Cosy games are simple to play and on the rise
A new game that was inspired by two capybaras that escaped from a Toronto zoo is also on the loose.
This week,Capy Castaway officially launched. The new video game was developed by Kitten Cup Studio, a small independent video game company in Toronto.
It features two characters that gamers can play as: Capy, a cute capybara, and Corvi, a talkative crow.
Saffron Aurora, creative director of Kitten Cup Studio, said that Capy is the child of the two escaped capybaras. (Image credit: Kitten Cup Studio)
“Capy Castaway is a cosy narrative adventure game that you can play and that you can play with a friend or a family member,” said Saffron Aurora, the creative director of Kitten Cup Studio.
The epic escape that inspired the game
Aurora said the game was inspired by two capybaras —named Bonnie and Clyde — that made international news when they escaped from Toronto’s High Park Zoo in 2016.
The capybaras were on the run and eluded zoo and city officials for weeks.
The two escapees had to be trapped before they were <a href="https://comicvibe.com/star-wars-disney-series-ahsoka-season-2-finally-has-a-release-date/” title=”Star Wars Disney+ Series Ahsoka Season 2 Finally Has a Release Date”>finally returned to the High Park Zoo.
In 2016, a CBC cameraperson captured one of the two escaped capybaras on camera. It was spotted swimming in a pond in the High Park area in Toronto. (Image credit Mike Heenan/CBC)
Aurora said the High Park Zoo itself and the animals there inspired many of the characters in the game.
“There’s tons of Toronto references throughout it and I hope people enjoy sort of all the little secrets and things that we’ve added to it,” said Aurora.
Cosy games on the rise
Her game, which was released on Steam, which is a digital distribution platform, on Aug. 6, is part of a growing trend of games known as “cosy games.”
Aurora describes cosy games as ones that are comfort games with low stakes.
Aurora said there’s a lot of appeal to cosy games for those who want a chill gaming experience.
“You’re just playing it because it’s easy for you and it’s something that you feel that you can relax to, you know, you don’t have to worry about things.”
Landon Nguyen, the CEO of Vancouver-based company Night Garden studio, said there’s been a rise in cosy games in recent years.
He said the pandemic forced people inside and many people found out that they liked playing cosy games thanks in large part to the genre’s simple mechanics.
“Not everyone has to be first place, not everything has to be hyper competitive,” said Nguyen, who has been in the gaming industry for more than 20 years.
As a longtime developer, Nguyen believes there are many opportunities for Canadian developers to grow the gaming industry in the country and do something like Capy Castaway.
“I think there’s a need for Canadian content,” said Nguyen.
“It’s a really cool thing to be Canadian. And it also gives everyone a really nice sense of pride that these really successful digital products are being made in Canada.”
Have more questions? Want to tell us how we’re doing? Use the “send us feedback” link below.⬇️⬇️⬇️
Send us feedbackReport a typo or inaccuracy
