StarTopic The Official 'Life Simulation RPG' Thread |ST|

[touchfuzzy]

Thread is a constant work in progress, wanted to just get the first part out there and get people chatting. Will be updating the recent releases and upcoming releases tomorrow. Please let me know what you want / think should be added to the 'royalty' section, these are just my favorites and by no means complete!

With the recent talk around the latest Nintendo direct having "too many farm games lol", I thought it was time to make a thread for us other folk. The life simulation RPG is one of, if not my absolute favorite, genres. I couldn't be happier with the amount of games being released these days and especially so many of them finding a home on Nintendo Switch. This thread will be a home for us big weirdos that can never get enough farming (or other mundane activities) in our daily gaming lives, a one stop shop to post about upcoming releases, what we're playing old or new, and what we're looking forward to in the future.

So what is a 'Life Simulation RPG'?

Life Sim RPGs encompass a broad spectrum of games and design styles, but I think you can narrow them down to three core philosophies inherent in pretty much every one. I have conveniently organized them into the 'three C's':

1. - Community - Life Sim RPGs will almost always have a system of developing relationships with NPC characters, leading to becoming closer with those characters to reveal more about them and the story and feed back into the gameplay loop.

2. Customization - Life Sim RPGs must allow you to customize many aspects of your experience, from your character, to your home, to your farm, to just about anything you can think of.

3. Collection - Life Sim RPGs will always have a strong focus on collecting resources in some way in order to feed back in to the other systems

And that's really it! Of course there are many types of games that may contain one of these elements, but it's all of them coming together to make for a fun, addictive gameplay loop in a world you really care about that sets the genre apart.

Life Sim RPGs have seen many releases over the years. Because this is a Nintendo board and I'm a Nintendo fan, I'm going to keep focused on games you can play on Nintendo platforms. I know the PC indie scene has a ton of these, and you're welcome to share about them of course, but it's my thread lol.

The Royalty

As with any genre, there's a number of games and franchises that have managed to stand out ahead of the crowd. The below are Life Sim RPG royalty, either by influence, endurance, or sheer popularity. If you have suggestions for games or series you think should be added here, please let me know!

Harvest Moon / Story of Seasons

Bokujo Monogatari, better known in the West as Harvest Moon (and later to this day, Story of Seasons, due to rights issues) is one of the original life sim RPGs and certainly many people's first exposure to the genre. First released in North America in 1997 on the SNES, the Story of Seasons franchise has seen the most releases of any life sim RPG and maintains moderate popularity worldwide. The games focus on developing a farm and building relationships with NPCs. The series has also inspired a number of spin-offs including Rune Factory (more on that below) and the anime inspired Popolocrois and Doraemon games.

First Release: Harvest Moon (1997)
Latest Release: Doraemon: Story of Seasons - Friends of the Great Kingdom (Nov. 4 2022)
Upcoming Release(s): Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life (2023)
Untitled New Story of Seasons (TBA)
Untitled Multiplayer Story of Seasons (TBA)

Animal Crossing

Undeniably the most popular life sim RPG currently, Animal Crossing got a modest start as a Japan only Nintendo 64 release before being ported to the Gamecube and seeing release in the West. Animal Crossing may be the most 'chill' life sim RPG out there, not setting time limits or pressures to really accomplish anything, just to live in it's cozy towns, build your collection of trinkets, clothes, and local flora and fauna, and make friends with the anthropomorphic citizens who move into town. Animal Crossing has grown in popularity with each entry, culminating in the enormous success of it's latest entry on Nintendo Switch, which with sales of over 40 million copies make it one of the most successful single platform releases of all time.

First Release: Animal Crossing (2002)
Latest Release: Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2019)
Upcoming Release(s): None

Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley is an unlikely success story. Created entirely over the course of five years by a single developer, Eric Barone, the game set out to capture the nostalgic feel and tone of older style Harvest Moon games while adding in modern gameplay depth and enhancements. The result is a masterpiece, a true classic of the genre and one of the best games of all time (if you ask this life sim RPG fan). The game has been released on every modern platform and seen sales in excess of 20 million copies, largely inspiring the current flood of life sim RPGs hitting the market from indie developers.

First and Only Release: Stardew Valley (2016)

Rune Factory

Originally a Harvest Moon spin-off, Rune Factory has taken on a life of it's own and become a popular and successful series. While it contains many of the same gameplay elements of it's parent series (farming, relationships, etc.), it transplants the setting to a fantasy world full of monsters where players experience a more traditional RPG storyline and action RPG combat.

First Release: Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon (2007)
Latest Release: Rune Factory 5 (2022)
Upcoming Release(s): Rune Factory 3 Special (2023)
Rune Factory: Project Dragon (TBA)
Rune Factory 6 (TBA)

Fantasy Life

Released in 2014 for the Nintendo 3DS, Fantasy Life had players pick one of twelve different jobs and live out their days in a fantasy world, building skills, exploring, and fighting monsters while revealing story along the way. A very customizable adventure full of depth and intrigue, many would like to see this fan favorite ported to modern platforms. (Community addition Sep 24 / 2022).

First Release: Fantasy Life (2014)
Upcoming Releases: Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time (2023)

Anticipated Releases (2023)

Rune Factory 3 Special (Spring 2023)



Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life (June 27 2023)



Fae Farm (Fall 2023)



Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time (TBD 2023)



Sun Haven (TBD)



Haunted Chocolatier (TBD)

 

[paranoodle]

Hell yeah OP!! Life sims (and sims in general) are one of my favorite genres and it's great to see more hype for them. Would love to chat about them and find some new ones in this thread.

My big pick for the royalty section is Fantasy Life, it's probably my fave life sim/rpg mix and I'm still holding out hope that maybe someday we'll see a Switch port, because it really deserves the attention.

There's a bunch of cool indie ones I'd love to highlight too but I'll wait until after you've finished the OP o7

 

[Gay Bowser]

My big pick for the royalty section is Fantasy Life, it's probably my fave life sim/rpg mix and I'm still holding out hope that maybe someday we'll see a Switch port, because it really deserves the attention.

YES

i don’t know why level-5 hasn’t ported some of their games like that to switch, it’s not like whatever they’re doing now is really working for them and it seems like a 3DS port would be a quick way to bring in some revenue, but what do i know?

also great thread @touchfuzzy !!

 

[meatbag]

This thread. This thread is godly.

Rune Factory is my favorite of the bunch, which might be evident from how much I talk about it. The level up jingle is one of my favorite micro-dopamine hits.

There's a bunch of cool indie ones I'd love to highlight too but I'll wait until after you've finished the OP o7

Definitely looking forward to hearing more, especially those with Switch versions.

 

[MSnap]

Love Rune Factory, love Story of Seasons. I also like Stardew but I can’t help but feel a bit of resentment when people fail to acknowledge its influences.

 

[Mudo]

My perfect thread!
I’d pick this genre as my #1 over even RPGs if forced to lol.
I’m currently playing modded Stardew and about 70 hours in and in love all over again.

I bought RF5 on Switch and played 60 hours then bought on PC and about 40 hours in now and I plan to get back on that soon.

Dinkum came out in Steam EA and seems to have a lot of potential. It’s a cool mix of Stardew and Animal Crossing and while still early days, I am excited to see how it grows.

I bought Sun Haven when EA launched a year ago and the game has had a bit of a rough EA so far but several big updates have released. The new big patch is either out now or very soon and the “big one” that adds Seasons to the game is likely the end of this year. I expect it to full launch in around a year and it has the potential to be one of the greats. It’s very Stardew. Beautiful artwork in the game. Good music. A big interconnected world with 3 unique cities each with their own mines. Festivals, farming, a neat magic system, combat with abilities, lots of skill trees - it’s a lot. Any fans of the genre should at least keep an eye on this one over the next year

I’ll post more later but thanks for this thread

 

[touchfuzzy]

Updated the recent, upcoming, and anticipated releases with stuff I know of that's confirmed or I'm personally excited for. Also added Fantasy Life to the royalty section as a community addition. I know my lists are far from exhaustive, love seeing some names of stuff I haven't heard of. A lot of these EA Steam ones eventually make their way to console.

In fact, you got me to look up Sun Haven and it looks extremely my jam. I also see their plan is to launch their full version on Switch at the same time. So it's being added to the anticipated section!

 

[Rainbow]

Im very open to a lot of genres. Strangely, i never get warm with this one. Played Dune Factory for Wii, but found it kind of ... dull.

I will give it another chance with Harvestella, because those mix of graphics/ rpg elements really spoke to me. Also i thought i would buy Animal Crossing at a sale. Well, it never had a sale. Maybe one day...

 

[NabiscoFelt]

Really fun genre, though my only experiences thus far are Rune Factory 4 and Sakuna (wait does Sakuna count?)

I loved how both those games had intersecting gameplay loops where it felt like everything you did fed into something else. It's just really satisfying mechanically and keeps gameplay feeling exciting no matter what you're doing. Looking forward to Harvestella, the demo was great (though combat was a bit meh imo, the rest made up for it)

 

[Kitty Paws]

One of my favorite types of games. Playing through Rune Factory 2 right now, after finally finishing RF1 for the first time last week.

For something a bit different that I still feel belongs in this genre, Cattails the stray cat life simulation rpg is getting a sequel next year.

Cozy Grove is also very nice.

 

[meatbag]

I loved how both those games had intersecting gameplay loops where it felt like everything you did fed into something else. It's just really satisfying mechanically and keeps gameplay feeling exciting no matter what you're doing.

You nailed what I find so addicting about these games. You both have a lot of options for what to do, and any option you pick will always benefit you in some way if you decide to pursue something else.

I bought Sun Haven

Never heard of Sun Haven before, and wow it looks good.

I’ve also been eyeing Bear and Breakfast but I’m gonna need to clear some of the games I have first.

 

[Ramune]

Great thread! Will be keeping an eye on this for sure, these kinds of games are my autumn/winter bread and butter.

Something I put a ton of time into while watching TV the other winter was Littlewood - its systems aren’t particularly deep if that’s what you value, but it’s cute and addictive and has a fun story concept (you’re the hero that saved the world and now you have to rebuild and live in peacetime).

 

[Imitatio]

The Harvestella demo has increased my appetite for these kinds of games, even if its own farming gameplay and systems have proven to be simpler than those from most of the games listed in the OP. The cozy feeling and rather relaxing pace were/are very much to my liking, though, and the idea of slowly cultivating a farm and building up my own digital ... well, existence, if you will, is very tempting.
With Harvestella itself still not being out for another six weeks or so, but my currently very strong desire to play something similar, I've been looking into some of the titles listed here, but I have somewhat of a hard time deciding on one I'd want to try out.

Rune Factory, on paper at least, seems like the next best thing with its combination of life sim and more typical JRPG aspects. That's the series I've looked into the most, but I'd be lying if I said that I didn't have issues with what I've come across. It seems like RF5 has a lot of technical issues on Switch; and while the PC port does a better job there, it's allegedly still somewhat of a step back compared to RF4, from what I could gather?! RF4 on the other hand looks solid, but given its original release platform, also simply a tad antiquated. At this point I'd probably consider it over RF5, though.

I'm still torn on some of the other games, especially Potion Permit.
I like the look of Littlewood, so thanks @Ramune for bringing that one up! Might be worth considering as well if I decide to go with an Indie option.

Overall I'm craving for an experience like these games seem to offer, but choice paralysis and a general insecurity about what's the best bang for my buck and what's most fitting for my taste have me scratch my head right now. Paired with some particular issues of certain games like RF5, I'm having a bit of a hard time here, haha.

 

[9-Volt]

They're all great games but sadly none of them is what I want the most. I want a Life sim with FULL customization. Like building everything in the game, house AND the town included. A cross between Animal Crossing and Dragon Quest Builders. Closest thing right now is Bear & Breakfast and it's my most probably Goty candidate right now.

Lots of survival games offer full customization, like Subnautica, Valheim, The Raft and Ark (DQ Builders is also one of them) but none of farming sims borrow those base building aspects from these games despite being a perfect match. It sucks to be confined to rooms game provide, sometimes they prove to be too small, which was case with AC for me. Give me full freedom and let me design everything, including shops and inns in the town.

 

[paranoodle]

i don’t know why level-5 hasn’t ported some of their games like that to switch, it’s not like whatever they’re doing now is really working for them and it seems like a 3DS port would be a quick way to bring in some revenue, but what do i know?

Yeah I genuinely have no idea, they've ported Snack World from the 3DS already so I'm fairly sure it can't be for technical reasons, but I can't imagine what reason they have against it.

Definitely looking forward to hearing more, especially those with Switch versions.

I gotcha

Really fun genre, though my only experiences thus far are Rune Factory 4 and Sakuna (wait does Sakuna count?)

IMO Sakuna counts. That one was fantastic, I had such a great time with it, I hope the devs keep working on more projects.

---

Anyway, here's some mostly smaller-scale recs for the thread (feel free to put any in the OP if you want), they're all available on Switch unless specified otherwise:

• Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles, is mostly an open-world exploration game, but with life sim elements (some farming, pet-raising, lots of customization) where the exploration and quest rewards are often just new cosmetics. It was a little loose/floaty for me both for controls and design, but I'm not as into exploration as other people.
• Grow: Song of the Evertree is by the same devs as the above, and is a mix of town sim and life sim (and... gardening sim?), you alternate between a town builder mode and a world-gardener mode, with exploration options (including puzzles!) in both. Very easy, very chill, very cute. It's a really nice game for unwinding and there's a ton of customization options (and you can customize townspeople too!)
• (not on Switch, Steam early access) Little Witch in the Woods is one of the cutest games I've ever played. It's a life sim with Potions and some more classic adventure game elements. I haven't tried the early access yet (I'm waiting for more of it to be out), but I got to try one of the private demos last year and it was basically perfect. The art especially is just gorgeous.
• (3DS only) Ever Oasis is a Zelda-like/town sim mix where you build an oasis in the desert and make friends to invite to it. I hope they make a Switch port of this one because it's one of my favorite 3DS games.
• (can't tell if it's on Switch or not - it was announced but I can't find it in the eShop) Picontier is a "slow life RPG", I haven't played it much yet but it's a very casual life/farm/etc sim with cute and simple pixel art graphics.
• My Time At Portia is a pretty standard life sim with farming, crafting, mining, exploration, the usual. It doesn't have as much stand-out qualities as some of the others on this list, but if you're looking for more life sims it'll give you more life sims and it's not a bad time at all. There's a sequel in development (currently in early access I believe?) named My Time At Sandrock
• I don't know if we're counting shop sims or not (for me they scratch a similar itch, but I don't know if that applies here), but if so, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Moonlighter, an action/shop sim hybrid. It's not my favorite in terms of gameplay, but the art is really really good and it's not like there's a lot of other shop sims out there.
• I assume most people have heard of it by now, but Slime Rancher is fantastic and it's a... first-person life/farm sim? You have a ranch that you can fill with slimes. The vibes are absolutely wonderful and it's a lot of fun.
• Luna's Fishing Garden is a fishing sim, it's basically what if you took a life sim and focused on only the fishing minigame. It's fairly short, but it has gorgeous pixel art, a really nice and chill atmosphere, and fun gameplay (if you like fishing minigames).

I've got some others lying around but this is probably a decent starting list haha. I hope some of these appeal to people!

 

[bixente]

Some great games coming in the future.

 

[paranoodle]

OH MY GOD I forgot to list Calico. Go play Calico it's really cute, it has a fantastic character creator, and the devs are absolute sweethearts, I got to work with them for a bit and they were great.

 

[Metroid]

I've been looking forward to Coral Island and One Lonely Outpost, posted above, for quite some time but the one I'm most excited to see more of is SunnySide. Imo, these three are the best positioned the most to be comparable to Stardew Valley.

 

[ermitron2]

The only title I've played in this genre was Rune Factory 3 in DS and I remember enjoying it a lot with the balance of farming and battle, and the interaction with the residents was very fun.

I decided to try potion permit as I had some coins left and it's cheap here in the mexican eshop. So far its been decent, as a fan of Atelier it has alchemy with a puzzle like game so it's right in my alley. Also the foraging and managing of stuff is simple so far , so I haven't been overwhelmed by a lot of options (something worried me a lot when a friend showed me stardew valley)

Also the best QoL feature is that you can use your dog to guide you to any of NPC , so no more searching or learning their daly routines.

 

[NabiscoFelt]

Some great games coming in the future.

Hm think I've seen Moonstone Island before but forgot about it

It looks pretty sick, love the idea of combining monster collecting, Slay the Spire, and a life sim. Maybe that'll end up being too much for a game to handle, and I'm not a huge fan of procedural generation (but makes sense given that it's an indie team trying to make a lot of content for the game). But I do like the ambition and hope they manage to pull it off.

 

[kvetcha]

The only title I've played in this genre was Rune Factory 3 in DS and I remember enjoying it a lot with the balance of farming and battle, and the interaction with the residents was very fun.

I decided to try potion permit as I had some coins left and it's cheap here in the mexican eshop. So far its been decent, as a fan of Atelier it has alchemy with a puzzle like game so it's right in my alley. Also the foraging and managing of stuff is simple so far , so I haven't been overwhelmed by a lot of options (something worried me a lot when a friend showed me stardew valley)

Also the best QoL feature is that you can use your dog to guide you to any of NPC , so no more searching or learning their daly routines.

I’m curious to hear more impressions of Potion Permit! It looks cozy as heck.

 

[PixelKnight]

Awesome OP!

The only one I’ve played is Fantasy Life but I absolutely loved that. Got my eye on Bear and Breakfast and Harvestella later this year.

 

[touchfuzzy]

I’m curious to hear more impressions of Potion Permit! It looks cozy as heck.

I have it! The PS5 version. I’ve played about 7 hours. It’s decent, but I’m not sure it will have much staying power. A bit repetitive / grindy, like I’ve run through the same small areas for resources every day. The mini games and potion puzzles are quaint at first but I’m finding myself wishing I could just skip them. The first in game week or so is really slow but then it starts giving you lots of quests to do after that.

I’m definitely not done with it yet of course (I’ve just about unlocked the next biome, again, lots of grinding) so we’ll see how it goes!

Graphics are great, music is bad.

 

[kvetcha]

I have it! The PS5 version. I’ve played about 7 hours. It’s decent, but I’m not sure it will have much staying power. A bit repetitive / grindy, like I’ve run through the same small areas for resources every day. The mini games and potion puzzles are quaint at first but I’m finding myself wishing I could just skip them. The first in game week or so is really slow but then it starts giving you lots of quests to do after that.

I’m definitely not done with it yet of course (I’ve just about unlocked the next biome, again, lots of grinding) so we’ll see how it goes!

Graphics are great, music is bad.

Much appreciated. It does feel like a lot of these games should focus as much on their gameplay design as they do their vibes.

 

[9-Volt]

I feel My Time at Sandrock is going to be one of the best in the genre. Not only it fixes many problems of Portia, it brings very much needed elements in life sims. Minecraft-esque resource management, third person combat, The Sims like full customization of buildings (size, shape everything)... And the graphical improvement over the first game is huge. It coming out on Switch the moment it leaves Early Access on steam.

 

[Hauke_von_Arding]

I have to say, it may sounds somehow pathethic or weeby (maybe not lol), but for me personally Life Simulation games need a relationship simulation/dating sim elements. While I enjoy farming and battles and all in th em, I also want to found a family and life a happy life with them. SO games like Harvestella may look very promising but the missing relationship aspect makes them very uninteresting for me in some way.

 

[ermitron2]

I’m curious to hear more impressions of Potion Permit! It looks cozy as heck.

I'm liking it so far, and it's been chill. The first week you have some things gated to get you used to all the mechanics, but after that you can do more things. The general concept is to help the towsnpeople with your potions, as they put you in charge of the clinic. In order to get the potions you need to forage in the eastern part of the island and you have 3 tools: the scythe, the axe and the hammer depending on what you need (you can use this to attack enemies too, but hey kept the combat simple as really you need for drops).

Once you have materials you can craft potions in a puzzle minigame where you need to fill all the squares. Each material has a form and you have a limit to how many and what element you can use.

Then the potions can either be sold (wich is your main source of money) or oyu can use them to help the towsnpeople. You have an alarm that chime when someone is sick and you inspect them in a minigame. And while they can be repetitive, I think its better than just "yeah this person needs X potion".

There are more thing to do of course, like phishing and temporal jobs at the church, mail and police station for some money (all of them are very simple minigames).

Regarding what @touchfuzzy says , I didn't found it that grindy, but maybe because I'm used to the atelier games so foraging constantly in same zones is second nature, and the game does give you some options to avoid that. The forest guards can sell you any material you can forage except for monster drops, and once you made 5 times any potion, you can create a recipe to make them in batch and skip the puzzle minigame.

Also worth mentioning, the game is very friendly regaridng same sex relationships, you can date anyone regardless of your character style

 

[touchfuzzy]

I have to say, it may sounds somehow pathethic or weeby (maybe not lol), but for me personally Life Simulation games need a relationship simulation/dating sim elements. While I enjoy farming and battles and all in th em, I also want to found a family and life a happy life with them. SO games like Harvestella may look very promising but the missing relationship aspect makes them very uninteresting for me in some way.

I dunno about your personal life, but for me when I was younger and single / childless, I would’ve absolutely agreed, and those were my favorite parts of the game. Now even when those systems are in I really don’t engage with them much. It’s like, back then the fantasy was to have a wife and kids. Now that I have a wife and kids (that I love to pieces, don’t get me wrong), the fantasy is being a lone wolf out in the woods making it off the land and getting rich.

 

[Kitty Paws]

Is anyone familiar with Rune Factory Frontier and Tides of Destiny? I wonder what they're like, compared to the DS entries. Frontier seems to have roughly the same cast as RF1. Is it a direct sequel, or some kind of alternate timeline?

 

[meatbag]

Is anyone familiar with Rune Factory Frontier and Tides of Destiny? I wonder what they're like, compared to the DS entries.

If you liked the DS games, then there’s a good chance you’ll like Frontier. I think the major downside of Frontier is the Runey mechanic which ends up taking a lot of your time and goes counter to the concept that you can do whatever you feel like doing in RF games.

Frontier seems to have roughly the same cast as RF1. Is it a direct sequel, or some kind of alternate timeline?

It’s a direct sequel. Same MC and four of the bachelorettes return.

EDIT: Oh sorry forgot to mention I have no experience with ToD, I’ve only heard it’s a bit different from the usual RF style. I think I remember watching Youtube reviews, namely Play with Josh and Infinite Backlog, about the game.

 

[ermitron2]

Played more hours Potion Permit. Another nice feature is that the friendship events are clearly displayed in the town bulletin board, so you don't have to search for it or it's random ( I know this is an issue in this type of games). Also finally upgraded tools and the foraging its now quicker so I'm working on upgrading the potion house to have a kitchen

 

[Dolce]

For something a bit different that I still feel belongs in this genre, Cattails the stray cat life simulation rpg is getting a sequel next year.

Cattails is my personal botw lol such a surprisingly great game.

 

[Kitty Paws]

If you liked the DS games, then there’s a good chance you’ll like Frontier. I think the major downside of Frontier is the Runey mechanic which ends up taking a lot of your time and goes counter to the concept that you can do whatever you feel like doing in RF games.


It’s a direct sequel. Same MC and four of the bachelorettes return.

EDIT: Oh sorry forgot to mention I have no experience with ToD, I’ve only heard it’s a bit different from the usual RF style. I think I remember watching Youtube reviews, namely Play with Josh and Infinite Backlog, about the game.

Thanks!! I like the idea of direct sequels further expanding on specific towns/settings/casts of characters, even though it must feel a little strange if you had Raguna marry anyone in RF1 and then all relationships are back to square one (I assume).

 

[meatbag]

Thanks!! I like the idea of direct sequels further expanding on specific towns/settings/casts of characters, even though it must feel a little strange if you had Raguna marry anyone in RF1 and then all relationships are back to square one (I assume).

Yep, all the relationships go back to square one, but of course the “canonical” choice still seems to be Mist since Raguna ends up in the new town chasing after her.

 

[Dolce]

My 3DS was stolen and I was trying to get a new 3DS but god, prices are still garbage. local people want 300 bucks for a used 3DS.

part of the reason is I never got to play Trio of Towns.

 

[PixelKnight]

I wonder if Graveyard Keeper counts for this thread? It’s a bit like Stardew Valley but you’re running a graveyard rather than a farm. It’s a bit odd but still relaxing despite it’s darker vibe.

 

[Donnie]

I wonder if Graveyard Keeper counts for this thread? It’s a bit like Stardew Valley but you’re running a graveyard rather than a farm. It’s a bit odd but still relaxing despite it’s darker vibe.

Oh definitely, that game is awesome! I like it as a macabre twist on Stardew lol and there's a bit more to dig into in a systems level, if folks are looking for something a little deeper.

 

[ermitron2]

I have now 15 hours in potion permit and so far it's been a good experience, and I just updated the potion house and can cook now. It feels good not to have a limit time for the important tasks while the minor ones, like attening the patients in the clinic,gives you enough time to do anything else, so you don't have the pressure and plan your day better. I also have liked the friendship events so far, they really give personality to all of the characters (even if some of them are assholes)

The only thing I've read is that there are some serious bugs for some late events, but I'm still in early game so hopefully the devs will be able to release a patch (which they already confirmed are working on)

 

[Stephen 776]

I finally started Rune Factory 4S on Switch. The boyfriend has been trying to get me to start this game forever because it's one his favorite games.

I also need to think of a name for my character because lol six characters and Stephen doesn't fit (also playing as girl MC for the husbandos fwiw). Using default Frey for now.

 

[touchfuzzy]

Did anyone check out Hokko Life? Looks like a decent Animal Crossing knock-off, was out on PC in early access for a while and just came to consoles in full release. Trailer is in the OP, moved it to recent releases.

 

[Donnie]

I don't know how much this is stretching the definition but Lonesome Village looks like a very cool cosy fusion of top down zelda adventuring and life simmy chill! Looks like there's no combat involved, so the adventure part is more weighed on puzzle solving and exploring.




It's out November 1st!

 

[Metroid]

Bumping this since a new SunnySide trailer just dropped. I think it looks... rough but I definitely love the ambition and direction.

 

[meatbag]

Looks like the next Rune Factory won’t be RF6.

Which is actually cool. Marvelous could use more practice with full 3D Rune Factory.

 

[Imitatio]

So, after almost 10h of playtime, I think I'm ready to move on from Littlewood. The game has been enjoyable so far, with a cute presentation, some nice character writing, a charming atmosphere, and overall very chill vibes. It simply feels like a nice, cuddly toy (in the most positive sense!).
And after almost ten hours, it's kinda started to ... wear me out, I guess, if I had to describe it in the most fitting manner.
Littlewood's almost too placid, too tranquil for my taste. It lulls me into this almost passive state, where I go through my daily routine with all the actions that contains. Given that Littlewood has this very simple set-up of only ever having to press the A button for basically everything you do in-game (other than opening the menu with B), it's reaaally plain overall.
The writing's also nice enough, but nothing to write home about either, with character development thus far leaving a lot to be desired. I'm in the mid of summer season, and don't feel all too invested at this point in time.

Like, I'm missing the hook or some kind of additional element, making for something refreshing or different amidst the usual gameplay loop. This plain kind of farm/life/town sim management simply doesn't seem to do enough for me and my tastes.
It's why I'm much more interested in something like Harvestella or Rune Factory, for those games provide breaks from the pure life sim aspects, which probably is exactly what I need in these types of games.

I know that Rune Factory 5 suffers from technical issues on Switch, but it's 30% off right now, and I'm really tempted to just give it a try and experience it for myself. The reviews definitely have me interested and curious!

 

[meatbag]

I know that Rune Factory 5 suffers from technical issues on Switch, but it's 30% off right now, and I'm really tempted to just give it a try and experience it for myself.

It’s not just technical issues, to be frank. I think the cast is a step down from 3 and 4, the town and map designs are pretty uninspired, the events and quest systems need polishing, etc.

However, at the end of the day, Rune Factory 5 still retains the core essence of the fun factor of Rune Factory, so if you enjoyed RF before you might still find some enjoyment from RF5. Also I’d like to think a lot of RF5’s problems are just growing pains, especially for an IP whose future was uncertain.

 

[Imitatio]

It’s not just technical issues, to be frank. I think the cast is a step down from 3 and 4, the town and map designs are pretty uninspired, the events and quest systems need polishing, etc.

However, at the end of the day, Rune Factory 5 still retains the core essence of the fun factor of Rune Factory, so if you enjoyed RF before you might still find some enjoyment from RF5. Also I’d like to think a lot of RF5’s problems are just growing pains, especially for an IP whose future was uncertain.

I thought about picking up RF4 Special instead, because I read good things about it. Buuut to be brutally honest, I don't like how it looks visually, like, at all. I get why it looks the way it does of course, but I just don't see myself putting up with that. RF5 ain't no shining example of presentation either, but I prefer its general aesthetic over 4's by quite a lot, and I think it actually has a certain lowish budget AA Japan game charme to it, if you will, lol. The character models actually look pretty good to me, even. I think I'll simply give it a shot and see how things will be going. At least I'll pass some time with it in anticipation of a potential sale for Harvestella as the number 1 alternative!

 

[touchfuzzy]

Finally got around to updating this thread a bit! Scaled it back a little to make it easier for me to update.

Of course, the biggest news coming from the latest direct is a new installment in the Fantasy Life series, one of our 'royalty' series that I think people had all but given up seeing a new release in almost a decade on. I never played the original and am excited to check this out!



Also, Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life remake got a June 27 2023 release date for North America. Also a cute collector's edition that has a little goat plush and a poster for only $10 more.

Also, Fae Farm was delayed from Spring 2023 to Fall 2023, so we'll look for more on that later.

I think that's all for now, I'll try to do a better job keeping this updated!

 

[meatbag]

Having never played Fantasy Life I’m down to get the new one on Switch. Fantasy Life seems to be to Animal Crossing like what Rune Factory is to Harvest Moon, and that’s an exciting prospect.

 

[paranoodle]

Having never played Fantasy Life I’m down to get the new one on Switch. Fantasy Life seems to be to Animal Crossing like what Rune Factory is to Harvest Moon, and that’s an exciting prospect.

A little bit? Fantasy Life (the first one, at least) definitely adds RPG elements in a way RF does to HM/SOS, but it's a slightly different kind of life sim than Animal Crossing is. It's more focused on lots of different tasks (including non-combat ones) being done in an RPG context (the crafting and gathering mini-games, for example), and less in a "hang out with your npc friends" way, though the first game does have some customization (you can decorate your room and play dress-up a little bit). Basically, the life sim part of it is a bit more about tasks and a bit less social, if that makes sense?

Either way though it's well worth checking out if it sounds any fun, and this is just off the first game, so who knows what this one will change. The terraforming is definitely reminiscent of ACNH so maybe you're more onto something than I am.

 

[touchfuzzy]

Just a bit of a bump for the Marvelous showcase, where they went ahead and announced four (!) new games in the genre -- two Story of Seasons games and two Rune Factory games. I'll just post this Youtuber guy's video about it if you're looking for more info -- not a ton to go on so far. We have:

Untitled New Story of Seasons - the next new 'mainline' entry in the series, not much known aside from the basics and a brief in-engine video. Looks nice though!

Untitled Multiplayer Story of Seasons - Just some concept art on this one, they're making a Story of Seasons that will have a focus on local co-op.

Rune Factor: Project Dragon - This looks to be the farthest along of any of the titles, having lengthy gameplay shown. A Rune Factory with a more Eastern / Asian art and world design, riding dragons and fighting monsters -- looks really cool!

Rune Factory 6 - The next mainline installment, all we have is a logo.

I'd assume most of these are 2024 games at the earliest, even 2025. No platforms talked about, safe to assume they'll be on whatever Nintendo console is in the spotlight, either Switch or whatever is next.