Ooblets

Despite being in early access, Ooblets has a well-established identity. It's a charming-looking game with characters and items with names that are all cheeky puns, and its relaxing gameplay loops leave you feeling good because you're bettering the living conditions of both yourself and the townsfolk. It's a very positive game, and I'll no doubt lose a lot more time to it once it leaves early access. In its current form, it's got some annoying bugs, and since it's not finished, there's not much reason to stick around once you've accomplished the initial set of tasks that the mayor sets out for you. But what's there is already a pretty substantial game. The card-based dance battles are adorable, it's fun to build new decks and try out different strategies, and there's such a deep satisfaction in transforming your modest beginnings into a beautiful farm. I want there to be more, but what's already here is pretty good. [Early Access score = 70]