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Disney Dreamlight Valley: Another feel-good game to get lost in.

Hey, fellow Disney and Pixar fans! Have you heard about the new game that lets you explore a world filled with the magic of your favorite characters? It’s called Disney Dreamlight Valley, and it’s now available in early access on PC, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Game Pass.

Disney Dreamlight Valley is a hybrid between a life-sim and an adventure game, where you can discover rich stories and build the perfect neighborhood alongside Disney and Pixar heroes and villains. You can also customize your avatar, decorate your home, collect items, craft recipes, and more.

The game takes place in Dreamlight Valley, a once-idyllic land where Disney and Pixar characters lived in harmony—until the Forgetting. The Forgetting is a mysterious force that erased the memories and personalities of the characters, leaving them in a state of confusion and despair^.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to help the characters remember who they are and restore the magic of Dreamlight Valley. You can do this by completing quests, exploring the valley, and collecting Dreamlights. Dreamlights are special orbs that contain fragments of the characters’ memories that you will be able to unlock as you progress with the gameplay.

The game features memorable characters from Mickey & Friends, Disney’s The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and Moana, Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story, WALL•E, and more. You can interact with them, befriend them, or even romance them. You can also take selfies with them and share them on real-world social network sites. With regular updates, the developers are constantly bringing out new quests and characters, ideal for gamers who are always hungry for that little bit more.

The game is still in early access, which means that it’s not complete and may change further. The developers are committed to hearing player feedback and working to make sure all players feel included and represented. They also have plans for regular content updates and special events based on real-world Disney and Pixar events.

I’ve been playing the game for a few months now, and I have to say that I’m loving it. The graphics are stunning, the music is catchy, the gameplay is fun and engaging, and the story is touching and immersive. I feel like I’m living in a Disney and Pixar movie.

Another fun feature that is seen in the likes of games such as Fortnite, is a battle pass style rewards system called The Star Path. You have the option to complete time-bound quests in order to unlock exclusive rewards, celebratory items and even more moonstones, the currency used to purchase rewards if you don’t have the time to earn them the good old fashioned rise and grind way.

If you’re a fan of Disney and Pixar like me, you should definitely check out Disney Dreamlight Valley. It’s available to purchase on PC or Nintendo Switch or play it with Xbox Game Pass. Alternatively, the game is planned for a free-to-play release later this year if you’d rather wait. Either way, you won’t regret it. Trust me.

It Takes Two: A multiplayer gem.

Dear Readers,

Have I got a gem for you.

Picture this. It’s a cold Sunday morning in November. Heavy rain is beating against the window and you want nothing more than to retreat under a thick duvet and spend the day there. What’s your go to comfort? Maybe it’s flipping open that book you’ve been ‘getting around to’. Or possibly a crossword puzzle and a warm cuppa. For my partner and I, it’s the trusty Nintendo Switch. But what do we play? Eager to try something new, we headed to the Nintendo Shop to have a look for a new multiplayer game that we hadn’t already exhausted.

Through the masses of Mario games and farming simulators, we came across what I now believe was a hidden gem. It takes two. And let me tell you, we were both blown away.

Without giving too much away, the main narrative within the game addresses the hardships of getting along and the impact they can have on those around you. I’m sure this is something that we can all relate to.

You and your friend will play as either Cody or May, parents to Rose, and spoiler alert – you’re not having the best of times. Thrown into a genre-bending world, you’re forced to work together through a variety of locations, game styles and areas. All whilst being miniature in size! Have you ever wondered what a child’s bedroom would look like if you were the size of a wooden doll? Or how you might navigate if you found yourself inside a vacuum cleaner? It Takes Two will quench those curiosities for you.

Like any blockbuster movie, the story begins with Rose overhearing her parents having an argument and wishes that they would become friends again. The next thing we know, mum and dad are waking up in the bodies of a clay figurine and a wooden doll. We’ve all been there, right?

Enter the ‘Book of Love’ – a talking counselling book purchased by Rose who will help guide you back to your daughter, but not first without making you collaborate in a somewhat annoying fashion.

Working together, you must complete puzzles, overcome obstacles and even use squirrel tech (yup, you heard that right) to make your way back to Rose and somehow transform back into human beings.

With an average playthrough time of 10-15 hours, this is a game that you don’t need to rush – nor is it overwhelming with hundreds of collectibles and areas to explore. If you find yourself finishing the game and wanting more, you can play through again as the character you didn’t choose the first time around! Each character has unique abilities throughout the game, so you really have to work together to navigate your way through the story.

If you have the game and your friend doesn’t they can download the friend’s pass at no cost and complete the playthrough with you! After all, sharing is caring! 🤍

ready, steady, bake it!

The ultimate competitive baking experience.

Are you a fan of the Great British Bake off? Do you enjoy a brew and a biscuit whilst you watch, or do you sit on the sofa, screaming at the TV – don’t open the oven! Maybe even think to yourself ‘Oh, I could do that!’. Well, I’ve got some good news for you.

If you live in or around Leeds, you probably already know about this little gem. Ready steady bake it is a quirky activity that is perfect for anyone. Couples, friends, co-workers. You name it.

From star bakers to soggy bottoms, it doesn’t matter how skilled you are. Ready steady bake it is a fantastic experience for bakers of all skills. Whether it was the odd loaf of banana bread during lockdown (yes, I see you!) or deliciously colourful macarons, it’s a fun, exciting experience that you definitely don’t want to miss out on.

How does it work? That’s the big question – and the answer is a simple one really. Think back to those Saturday afternoons you used to spend in the kitchen with your grandma as a child. ‘Helping’ to make a deliciously fluffy Victoria sponge filled with strawberry jam and cream. Now forget all of that. Ready, steady, bake it! is exactly what it says it is.

You and your friends or co-workers will go head to head against the clock to bake and decorate a cake in as 90 minutes. For you pros out there, this sounds like nothing. However, for those of us who aren’t quite on par with Mary Berry, things get pretty intense. Pretty fast.

The staff at Ready steady bake it! will give you the recipe for the month. I visited here in January 2022, and the recipe for this month was the anti-gravity cake. Already, at the sight of those words my inner inexperienced baker fell into a whirlpool of panic. But I pulled up my big girl pants and got on with it, for the team!

Working in pairs you’re required to create the cake on the recipe given to you within the allotted time, no pressure. You’re given your ingredients which are all pre-measured out (sigh of relief). With the recipe changing each month, that means the ingredients will too. In my experience, I had the chance to decorate my cake with sweets. Some of them obviously had to go through quality control, just to make sure they tasted good…

As time ticked away, the announcements of how much time we had remaining had us running around the kitchen like headless chickens – in a true GBBO fashion.

After a solid 90 minutes of whisking, beating eggs, staring through the oven window and a bit of amateur icing, the cakes were finished and ready to be judged. And OH, were they judged.

Swooped away from your station and taken to the front of the kitchen, your cake was then put in a line-up so everybody could look at the variety of cakes that were created. Some undeniably much better than others.

Overall, this was an extremely fun experience and I would recommend to anybody who is in the Leeds area to get down there and give it a go.

If that isn’t enough, you get to take your cake home with you. AND – you don’t have to wash the pots. It’s a no brainer for me!