Plowing the fields, taking care of your cows, decorating your house or even finding Prince Charming: these are the few characteristics that we appreciate so much in the “farming game”. If Stardew Valley or My Time At Portia have remained staples of the farm game this year, we will instead come back to titles released exclusively in 2021 or that have received a big update. Casually, there has been a certain upsurge of the genre since 2020 and here is 5 nuggets you shouldn’t miss.
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town
We will unfortunately not put the last Harvest Moon in this Top 5 as it will have disappointed us compared to its predecessors. Especially since the “real” Harvest Moon is now called Story of Seasons and this new opus, Pioneers of Olive Town, has been able to offer a farm game as we like them. With a very good lifespan, SoSPoOT promises a charming history but above all many activities such as culture, breeding, fishing, decorating your home or even getting married. With 5 DLC adding a few places to explore and new characters, the gameplay can then be extended.
Hokko Life
Often compared to Animal Crossing, Hokko Life is a small indie game whose early access was released in June. Developed by one and the same person, the title invites you to settle in a village and decorate it in order to attract new inhabitants. You can obviously make your own furniture to decorate your house but also those of your animal neighbors. The major asset of Hokko Life lies in its possibilities much greater than ACNH : you can move the furniture in all directions, change the color of whatever you want and make your own objects from A to Z.
Of course, it will also be necessary to explore the surroundings and harvest many resources by fishing, mining or even chasing butterflies, in order to be able to buy some clothes for example. Still in early access today, Hokko Life updates regularly.
Kitaria Fables
In this mixing title RPG and farm life, you play as an adorable little cat to save the kingdom. Possessing magical powers, it will then be necessary to appropriate them and gain experience in order to fight more and more ferocious monsters. On your way, you will find countless treasures but you must not forget to take care of your crops.
Moonglow Bay
Recently released, Moonglow Bay lets you embody a sinner newbie who will need to work with friends, family and neighbors to hone their fishing skills, nurture relationships, and restore the fractured community of a remote town. If this is not noticeable at first, the title offers you a very touching story while allowing you to explore and collect resources in a quasi-cubic universe.
Our favorite: Cozy Groove
Here is a small independent game that will have marked us this year. As a Spirit Scout, you land on the campsite of a haunted island and must help the ghosts find the secrets of their past life in order to free them. The artistic direction of Cozy Grove is pure marvel: first in black and white, the island will receive color every time you complete a mission. On the gameplay side, it is abouta nice mix between finding hidden objects, decorating the island and collecting resources. You can fish and collect a multitude of fish according to the seasons, make furniture to decorate your campsite or even adopt domestic spirits.
Special Mention: Animal Crossing New Horizons 2.0 and Happy Home Paradise
ACNH is much more of a simulation game than a farm game, but we have to admit that since update 2.0 allowing you to grow vegetables and cook good meals, it has set foot in this category. This huge patch also adds new features that were eagerly awaited in the game such as Admiral, Robusto’s Café or Joe’s Camping.
And if that is not enough for you, a DLC was also released on November 5, 2021 allowing to work on a new archipelago in order to make the dream houses of the inhabitants.
It is the hour of the verdict. 25 € for an extension of Animal Crossing New Horizons is it worth it? Besides decorating holiday homes, what does Happy Home Paradise offer us? All of the answers in our review of ACNH’s first (and last) DLC.
Animal Crossing New Horizons
The farm games we look forward to
In 2022, some nice titles should also be released on consoles and PC. Here is a non-exhaustive list of games that might interest you:
- Coral Island
- Big Farm Story
- No Place Like Home
- Kitori Academy
- Roots of Pasha
- Lonefarm
- Ova magica
- Harvest Island
- Everafter falls
- My time at Sandrock
- Deiland
And you, which farm game are you most looking forward to in 2022? Happy new year to everyone !