Has the pre-GTA 6 autumn exhaustion hit you yet? There's already been a lot of games this month, but this train stops for no one, especially with Rockstar's behemoth looming over it all. Today is no different, as after a long wait and several delays, Nivalis Nights is finally out, bringing you back to the cyberpunk world of Cloudpunk once again, only with a restaurant managing slant to it all.
The game formerly known as just Nivalis was first revealed back in 2021, originally set for release in 2023, but was delayed enough to make it all the way to 2026. Developer ION LANDS describe the game as a cyberpunk slice-of-life sim, one where you start out by running a ramen shop that you can sort of design yourself. By that I mean your seating plan, decorations, and most importantly, your menu. It's important to offer a good variety of dishes, too, you can't just slap a crummy bowl of noodles on there and call it a day.
It isn't a fully open world game, but the city is yours free to explore, and within that there's a whole city's worth of people to meet. Yes, you can romance them, you little horndog you. There's various sort-of quests to embark on while meeting the game's cohort of NPCs too, and despite being very simmy there is a core narrative to follow. You even get your own boat you can go fishing on, and if you really want your restaurant to do well, you can grow your own produce.
Over time you'll be able to work your way up to managing other restaurants or night clubs, so if the soup life isn't for you, there are dryer pastures out there. Sort of, anyway, it's a cyberpunk game, expect plenty of rain. It all looks very neat, and the voxel aesthetic lends itself well to build a strong sense of dense, built-up place. If any of this takes your fancy, then you can pick it up on Steam right now.
Source: Rock Paper Shotgun