Fae Farmis a Switch-exclusive title announced during today’s Nintendo Direct by Phoenix Labs. The game is quite different fromPhoenix Labs' other title,Dauntless, being a farming-sim RPG with added fantasy flavor. It is currently slotted to come out in spring 2023.
Like every newly announced farming sim,Fae Farmis already being compared toStardew Valley,which has become one of the most popular farming titles on the market. There are some similarities when it comes to farming, fishing, and mining, but the trailer also showed some key differences that setFae Farmapart. Most notably,Fae Farmwill let the player really lean into magic.
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What Has Been Revealed about Fae Farm
One to four players can playFae Farmtogether, locally or online, and it may work likeStardew Valley’smultiplayer where users can work on a shared farm together. Another possibility is themultiplayer will work more likeAnimal Crossing, where players can visit each other’s islands. The game takes place in a world called Azoria, which looks to be a magical island with a little port town.
Fae Farmwill have players tend crops, craft items, and raise animals, but due to its fantasy setting, there may be some interesting goods that do not exist in other farming sims. Additionally,likeStardew Valleythere are social aspectstoFae Farm. Azoria will have a town with residents that players can befriend, and these NPCs will also be quest givers that people will learn more about as time goes on.
Exploration looks to be another key part of the game, with a notably magical wilderness that requires magic to traverse through. The wilderness has enemies with designs ranging from statues to musical instruments that come to life. Along with the themes of magic, there also appears to be characters with fairy wings. Customization also will be an element of the gameplay as the player will create their own character and collect decorations for their house.
Last but not least, the game appears to have an overarching storyline.Fae Farm’swebsite says Azoria has secrets to uncover, particularly related to a calamity that divided humans and elves. That hints at the possibility of other fantasy races, or that some NPCs could be elves.
A Closer Look Into Fae Farm’s Trailer
When focusing on what characters are doing, it looks like people can go boating, swimming, fishing, chop down trees and grass, water and harvest plants, mine rocks, collect seashells, build their farm, decorate their house, jump into dungeons, and cast spells. In the town center, there appears to be open shops with different items like vegetables, seeds, books, and fish. Chickens are present in the trailer, so they will likely befarm animalsto take care of.
LikeStardew Valley, Fae Farm’strailer showed night and daytime zones, and hints that the player will have an energy meter. The furniture shown has a more magical aesthetic than other farming simulations, as furnishings included a jellyfish lamp, a dragon fountain, colorful pillows, and book piles. Lastly, the trailer shows what looks like a lava dungeon, ruins, and an area with floating islands, so the magical wilds may be more diverse than they seem.
What Is Still Unknown about Fae Farm
Due to all itssimilarities withStardew Valley, there is the unanswered question of whether NPCs can be romanced or married inFae Farm. No named characters have yet been revealed, and players are already setting high expectations for taking care of magical creatures, but no farm animals have been unveiled except for chickens.
The game is set to launch spring of next year, so a lot more can be announced over time. While there are a lot of farming simulations out there,Fae Farmhas done its work to set itself apart through narrative and aesthetics. It seems the gaming industry at large is not getting tired offarming simulationsanytime soon.
Fae Farmis scheduled to release in spring 2023 for Nintendo Switch.
