{"rewrite":{"id":"r_264b20eadb84c163c7b1c692","clusterId":"c_40f3abb6bf65f88f9e22977a","slug":"snow-removal-game-winter-whiskers-launches-playtest-on-itch-io","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Snow Removal Game 'Winter Whiskers' Launches Playtest on itch.io","summary":"Mango Leaf Games has opened a public playtest for 'Winter Whiskers', a single-player adventure game about clearing snow from a seaside town inhabited by animals. The playtest is available on itch.io, with a Steam release planned for later this year. The game is the studio's second title.","whyItMatters":"The playtest gives an early look at Mango Leaf Games' follow-up to 'Kokoro Kitchen', a cozy snow-clearing title with animal residents and a festival preparation loop.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eMango Leaf Games, the indie team behind \u0026#39;Kokoro Kitchen\u0026#39;, has released a public playtest for its next title \u0026#39;Winter Whiskers\u0026#39; on itch.io. The playtest lets players try a portion of the game, which tasks them with clearing snow, repairing steam pipes, and helping animal residents prepare for a Winter Festival in a blizzard-hit seaside town. The studio says the playtest will also be available on Steam soon. \u0026#39;Winter Whiskers\u0026#39; is planned for a full PC release on Steam within 2026.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Winter Whiskers is Mango Leaf Games' second title. A playtest on itch.io with a Steam launch pending suggests the studio is using the same early-access route as its debut.","twitterPost":"Winter Whiskers' playtest on itch.io mirrors Mango Leaf Games' strategy for its first title. Steam later.","threadsPost":"Winter Whiskers is Mango Leaf Games' second title. The studio opens playtesting on itch.io, the same platform it used for its debut, with a Steam release planned later. That pattern suggests a deliberate strategy: validate on itch.io, then expand to Steam.","newsletterBlurb":"Mango Leaf Games has launched a public playtest for 'Winter Whiskers', a single-player adventure about clearing snow and preparing for a festival in a seaside animal town. The playtest is available on itch.io, with a Steam release planned for 2026. It is the studio's second title, following 'Kokoro Kitchen'.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Denfaminicogamer\",\"url\":\"https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/2606302o\",\"title\":\"Snow Removal Game 'Winter Whiskers' in a Town of Animals Now in Playtest on itch.io. Clear Snow and Prepare for a Festival in a Snowy Town Hit by a Blizzard\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":3881,"outputTokens":539,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1782802613,"createdAt":"2026-06-30T06:51:31.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-06-30T06:54:50.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-30T06:54:50.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_40f3abb6bf65f88f9e22977a","canonicalTitle":"動物たちが住む町で除雪するゲーム『Winter Whiskers』itch․ioにてプレイテストが実施中。吹雪に見舞われ雪の積もった町で、雪の撤去とお祭りの準備を進めていこう","representativeArticleId":"a_7b1160edda84c89d27c4af18","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Winter Whiskers\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-06-30T06:04:54.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-06-30T06:04:54.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-30T06:54:50.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Denfaminicogamer","url":"https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/2606302o","title":"動物たちが住む町で除雪するゲーム『Winter Whiskers』itch․ioにてプレイテストが実施中。吹雪に見舞われ雪の積もった町で、雪の撤去とお祭りの準備を進めていこう"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Winter Whiskers"],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"news","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Mango Leaf Games released a public playtest for 'Winter Whiskers' on itch.io.","The playtest lets players clear snow, repair steam pipes, and help animal residents prepare for a Winter Festival.","The playtest will also be available on Steam soon.","'Winter Whiskers' is planned for a full PC release on Steam within 2026.","The game is Mango Leaf Games' second title, following 'Kokoro Kitchen'."]}