O-fish-ally one of the coziest games out
By Paul Hunter
A four-person indie studio from Duisburg, Germany, just put out one of the most original cozy games to hit PC and consoles in years. Collector's Cove from developer VoodooDuck is a $19.99 budget-priced high seas farming sim, out now on PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC, and I loved every minute of it.
The setup is unlike anything else in cozy gaming genre. Your farm sits on the back of a massive friendly sea dinosaur called the Fablefin, and together you sail across four distinct ocean regions, growing crops and catching fish to fill your Collector's Compendium. Do that well enough and you earn the title of Named Collector, the top rank among collectors.
This one is a must-play for fans of the genre. Interested to know more? Let's dive in and see what this game is all about!
Your three uncles, which mysteriously look like the same uncle wearing different outfits, are the main supporting cast throughout the entire game. Each one runs their own shop from a merchant boat that docks with yours when you call them in. I enjoyed every interaction with this trio, as their personalities bring a light humour and steady warmth to the experience.
Additionally, as you make new discoveries and rank up, letters arrive from your parents and your uncles. Each one tracks your progress, and drops tips to help you reach hour next goal. I love a good nareative, so I looked forward to these letters more than I expected to.
Your parents being out in the world, cheering you on through letters, gives the whole adventure a personal dimension I really connected with. Taken as a whole, the narrative keeps your goals clear and ties every discovery milestone back to your family and your progress as a collector.
Fabled crops and Fabled fish are rare versions of regular crops and fish, and unlocking them drives the entire progression. Harvest or catch the same species repeatedly and you'll eventually unlock its fertiliser or bait recipe, and using that recipe on your next grow or catch and meeting specific conditions may produce the rare Fabled version. Those conditions range from simple to genuinely strange, and I loved tracking each one down.
Beyond that, feeding Fabled items to the Fablefin advances your Fabled Bond level, a progression meter that unlocks new sailing regions and companion abilities.
Your three uncles play a big part in progression, with the first two selling you seeds, boat upgrades, and crafting recipes, along with resource trading for specific materials you need. The third uncle, the secret seller, stocks Fabled conditions and accessories but has to be tracked down on a specific island in each region before he shows up on your boat.
Don't forget to tend to your dinosaur pal, too. I pushed through a long stretch between regions without feeding my Fablefin and it stopped mid-journey to sleep. The Fablefin runs on a stamina system where its energy depletes on extended trips and needs to be restored with fish or crops to keep sailing. I made sure to keep it well fed after that.
Turning our attention to audio, the soundtrack changes with each region, giving every new area its own distinct musical backdrop that reinforces its theme and atmosphere. I enjoyed how the music shifts naturally as you sail into new waters. Harvesting crops and catching fish both come with satisfying audio effects that make those everyday actions rewarding to complete.
The free camera gives you full rotation at any time, which was useful for scoping out islands and enjoying the view from the deck. Islands can hide resources behind obstacles so the free rotation is rewarding when you find rare minerals or flowers tucked away within islands. Performance on PS5 had a few brief slowdowns across my playthrough, mostly when approaching new islands, though they were minor and easy to move past.
All in all, the presentation in Collector's Cove is warm, well put together, and gives each of its four regions a look and sound worth experiencing.
Final Score: 8/10 - Great
Developer: VooDooDuck
Publisher: VooDooDuck
Genre: Adventure, Farming, Cozy Game, Creature Collector
Modes: Single-player
A key was provided by the publisher.
By Paul Hunter
A four-person indie studio from Duisburg, Germany, just put out one of the most original cozy games to hit PC and consoles in years. Collector's Cove from developer VoodooDuck is a $19.99 budget-priced high seas farming sim, out now on PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC, and I loved every minute of it.
The setup is unlike anything else in cozy gaming genre. Your farm sits on the back of a massive friendly sea dinosaur called the Fablefin, and together you sail across four distinct ocean regions, growing crops and catching fish to fill your Collector's Compendium. Do that well enough and you earn the title of Named Collector, the top rank among collectors.
This one is a must-play for fans of the genre. Interested to know more? Let's dive in and see what this game is all about!
Story and Narrative
In Collector's Cove, the first thing you'll do is create and customize your character. This includes body type, hair colour, eyes, clothing, and more. From there, the adventure kicks off fast. Your parents are veteran Named Collectors out in the world on their own adventure, so they left you with your three uncles to get started on your own legacy. Your job is to earn the Named Collector title, the highest ranking among collectors, and make your way to Collector's Cove itself.Your three uncles, which mysteriously look like the same uncle wearing different outfits, are the main supporting cast throughout the entire game. Each one runs their own shop from a merchant boat that docks with yours when you call them in. I enjoyed every interaction with this trio, as their personalities bring a light humour and steady warmth to the experience.
Additionally, as you make new discoveries and rank up, letters arrive from your parents and your uncles. Each one tracks your progress, and drops tips to help you reach hour next goal. I love a good nareative, so I looked forward to these letters more than I expected to.
Your parents being out in the world, cheering you on through letters, gives the whole adventure a personal dimension I really connected with. Taken as a whole, the narrative keeps your goals clear and ties every discovery milestone back to your family and your progress as a collector.
Gameplay and Mechanics
Collector's Cove divides your time into two main activities, which depend on whether you're sailing or docked at an island. While sailing, you'll spend your time tending to crops, fishing off the boat side, building structures for your boat, and using the plunger gun to reel in floating resource crates drifting past the hull. Once anchored at an island, you're free to chop wood, mine rocks, dig for crops, and work through the environmental puzzles on treasure islands to unlock chests full of seeds and accessories.Fabled crops and Fabled fish are rare versions of regular crops and fish, and unlocking them drives the entire progression. Harvest or catch the same species repeatedly and you'll eventually unlock its fertiliser or bait recipe, and using that recipe on your next grow or catch and meeting specific conditions may produce the rare Fabled version. Those conditions range from simple to genuinely strange, and I loved tracking each one down.
Beyond that, feeding Fabled items to the Fablefin advances your Fabled Bond level, a progression meter that unlocks new sailing regions and companion abilities.
Your three uncles play a big part in progression, with the first two selling you seeds, boat upgrades, and crafting recipes, along with resource trading for specific materials you need. The third uncle, the secret seller, stocks Fabled conditions and accessories but has to be tracked down on a specific island in each region before he shows up on your boat.
Don't forget to tend to your dinosaur pal, too. I pushed through a long stretch between regions without feeding my Fablefin and it stopped mid-journey to sleep. The Fablefin runs on a stamina system where its energy depletes on extended trips and needs to be restored with fish or crops to keep sailing. I made sure to keep it well fed after that.
Presentation and Audio
Collector's Cove has an inviting cartoon art style that uses rounded character and environment designs across all four regions, paired with a bright tropical colour palette I genuinely enjoyed looking at. Each of the four sailing regions has its own distinct atmosphere and environmental details, and I found myself looking forward to seeing what each new area brought visually. The Fablefin looks great in motion too, and the accessories you unlock for it are fun cosmetic touches that give your dino buddy personality.Turning our attention to audio, the soundtrack changes with each region, giving every new area its own distinct musical backdrop that reinforces its theme and atmosphere. I enjoyed how the music shifts naturally as you sail into new waters. Harvesting crops and catching fish both come with satisfying audio effects that make those everyday actions rewarding to complete.
The free camera gives you full rotation at any time, which was useful for scoping out islands and enjoying the view from the deck. Islands can hide resources behind obstacles so the free rotation is rewarding when you find rare minerals or flowers tucked away within islands. Performance on PS5 had a few brief slowdowns across my playthrough, mostly when approaching new islands, though they were minor and easy to move past.
All in all, the presentation in Collector's Cove is warm, well put together, and gives each of its four regions a look and sound worth experiencing.
The Verdict
Collector’s Cove is a standout cozy adventure from a small indie team that delivers well above its size. The progression is satisfying, the world is warm and colourful, the story is cute and charming, and I found something new worth chasing in every session. At $19.99, and offering 25-30 hours of content, the value is excellent. Minor PS5 performance hiccups aside, this is one of the most enjoyable cozy games I’ve played in years, and I recommend it to any fan of the genre.Final Score: 8/10 - Great
Collector's Cove details
Platform: PS5, PC, Nintendo SwitchDeveloper: VooDooDuck
Publisher: VooDooDuck
Genre: Adventure, Farming, Cozy Game, Creature Collector
Modes: Single-player
A key was provided by the publisher.