I am TOTALLY in love with this game! It is a super cute combination of Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and Palia-type games, but dare I say, Fae Farm by Phoenix Labs is even BETTER!

The graphics, colors, and characters are super cute. My character's laugh especially just has me so in love with her, and the other characters have these cute giggles as well.

When the game starts you find a message in a bottle and take off to find the sender. You get shipwrecked and wake up on the magical island of Azoria, which is surrounded by whirlpools. The mayor greets you and conveniently has a house with a farm for you, which of course, needs some work.

The Message That Started It All

The tool setup is great. It is very easy to navigate, and the system is very intuitive. Your tools automatically switch according to what you need, so whether you are chopping, digging or mining just click and the correct tool will show itself. That said, the net, fishing pole, and magic staff do have to be selected manually. One of the things I appreciated about working with the tools, is that when your energy gets low, there is a pop-up to allow you a single button press to eat something that will boost your energy level.

The inventory setup is also very well done, although I do wish that it was a little easier to stack items and rearrange your backpack. You can move things, but you can’t drag and drop, which can be a bit frustrating if you like things organized a certain way. Moving things from your backpack to home inventory is easy to do in stacks with a single click. Especially if you already have those things in the inventory, you can click a single key to move the same items over. The cooking is also straightforward and set up very well. You start out with a campfire but later can craft a beverage prep area and other food-making items.

The Adorable Floofys

The animals in the game are freaking adorable. I got myself a Chickoo and a Cottontail, and then registered them to my coop, so they know where home is. They will of course follow you if you want and love to get attention. To care for them they need fresh air, pets, brushing and food. It is set up so that it is easy to follow and make sure they are taken care of.

If you explore the map a little, you will find hot/cold areas. For example, I went for a swim and ended up in some icy water and had to get back to warmer water before I froze. From what I understand, in the summer and winter, you will get hot or cold as well, but there are drinks that you can prep so you are always prepared for that.

To start mining and fighting baddies, you have to get the key to the mine. How is it that even a dungeon can be adorable??? I don’t understand it. The music, even when there are enemies, is light and cute. The enemies are objects that were brought to life by magic. As you go through each level you find new enemies and ores to mine. You can also activate pedestals in order to keep the doors open, otherwise, you just need to find the switch that is hidden under one of the rocks. There are also teleporting pedestals around the map, which will allow you to get to key points much faster than having to walk.

Saltwater Mines

While this game is very low-stress, I can see that it is going to get more in-depth and interesting as well. Even though there are enemies to fight, even that has the ability to remain very relaxed. This might be the only downfall for some, as it might not be as intense as some would like. Either way, there is a mystery here to unlock, romances to be had, animals to breed, and adventures waiting around every corner.

There isn’t much to NOT love about this game. It has without question become my favorite farming sim game. There is always a new quest to find, and the map makes it simple to find them as well with NPC tracking and icons for available quests. You can also play with friends, which is always great and one of the reasons I love Palia so much. I didn’t get to use that feature, as I don’t know of any friends who have it…yet…but believe me, I will be harassing them until they do.

I just can’t get enough of this game, and I hope you give it a try. It definitely gets the Minx stamp of approval!