Oh man, where do I start? So there I was, just minding my own business, dabbling in Power Wash Simulator — yeah, I’m that person. And these simulator games? Honestly, they’ve never really been my jam. They mess with my head, in a way that calls out, “Hey, you’re just playing a video game!” But then — surprise, surprise — this campfire-building-simulator gets announced at a Nintendo showcase. My first thought? Not “another boring sim,” but “Wait, what? Oink’s doing this?” Pretty wild, huh?
If you’ve never heard of Oink Games, they’re like this big deal in the board game world. Think Scout, A Fake Artist Goes to New York, Deep Sea Adventure. They’re all about social games and have this killer design thanks to Jun Sasaki, the genius behind it all. And, oh boy, Let’s Play: Oink Games on Switch and mobile? That’s been my go-to for online hangouts. And now this Chillin’ by the Fire thing? Oh man, it goes deeper than you’d think — kinda like digging through your mom’s attic and finding hidden treasures.
So you kick off a level, right? There you are, chilling with a campfire, a lone igniter, and a bunch of logs just scattered around. You grab some logs with these tongs — feels way cooler than it sounds, trust me — chop them up, and set up your fire pit. Light the starter and watch the flames do their thing. Keep it going, stack more logs for strength, and maybe slice them into little splinters for that detailed touch. Rotate, twist, fill the gaps — real mind-bender stuff. Watching that meter go up and down? It’s a rollercoaster, let me tell you.
The real magic? Bring in some friends. Yes, you hit up friends, even if they don’t own the game. Why doesn’t every game do this? Takes me back to those DS Download Play days! It’s like a social experiment: you’re both tending this digital fire, chatting away. We’re talking deep conversations prompted by the game itself, like “Advice to your younger self?” It’s chill and somehow deep. You also get achievements for keeping your fire roaring — points you can swap for goofy things like fireworks or glow sticks. Neat, right?
Is it all sunshine and marshmallows? Not quite. Wiggling firewood with more precision — yeah, motion controls could’ve helped there. Sometimes, you’ll place a log, right? But it snaps weirdly to the top! And those chairs, tents? Just for show. But it doesn’t need to be packed with action. It’s like a zen garden for the mind, a peaceful background vibe for, you know, hanging with buds or binge-watching a show on the side.
It’s a curious little spot this game lands in — extra, yet simple. Social fun wrapped in relaxing gameplay. Oink Games dared to try something new, but didn’t lose their touch. Recommending a fire-building game in the future? Didn’t see that coming. But now I’m here, wondering how speedrunners will tackle this bonfire-beauty.
