My demo notes just say "AAAWWWWW, I wish I could wishlist it harder". The full version is very much like the demo. I don't know if I'd call it a management game, more like... story-based exploration with light quests and simple gardening and crafting? In any case it's super wholesome and one of the loveliest games I've played.

I found it easy to get into, and engaging without being super addictive. I adore the design of the biomes, and seeing them change and thrive while you clean up and plant is so satisfying. The soundscape with different themes and ambient sounds for the different areas is fantastic too. It all made the planet believable and immersive as a distinct place, rather than just generically "alien".

Dialogues aren't super deep, but often funny and make the NPCs feel like more than random quest dispensers. Visual and sound design might have been the higher priority, but there is a solid story with a few twists. The light-hearted focus on sustainability and community made me think "Solarpunk for aliens".

Unlike most "cozy" games these days, this one is 100% kind to all beings and didn't jump onto the big fishing and bug-catching bandwagon. There are adorable small animals that appear as you restore the land and that you can pet, and larger animals that you can heal AND pet. There's cooking with various plant-based ingredients and without the usual minigame - there's a short timer, but you can do other stuff while an NPC cooks for you and it's mostly optional anyway.

It can be a bit tedious and grindy to navigate and plant, but I found that the beautiful landscapes and lovely chill music still made it quite pleasant for the most part. This is an excellent game if you like to just wander aimlessly and see what you can find, not so nice if you want to be efficient and goal-oriented. I did get frustrated on some occasions, but mostly while trying to 100% the game with bugs that have (mostly?) been fixed now.
-By the way: it took me a leisurely 12 hours to complete the main story. Some of the rest was idling, trying to figure out bugs and trying to take the prettiest screenshots.
The map still leaves much to be desired. Lighting is sometimes off... There are a lot of small things that could be better, but the vibe is impeccable.

Overall a new fave and warmly recommended. I'm still expecting some highlights from my wishlist, but other devs would have to work very hard to get this one out of my Top 5 for 2024.

Linux note: unlike the demo, the full game did not start on my Mint system, though I didn't try any tweaks.

* * *

If you like chill and story-driven games, check out my curator Peaceful Adventures and Stories. You're also welcome to join the group.

My demo notes just say "AAAWWWWW, I wish I could wishlist it harder". The full version is very much like the demo. I don't know if I'd call it a management game, more like... story-based exploration with light quests and simple gardening and crafting? In any case it's super wholesome and one of the loveliest games I've played. I found it easy to get into, and engaging without being super addictive. I adore the design of the biomes, and seeing them change and thrive while you clean up and plant is so satisfying. The soundscape with different themes and ambient sounds for the different areas is fantastic too. It all made the planet believable and immersive as a distinct place, rather than just generically "alien". Dialogues aren't super deep, but often funny and make the NPCs feel like more than random quest dispensers. Visual and sound design might have been the higher priority, but there is a solid story with a few twists. The light-hearted focus on sustainability and community made me think "Solarpunk for aliens". Unlike most "cozy" games these days, this one is 100% kind to all beings and didn't jump onto the big fishing and bug-catching bandwagon. There are adorable small animals that appear as you restore the land and that you can pet, and larger animals that you can heal AND pet. There's cooking with various plant-based ingredients and without the usual minigame - there's a short timer, but you can do other stuff while an NPC cooks for you and it's mostly optional anyway. It can be a bit tedious and grindy to navigate and plant, but I found that the beautiful landscapes and lovely chill music still made it quite pleasant for the most part. This is an excellent game if you like to just wander aimlessly and see what you can find, not so nice if you want to be efficient and goal-oriented. I did get frustrated on some occasions, but mostly while trying to 100% the game with bugs that have (mostly?) been fixed now. -By the way: it took me a leisurely 12 hours to complete the main story. Some of the rest was idling, trying to figure out bugs and trying to take the prettiest screenshots. The map still leaves much to be desired. Lighting is sometimes off... There are a lot of small things that could be better, but the vibe is impeccable. Overall a new fave and warmly recommended. I'm still expecting some highlights from my wishlist, but other devs would have to work very hard to get this one out of my Top 5 for 2024. [i]Linux note: unlike the demo, the full game did not start on my Mint system, though I didn't try any tweaks.[/i] * * * If you like chill and story-driven games, check out my curator [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/35872486]Peaceful Adventures and Stories[/url]. You're also welcome to join the [url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/chilladventures]group[/url].