Veil of Dust: A Homesteading Game

This game is simplistic on the surface, but underneath the sepia-toned hood, the writing for the characters, the storyline, the crafting mechanics and the homesteading experience are really well-done. The music is very calming when things are good, and that makes the darkness that creeps in around the corners that much more foreboding when it hits. Great replayability and looking forward to any future updates/dlc in the future!

Really clunky. Didn't realize how mouse-heavy the game is. Not good for trackpad players. Constantly sleeping on accident instead of talking to sibling. The idea is cool but the execution is super messy.

I love this game! I've been looking for a homesteading/old west type game for a long time and this fits the bill. I normally hate having to repeat the same quest endless times, so I was expecting the worst, but this game doesn't make you feel repetitive. Every day has some standard daily tasks as well as exploration (I've only played Aine so far), on top of searching for plants, animals, and "people" to talk to. I like how they built the "relationships" with the NPCs so it's about all types of relationships (sibling, exploring to find animals, etc). I was immediately engrossed in the story and the strategy, and quickly found I had to start saving up stamina & time, to choose what I could do that day...otherwise I'd end up quickly finding myself in serious trouble. I can't wait to get on and play some more! I only wish I could physically sit at my computer longer to play more in one sitting.

SO glad this was featured in the farm fest steam premiere. This game had me blushin, kickin my legs but also bawling my eyes out. The writing is fantastic--a perfect blend of cheeky, feel good romancey, and a VERY good capture of grief and sorrow. The way the relationship between the two siblings is captured is so pure and wholesome, and there are many moments that serve as wonderful reminders for your own self that while life can be extremely grueling and challenging, there are always things worth living and fighting for. If you are someone who enjoys visual novels or short stories, this game is a must play. The gameplay itself serves its purpose as keeping you more "actively" engaged, and while it may be grindy at times, it never felt intrusive or like it was hindering the real star of the show (the story) from coming through. If you've ever played visual novels with stat-building mechanics, this will feel quite similar to that with a bit of a farming sim twist. It also has some great replay value via having different romance storylines to pursue on top of the ability to play as the sister or the brother, both with different experiences of the story. 100% hope this game gets more attention, as it has definitely put Calamity Bay on my list for studios to keep watch on.

This is a story-driven survival/farming craft game done right.

I really liked the game play loop in the demo, so I bought the game. I played as Aine first, and I haven't played as Shane yet, but I can say from seeing parts of Shane's game play that it definitely makes you feel how empty and mundane Aine's life is. You'll spend a lot of time looking just looking at desert and scrubby little plants while you go about your chores and other tasks, and finally having someone to talk to besides Shane, an owl and a coyote is a genuine relief. Because Aine doesn't get to have much interaction with others, I was disappointed in the romance system locking you out of getting to know the other characters; once you choose someone to commit to, your relationship with the others can never advance, and you won't be able to have any meaningful conversation with them anymore. That takes away a lot of incentive to continue playing the game after the story is done, because the world immediately becomes stagnant. There are no significant conversations you can have with Shane or your spouse either, so the most you can really do post story is just fully upgrade the homestead if you haven't already done that earlier in the game. Personally this is the weakest point of the game for me, because the story and overall writing is otherwise pretty strong. But if we can't advance any kind of friendship with the other people around us after the main story is over, I would have preferred if the game simply ended after the main story. As it is, the story just kind of trails off and leads us into a bare bones homestead management game. That being said, I'm still interested in playing the game through Shane's point of view, and I like the game play and story enough to take advantage of that built in replay value. There's just not much reason to play the game post story.

Simple and sweet, but with very serious depths. It's easy to stop after the first playthrough - like a few hours - but it's also possible to rerun repeatedly for the sake of all the different story arcs you gain through the relationships.

Veil of Dust is SO well done. It has so many enjoyable elements - farm sim, crafting, survival and stat-managing, matchmaking, exploring...but the thing that makes it stand out among its peers in the quality of the writing. The main storyline between the siblings is incredible. Moving, nuanced, and two different ways to experience the storyline, which gives extra insight into each character. The romances have some of the strongest, most realistic dialogue and character arcs I've ever seen in the genre. Everything feels authentic and earned and is absolutely adorable. If that wasn't enough, the replay value is high, which is a huge plus. I'm so glad this game exists, and I look forward to whatever else Calamity Bay Games does in the future.