I don’t think I ever would’ve thought a farming game could’ve been fun, if I’d never gotten into the Harvest Moon series, but because I did, I wanted to offer you all the chance at grabbing these upcoming farming games in 2019.
I’ve grown a certain type of fondness for this gaming genre.
The one specific reason I’m making this post, is because I very recently came across a farming game that gives a nod to the Harvest Moon games. Just the mention of them got me pretty hyped, and the graphics of said game looked damn amazing.
I get into which game I’m talking about below.
But because I can’t make a review of it–as the game’s not out to public, I decided to make a post paying homage to this game, as well as the other upcoming farming games for 2019.
I hope you find some hidden gems that you’ll contemplate adding to your gaming library. Feel free to comment on what looks to be on your wishlist!
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Alchemy Garden
Alchemy Garden is a sandbox game that mixes gardening, alchemy and exploration mechanics. Feel free to explore this little world and find new recipes or components, brew potions and be creative designing your own garden!
The only kind of alchemical type of garden game I’ve played is Voodoo Garden, and that’s a bit of a stretch. Also, I don’t feel like I play a whole lot of sandbox games. But the graphics in Alchemy Garden have me hooked. They’re sleek and look…kind of like molded Play-Doh?
It’s also in first-person, which is sort of odd in a farming game. It’s a game-changer, I feel like.
Atomicrops
You own the last farm in the post-apocalypse wasteland, inherited from your late grandfather’s will mere moments before the surrounding countryside gets vaporized in a nuclear blast. Now as the only source of food for the local town, and constantly under threat from the local mutant wildlife, you do as any self-respecting farmer would: Farm. Marry. Kill.
Sure, most of the time in a farming simulator you build a farm and get to know the townsfolk. Make friends. Marry. Profit. Then we have Atomicrops that takes it to the next level. While most people tend to forget about the pests of the farming world, Raw Fury didn’t. You kill the pests on your farm, and voila, they become fertilizer for your future farming progress.
Autonauts
You are responsible for colonising uninhabited planets. Start from nothing and harness natural resources to build a robot empire that can be taught anything. Automation is the name of the game – progress through the technological ages, automate life itself and achieve absolute autonomy!
If you like Minecraft, then you’re almost guaranteed to like this game and its similar blocky styles.
You’re not going into this game with a town laid out for you already. Instead, it’s your job to build a colony on this uninhabited planet you’re on. It’s all on you, baby. Make everything count and build your world the way you want, and make it stand out above the rest.
Dinkum
G’Day! Get ready to start a new fair Dinkum life and build your new home out in the bush. Explore tropical eucalyptus forests, scorching deserts and cool billabongs on an Island inspired by the wild Australian outback. Take care of giant wombats, play with friends and get ready for a ripper time!
Most of the time, farming sims take place in the countryside or maybe by a waterside with a beach, which, let’s face it, it kind of makes sense as far as settings go. Who would’ve thought of a farming Sim in the Australian outback though? Just the fact that it takes place somewhere completely different than many (if not all?) the other games piques my interest even more.
Think of the wildlife you’ll get to encounter.
Doraemon: Story of Seasons
After planting a mysterious seed found by Nobita, Doraemon and friends are transported to another world, into a place called Shizen Town. During the process, Doraemon lost most of his secret gadgets that will help them to return. In the end, they decided to stay in Shizen Town while trying to find a way to get back to their original world. Lunch, a Shizen Town resident, lends Nobita a farm in town for him to stay.
I’ve never heard of Doraemon, but it’s coming to Nintendo Switch this year, but it’ll be in Southeast Asia. Still, I wanted to give it a shout-out in this post, despite not yet coming to the US.
It’ll be a cross between Doraemon and Harvest Moon. I think the cartoon style of the characters are adorable and reminiscent of old, old TV shows. It looks like on top of our regular farming life, we’ll also have a set of secret gadgets, courtesy of the crossover.
Farm Folks
A farming simulator/RPG with a nod to the classic Harvest Moon series. Grow crops, raise livestock, build relationships, go on adventures, and more!
Remember me going on about a game I’d spotted out from the crowd during the first few paragraphs of this post? Well, look no further, because here it is. The graphics and animations they’ve done for this game (so far) is incredibly fun and adorable.
Farm Folks is currently available in Pre-Alpha on their website and because the game intrigued me so much, I went ahead and bought it. There’s something really amazing about watching a game build up from the beginning to actual release and being a part of a group that points out bugs and makes suggestions.
Farm Folks was also mentioned in my post Weekly Indie Games of August 3rd 2019, if you want to check that out.
Farming Life
Grow your own farm. Plant vegetables and fruits, harvest crops, employ workers, take care of animals. Buy farm equipment and relax!
I like the darker graphical kind of style this game. It’s not terribly bright and happy like a lot of the farming sims–though I’m not saying it’s dark and gritty and unhappy in any way. I feel like it’ll be easier on my eyes if I play it.
On another note, most equipment you use in these games are the basics. But in this game it looks like you can use actual farming equipment. Not just a hoe or a pickaxe or the lot. Not only that, but there’s a much more diverse animal supply for you–including geese, ostriches, rabbits, and more.
Harvest Moon: Mad Dash
Harvest Moon: Mad Dash is a color matching puzzle game. When you start a level, the puzzle field will be littered with two or more different types of crops. These crops will either be by themselves or linked with one or more crops. The object is to combine these crops into squares, at which point they blossom and become bigger crops. Combine those crops to make even bigger squares and you’ll end up with fully ripened crops ready to be harvested. The levels will be presented with their own unique challenges and goals.
– Harvest Moon Wiki
Now this is an interesting concept for Harvest Moon: a time management game, if I’m not mistaken, that deals with matching colors on a farming playing field. I’ve played these games before–mainly on my iphone–but hey, a PC version of this style of game featuring one of my favorite gaming series?
This should be good.
Homestead
You move to the lovely Layala Valley, but quickly find things amiss. Crops don’t grow, people don’t speak, and areas of the town are blocked off. Maybe you can find out what has happened to Layala, and bring the town back to life!
Sure, the style of Homestead is simplistic, but sometimes simplistic games are some of the best. It’s these types of games that remind you fancy graphics and killer gameplay tactics aren’t needed for a bestseller.
I’m hoping Homestead becomes one, because it’s up to you to figure out what’s wrong with the town and its current residents.
Mendel’s Garden
Mendel’s Garden is a gardening game inspired by classical genetics. You explore mysterious gardens, harvest and grow exotic plants and craft useful items from them. Items you can use to venture deeper into this world.
I almost passed this game up, but once I saw it featured harvesting and growing crops, I had to add it onto the list of upcoming farming games. It’s so different compared to the others. Simplistic, but not overly so. Block-textured graphics, but it’s not quite Minecraft relatable. Maybe a miniature Lego set?
I don’t know.
Mix and match plants with different traits. Traverse mazes. Stumble upon secrets and mysteries.
Re:Legend
Adventure with friends in a beautiful world of wonder and fantastic creatures. Build, craft, farm, fish and raise and breed amazing pet companions!
This game is available! coming out soon, soon, soon as of this post and I absolutely believe you should purchase it because damn does it look fun with a twist on the farming life. It’s got a certain blend of both Pokemon/Digimon and Harvest Moon going for it, and there’s even a multiplayer concept. The monsters alone makes this farming sim stand out, and I look forward to my own chance at playing it.
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin
Players take on the role of Sakuna, a proud yet lonely harvest goddess who is banished to a dangerous island with a group of outcast humans. As she tames the island by defeating demons in gorgeous, mysterious natural settings, she will also find a home in a mountain village, proving herself worthy of her title by harvesting rice and bettering the lives of humans.
I was on the borderline of wondering if I should add this to the upcoming farming game list, and finally decided to plop it in here. It’s not your typical farming sim. It’s a side-scrolling action game with farming tools as weapons. It pays homage to Japanese mythology apparently (which is really cool), and you also need to prove your worth to the fellow townsfolk.
Think you can handle all that?
Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town
Originally released for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance in 2003, STORY OF SEASONS: Friends of Mineral Town is a complete remake that will let series fans revisit the charming world of Mineral Town, while also introducing it to a new generation of farmers. In this peaceful setting, players will grow crops, take care of animals, and build relationships with villagers.
Okay, because I didn’t know, Story of Seasons is the series for Harvest Moon, I guess. This is just a simple remake for people who play the Nintendo Switch, and the 2019 release is actually going to be launching in Japan first, before the US. Sorry to the US citizens; it’s a bummer. But even with it being in Japan, I wanted to let people know.
Y’know, just in case you still wanted it.
Stranded Sails – Explorers of the Cursed Island
It’s also available on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4
Stranded Sails is an open world exploration farming adventure full of discoveries and quests! Along with your crew you are ship-wrecked on a mysterious archipelago. Now it’s up to you to secure your survival and solve the mysteries deep in the heart of the islands – and finally escape.
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This game is coming to a whole lot of platforms, and I’m sure console players are thrilled, because the game looks adorably complex, without being overwhelmingly so. It’s an open world, you’ve got quests, you’ve got monsters to battle, you can farm, you can cook. In the end, it’s all about survival.
Windy Kingdom
This is a Sandbox game project, the simulation farm combined with defense is inspired by “Harvest moon” and “Plant vs zombie”. The gameplay of Windykingdom in the top-down perspective, Player will play a character from the future and is trying to survive in a kingdom full of women and monsters.
A kingdom full of women and monsters? Hm…are the monsters men?
Just kidding.
Like Farming Life, this one looks to have darker graphics. Again, this pleases me if that’s the case. If not, that’s fine as well.
I enjoy the idea of a mysterious disappearance of the men, and then the sudden over-abundance of monsters. And then there’s talk of an archaeologist getting caught up in a time portal, after overlooking the downfall of the kingdom? That means it’s up to you to not let the downfall happen, right?
Chop to it. (Pun intended.)
Can you tell that a lot of these games are inspired by Harvest Moon? And my gosh, I wish every single one of them the best of luck in standing up to their own personal hype.