Fields of Mistria

It's a cozy game until you head to the mines

I think in a lot of ways this 'cozy game' falls in line with a lot of the others. Animal Crossing style fishing & bug catching. Stardew Valley mines. Seeing these kinds of things can kind of put you off playing seemingly the same game again. However, where this game differs makes it really stand out. Biggest thing is the characters. They start out a bit too friendly. Very few real people act like golden retrievers when you first meet them. However, as the game goes on and you have more moments with them, these moments very earned and precious. Never really cared about characters in the other games (most feel one note), so this was a big plus for me. Pacing of days & money making is also a cool distinction. The days are short, so everything just has you running around a little quickly, which I like. The best way to make money is actually to combine everything that you've found and make products to sell, versus other games like this where there is clearly an optimal crop/animal/bug to make a fortune off of. This makes (almost) everything you do feel valuable, as it will help you make SOMETHING to make you rich. Consequence of this is you might hoard a lot, but I think the trade off is worth it. If you like 'cozy games' and you want more, then this will definitely scratch that itch.

Loving it

can't decide whether I want a massive beefy daddy hayden or a magnificent out of this world ryis

The aesthetics remind me of the much older Harvest Moon games :) The emotive sprites are cute as hell haha <3

This game has everything that Stardew doesnt: freedom of movement during festivals, cute animals, magic... I have played the game since the beta release and I am in love. I am also veey excited for the steam achievements, because I love collecting achievements, and I also have to mention that all the bachelors and bachelorettes are hot. 10/10

I'll address the biggest point right off: It's Stardew Valley Plus. It really is - To a point where it's sometime really on the nose. That being said, it's a fantastic game. It takes everything great in Stardew and builds on it. I like the visual style more than I liked SDV. The relationships with the villagers feel more real and deep. And some core mechanics are better here. 10/10, must purchase.

Things I love about this game: + The variety of animals and coats they can have + Decorations are cute and there's lots of them (not *only* cute as well) + Different activities and tools related to them, like cooking is it's own skill, as well as ranching and woodworking + Dating mechanics are adorable Things I don't like: - Mining and mines are too important for the main plot of the game. What was worse, mining and reaching the bottom was the needed in order to get married. Why?! - The main story was not for me in general. - Most characters don't have cutscenes and you don't really get to know them that well. - On the same note, date/marriage options are written... well, not equal. Some get a lot of attention and you get to know their background etc. while others have very little personal info about them. I don't choose based on looks in these kinds of games, so it's WAY harder to figure out who I would actually like based on their heart scenes. - I get stuck on items or edges of land often. In order to move away, either jumping or turning or both are needed to "unstuck"