievement hunters in the cozy game community, but that's why i stopped playing coral island..
this one specific achievement requires you to sell at least 1 of each fish/insect/fossil.. but there is no easy way to check what you have or haven't shipped.. 😭
woah! that’s a tough achievement for sure! esp if you cant check easily to see what you need 🫣
I’m an achievement hunter and that’s probably why I’ve been putting off playing Sun Haven… 180 achievements…
@@catsplat1272 oof thats so rough... are they unreasonable though?
With a game as big as sun haven if it required you to do multiple playthroughs to get them all I would probably pass on that too...
to get this coral island achievement i would probably have a checklist and start all over on a new save.. i don't have the patience for that lol 😥
Have you played Fae Farm yet? I’ve only recently picked up (only an hour of playtime) but I’ve found it quite fun! :]
I have! I completed the main story! I enjoyed it!
I love coral island but I played it too much and now my palm has sore muscels
I did not buy Sunnyside because I do not care for the traveling. It isn't gameplay when all the time is spent traveling.
I have not done the newest stuff on coral island yet because i do not want to have to worry about loosing my saves again. The whole transferring coins was not clear enough when they deleted the first save and I lost millions. It was not fun having to go back and try to grind all the coins back.
Hi Amy! 🩷 Totally agree- the traveling in Sunnyside is super frustrating 🥲!!!!
Ugh. So sorry you had a rough experience losing ur coral island progress too. It really took me out of the game too 😭
I have tried to play Coral Island so many times now and each time I feel completely bored and REALLY put off that the opening is literally a one for one rip off of Stardew’s opening scene from the mayor to the carpenter to the teasing. It felt really scummy and afterwards even after 4 hours nothing hooked me. I love farming sims but I just don’t get the hype for that one.
Every single game you named I bought and stopped playing most for the same reason. Omg twin ❤😂
OH twinnies!!!! 🥰🩷🤣
I've been on a bit of a Chinese cultivation genre kick lately so I might check out Immortal Life.
I dropped Bandle Tale because I couldnt stand the grind after a few hours in. I had loved it, but then you start getting less exp while the game requires more and more skills to continue the game without offering any good side content to make the grinding not feel like....mindless grinding.
I can relate with replaying a game. It can be so taxing
I was really excited about sunny side but it feels early access to me. Like it could’ve done with more time in development because it’s kinda ugly to me respectfully
Weirdly, I didn’t like Sun Haven and I spent the refund on Roots of Pacha - which I love!
I love Roots of Pacha!!!!! one of my faves
Coral island is an immediate turned off me when i look at the graphics, everything looks like it made out of plastics