Seeds of Calamity

I was really excited to try out this game, and was disappointed. There's certain aspects I like about it, like some controls and stuff, but overall the game feels lifeless. There's only like 5 villagers, one mine/dungeon, and a couple crops each season. I do like the fishing mechanic a lot better than Stardew though. Unfortunately though, I still can not recommend this game even after it's big 1.0 update :( I'm hoping the game continues to improve so my money wasn't wasted, but don't get your hopes up too big for this game :(.

Far, far too many bugs still not fixed, and a system that is very rough around the edges to be offered at this price. I enjoy these kinds of games, as I like to focus, but unfortunately, this game is not one I can continue.

When playing with a controller, the game constantly switches between mouse and keyboard input and back to the controller, causing brief stutters. There are no issues with the same controller in any other game. Also, works fine on Steam Deck, but on desktop - not so much.

The idea behind the game is not bad I just feel like there should be waaay more levels in the dungeon and it should be waaaay more difficult. After just the first spring season I already beat the final boss in the dungeon, I have some of my tools upgraded to the maximum, my inventory is maximum and I think I discovered all of the map (which was pretty small to begin with). Some things other story related things are still not unlocked but I think that's because they are set to unlock in later seasons. Also already during these 28 firsts spring days the game is extremely repetitive. I'd say from day 15 on all I did was going to the dungeons and sell everything I get in there to get the money to upgrade the tools. Maybe it didn't help that I set the speed of the day to 2x even though the time anyway stands still in the dungeon and when you leave it's evening so it probably didn't have that much of an impact. Also I agree with the other people in the comments that farming is not necessarry at all because the dungeon items give way more money compared to the items you're able to sell in the beginning from your crops. I did really like the asthetics of the game and that you can choose an animal that follows you around, that is very cute ^^ I also really liked that the fighting system in the dungeon is turn-based. The way the dungeon is built (that you can only exit at certain points) is also a good idea. I think the game really has a lot of potential but at it's current stage I unfortunately cannot recommend it.

Game crashed after around 17 hours of playtime, and deleted the entire save file.

Alright, well... I tried and I can't take it anymore. I even turned on a show to help me and I ended up watching the show instead. This is literally a game that's devoid of soul. A soul that's been shattered due to the need to please everyone... Amongst other things. So pick your "are you fat or not?" body type and let's get this over with. Giving credit where credit is due: Cute game. Relaxing atmosphere. Different types of crops that aren't standard. Dungeon combat. Fishing was enjoyable and the Spellbook companion. Everything else though... -> The slow movement. YES, you can increase it later... But for now you'll be slower than a zombie at this rate and this adds to the already growing boredom. -> Only 3 quest slots. Cool. I keep getting "Can't get another quest until you finish another one"... Okay then. -> There ain't no point talking to the villagers. Like at all. Unless it's for a quest. There is no gifting... No romance and nothing to make your heart flutter from that "special someone"... Making it dull and pointless. I mean... Other people pointed the other stuff out, so those are my "mini nitpicks". Except for social interactions. Guess this is a good way to say "people are boring, go farm instead". Now the rest: -> The story. The war/aftermath? I grew up with two generations of family that've lived through wars. Real wars. Do you know the most important thing, apart from food (which negates your "fat or not" body type btw) after war? Birthrates. Replacing the population. There were MASS LOSSES, right? So you need to REPOPULATE! What does this game do? There are no kids. Women are plentiful, in positions of power (because of course!) and they are more into one another than the village men. There are what... 4 guys in the village? One is an old hermit, one is married, and two... At this point the game will probably tell us that they are "hot for one another". Therefore, the conclusion to this village: [b]FAILURE[/b] Grow all the crops you want. Fish all you want. No kids? No healthy relationships? You are freaking DONE! And what about your MC/Main Character? Well... She is an "IT". EVERYONE refers to you as AN "IT". Therefore I have concluded: Your character is an alien/supernatural from another dimension that wears a human skinsuit. Alrighty then. What else? Hmm... You know... I was kind of so bored I started to think about the title of the game. "Seeds of Calamity". You are the farmer right? So you are the one sowing these seeds... Therefore... It actually makes sense. You are literally harbinger/bringer of this "doom". You are SOWING the DESTRUCTION. In that case -> There goes credit to the title. It could've been a good, cute game. It could've. But deep down, one always knows what they've done wrong. Whether they wish to acknowledge this fact or not... That's up to the individual. Yep.

What You Get: Seeds of Calamity has everything you expect for a cozy farm sim: crops, animals, fishing, crafting and a few more activities that have started to become standard in the genre, like bundles, a museum, and bug catching. In addition, it has turn-based combat dungeon delving which makes it stand out a little among other entries. Things I loved: The fishing game is more engaging than you think at first, with lures making a difference on what kind of fish you catch or the way you play the minigame. I appreciate it's more than just clicking on water and waiting. I also adore the bookshelf: you can find books that give you experience or treasure maps and it's a much better way to spend a day you have downtime rather than just sleeping through it like you might in other games. One more callout I adore is the villagers are super responsive to your overall progress. Although there's only a few villagers, I felt a lot more connected to them because they were so invested in my activities! Things I Missed: I'm always a sucker for romance, so the lack of a marriage system is always a bummer to me (but I also know how much work they take and respect the dev's choice to skip this for more gameplay and more immersive dialogue). Progress is also a little slow for my tastes, but this is made up for by accessibility options that let me change my preferred rate of play, so it's a nitpick at best. It feels worth the price point (and more so if you catch it on sale). I fully intend to spend more time in completing my farm. While it might not be a game I come back to over and over again, it's a nice, unique entry in a busy genre and it was a smooth experience with no bugs or glitches: a really big feat for a solo dev!

This is an adorably cute farming sim. There's mining, fishing, a little dungeon, bug collecting. A little bit of everything. The one thing to understand is that it's small: A small map, a small selection of crops/farm animals, a small dungeon, a small cast. But, somehow, it feels just right if you want to play a cute cozy game without feeling overwhelmed. If you go in with the expectation it'll be just like stardew in its current state, you'll be disappointed. The art style is cute, the mechanics are fun. Doing your day to day tasks feels rewarding. Leveling up gives you bonuses in various skills. The solo dev is active and responsive and is open to feedback and suggestions. There are a few cons: The two chests that connect to the workbench are limited in space. You can upgrade them, but you'll still quickly run out of space even fully upgraded. The chest you place things to sell overnight has finite room and you'll often find yourself with more things to sell than space to put things and you cannot sell directly in stores. The in-game clock is graphics only (a bar with a slider than slowly increments) so you can only guess when the time switches to each phase of day. But, these complaints are minor and might be improved in the future. Given time, I hope that Jenny (the solo dev) will continue to update and improve this game. It's worth it.