Whitethorn announce Slime Heroes, a Soulslike starring slimes, plus Botany Manor release date

In an upsetting confirmation that February is in fact winter (and that the year doesn't just start with summer like my brain thinks it should) publisher Whitethorn Games held a 2024 Winter Showcase, where they revealed the existance of a game that answers the question "what if the slimes in Slime Rancher were in mortal peril, and had swords?". The answer is apparently "be ruddy heroes in a cute Soulslike". I think this game, too, looks very cute, although Slime Heroes doesn't have a release window yet.

You know what does have a launch date now? Botany Manor, a lovely 3D puzzle game about growing plants, which I first learned about via the Steam Next Fest demo, and with which I immediately fell in love. I am heartened to know it is coming out really quite soon - April 9th. A mere two months from now!

I gave Botany Manor a shout out in our pick of Next Fest demos to play right now, because it was a nice puzzle game with an extra dash of imagination. Your task is to plant and grow strange, somewhat magical flowers - the first being a flower that spins like a pinwheel and clears the air in your steamy greenhouse, allowing you to get out. To find and create the right conditions, you must beetle about the environment finding clues and items that will help. I liked the surreal prettiness of the demo, which only contains two plants but does allow you into the manor, which has a huge tree growing inside it, and would cost £30 million in Greater London despite this dangerous structural damage.

Slime Heroes is more mysterious, but I will say that I like the vibes (in-keeping with my request for more colour in games). The slimes, as well as having conventional weapons, can do special magical attacks like breathing ice or fire. It also has co-op, meaning it's a friendlier kind of Soulslike, or possibly one aimed at families, i.e. one that I might stand a chance of completing. On the other hand, it sort of looks like the slime weapons are made of the slimes' own substance, so this could be a body horror game.

Elsewhere in the Showcase is the news that Magical Delicacy, a very sweet looking pixelart platformer, has a Steam demo, plus some of Whitethorn's other games, like postal adventure Lake, are coming to e.g. the Switch. That is no concern of ours, of course, although I will give a shout out to Wytchwood, which(wood) I love, and is coming to iOS and Android.

Point is, fun plant puzzle game imminent! April 9th, baby! (Also, my prediction that we'd see a lot of plant games in the years post-lockdown is holding true.)