This JRPG-inspired farming sim I've waited ages for just released, and it offers the coziest Pokemon x Stardew Valley vibes

Ova Magica early access trailer screenshot showing an anime-style scene with a young male farmer feeding a round blob-shaped brown wooly creature a carrot in front of a barn.

I've been waiting for a wholesome blend of Pokemon and Stardew Valley features for a long time, and it looks like I've got it now with the arrival of Ova Magica.

Ova Magica, a sweet little indie gem headed by Claudia Gorsky and her studio Skinny Frog, just released in early access on PC yesterday and it's already got a "Very Positive" rating on Steam - with good reason. The new game is as fun as it is vibrant, combining creature-collecting mechanics with good old-fashioned farming sim features that fans of all things cozy know and love. Catch bugs, craft items, hatch and raise adorable blobs, harvest crops, explore, romance - and battle.