Man, you ever start something thinking it’ll be lame, and then—bam—it’s oddly fascinating? That’s me with these job-like sims. Power Wash Simulator, yeah, I gave it a whirl. It’s like, okay, let’s clean stuff digitally when real-life chores aren’t annoying enough? But boom, there I was, investing time like it was gold.
Then, outta nowhere, Nintendo drops a campfire-building sim during their partner showcase. And my brain’s like, “Great, another simulator.” Wait, scratch that—it’s a new Oink game? Yikes, okay, I’m in.
Oink Games, those folks know how to get social. Ever played Scout or A Fake Artist Goes to New York? They’re from Japan, blending clean art with social vibes thanks to Jun Sasaki. Their stuff’s been major fun for me—Let’s Play: Oink Games is a blast on Switch and mobile. Matching that easy-peasy social play? Yeah, Chillin’ by the Fire nails it.
Picture this: You start a level with a lonely igniter and scattered logs, and it’s all about fire. Grab logs, chop ’em down, stack ’em—voila, your fire pit’s alive. The point? Keep that blaze roaring. Big logs for big flames, little bits for quick spreads—you get it. Control freak heaven, with meters bouncing like cats on hot bricks. Easy to start, tough to master.
Now throw friends in the mix. Online, local, gamechat, video—it’s a laid-back team effort. Think DS Download Play, but no one hoarding the game. There I was, measuring logs while my buddy chopped. The convo prompts? Such fun. Like, “What advice for yourself from a decade back?” Yeah, deep stuff while you get smokey.
Unlock achievements, snag funky stuff like axes, fireworks, or even glow sticks. But hmm, it’s not all roses. Wish we had motion controls for precise wood stackin’. Try jammin’ a log between others, and—poof—straight to the top. Chairs and tents? Decorative, nothing more. Still, it’s zen. Great for background noise when chilling with pals.
This fire sim goes all out but keeps social at the core. Oink’s stepping out but sticking to what they know. I mean, recommending fire-building in 2025? Didn’t see that coming. Curious how speedrunners will make this game their playground.
