RATING: 4.5/5 Stars
Played on: AMD 5 5600X and RTX 3060 Ti 8GB
I’m on that side of TikTok where video game recommendations appear on my “For You” page. Out of all the titles that popped onto my screen, there was one game that caught my attention – Gourdlets. It’s an indie island builder cozy title, developed by AuntyGames, who according to their TikTok, left their job to work on this game full-time. Full disclosure, I have been following Gourdlet’s development since 2023 and let’s see if it was worth the hype and the wait since I first saw it on my feed.
This entire game attempts to tick every single box in the “cozy game” checklist. From the pastel and soft pixel art design to cute music, and even the characters themselves, it’s all there. When you start the game, players get to name their island and choose between three maps. From there, you will be introduced to the creatures of the games called “Gourdlets.” They somewhat resemble the Pikmin creatures in the Pikmin franchise as they grow flowers above their heads. Each of these little critters has a name and you can easily find them using the ledger. You can even dress them up to your liking.
This game doesn’t really have a goal. You build the cosy island of your dreams without worrying about how much everything costs. Also, there is no wait time, so all the buildings and items will arrive as you drop them onto the map. It’s important to note that there is a limited amount of space you can play with, which is enough based on the available number of items. While there is no end goal, there are some achievements players can unlock on Steam, as well as special items that players can unlock as their island and Gourdlets continue to grow and develop.
The same can be said when it comes to decorating the interior of houses and buildings. You are given a selection of items to choose from and fill in these new homes and buildings based on your ideas. However, certain internal building structures make absolutely zero sense. For example, you’d think decorating a tent would be more thin with slanted walls or small tent-like space. Nope! It’s the same interior as the small houses in the game. And don’t get me started on the sewers. I thought they’re just a floor decoration piece but they’re thin homes for Gourdlets to live in. Teenage mutant ninja Gourdlets anyone?
While Gourdlets allow you to build your island to your heart’s content, it does have some drawbacks. For example, if you were to say, put many of the same decorations in one area, you have to do it individually, not by group. This makes building forest areas a bit tedious due to the number of single-item placements. Also, there are not that many items to choose from, which is fine. But some furniture pieces, like the couches, look very similar to each other. Also, some items in question don’t seem to work well with certain room ideas. Wish there were items like kitchen countertops, rather than using basic tables.
If there is one feature Gourdlets should be praised for, it’s the idle window mode. As someone who does freelancing work at night, it does get lonely in the home office. So I enabled idle mode to see if would be a distraction and it wasn’t. The game’s window can take up a certain percentage based on your settings and the the music is soft enough that it isn’t a hindrance. I have mine set at 20 percent and I’m able to watch trailers and promo videos without having to mute my game. It’s a nice feature and something worth turning on the next time I begin my freelancing.
So with all that in mind, did the TikTok algorithm overlords recommend a great game? Yes, it did. Gourdlets is a game developed by a solo developer with big dreams. Yes, it does have the potential to do something more like add more content or items. But this is one person working on this title and it works. It’s a place worth visiting, the creatures are cute, and it’s a game with zero consequences. There are not that many games in the cozy space where you can build whatever you want without worrying about the cost or well-being of your visitors or residents. So it’s great to see an indie title that fits the very definition of cozy.
Gourdlets is a game worth trying out. If TikTok can’t convince you to give it a shot, perhaps this review would do the job. If you want to give this game a try, it’s now available on Steam.
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