Game update: 20/07/16

We're bang in the middle of Summer now, so let's make the most of the fine weather and go on a camping trip!

Introduction to camping goals

That's right, July's goals week have finally arrived, and it all revolves around a camping theme. So let's get the pegs out and pitch the tent! Here's a list of all the new additions, with everything (including the goal set itself) available from level 12:

Tables:

• Camp Table - 14,000 coins

Chairs:

• Camp Stool - 10,000 coins

Wall decorations:

• Knife Collection - 9,000 coins

Floor decorations:

• Lightbug Lantern - locked by goal
• Camp Sign - locked by goal
• Camp Tent - locked by goal

Wallpapers:

• The Woods - 7,000 coins

Floor tiles:

• Sliced Wood Floor - 6,000 coins

Appliances:

• Campy Cooker - locked by goal
• Butcher Block - locked by goal

Counters:

• Camp Counter - 16,000 coins

That's a decent range of content as we've come to expect with a goal set. It's interesting that Storm8 have never got round to doing a camping theme previously. It's a pretty standard Summer vacation, especially for folks in the US, and there's no shortage of concepts that the game's developers could bring to life. Whether the theme is truly suited to a restaurant is perhaps less clear cut, but I'm certainly open to being wooed!

Time to take in Tuesday's teaser posted on the Storm8 Blog:

Items from update as shown on Storm8 Blog

My first thought when I glimpsed this was of the colour scheme. As I've already mentioned we're at the height of Summer, and yet this doesn't feel like a very hot selection. Woody browns and smokey blacks seem to be prevalent, which may be understandable for a camping theme, but when it gets released as the July quest I expect to see some sunshine!

The dreariness is best encapsulated by The Woods wallpaper. I actually think this is a beautiful wallpaper, with the twisting trees fading into a low haze as you move further into the background. This has been done so well that there's a real sense of perspective and depth which is something we've very rarely seen from a wallpaper.

But it is dark and edgy, and that's a far cry from the way I want to be decorating my diner at this time of year. However I'm willing to look past that - there's so many ways it could be used in other seasons, not least for Halloween. So despite it's failings within this update, The Woods get a solid thumbs up.

The Sliced Wood Floor summarises the woody side of things. Unless I'm having a real brain-freeze here, I can't recall ever walking on a path of sliced wood like this, but this is a nice tile all the same. The finish is a little less refined than we're often used to these days, but like the wallpaper, it's generic enough that it can be seamlessly dropped into lots of surroundings. I think it will look particularly good in woodland based environments - definitely an incentive to revisit the Chemist and Cat's dinosaur stop!

 Summer 2016

 13/07/16 Boardwalk
 06/07/16 Snow cones
 29/06/16 Lemons

The woodenness continues with the Camp Table, Camp Chair and Camp Counter. All three do a good job of showcasing Storm8's improving ability to render a wooden texture. However I can't give my backing to the knives acting as legs for both the table and chair - what's that all about?! You'd be better off calling them the Chopping Board Table and Chair...

The Camp Counter does at least stay clear of the knives, with a very simple wooden box design. Perhaps it's too simple, but it is extremely flexible. The problem is we've already got our fair share of counters of this style, and I feel it's a case of the gamemakers not having any cool and original ideas.

The knives that were missing from the counter can be found hanging on the wall, where the Knife Collection is located. A wooden board with a variety of types of knife attached, this is the kind of wall decor I adore. The likes of the Hanging Rake, Tea Cup Garland and Jams and Jellies are all mainstays of my kitchen section's wall, and I can say with some certainty that the Knife Collection will be joining the ranks. It's a perfect fit for a restaurant game, and means that at the preparation stage Action Chef Lee will no longer need to karate chop all the meat and veg!

The remaining five items introduced in this update are a mix of floor decorations and appliances - to gain access to them you will need to battle through the goals. I'll hold off on judging said stuff until after I shake off the padlocks, at which point I'll put together a goals content report for your reading pleasure. In the mean time head here for details of each step in the quest.

It's almost time to put out the campfire and get in over our sleeping bags, but before doing so we really should discuss the special deal available to all players from this evening.

Notification for Island Chest sale

The Island Chest is on sale at 50% off for a limited time, which means you can essentially get two lucky dips for the price of one.

This is the kind of Summer content I'm looking for! I seriously considered including the Island Chest in my box wishlist a couple of months back, and am very tempted to give this a couple of goes. I've managed to build up a good supply of gems again after going all out for the Chemist and Cat saga, and parting with a couple of dozen for the chance to gain the Indoor Island or Hula Girl is certainly on the cards.

So that brings the update analysis to a close. Generally I quite like this update, with a couple of items in particular really impressing. But the timing has me docking points. I feel that a Spring or Autumn release for this collection would have been a good fit, although I guess I can show some patience and just look forward to redecorating with this stuff once the air is cooler and the nights are a little shorter.

Now I'm off to spend the rest of the evening rubbing sticks together...