Game update: 08/02/17

Roses are red, violets are blue, there's a new update, and it's all just for you.

Introduction to Valentine's Day 2017 goals

Okay, I lied. This update is for everyone, and it sees Valentine's Day land in our diners in the grand manner with a goal set.

More on the quest can be found in my dedicated post here, but in the mean time let's delve into the contents of this update. There are 11 completely new additions in all, and you can feast your eyes on them in the following list:

Tables:

• Charming Table - 7,000 coins

Chairs:

• Charming Chair - 11,000 coins

Wall decorations:

• Charming Painting - 20,000 coins

Floor decorations:

• Lovely Swan Pond - locked by goal
• Lovebird Tree - locked by goal
• Charming Park Bench - locked by goal

Wallpapers:

• Charming Hearts - 7,000 coins

Floor tiles:

• Charming Tile - 5,000 coins

Appliances:

• Charming Grill - locked by goal
• Charming Oven - locked by goal

Counters:

• Charming Counter - 13,000 coins

Given that Valentine's Day is next Tuesday, I think we can safely assume that there won't be any further updates for this major seasonal theme. It's a shame that the gamemakers have only opted to give us one week of new stuff, although the same was the case in 2015 so there is certainly precedent for a reduced offering.

And of course we did get that colossal sale dropped on us last week, meaning that there has at least been plenty of seasonal decor available for consumption over the past seven days. In truth I'm not that fussed about the slimmed down Valentine's period, mostly because I'm not much of the romantic type. However many others do enjoy this theme and it has inspired some great items down the years as well as some outstanding restaurant designs, so it is a shame that it has been overlooked somewhat in 2017.

Anyway, let's have a look at the teaser for this update which was posted on the Storm8 Blog on Tuesday:

Items from update as shown on Storm8 Blog

All of the fresh content is displayed here, including the goal prizes. Analysis of them will be reserved for the goals content report which should be up sometime after I get round to finishing the goals.

As for the rest, I'm really taken by the elegance on show. The Charming Hearts wallpaper exemplifies this, with a swirling flowery white design on a pastel pink background. Most of the existing Valentine's wallpapers (including those in the sale) lack subtlety, with large hearts making them useless outside of Valentine's decorating. This one is so much more flexible and has a classy feel about it which really appeals.

The Charming Table and Charming Chair follow suit, with the table providing the same stylish pattern as the wallpaper before it. I also like how the doily tablecover is larger than the tablecloth at the bottom - it's a small touch but demonstrates that care has been taken in designing this piece. The chair has a regal look with it's curving legs, and although the heart-shaped back is a little predictable the padded cushions divert my attention back to the majesty of the overall appearance.

 Valentine's Day 2017

 01/02/17 Special Sale

In high contrast, the Charming Painting sends us down to the other end of the spectrum with an unconventional framed painting of a heart formed from red and blue paint splodges. It certainly doesn't fit with what we've already discussed, but it does have a certain attraction to it. This is a contemporary item and could well have its uses beyond a Valentine's theme.

Meanwhile you can certainly not say that about the Charming Tile. Featuring light pink hearts and a very pastel outlook, this flooring is not my cup of tea. I may be playing into some stereotypes here but this seems like a very girly tile which lacks any punch.

The Charming Counter rounds us off, and it is a rather elaborate one. We have a glass box with a mystery present inside, wrapped with that lovely doily design and tied together with a knotted rope. The use of a standard rope rather than a ribbon is a little strange, and regular readers will be well aware that I'm not a big fan of glass box counters. It just seems like an over the top design for something which is then going to have food plopped on it, thus obscuring much of the counter.

Update: Thanks to Stephen in the comments for solving the mystery of the tied rope - it's a love knot!

As well as the brand new decor we also have a sale on the Puppy Love Crate.

Notification for sale on Puppy Love Crate

For the next seven days this box is available at 50% off, meaning that you can open it for 12 gems. Given that beyond the voluminous sales we hadn't had a discounted crate since Black Friday, this is great news. I had begun to ponder whether the game's developers had made a decision not to offer these box deals anymore in regular updates, but am pleasantly pleased to have been proven wrong.

As for the box itself, the reason it wasn't included with the sale last week is that the Puppy Love Crate was never a Valentine's addition - instead it was released a fortnight after Valentine's last year. But this box certainly has romantic undertones which make it a sensible choice for a special sale.

Right, I'm off to get cracking on these new goals. It's a 15 day event which does mean less margin for error, although if the quest follows the structure of the last one of this duration it shouldn't be too much of a problem to obtain access to the three floor decorations, two appliances and six recipes which are initially hidden behind padlocks.

And as well as a goals content report being on the horizon, there's a Valentine's Day showcase should be heading your way this weekend. However at this early stage it appears that this showcase may not be chained purely to the Valentine's theme - after all love can be expressed in many ways!