Developed in the creative forges of Phoenix Labs, Fae Farm is now available on PC (via Steam and Epic Games Store) and Nintendo Switch. This colorful life sim adventure presents itself as a pleasant pastime for players looking for a relaxing experience, with fairy-tale atmospheres and accessible gameplay. A series of features which, combined with the inclusion of a cooperative multiplayer section in the title, make the production perfect for family fun. For mothers and fathers of budding little gamers, Fae Farm could represent a real moment of sharing.
A welcoming magical world
One of the aspects that most positively struck us is the attention given by the title to the theme of diversity. The character editor offers a wide range of options to give life to your identity as a young explorer. Even the variety of NPCs present on the island of Azoria seems designed specifically to make all visitors feel welcomed and at ease. An always appreciable feature, especially in a title that also aims to appeal to the younger ones.
Budding gamers can find a fairy-tale environment in Fae Farm, in which they can give free rein to their creativity, between cultivating fields, building home furnishings, fishing or preparing delicacies. As demonstrated by the PEGI 7 assigned to the game, the experience does not include forms of explicit violence, although without giving up challenges and adventure.
In particular, the protagonist of the life simulator is called to assist citizens in the face of the emergence of strange magical phenomena, including enchanted brambles, whirlpools that prevent navigation of the seas, strange pools of darkness that contaminate natural scenarios. Inside the dungeons scattered across the island, there are also the Guazzabugli, funny and mischievous spirits who enjoy hindering our hero’s progress.
Between one mission and another, players can decide to take care of the fantastic creatures that populate the island, including colorful and imaginative reinterpretations of cows, rabbits or chickens. The entire constellation of farm animals is ready to find asylum in the protagonist’s stable, as long as they are well fed, pampered and able to graze in the open air. Even the smallest creatures, such as ladybugs, butterflies, fireflies or frogs, are ready to make our day more lively, but they must be released into a well-kept miniature garden. In Fae Farm there is a fairy world with extensive but not endless boundaries, in which exploration, adventure and agriculture join forces in an extremely accessible playful mix. The control system of the title is in fact very simple, while the logic that regulates the life and farming simulator aspects – as also highlighted in our review of Fae Farm – are rather essential. Features which on the one hand make Azoria a less attractive destination for savvy senior players looking for a deep or challenging experience, but which on the other open the doors of the genre to users looking for a relaxing pastime or to small video game adventurers in grass.
An adventure to share
As highlighted at the beginning, the fantasy scenarios of Fae Farm can be explored both alone and in company. The entire story created by Phoenix Labs can in fact be followed by up to four players, with support for both online multiplayer and a local experience on multiple hardware. The title therefore does not host split-screen multiplayer features, but sharing the experience is encouraged by cross-play support, which makes interaction between PC users and Nintendo Switch possible.
Through the multiplayer features, each user can invite anyone who owns a copy of Fae Farm to come to their farmhouse. Once landed on Azoria, visitors will be able to join forces with the local hero, both to tackle the main missions and to try their hand at harvesting, exploration or farm management activities. Obviously there is also space for the care of the magical creatures that populate the island, as well as for the customization activities of the player’s home. We would also like to point out that the multiple save options allow you to share the adventure with multiple groups.
In closing, please know that Azoria’s borders are set to expand over time. The development team has in fact already confirmed that it has a full post-launch support calendar planned. The latter involves the distribution of two large expansions, which will be published between December 2023 and June next year.
The DLC will introduce new areas to explore in Fae Farm, populated by additional creatures and citizens. There is also room for new quests, crops and magic with which to expand your arsenal as peasant fighters. In this regard, the two expansions can be downloaded for free on Nintendo Switch from the moment of launch. On PC, however, the use of the DLC is linked to the purchase of the Deluxe Edition of Fae Farm.
