Lately, when I’m not working I usually want to play either a heavy action-based game or a cozy game. There’s not much of an in-between for me. Games like Islanders or Dorfromantik really help me unwind, or enjoy a little mental enrichment during breaks. Now I think I have a new relaxing game to play when those other games don’t cut it.

Gourdlets is a sandbox game with no stakes, no currency, and just plain chill vibes. You build and furnish an island (or set of islands) for little gourd creatures. They’re a little dumb, so they don’t understand more complex concepts like capitalism. However, this allows you to have pure creative freedom while you’re building and decorating. As you create and place things, you unlock new pieces to build with.

Also, you can decorate the inside of buildings to create things like cafes, lighthouses, farms, libraries, homes, and more. It is a nice bit of relaxing space to just let your mind run free. The Gourdlets don’t need to be fed, and they don’t need to be tended, in fact, you can even put Gourdlets in an “idle window” across the bottom of your screen and just watch them putter about while you’re working, checking in to decorate or do little things now and then.

For a game that is meant to be a sandbox, it has a variety of accessibility features. There are full controller and keyboard mapping options, though truth be told I’m not entirely certain that most people would need anything more than a mouse. There are UI scaling options, full sound sliders for basically everything, and plenty more.

If you are a Twitch streamer and you want to do something chill with your audience, you can even utilize the Twitch integration. This lets you name your Gourdlets and engage with your community while you all destress with a low-impact game.

I can see this being a chill game for a lot of people. However, Gourdlets may not be something that catches your attention for a long time, so keep that in mind. At the $4.99 price point though, I can’t really complain. This is a game that will keep you relaxed and engaged for as long as those creative juices are flowing.

A PC Review copy of Gourdlets was provided by Future Friends Games for this Review.

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Gourdlets

$3.99

9

Score

9.0/10

Pros

• Relaxing, Calm Gameplay
• Twitch Integration to spread chill vibes
• Calming Music and Soft Visuals
• No fail states, just relaxing sandbox creativity

Cons

• Won't keep your attention long.