The cosy game genre is a force that is built off the likes of Harvest Moon, Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley – titles that can essentially go on forever and provide minimal stress or urgency outside of timed quests and the daily cycle. Farlands is the latest release in the genre, using a space setting as its point of difference alongside a popping colour-palette and planet-hopping functions for quick navigation through a range of biomes. As the protagonist, you purchase a planet and its farmland from a shady character and begin in familiar territory if you’ve ever played a farming sim (which is basically exiting the door to an expanse of shrub, fallen logs, rocks and debris). Farlands has romance options, plenty of planets to explore and interesting story points across its three yearly seasons of warm, cold and temperate. It does not hold the complexity of some of the other games mentioned, but it also doesn’t need to as the alien races and space harvests add a layer of originality to a tried-and-true formula. Is there enough here for it to be your next cosy obsession? Read on.
When I booted up the game on Switch 2 (playing this on handheld is the ideal choice) I had the chance to choose the colours of my character and name my planet. Pixelated cut scenes navigate from this creation to your purchase of the plot of land, and soon day 1 begins with a handful of tools and the open fields (the splash of pink really delivers here). I spent day 1 cutting, slashing and picking to both clear the area and also to gain resources as I knew they would be necessary for progression soon enough. I fixed my cat robot friend, met some traders that landed on my planet and found my first seeds to plant – aware this would be my main profit maker. Having so many hours in Stardew meant I was competent enough on the first few days and sorted out the crafting process, but by day 3 (and with no clear option in how to sell produce to make a profit) I entered my spaceship and travelled to the closest planet. This provided a crash course in fuel cells, which you need to travel between planets. Time (again, operates like most farming sims and you’ll need to sleep when tiredness sets in at the deadline of midnight) moved forward further than I expected when exiting the ship on the first new planet, but further story and the meeting of characters was clearly essential.
Once your selling of items is set and the general narrative is clear, the game becomes a rhythm of the cosy expectation. I focused on planting as many seeds as possible (you need to be aware of the climate for best results) and started to purchase better tools and decorative options. A fishing rod and bug catcher add other methods of profit, while your increasing of fuel cells allows for more distance in travel. The gameplay loop is fast and rewarding, saving each time you sleep, and I never really felt like time worked against me (Stardew was much more stressful in this regard). It is also worth noting that the game doesn’t really hold your hand. Sure, you’ll receive mail when you wake up if there’s a festival happening on a planet or if your mother wants to fill you in on dad’s antics elsewhere, but there were many days where I wondered if I should farm, travel, build or explore. This can make you ponder if you’re missing something, but the calendar continues to churn and you’re not really at a loss.
Your own planet starts off quite lonely, though other planets have plenty of people to chat to, flirt with and by goodies from. Each of these characters has a personality that needs to be kept in check if you want to progress. Early on, you’ll meet a mayor of a planet and he’ll let you know about a portal that takes you to aliens seeking a single item of reach resource, fish, bug, etc. When you find something new, you’ll essentially have the option to provide it to these aliens for their museum (which includes rewards), sell it for profit or use it for another means. The alien museum provides a collect-a-thon that also serves as an intriguing sub-plot to your general farming and enhancement of your planet. In any farming/life sim, I often prioritise my profit options first as this allows the opportunity to move closer to streamlining money. Each planet has its own resources, meaning travel and exploration are essential for crafting certain tools, recipes and decorations. Though this hinges on the fuel cell system.
Space travel is not often a focus in these types of games, but management of vehicles is usually there. In Farlands, you begin with a run-down ship that has two fuel cell slots. The further a planet, the more slots it will consume. Therefore, initially, you can only travel to the close planets. Restoring your fuel cells is achieved through a processor that absorbs basically anything – as long as you have enough of it. This is where my early chopping and cutting came in handy, adding hundreds of logs to fill that meter. Resource management becomes a focus, though you have limited slots and need to install a nifty set of chests to store gear that isn’t needed at all times. It is through these types of functions that I see depth in Farlands. Swapping out the general tomatoes and carrots for extravagant produce on these faraway planets adds a bit of wacky, which becomes the game’s signature.
Performance overall is solid, though this type of game is never going to push the limits of the hardware. I believe the game is a Switch game with no Switch 2 upgrade. Still, playing through is similar to any 2D farming game, inclusive of boppy soundtrack. The winning factor here is clearly the colour palette. Rather than being stuck with the general greens and browns of your every-farm, the home planet is a splash of purples and pinks. Decorations are not limited to those from the real world, and the character sprites move through all different types of alien races. Exploring really is a joy.
Farlands is an addictive farming/life sim that will not be foreign to those well versed in the genre. Its strength is the planet focus, allowing for expressive originality and creativity. The early days can be slow, but there is always something to do or explore across its planets. This is highly recommended for anyone seeking a cosy space adventure with a plot to call your own.
Pros
- Setting and colour palette
- Creative spin on a familiar genre
Cons
- Can be slow in progression
- Has a ceiling that may become repetitive
