Today (when this first goes live at least) is Thanksgiving in the US. Or, as the rest of the world calls it: Thursday. American Thanksgiving marks the start of the generally accepted “holiday season” down there and acts as a reasonable benchmark in Canada as well. It is ALSO TheRatHole.ca’s birthday. Seven years ago I was outside Seattle, breaking bread with my amazing friend Cassidy and her family, as TheRatHole.ca officially launched with a review of Secret Santa from Osprey Games. I would like to to think that we’ve improved since then. As a writer, I certainly feel like I have. We’ve had many guest writers and staff writers come and go since then, as well as many regular review and column series. But the most important regular feature here continues to be our yearly Holiday Review series. This is a challenging time of year for a lot of people, for many reasons. Myself included. Even before I launched this site, I tried to focus my writing on the site I used to work with on the Holidays. I want to give everyone (again, myself included) something to look forward to.
Something, slightly more recent, that I’m thankful for is Cozy Companion. I’ve loved and appreciated this bi-monthly magazine since it first came out just shy of two years ago. My lack of travel means I haven’t been able to pick up new issues, but that doesn’t change my excitement for them. Recently, I had the honour to reveal their recipe for Timber Tapers on the Legend of the Traveling TARDIS’ annual foodie episode. Timber Tappers will be in the upcoming December volume of Cozy Companion, but today were are looking at last December’s Holiday Magic issue. It’s honestly been hard to hold back this review, but it deserves to be shown off in the sparkling lights of the season. Plus, it’s currently available in both physical and digital editions, so why not feature it now?
Over the course of Cozy Companion’s first year, the Snowbright team really dialled in a distinct format. This issue is no different in that, which means despite the “late” review it’s still an appropriate one. The issue begins with a Letter from the Editor, from the inimitable Grace Collins, followed by the Friends of Snowbright Plant Showcase. (Baby) it’s cold outside, and a bit of green always warms things up a bit. Once again, the community Discord channel came through with some fine foliaged photos. I don’t do Discord, but this feature always makes me reconsider that. The focus on plants comes back into the Snowbright Science Corner and an educational Plant Party activity later in the issue.
It’s been a while since I last reviewed Cozy Companion, so some of what I’m saying here I’m certain I’ve said before. But it can’t be understated just how positive an influence in the world Snowbright Studio is. Every issue they sit down and interview game designers that have nothing to do with their own company about games that other publishers put out. I love that they don’t see other games and companies as competition but as community. This issue they sit down with Britt Humphrey, creator of the in-development game Skyshiners. New to the world of game design, Britt is a counsellor by trade who came up with the game while working with youth who needed more support in their lives. It’s a terrific interview that hits home in too many ways. I really do feel like this was extremely appropriate to talk about as we move into difficult time of year for some people. Then, jumping to the end of the issue, they sit down with Back Again Board Game Cafe in Middletown, Connecticut. as well as yet another regular feature that supports the gaming community with some reviews of other (again, non-Snowbright) games by the studio’s head of HR and Office Cat, Ryla. I wish I had a cat that wrote reviews of games. But no, Interfering Cat only interferes in my games.
The most exciting, and ultimately disappointing, entry in Holiday magic is Krampus and the Midwinter Elves. I am an unabashed Krampus fan. If you scroll to the end of this review, you’ll see that my normal signature image has been replaced with me dressed as Krampus himself. If I had my wish, a future holiday Cozy Companion would someday be full of all the Krampus Kontent that can be cozily created. But this issue we get only a scant two pages of Lore about a version of Big-K for the game ink, along with his Lesser Fiend minions, the Midwinter Elves. Being a post-life-themed game, ink is a somewhat less cozy game, yet it never strays into full-blown horror. I’m not a horror fan, so I appreciate how this version of Krampus focuses on themes of unresolved regrets and overcoming misdeeds of the past rather than the harsher tradition of just punishing bad kids.
Straying somewhat from the holiday theme is the Time Travel Guide on Ancient Athens. Civics Educator, Dan Safko, takes a look at life in Ancient Greece as well as some prominent figures that players of the Time Tails RPG might encounter there. Then things return to the Feast of Forge and Flame (Teatime Adventure’s in-game winter holiday season) with an adorable story called Gifts of the Hoptops. It’s the sort of story that I could see myself curling up with my nibblings to read on a snowy night with a plate of warming Dragon Egg Biscuits and Ember Drops. I didn’t make a video on either recipe, however, Dragons Eggs are in the original Teatime Adventures RPG core rulebook and Ember Drops are included in this very issue of Cozy Companion! I love the concept of Ember Drops, as a different take on the traditional peanut butter cookie, with a sizeable “drop” of spicy apricot jam in the centre. Unfortunately, I’m not a big fan of peanut butter cookies, even though I will sit there and eat peanut butter with a spoon. But I did make a batch of them last year and they were super tasty.
There is one very big thing that I’ve left out, that I will continue to leave out any details on. Spirit of the Season is a Solo adventure that works to tie together the holiday theme with the secondary greenery theme. I haven’t actually done more than glance at the adventure so that I can play it and be surprised. Who knows, maybe I’ll even stream it.
All of this is to say that you should grab an issue of Cozy Companion, or better yet the newly released Cozy Compendium which collects the first year of issues. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for Volume 11: Home for the Holidays!
You can all sorts of cozy things from Snowbright Studio online at www.snowbrightstudio.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/SnowbrightStudio.
Don’t forget you can read all of our current and past holiday reviews at TheRatHole.ca/Christmas!
There is a second tradition nestled in with our tradition of holiday reviews. Holiday music, to help bring you into the seasonal spirit. As I mentioned, the upcoming issue of Cozy Companion is titled Home for the Holidays. So today we want to take you Home for the Holidays with a little Perry Como.