Fields of Mistria

Play it on: PC (early access)
Buy it from: Steam
Current goal: See if this Stardew Valley competitor has got chops

I keep hearing about this freaking game, so I think it’s time I just play it. I’m not really one to play a farming game—having bounced off of Stardew Valley a number of times despite enjoying myself—but maybe Fields of Mistria will be the one that makes me stick with the genre. I think if it manages that feat, it’ll be because of the strength of its gameplay and art style. I’ve grown a bit tired of the pixelated look of games like Stardew, which certainly hasn’t helped its case, but I also never really loved the loop of it either. It isn’t that it feels bad, but rather that it feels uneven. Farming appropriately feels like busywork, and I’ve been hooked by its fishing mini-game, but whenever I had to go into the mines to dig and get into some combat, it felt shallow.

That doesn’t appear to be the case for Fields of Mistria, which looks to boast more in the way of tailored dungeons and involved combat mechanics. Aesthetically and mechanically, it seems way closer to a classic Zelda title, and that’s doing a lot to muster excitement from me. Now, if I can just make it to the point where the daily rhythm of activities feels like second nature, I might just find the first cozy farming game outside of Animal Crossing to make a lasting impression. —Moises Taveras