- Fireside Joins the Cozy Quest Event! - 18 November 2025
We’re excited to share that Fireside is part of the Cozy Quest Steam event!🥰 If you’ve been enjoying your journey with us, feel free to stop by the event page and share the warmth with fellow cozy-game lovers. ✨And to make it even better, Fireside is now 40% off!🤗 🌲Take a break, unwind, and let Fireside bring a little calm to your day.🌲😌Thank you for being part of our campfire community!❤️🔥👉 Visit the event page and discover more wholesome games along the way! https://store.steampowered.com/sale/CozyQuest2025
- The Steam Awards 2024, Nominate FIRESIDE! - 28 November 2024
Greetings, adventurers! We’d love your support in nominating Fireside for the SIT BACK AND RELAX category in the upcoming Steam Awards 2024! 🏆🤗 To celebrate, Fireside is currently on discount—the perfect time to unwind and enjoy! 🥳
- Join the Wholesome Games celebration together with Fireside! - 16 August 2024
✨Hey Adventurers!✨ We’re thrilled to be part of the Wholesome Games Steam celebration this week!😍 It’s the perfect time to cozy up and get lost in the warm and charming world of 🌲Fireside🌲!🧡 Fireside has been out for two months now, and we’re incredibly grateful for all the love and positive reviews you’ve shared!🫶 While the game has largely played as we envisioned, we’ve also listened to your feedback and made some improvements to enhance your experience: Added a hint for skipping the walking animation, which many of you found slowed the game’s pacing. Added the ability to reorganize your inventory via drag & drop. Fixed an issue where intermediate recipes (such as dough) couldn’t be cooked at the house. Fixed a softlock in one quest. And addressed several other small bugs. We’re delighted that so many of you are enjoying our unique, cozy game about taking breaks on a journey, and…
- Fireside is OUT NOW! - 4 June 2024
Adventurers, Grab a cup of your favorite hot drink, make yourself comfortable, and dive into the cozy and wholesome world of Fireside!🌲 Embark on an unusual journey, learn the stories of the cute and quirky characters you meet, and discover what's waiting for you ahead!✨ 🌲 Sit back, relax, and enjoy the calm of being here and now - together with FIRESIDE. 🌲😙 💚 The day has come - the game is OUT NOW! 💚
- Fireside—Devlog 8, Social Media - 31 May 2024
Fireside will finally be released next week. You’ll be able to visit the magical world of Fireside and get to know its residents from June 4. But before things really get started, we look back at some social media content milestones from the last few months. Our social media manager, Ann-Kathrin Günther, who is also the author of these devlogs, has published dozens of posts over the last few months, starting with the official announcement of Fireside. On November 28, a collaboration between Emergo Entertainment and the publisher Nordcurrent Labs was officially announced, putting Fireside’s development in the home stretch. To show interested gamers the journey Fireside has been on over the past few years, Paul took a look back at two years of development. The social media team tried a few things out with Fireside to emphasize the relaxed and cozy atmosphere of the game, in addition to in…
- Fireside—Devlog 7, the Core Mechanics - 20 May 2024
Today, we’re finally explaining the core mechanics of Fireside’s gameplay to you. Fireside comes alive through its characters and their stories and is carried by its cozy, non-violent gameplay. Fireside has three core mechanics: trading, cooking, and talking. First up is the bartering system, where the player can trade items with NPCs using a scale. The items have no specific value. Instead, each NPC has their own desires and ideas as to what each item is worth to them. This creates a sense of bargaining—instead of just paying for items, the player has more freedom when trading. The second core mechanic is cooking. When players barter or travel to campfires, they receive mainly building materials and groceries. Groceries can be thrown in a wok and combined to create delicious food. Cooking also provides players with recipes that NPCs request. The third important mechanic is talking to e…
- The game's release DATE reveal! - 9 May 2024
Hey fellow adventurers! We're thrilled to announce that Fireside is coming SOON, very soon! 🤩 Mark your calendars for JUNE 4th, when you can begin your cozy journey in Fireside and enjoy the wholesome story and relaxing gameplay without any stress. 🌲😙 Dive into a magical world filled with cute characters and discover what's waiting for you ahead! ✨ Check out our new video and spread the word to your cozy-games-loving friends too! ❤️Wishlist now and play on June 4th, 2024!❤️
- Fireside—Devlog 6, the Art Style - 26 April 2024
Last month, we explained how some of Fireside’s characters were created. This time, we’ll take a look at Linus’ favorite characters and how Fireside’s outstanding art style came about. At the beginning, Linus and Ilona talked about what the characters should be like and what would make them special so that Linus could get an idea of what they should look like. He then created three to five concept art drafts of the individual characters and discussed with Ilona which accessories, colors, and vibes would work best. Eventually, he produced the final concept and clarified everything with Ilona. The end product was typically one of Linus’s initial designs. For example, he created several designs of a frog, and the final character was the blue version. But not all the characters were ready right from the start. Some of the most challenging were two female characters, who both had to be stron…
- Fireside—Devlog 5: Characters from Draft to Final Version - 29 March 2024
How do characters develop in a video game? The characters in Fireside are a central part of the game. They shape the world, drive the plot, and are the anchor of the story. Here, we take a look at how some of them were created. The team started with a rough idea of what the areas would be and what themes they would have. Ilona, as a narrative designer, and Linus, as a graphic designer, were mainly responsible for developing the characters of these areas together. For some characters, they had a relatively clear idea from the start and did not change much. Owl, for example, was a character from the forest that remained the same throughout development. However, the plot did change a little. The central conflict that takes place in the second area was finalized later, and Owl became more involved. On the left: the new Owl; on the right: an old version Along with Owl, Buzzy the Bumblebee is…
- Fireside—Devlog 4, Teamwork - 15 March 2024
The fourth devlog covers how the work on Fireside went. We present the original ideas, development challenges, and solutions to problems the cozy game team faced. Our collaboration began in 2021, when the team was able to begin building a prototype of Fireside thanks to funding from FilmFernsehFonds Bayern. Although each team member had their own responsibilities, teamwork was essential. Ilona described the start of their collaboration as “creative chaos.” She joined the team later as a narrative designer, and first had to find her place. It was difficult for her to figure out what the idea behind Fireside was and how it could be best realized because it is difficult to compare it to other games. Initially, she was onboarded through multiple meetings to learn about the structure of the game and the team’s vision. Linus’ role was to put visuals to the idea. It was his first time creating…
- THE COZIEST GAME OF 2024 (the 2nd SNF stream) - 8 February 2024
Ahoy, fellow cozy gamers! Embark on a magical journey with 🌲Fireside🌲! Don't miss the chance to dive into our delightful demo and share your thoughts.🥰 Tune in as our developers stream the game and unveil the enchanting world of Fireside, filled with sweet stories and good vibes!🌲 No violence or stress, just immersive relaxation.🤗 Enjoy the stream, explore the demo, and, of course, cast your wishlist spell on the game!😉✨ Join us on: 🎮 Discord: https://discord.gg/9bHGGRWSM2 📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@firesidethegame 🐥 Twitter, Emergo Entertainment: https://twitter.com/EmergoE 🐥 Twitter, Nordcurrent Labs: https://twitter.com/NordcurrentLabs 🌠 Instagram, Emergo Entertainment: https://www.instagram.com/emergoentertainment/ And find Buddy, our artist's dog, in the game!😉🐶 Wishing everyone a joyous Steam Next Fest! 🌟
- THE COZIEST GAME OF 2024 - 5 February 2024
Greetings, dear adventurers!⛵️ Don’t miss a chance to try out our demo and share your thoughts about it! 🥰 During Steam Next Fest watch our developers play it and learn more about the magical and wholesome world of 🌲Fireside🌲 and its behind-the-scenes. In 🌲Fireside🌲 there is no violence and stress, only immersive sweet stories and good vibes!🤗 Enjoy the stream and the demo and don't forget to wishlist the game! Join us on 🎮 Discord: https://discord.gg/9bHGGRWSM2 📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@firesidethegame 🐥 X, Emergo Entertainment: https://twitter.com/EmergoE 🐥 X, Nordcurrent Labs: https://twitter.com/NordcurrentLabs 🌠 IG, Emergo Entertainment: https://www.instagram.com/emergoentertainment/ Have a happy Steam Next Fest, everyone!
- Fireside is coming to Steam Next Fest! - 2 February 2024
Greetings, our dear adventurers, travelers, and merchants!⛵️ We’re very happy to announce: Next week Fireside will take part in Steam Next Fest! 🥳 To celebrate this wonderful occasion, we invite you to try out our DEMO early! 🎮🤩 The demo is NOW AVAILABLE, so pour some hot tea, grab your favorite blanket, sit back and relax - and dive into the wholesome world of Fireside. 😌 Explore the game and let us know what you think! 🤗 P.S. Be sure to wishlist the game, don’t hesitate to spread the word, and check the developer's livestream here on the page! 🥰 Also we recommend playing with headphones to fully enjoy the soundtrack. 🎶💗
- Fireside—Devlog 3, Game World - 29 January 2024
Fireside’s focus is on sharing around the campfire and creating a sense of community. In 2020, when Fireside was first conceived, the primary plan was to focus on traditional RPG elements such as tending to your character’s hunger, thirst, and other requirements. However, the Emergo Entertainment team later decided to concentrate on the idea of coming together around the campfire. Instead of a complicated and stressful combat system, they wanted to focus on the game’s cozy atmosphere. Fireside is a simple game that allows you to experience a journey to the fullest from the comfort of your couch. All you have to do is listen to other travelers’ tales, learn about their goals and needs, and figure out how you can help them. The game mechanics mostly involve talking to others, so dialogues are the main focus, but the game also features a cooking and trading system for non-violent gameplay.…
- Fireside—Devlog 2, the Team - 27 December 2023
In 2020, the Emergo Entertainment team came up with the idea for Fireside during an online Game Jam amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The team’s focus was to evoke positive feelings despite the negative atmosphere during those very challenging times. This led to the creation of Fireside, a game where you can sit alone in the comfort of your home and still experience the feeling of togetherness. The team members have known each other since well before Fireside was created, as they had collaborated in other Game Jams and studied together at the University of Bayreuth. Today, they share their personal experiences with all of you. Paul, the project manager, programmer, and game designer, completed his master’s degree in conducting. This was a valuable experience that led him to create an interactive conducting application called Wagner VR. His mother served as a tester for this project. During…
- Fireside Devlog #1 - 30 November 2023
Greetings, travellers! Today we'll tell you a bit about how it all started:) Fireside was born in March 2020. At the Stay Safe! Jam, Paul, CP, Matthias, and Linus joined forces. Having already completed over 50 game jams, this time they managed to impress the jury, which was particularly captivated by the game’s atmosphere and awarded them the Jury’s Special Prize. Since the theme of the jam was solidarity, the four came up with the idea of creating a game centered around sharing at a campfire. Initially, the Fireside team consisted of four individuals: Paul, CP, Matthias, and Linus. Paul and CP are the two co-founders of Emergo Entertainment, the development studio behind Fireside. Paul is the project manager, programmer, and game designer. CP is also a programmer, but he contributed to the game design in some phases, particularly focusing on the dialog system. Matthias is the composer…
- Turn-Based Fest, Gameplay Stream, and a Development Update! - 8 December 2022
Greetings Travelers! We are back with an update on Fireside! First of all, a short update on development: it is very active! Currently we are working on a cooking system that will play a central role in the main gameplay loop! We're also planning on a new series of development logs to provide some more insight into the development progress and the systems that will play a pivotal part in the game! You can expect the first devlog to hit your news feed in about a month ;) And now for the immediate news: we are SUPER excited to take part in the Turn-Based fest! To celebrate this occasion, we have also recorded a little gameplay session, in which you'll get to see the current state of the game, as well as learn some anecdotes on the development of the game, challenges we faced how we overcame them! We hope to meet you in there! :) -The Fireside Team
- Contacting the Press - 16 February 2022
Greetings travelers, After wrapping up the playtest feedback (last devlog) we revisited the strategy behind our marketing for fireside. We have lots of ideas for what we can do to promote the game, but we also have to balance everything with the time cost as we are just a tiny team of developers. Besides posting on TikTok, Twitter and Discord, one of the more efficient PR tools are press releases (or so we are told), that’s why we started creating and sending out a press release in addition to our previous efforts. So, let’s look at the why, how, and what behind this decision. The Why The most important thing for selling our game is that as many people as possible know about it. This sounds simple but is quite difficult with social media being flooded with content. So far, we had our Steam page and social media channels. During the last few months with the playtest and a finished protot…
- Results of the Fireside playtest - 24 January 2022
Greetings travellers, the new year is here, we’ve evaluated the first Fireside semi-public playtest since Gamescom and would like to share the results! Generally, we’re very happy with how the playtest went. 458 of you played Fireside between December 27th and January 19th! In total, you played for 352 hours. That’s about 45 minutes of playtime per player and way more than we would have expected before the playtest. After all as Jesse Schell said, the 21st century is a war for attention, and getting 45 minutes of people’s valuable time is a great sign that you all enjoyed Fireside! This is further supported by the positive qualitative feedback you sent us via the in-game feedback feature! Most commonly, you complimented us on the game’s sound, narration, art style, and relaxing atmosphere. Since these are the focus points of fireside we’re very happy that you enjoyed this! Also, the ave…
- Playtest Fireside on December 27th! - 17 December 2021
The first larger-scale playtest for Fireside is happening on December 27th! After we already got some feedback at Gamescom we’re hoping to have a larger scale playtest for Fireside on December 27th right here on Steam! Originally, we had planned to do this playtest in November. However, due to us searching for publishers, issues with the build of the game and other obligations we decided to postpone the playtest to the end of December. The version now is stable enough that we feel confident in sharing it with you! So what can you expect from this prototype? Like in the GamesCom version you’ll be playing a slice from the middle of the game. This is so you can experience the game’s systems in action and aren’t held up with onboarding & tutorials. However, this also means the story will be lacking some context and it will be more challenging to get into the game’s mechanics. Expect about 1…
