This Kickstarter indie is a cozy life sim set aboard an airship and inspired by Studio Ghibli films
It's like Howl's Moving Castle meets Castle in the Sky
A new indie just launched on Kickstarter has all the vibes of a Studio Ghibli film and the mechanics of all your favorite cozy games.
Sally, a cosy life sim, has just launched on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter and it's already racking up pledges due to how magical it looks. If you couldn't tell from the game's enchanting visuals, one of its main draws is that it seems like it would fit right into the Studio Ghibli film universe. To me, it feels like Sally's developer has taken inspiration from Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, and Castle in the Sky.
It isn't just the game's visuals that make it feel magical, though, the slice-of-life, cozy elements of this game also make it seem like the perfect game to relax with. In Sally, players will create their character and embark on Sally - the airship - which is crewed by a group of kids and two sweet grandmas. Whilst aboard the ship, players will craft, cook, farm, build, and explore as well as help their crewmates repair the boat and find themselves in the process.
It’s finally time to hop aboard the Sally!🐸 The Kickstarter campaign is now LIVE and you can go check it out here:https://t.co/lY5VepDWbl pic.twitter.com/pL7N2I9dc0October 18, 2022
As you can see from the trailer, it looks as though all the best parts of a life sim game are included in Sally. Players will interact with their crewmates and form relationships with them - which will later go on to determine the character's moods. They'll also get the chance to gather resources to cook comforting meals, take care of animals (including cats, deer, ducks, and even hedgehogs!), and visit far-off floating islands - we did say it felt like Castle in the Sky.
The Kickstarter campaign for Sally has only just launched but it's already - at the time of writing this - managed to gain 182 backers who have pledged £7,515 out of the project's £44,945 goal. There are still 29 days before the campaign ends so if this sounds like your kind of game, follow its developer Lucid Tales on Twitter to stay up to date.
In exchange for supporting the game on Kickstarter, Lucid Tales is offering a number of rewards including things as small as a discount on the game when it releases or as big as becoming a creator in the game and designing one of the floating islands. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait a while for Sally to officially release. Right now, early access is planned for 2024 with the full game's release scheduled for 2025.
Want to know what other hidden gems you should keep an eye out for? Take a look at our new indie games list.
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
After studying Film Studies and Creative Writing at university, I was lucky enough to land a job as an intern at Player Two PR where I helped to release a number of indie titles. I then got even luckier when I became a Trainee News Writer at GamesRadar+ before being promoted to a fully-fledged News Writer after a year and a half of training. My expertise lies in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, cozy indies, and The Last of Us, but especially in the Kingdom Hearts series. I'm also known to write about the odd Korean drama for the Entertainment team every now and then.
One of the most enchanting games like Stardew Valley I played in 2024 just got a big new update, placing the medieval life sim RPG back on my radar
The Sims creator's first game in over 10 years is an AI life sim that uses your real memories: "The more I can make a game about you, the more you'll like it"