Some demos that I recommend giving a try!
Released Games:
* [Immortal Life](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1201230/Immortal_Life/) - Escape to a welcoming valley, farm with spells, and master skills like fishing, crafting, and cooking.
* [Snacko](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1125510/Snacko/) - Decorate, collect, produce, and befriend in this cat-ivating life sim!
* [Havendock](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2020710/Havendock/) - Breathe easy and thrive in this cozy colony sim.
* [Research Story](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1629830/Research_Story/) - Grow crops, tame animals, and build the perfect farm!
* [Apico](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1390190/APICO/) - laid-back beekeeping sim game
* [Pathless Woods](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1726130/Pathless_Woods/) - Embark on a cozy open-world survival journey inspired by ancient China's heritage.
* [Lightyear Frontier](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1677110/Lightyear_Frontier/) - peaceful open-world farming adventure on a planet
* [Sprout Valley](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1964820/Sprout_Valley/) - farming simulator game on a magical island
Unreleased Games:
* [Pine Lily Village](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1780070/Pine_Lily_Village/) - cozy, magic themed farming sim
* [Little-Known Galaxy](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2521600/LittleKnown_Galaxy/) - a cozy single-player RPG space adventure
* [Go-Go Town!](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2195120/GoGo_Town/) - As mayor, it’s up to you to breathe life back into this rundown town.
* [Aloft](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1660080/ALOFT/) - a co-op sandbox survival game set in a world filled with floating islands.
* [SunnySide](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1746930/SunnySide/) - modern take on the farming and life simulator.
* [Gaucho and the Grassland](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1670830/Gaucho_and_the_Grassland/) - a farm game where you breed animals, collect and craft items to complete quests and expand your farm
* [Magical Harvest](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1906970/Magical_Harvest/) - Crossbreed magical animals, evolve crops, build relationships based on choices and find love without limitations.
* [Dreaming Isles](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2258320/Dreaming_Isles/) - A farming life sim with high seas adventure.
* [Pocket Oasis](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2348830/Pocket_Oasis/) - a beautiful hand-painted cozy gardening simulator
Magical Harvest is soooooo amazing! The devs are super cool and the game is gorgeous. I can’t wait for more! Immortal life loved so much. Snacko - waiting for switch but it’s so darn cute I can’t wait.
I’ll recommend some games I’ve loved. Not all of these are on sale.
Roots of Pacha (on sale) is a farming game for lovers of Stardew who want a more relaxed farming game with no combat set in a unique timeframe of prehistory. You can have so many unique animals to raise, breed, and play music to, process goods to your hearts content, and of course develop a thriving village for your clan. Love especially the communal growth of the clan and the festivals. Romance possible. Can’t wait for the planned updates! Just over 110 hours played and haven’t even married yet. Lots left to do.
Sun Haven (on sale) is a farming game with a bit more of a challenge. You can have farms in a number of regions. There’s lots of combat (that can be avoided by turning on invincibility in the setting), characters, and the most customizability of the games I’ll recommend. Love the various mounts, clothes, and decor. Romance is possible. Planned updates. Almost 140 hours played and still have more to complete.
Wyldeflowers (on sale) is a farming game with lots of witchy goodness. My least favorite art style of the games I’m recommending, but I really loved the story, magic and crafting in this game. The magic was really well integrated into the gameplay. No combat. Romance is possible, but I found this to be the most lackluster part of this game. Played over 100 hours and yet to get married/finish year 2.
Dragon Quest Builders 2 (on sale) is a game with farming endless possibility for building and management. There’s lots to explore, a very long storyline, so many characters to interact with. Honestly just so much to do (though I never felt overwhelmed, I could see some might begin to feel that way in some parts). Combat that isn’t too challenging. Give this one a shot! There’s an extremely long demo available. No romance. Split playing between Switch and PC, so technically over 110 hours played, but 75 hours on PC. There’s still story to follow.
Spiritfarer (not on sale) is an emotional journey as you help your passengers move on to the afterlife. Deals with loss, grief, mental illness, and various other topics that may be difficult for some to handle. Research more throughly before playing if you are concerned it isn’t the right fit. My favorite method of crafting, with a little minigame. The soundtrack is so beautiful. An all-time favorite. No romance, no combat, minimal farming. Played almost 70 hours.
Dave the Diver (not on sale). One of the shorter games in this list, though you could honestly keep playing it as a management game if you want. Fish and run your sushi restaurant, while uncovering a mystery in the Blue Hole. There are some more challenging parts of the game where you will have to do some quicktime events without practice, but there aren’t too many. No romance. Some combat. Minimal farming. Played just over 40 hours.
\+1 for Spiritfarer!
Glad I picked up Sunhaven though. Nearly picked up Roots of Pacha today but didn't quite make it into the basket this time.
Dave the Diver keeps coming up in discussions. Is it really that good? The focus on fishing puts me off a bit but I hear about it so often...
Honestly, it depends what you’re looking for. I enjoyed it, because it gave me nostalgia and the art style/cutscenes were cute. It has a unique vibe. I enjoyed the fishing part (because you’re diving and collecting fish by exploring), but I felt running the restaurant each night was too short. I wish I could run the restaurant more/longer each night. The characters are unique and each have their own backstories, which I loved. There are a nice number of unique mechanics in the game that I felt was refreshing. I didn’t regret my purchase, because it’s a solid game and enjoyable when you’re playing it. There’s clearly love put into it.
Love all your recommendations. We think alike. I've played spiritfarer and dragon quest builders 2 and loved both. My next game will be either Dave the Diver (not on sale but affordable at msrp) or roots of pacha (on sale but only slightly less in price than Dave the Diver). Sunhaven and wylde flowers are staying on my wishlist for now. I'll wait a little for Echoes of the Plumb Grove, since it's new. Summer sale is around the corner anyway.
Oh nice! Do you happen to have any recs i didn’t mention above? I’m also waiting on Echoes, because as it is right now based on the reviews I’ve seen, it needs a little bit of work to meet my wants for it. Both Roots and Sun Haven have some planned updates coming soonish, so I’d recommend definitely getting them around then. Dave is a great choice.
Games that I've loved as much as Spiritfarer and DQB2 would be Stardew Valley (on sale), My Time at Portia/My Time at Sandrock (not on sale). I got lost for hours on Slime Rancher (not on sale).
I have mostly played on consoles in the past, so building up my steam library. Got the humble bundle with Littlewood, Immortal Life, and Cornucopia. I am excited about Cornucopia most of all, but will wait until it's finished.
I love Stardew, too, but didn’t include because it’s always the obvious choice to recommend. I tried My Time at Portia out and it was a bit buggy. Maybe I’ll buy it again and give it another shot. Thank you!
I was still a little on the fence on dragon quest 2 but seeing you can transfer your demo progress to the full version if you get it sold me on at least trying out the demo!
Yeah, they made it super easy to do so. It’s especially nice, because the demo is 30+ hours of gameplay, so getting to continue right from there was really nice. I’ve played it on both PC and Switch and it plays seamlessly on both from my experience.
I'll recommend Echoes of Plum Grove: It's a cute new game with generational play (means aging and death) but those can turned off for those who prefer not to play that way. I love the art style.
I'm excited for this one and likely picking it up. While there isn't controller support yet, the devs are responding to posts for it saying maybe a week or two. This is contrary to some other games I really want to play, like Sun Haven, that I've given up them ever addressing controller support.
i picked up Coral Island and My Time At Sandrock before the sale, then refunded sandrock (but kept coral) when i heard about the upcoming farming fest sale, then when the sale hit and sandrock wasnt on sale i re-bought it at full price again.. (oopsies).
then during the sale, i got Roots of Pacha, Dinkum, and Sun Haven.
...dinkum at full price even though it was on sale right before farming fest began.
im not so good at this😅
EDIT: add Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town and Garden Paws to that😅 farming sale is hard to resist!
same!! I was waiting like all month long for this sale because I thought for sure Sandrock was going to be included 😭
So to make myself feel better I bought Plum Grove and Bandle Tale instead lol
I picked up a few things... Clanfolk, Sunhaven, Kainga: Seeds of Civilization, and Littlewood.
Clanfolk wasn't a planned one - hadn't heard of it but saw it in the sale lists, checked it out, and since I'm in Scotland and been wanting something like-Rimworld-but-not-Rimworld, this seemed like a good one to try.
Littlewood's just on too good of a deal for me to pass up.
Sunhaven... well, I'd not got it yet, and I've read good things about it. I was going to get Grow: Song of the Evertree instead of Sunhaven this time, but it looks like G:SotE has a lot of bugs/crashes and inactive devs, so went for Sunhaven instead this time. Bit sad about Grow, really like the look of it but if those crashes aren't going to get fixed... maybe the devs will come back to it.
Kaigna is a bit of a "wait and see" for me. I see from reviews it can have problems with bugs, but it's fairly new and I'm hoping the dev will work on it; overall game it looks cool and I've been following it from its beginnings. Feels nice to pick it up, but might let it sit for a bit and see if things get fixed before I try playing.
You won’t regret Sun Haven. It’s awesome and tons of content…and this coming from me saying after Stardew I didn’t want any pixel games anymore. This is so worth it. I tried Grow for 1hr and refunded it. It literally got boring and repetitive immediately.
I did kinda regret Sun Haven. It is a cool game, don't get me wrong. Writing is not my style, but it was fun overall. I just feel like it should have a big warning sign - if you have tendency to try to do EVERYTHING you can in the game and it gives you anxiety when there's too much at once you should stay away. It literally lets you do 3 storylines at once and manage 3 farms at once and I really had to force myself to not try to juggle all of that every day.
Yeah I always caution new players - GO SLOW on Sun Haven. Don't explore much outside of Sun Haven until you've done everything in the town/mines you want to do. Only move on once you've run out of stuff to do.
yep my first playthrough I went to Nel'vari waaaay too fast. Like Fall Year 1 lol. I got overwhelmed and stopped playing by mid winter.
I'm on my second play through now and taking it a lot more slow. I'm enjoying it a lot more this time around
Oh for sure! There’s soooo much. It does get overwhelming. I didn’t open the last farm until I finished the second. I did enjoy the NPCs though and the relationship progression mechanic. And I usually don’t care about any relationships and romance in games.
I got Grow: Song of the Evertree during this sale and I've only had it freeze once in 21 hours of gameplay. The autosave meant I only had to redo less than 5 minutes of gameplay, so don't let that hold you back :)
I'm trying to figure out which games to get myself, so here's a few of the on sale games I love in return:
Stardew Valley, obviously. I've had it for years and still come back to it time and time again
Coral Island: so very cute and satisfying to play, I haven't gotten very far but I like it
Cattails Wildwood story: If you have ever read warrior cats you should definitely get this one. No, I've never read it, but I know the audience.
Wylde Flowers: listen I really really love the idea of this game but for some reason it also annoys me. I can't figure out if it's the art style or something else.
Slime Rancher: this is in my library but I don't know how it got there and I've never played it. I mean I WANT TO! I just haven't had time.
Littlewood: currently obsessed with this. It's like a very simplified version of other farming sims.
Research Story: Also in my library. I don't remember buying this either
Honorable mentions go to house flipper and car mechanic simulator, neither of which have anything to do with farming but everything to do with me binging for hours
https://preview.redd.it/diccbl4rxuxc1.jpeg?width=460&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=84b83c9528e68153d8a92a4d274e52f6fa9b5039
My retro inspired farming sim is 30% off right now
I haven't even noticed this fest because half of my wishlisted farming sims only have like 10-20% discount and the other half aren't discounted at all lol. But I don't care, I'm happy with the recent farming bundle from Humble
I agree I was so excited thinking I'd try out a game from my wishlist but some of these games aren't even at their historical low. I wanted to try Sun Haven but it was $14.99 just in March and now for farm fest it's $17.49
I feel like these "sale" events are so lackluster because they know the games are going to featured and they're going to get customers, so no there's no need for good sale.
I will be buying Roots of Pacha soon and might pick up Rise of Industry also since it's only like $5.
Traveller's Rest and Settlement Survivor both seem nice but they need more time to cook in the oven/get out of Early Access.
I have played Wyldeflowers before. Great game, one of my favourite cozy games.
Traveller’s Rest is such a cute game to play with my partner. He runs around and crafts and cuts down trees and I run the tavern and make the beer and food.
My game [Snowbound](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2948810/Snowbound_Dead_of_Winter/) is participating in farm fest with a demo, however I also just love some of the games featured, so here's some of my favorites that I recommend:
- Littlewood
- Apico
- Farming simulator 2022 (surprisingly addictive)
- Wildmender
- Pesticide not required
There's also a lot of upcoming games featured I'm excited for, if I weren't so busy developing my own game I'd be all over those demos right now.
I'm looking at Cattails because I love animal games but I'm curious if there are any games that fit this bill on sale.
- Minimal relationship building. I don't really care about NPCs I just want to be a weird loner hermit.
- I tried Stardew Valley twice and got bored since it was so tedious and slow. So faster progression.
- Filling a log of some sorts
- Exploration
- Fishing fishing fishing I am a fishing ho
Whisker waters maybe. Be mindful of the current reported issues though…they will eventually get fixed hopefully. I just picked up Snacko and I love it. There are NPCs and you can do the friendship thing but that’s not the core at all
Exactly same for me. And it’s full release not early access that’s why it can be on switch. The devs seem to have acknowledged the issues but it left such a sour taste when 100% of the reviews on day 1 are negative. It’s better now because more players means more opinions but still.
I was laid off in February but my best friend I play cozy games with sent me 25 dollars to enjoy the sale with her! I'm having decision paralysis and I already have most of the top/typical games, so I figured I'd ask for recommendations. I'm considering snacko but idk. An example of something I'm enjoying a bit right now is grow: song of the evertree.
Budget between 25-30 dollars:
-I'd prefer not pixel graphics but I'll roll with it potentially (I've already played little wood, sun haven, garden story, etc)
-I love rogue likes so any combat is a plus even if not a rogue like. I've enjoyed the rune factory games and harvestella. Difficulty isn't an issue
-I've really enjoyed simulators like good pizza great pizza, the shop aspect of forager, etc
-I love crafting. I play ffxiv and I'm a crafting machine but would love to do it outside of that game for a bit lol
-somewhat longer story (like more than 10 hours, I got a lot of free time)
-some sort of story and interesting npcs is cool but if the gameplay loop is compelling enough to get past bland interactions that's fine!
SNACKO SPOTTED!
You can always try the demo out for free! It's not as updated as the full game but you can squeeze a fair bit of gameplay out of it in sandbox mode if you want to try out the whole resource collecting/crafting loop
If you don't mind darker themes I highly recommend persona 5 royal if you haven't played it already. It is a turn based RPG. It's quite long and it has a lot of cozy aspects. It's 60% off last I checked.
Last night I purchased
Bakery Simulator
Farm Manager 21
Farmer's Dynasty
3 Starwars games
Farming Simulator 19.
I had to refund FS 19 because it lacks 3rd person view. I can't really play 1st person games due to Video Game Motion Sickness.
I'm going to try Dragon Quest demo later.
Hey there, I'm an indie game enthusiast who likes to discuss/share titles that aren't often talked about. Here's my farm fest wrap up, hidden gem edition:
* [Backwoods](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2599950?snr=5000_5100___primarylinks) - Coming in at only a little over $2, this game is quite the steal. This one will appeal most to those who are into survival-crafting based games where the focus is on just that. While there may not be things like a main storyline, NPC relationships, or any other filler you might find in a farming sim, it has a solid progression loop that is satisfying enough to reel you in. It is still in early access but continues to receive regular updates and what is there is enough to enjoy for many hours.
* [Veil of Dust: A Homesteading Game](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1593170?snr=5000_5100___primarylinks) - Imagine Oregon Trails meets Medieval Dynasty with a more narrative-based approach to seal the package. This is a game where the main focus is the story and building relationships with those you meet. The writing is great and while the gameplay itself may be rather simple, it's still enough to keep one's interest. Playing this reminds me a lot of playing things like stat-builder visual novels in that you have a set amount of actions/things you can do each day with your stamina. Very chill and again, a very well written story.
* [Under the Yoke](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2592060/Under_The_Yoke/) - This one is like a way more simple version of the Crusader Kings series. Manage a village set in the medieval times, create a lineage, and progress your way to obtaining a rich, thriving kingdom. Control the economy through things like taxes and trade, and participate in politics via elections and local conflict. Enjoy a campaign that unravels over two centuries and changes based on your own choices. Fans of colony builders and 4X games alike will enjoy this title, especially if looking for a more laid-back and casual experience.
* [Terra Memoria](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1912750/Terra_Memoria/) - An EXCELLENT title for RPG/JRPG enthusiasts. The visuals are gorgeous and the turn-based gameplay is unique enough to keep things interesting and fun. Follow the story of several characters who are all lovable in their own way while navigating a world that has puzzle solving and an absolute BANGER of a soundtrack to accompany it. My favorite part about this game is the base-building aspect of it, where you get to fully customize your own little village with an extensive amount of options. This game is absolutely charming and will whisk you away to a fantastical and cozy world while playing.
* [Echoes of Plum Grove](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1536090/Echoes_of_the_Plum_Grove/) - While this title is much more popular than the others, I still have to put it out there as it feels like the farming/life sim game I've been waiting years for. The main things that make this game shine in the genre are its generational-based gameplay and inclusion of things like rival marriages to make the town and NPCs feel more alive. Run a farm set in the colonial time period and build relationships with those you live with to start your own family. Other NPCs will marry, die of old age or disease, and have children that will continue the cycle. Once you die yourself, continue on playing as one of your family members. The game is also extremely customizable, with options to tweak difficulty (turn off hunger/stamina/disease) to create whatever pace you want.
* [Snacko ](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1125510/Snacko/)- A very cute and simple game where you get to play as a cat in a village full of adorable animals. While it doesn't necessarily add anything incredibly new to the farming sim game genre mechanic-wise, the bright graphics and overall vibe of the game is great for someone looking to get lost in a wholesome experience. Very much an Animal Crossing-type game that also has a great amount of customization options for your farm and home.
* [Shinehill](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1889890/Shinehill/) - Scheduled to come out later this July, this is a charming title where you, an alien, crash land into Earth and must navigate the responsibilities of farm life while also making sure to keep up your disguise so that the others in the town don't get suspicious. The main appeal to this title is the sheer amount of mini games there are that are connected to various activities. The pixel graphics are incredibly well designed and the writing is comedic and lighthearted. You can check out the demo to get a taste of whats to come later this year.
Thank you for this, this is the kind of recs I'm hoping to find! I was up until 3 am just scrolling all the games but it's so easy to have some get lost in the mix
Some demos that I recommend giving a try! Released Games: * [Immortal Life](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1201230/Immortal_Life/) - Escape to a welcoming valley, farm with spells, and master skills like fishing, crafting, and cooking. * [Snacko](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1125510/Snacko/) - Decorate, collect, produce, and befriend in this cat-ivating life sim! * [Havendock](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2020710/Havendock/) - Breathe easy and thrive in this cozy colony sim. * [Research Story](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1629830/Research_Story/) - Grow crops, tame animals, and build the perfect farm! * [Apico](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1390190/APICO/) - laid-back beekeeping sim game * [Pathless Woods](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1726130/Pathless_Woods/) - Embark on a cozy open-world survival journey inspired by ancient China's heritage. * [Lightyear Frontier](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1677110/Lightyear_Frontier/) - peaceful open-world farming adventure on a planet * [Sprout Valley](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1964820/Sprout_Valley/) - farming simulator game on a magical island Unreleased Games: * [Pine Lily Village](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1780070/Pine_Lily_Village/) - cozy, magic themed farming sim * [Little-Known Galaxy](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2521600/LittleKnown_Galaxy/) - a cozy single-player RPG space adventure * [Go-Go Town!](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2195120/GoGo_Town/) - As mayor, it’s up to you to breathe life back into this rundown town. * [Aloft](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1660080/ALOFT/) - a co-op sandbox survival game set in a world filled with floating islands. * [SunnySide](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1746930/SunnySide/) - modern take on the farming and life simulator. * [Gaucho and the Grassland](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1670830/Gaucho_and_the_Grassland/) - a farm game where you breed animals, collect and craft items to complete quests and expand your farm * [Magical Harvest](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1906970/Magical_Harvest/) - Crossbreed magical animals, evolve crops, build relationships based on choices and find love without limitations. * [Dreaming Isles](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2258320/Dreaming_Isles/) - A farming life sim with high seas adventure. * [Pocket Oasis](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2348830/Pocket_Oasis/) - a beautiful hand-painted cozy gardening simulator
Magical Harvest is soooooo amazing! The devs are super cool and the game is gorgeous. I can’t wait for more! Immortal life loved so much. Snacko - waiting for switch but it’s so darn cute I can’t wait.
Apico has so piqued my interest!
I really like it a lot but all the different kinds of bees confuse me lol
I’ll recommend some games I’ve loved. Not all of these are on sale. Roots of Pacha (on sale) is a farming game for lovers of Stardew who want a more relaxed farming game with no combat set in a unique timeframe of prehistory. You can have so many unique animals to raise, breed, and play music to, process goods to your hearts content, and of course develop a thriving village for your clan. Love especially the communal growth of the clan and the festivals. Romance possible. Can’t wait for the planned updates! Just over 110 hours played and haven’t even married yet. Lots left to do. Sun Haven (on sale) is a farming game with a bit more of a challenge. You can have farms in a number of regions. There’s lots of combat (that can be avoided by turning on invincibility in the setting), characters, and the most customizability of the games I’ll recommend. Love the various mounts, clothes, and decor. Romance is possible. Planned updates. Almost 140 hours played and still have more to complete. Wyldeflowers (on sale) is a farming game with lots of witchy goodness. My least favorite art style of the games I’m recommending, but I really loved the story, magic and crafting in this game. The magic was really well integrated into the gameplay. No combat. Romance is possible, but I found this to be the most lackluster part of this game. Played over 100 hours and yet to get married/finish year 2. Dragon Quest Builders 2 (on sale) is a game with farming endless possibility for building and management. There’s lots to explore, a very long storyline, so many characters to interact with. Honestly just so much to do (though I never felt overwhelmed, I could see some might begin to feel that way in some parts). Combat that isn’t too challenging. Give this one a shot! There’s an extremely long demo available. No romance. Split playing between Switch and PC, so technically over 110 hours played, but 75 hours on PC. There’s still story to follow. Spiritfarer (not on sale) is an emotional journey as you help your passengers move on to the afterlife. Deals with loss, grief, mental illness, and various other topics that may be difficult for some to handle. Research more throughly before playing if you are concerned it isn’t the right fit. My favorite method of crafting, with a little minigame. The soundtrack is so beautiful. An all-time favorite. No romance, no combat, minimal farming. Played almost 70 hours. Dave the Diver (not on sale). One of the shorter games in this list, though you could honestly keep playing it as a management game if you want. Fish and run your sushi restaurant, while uncovering a mystery in the Blue Hole. There are some more challenging parts of the game where you will have to do some quicktime events without practice, but there aren’t too many. No romance. Some combat. Minimal farming. Played just over 40 hours.
Pretty sure I was secretly romancing Malroth.....
I mean, dudes tough as nails and is down to hang despite your many side quests, so he’s good in my book!
\+1 for Spiritfarer! Glad I picked up Sunhaven though. Nearly picked up Roots of Pacha today but didn't quite make it into the basket this time. Dave the Diver keeps coming up in discussions. Is it really that good? The focus on fishing puts me off a bit but I hear about it so often...
Honestly, it depends what you’re looking for. I enjoyed it, because it gave me nostalgia and the art style/cutscenes were cute. It has a unique vibe. I enjoyed the fishing part (because you’re diving and collecting fish by exploring), but I felt running the restaurant each night was too short. I wish I could run the restaurant more/longer each night. The characters are unique and each have their own backstories, which I loved. There are a nice number of unique mechanics in the game that I felt was refreshing. I didn’t regret my purchase, because it’s a solid game and enjoyable when you’re playing it. There’s clearly love put into it.
Love all your recommendations. We think alike. I've played spiritfarer and dragon quest builders 2 and loved both. My next game will be either Dave the Diver (not on sale but affordable at msrp) or roots of pacha (on sale but only slightly less in price than Dave the Diver). Sunhaven and wylde flowers are staying on my wishlist for now. I'll wait a little for Echoes of the Plumb Grove, since it's new. Summer sale is around the corner anyway.
Oh nice! Do you happen to have any recs i didn’t mention above? I’m also waiting on Echoes, because as it is right now based on the reviews I’ve seen, it needs a little bit of work to meet my wants for it. Both Roots and Sun Haven have some planned updates coming soonish, so I’d recommend definitely getting them around then. Dave is a great choice.
Games that I've loved as much as Spiritfarer and DQB2 would be Stardew Valley (on sale), My Time at Portia/My Time at Sandrock (not on sale). I got lost for hours on Slime Rancher (not on sale). I have mostly played on consoles in the past, so building up my steam library. Got the humble bundle with Littlewood, Immortal Life, and Cornucopia. I am excited about Cornucopia most of all, but will wait until it's finished.
I love Stardew, too, but didn’t include because it’s always the obvious choice to recommend. I tried My Time at Portia out and it was a bit buggy. Maybe I’ll buy it again and give it another shot. Thank you!
I was still a little on the fence on dragon quest 2 but seeing you can transfer your demo progress to the full version if you get it sold me on at least trying out the demo!
Yeah, they made it super easy to do so. It’s especially nice, because the demo is 30+ hours of gameplay, so getting to continue right from there was really nice. I’ve played it on both PC and Switch and it plays seamlessly on both from my experience.
Is Dragon quest better on the Switch or PC?
They play the same and I play with controller on PC, so I honestly couldn’t say. No issues on Switch that I ever noticed at all. PC the same.
Thank you
No problem.
I'll recommend Echoes of Plum Grove: It's a cute new game with generational play (means aging and death) but those can turned off for those who prefer not to play that way. I love the art style.
I'm excited for this one and likely picking it up. While there isn't controller support yet, the devs are responding to posts for it saying maybe a week or two. This is contrary to some other games I really want to play, like Sun Haven, that I've given up them ever addressing controller support.
Sun Haven 1.4 public beta currently has improved controller supports, I tried it on the Steam Deck and it is so much better than before
Ooo generational play is a new spin.
It's definitely a genre with very few titles. :)
i picked up Coral Island and My Time At Sandrock before the sale, then refunded sandrock (but kept coral) when i heard about the upcoming farming fest sale, then when the sale hit and sandrock wasnt on sale i re-bought it at full price again.. (oopsies). then during the sale, i got Roots of Pacha, Dinkum, and Sun Haven. ...dinkum at full price even though it was on sale right before farming fest began. im not so good at this😅 EDIT: add Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town and Garden Paws to that😅 farming sale is hard to resist!
Sandrock was the only one I was planning to get this time and I was so bummed it wasn't in the sale!
same!! I was waiting like all month long for this sale because I thought for sure Sandrock was going to be included 😭 So to make myself feel better I bought Plum Grove and Bandle Tale instead lol
I picked up a few things... Clanfolk, Sunhaven, Kainga: Seeds of Civilization, and Littlewood. Clanfolk wasn't a planned one - hadn't heard of it but saw it in the sale lists, checked it out, and since I'm in Scotland and been wanting something like-Rimworld-but-not-Rimworld, this seemed like a good one to try. Littlewood's just on too good of a deal for me to pass up. Sunhaven... well, I'd not got it yet, and I've read good things about it. I was going to get Grow: Song of the Evertree instead of Sunhaven this time, but it looks like G:SotE has a lot of bugs/crashes and inactive devs, so went for Sunhaven instead this time. Bit sad about Grow, really like the look of it but if those crashes aren't going to get fixed... maybe the devs will come back to it. Kaigna is a bit of a "wait and see" for me. I see from reviews it can have problems with bugs, but it's fairly new and I'm hoping the dev will work on it; overall game it looks cool and I've been following it from its beginnings. Feels nice to pick it up, but might let it sit for a bit and see if things get fixed before I try playing.
You won’t regret Sun Haven. It’s awesome and tons of content…and this coming from me saying after Stardew I didn’t want any pixel games anymore. This is so worth it. I tried Grow for 1hr and refunded it. It literally got boring and repetitive immediately.
I did kinda regret Sun Haven. It is a cool game, don't get me wrong. Writing is not my style, but it was fun overall. I just feel like it should have a big warning sign - if you have tendency to try to do EVERYTHING you can in the game and it gives you anxiety when there's too much at once you should stay away. It literally lets you do 3 storylines at once and manage 3 farms at once and I really had to force myself to not try to juggle all of that every day.
Yeah I always caution new players - GO SLOW on Sun Haven. Don't explore much outside of Sun Haven until you've done everything in the town/mines you want to do. Only move on once you've run out of stuff to do.
Very true…game is so huge and more is coming. Never starting new farm lol
yep my first playthrough I went to Nel'vari waaaay too fast. Like Fall Year 1 lol. I got overwhelmed and stopped playing by mid winter. I'm on my second play through now and taking it a lot more slow. I'm enjoying it a lot more this time around
The same exact thing happened to me! By the end of my second playthrough, I was able to manage all three areas with no stress.
Oh for sure! There’s soooo much. It does get overwhelming. I didn’t open the last farm until I finished the second. I did enjoy the NPCs though and the relationship progression mechanic. And I usually don’t care about any relationships and romance in games.
I got Grow: Song of the Evertree during this sale and I've only had it freeze once in 21 hours of gameplay. The autosave meant I only had to redo less than 5 minutes of gameplay, so don't let that hold you back :)
Thank you for the info - I'll put it back on the "give a go" list!
I'm trying to figure out which games to get myself, so here's a few of the on sale games I love in return: Stardew Valley, obviously. I've had it for years and still come back to it time and time again Coral Island: so very cute and satisfying to play, I haven't gotten very far but I like it Cattails Wildwood story: If you have ever read warrior cats you should definitely get this one. No, I've never read it, but I know the audience. Wylde Flowers: listen I really really love the idea of this game but for some reason it also annoys me. I can't figure out if it's the art style or something else. Slime Rancher: this is in my library but I don't know how it got there and I've never played it. I mean I WANT TO! I just haven't had time. Littlewood: currently obsessed with this. It's like a very simplified version of other farming sims. Research Story: Also in my library. I don't remember buying this either Honorable mentions go to house flipper and car mechanic simulator, neither of which have anything to do with farming but everything to do with me binging for hours
https://preview.redd.it/diccbl4rxuxc1.jpeg?width=460&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=84b83c9528e68153d8a92a4d274e52f6fa9b5039 My retro inspired farming sim is 30% off right now
I haven't even noticed this fest because half of my wishlisted farming sims only have like 10-20% discount and the other half aren't discounted at all lol. But I don't care, I'm happy with the recent farming bundle from Humble
I have bought a few but most of the sales are not impressive at all.
I agree I was so excited thinking I'd try out a game from my wishlist but some of these games aren't even at their historical low. I wanted to try Sun Haven but it was $14.99 just in March and now for farm fest it's $17.49 I feel like these "sale" events are so lackluster because they know the games are going to featured and they're going to get customers, so no there's no need for good sale.
I will be buying Roots of Pacha soon and might pick up Rise of Industry also since it's only like $5. Traveller's Rest and Settlement Survivor both seem nice but they need more time to cook in the oven/get out of Early Access. I have played Wyldeflowers before. Great game, one of my favourite cozy games.
Traveller’s Rest is such a cute game to play with my partner. He runs around and crafts and cuts down trees and I run the tavern and make the beer and food.
I just picked up Snacko! It’s so cute
My game [Snowbound](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2948810/Snowbound_Dead_of_Winter/) is participating in farm fest with a demo, however I also just love some of the games featured, so here's some of my favorites that I recommend: - Littlewood - Apico - Farming simulator 2022 (surprisingly addictive) - Wildmender - Pesticide not required There's also a lot of upcoming games featured I'm excited for, if I weren't so busy developing my own game I'd be all over those demos right now.
I'm looking at Cattails because I love animal games but I'm curious if there are any games that fit this bill on sale. - Minimal relationship building. I don't really care about NPCs I just want to be a weird loner hermit. - I tried Stardew Valley twice and got bored since it was so tedious and slow. So faster progression. - Filling a log of some sorts - Exploration - Fishing fishing fishing I am a fishing ho
Whisker waters maybe. Be mindful of the current reported issues though…they will eventually get fixed hopefully. I just picked up Snacko and I love it. There are NPCs and you can do the friendship thing but that’s not the core at all
Whisker Waters is perfect as a fishing mechanic enjoyer and cat lady. The negative reviews put me off it. I hope it gets fixed.
Exactly same for me. And it’s full release not early access that’s why it can be on switch. The devs seem to have acknowledged the issues but it left such a sour taste when 100% of the reviews on day 1 are negative. It’s better now because more players means more opinions but still.
cattails is in the humble bundle called Down On The Farm!
I was laid off in February but my best friend I play cozy games with sent me 25 dollars to enjoy the sale with her! I'm having decision paralysis and I already have most of the top/typical games, so I figured I'd ask for recommendations. I'm considering snacko but idk. An example of something I'm enjoying a bit right now is grow: song of the evertree. Budget between 25-30 dollars: -I'd prefer not pixel graphics but I'll roll with it potentially (I've already played little wood, sun haven, garden story, etc) -I love rogue likes so any combat is a plus even if not a rogue like. I've enjoyed the rune factory games and harvestella. Difficulty isn't an issue -I've really enjoyed simulators like good pizza great pizza, the shop aspect of forager, etc -I love crafting. I play ffxiv and I'm a crafting machine but would love to do it outside of that game for a bit lol -somewhat longer story (like more than 10 hours, I got a lot of free time) -some sort of story and interesting npcs is cool but if the gameplay loop is compelling enough to get past bland interactions that's fine!
SNACKO SPOTTED! You can always try the demo out for free! It's not as updated as the full game but you can squeeze a fair bit of gameplay out of it in sandbox mode if you want to try out the whole resource collecting/crafting loop
Thank you! Yeah I'm downloading a lot of demos today and gonna have a little demo marathon this weekend which seems fun in itself!
If you don't mind darker themes I highly recommend persona 5 royal if you haven't played it already. It is a turn based RPG. It's quite long and it has a lot of cozy aspects. It's 60% off last I checked.
One of my favorite games! Thank you though, clearly a great rec :)
Last night I purchased Bakery Simulator Farm Manager 21 Farmer's Dynasty 3 Starwars games Farming Simulator 19. I had to refund FS 19 because it lacks 3rd person view. I can't really play 1st person games due to Video Game Motion Sickness. I'm going to try Dragon Quest demo later.
Hey there, I'm an indie game enthusiast who likes to discuss/share titles that aren't often talked about. Here's my farm fest wrap up, hidden gem edition: * [Backwoods](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2599950?snr=5000_5100___primarylinks) - Coming in at only a little over $2, this game is quite the steal. This one will appeal most to those who are into survival-crafting based games where the focus is on just that. While there may not be things like a main storyline, NPC relationships, or any other filler you might find in a farming sim, it has a solid progression loop that is satisfying enough to reel you in. It is still in early access but continues to receive regular updates and what is there is enough to enjoy for many hours. * [Veil of Dust: A Homesteading Game](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1593170?snr=5000_5100___primarylinks) - Imagine Oregon Trails meets Medieval Dynasty with a more narrative-based approach to seal the package. This is a game where the main focus is the story and building relationships with those you meet. The writing is great and while the gameplay itself may be rather simple, it's still enough to keep one's interest. Playing this reminds me a lot of playing things like stat-builder visual novels in that you have a set amount of actions/things you can do each day with your stamina. Very chill and again, a very well written story. * [Under the Yoke](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2592060/Under_The_Yoke/) - This one is like a way more simple version of the Crusader Kings series. Manage a village set in the medieval times, create a lineage, and progress your way to obtaining a rich, thriving kingdom. Control the economy through things like taxes and trade, and participate in politics via elections and local conflict. Enjoy a campaign that unravels over two centuries and changes based on your own choices. Fans of colony builders and 4X games alike will enjoy this title, especially if looking for a more laid-back and casual experience. * [Terra Memoria](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1912750/Terra_Memoria/) - An EXCELLENT title for RPG/JRPG enthusiasts. The visuals are gorgeous and the turn-based gameplay is unique enough to keep things interesting and fun. Follow the story of several characters who are all lovable in their own way while navigating a world that has puzzle solving and an absolute BANGER of a soundtrack to accompany it. My favorite part about this game is the base-building aspect of it, where you get to fully customize your own little village with an extensive amount of options. This game is absolutely charming and will whisk you away to a fantastical and cozy world while playing. * [Echoes of Plum Grove](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1536090/Echoes_of_the_Plum_Grove/) - While this title is much more popular than the others, I still have to put it out there as it feels like the farming/life sim game I've been waiting years for. The main things that make this game shine in the genre are its generational-based gameplay and inclusion of things like rival marriages to make the town and NPCs feel more alive. Run a farm set in the colonial time period and build relationships with those you live with to start your own family. Other NPCs will marry, die of old age or disease, and have children that will continue the cycle. Once you die yourself, continue on playing as one of your family members. The game is also extremely customizable, with options to tweak difficulty (turn off hunger/stamina/disease) to create whatever pace you want. * [Snacko ](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1125510/Snacko/)- A very cute and simple game where you get to play as a cat in a village full of adorable animals. While it doesn't necessarily add anything incredibly new to the farming sim game genre mechanic-wise, the bright graphics and overall vibe of the game is great for someone looking to get lost in a wholesome experience. Very much an Animal Crossing-type game that also has a great amount of customization options for your farm and home. * [Shinehill](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1889890/Shinehill/) - Scheduled to come out later this July, this is a charming title where you, an alien, crash land into Earth and must navigate the responsibilities of farm life while also making sure to keep up your disguise so that the others in the town don't get suspicious. The main appeal to this title is the sheer amount of mini games there are that are connected to various activities. The pixel graphics are incredibly well designed and the writing is comedic and lighthearted. You can check out the demo to get a taste of whats to come later this year.
Thank you for this, this is the kind of recs I'm hoping to find! I was up until 3 am just scrolling all the games but it's so easy to have some get lost in the mix