Is Ooblets getting an alpha? Why we could go hands-on with its adorable monsters sooner than we thought

Indie game Ooblets has been top of my gaming wishlist since it was first shown in 2017, and now the official Twitter account is asking fans if they'd be interested in becoming alpha testers. Um, hello, do cute mushroom monsters look even cuter in fancy hats? 

In case you've somehow missed out on the hype, Ooblets is a game about collecting adorable creatures and farming - the developers call it "Harvest Moon meets Pokemon meets Animal Crossing" - and it's as wholesome as Keanu Reeves running a puppy school. It's currently in the works for PC and Xbox One, but we don't have an official release date yet. Not that we're mad about it: the game is the work of a tiny two-person indie team called Glumberland.  

Having played it for a bit, I can attest that it's just as cute and fun as it looks, and even early demos hinted at a world that we're going to get obsessed with very quickly. Ooblets include Dumbirb, Pantsabear, and Shrumbo, the fungi that's become the official mascot of the game. You can dress them up, feed them, house them in Oobcoops, and join Ooblet clubs, which work like Hogwart's houses. I think I'm probably going to be a Frunbun.

The game won't be at E3, but with a possible alpha test on the way, we could be hearing more news soon. Until then, I'll just have to keep wedging hats onto mushrooms I find at the grocery store. 

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