A pet peeve of mine in any farming sim is juggling between multiple tools in quick succession. You have to clear the ground, till the soil, plant the seeds, and then water the saplings. While I realise one tool couldn’t possibly encompass all of this, it gets tedious when you’re flipping in and out of inventories or blitzing through buttons to find the tool you need.
Fae Farmsolves this issue by having your character automatically equip the required tool based on the task you’re trying to perform. It’s bliss. Granted, it only works on farm tools, so you still have to swap manually between your fishing rod, net, or staff, but it makes a world of difference when getting down and dirty doing yard work.
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This was far from the only thing that impressed me in my time with this adorable little farming sim. Fae Farm takes aspects from many of my favourite games, such as Story of Seasons, Animal Crossing, and Fantasy Life, and blends them into a magical mix of life sim, farming sim, and RPG goodness.
The character creator is extensive, more so than in most games like this. There are so many shades of colour available for skin and hair, your eyebrows can be a different colour from your hair, each eye can be a different colour, and that’s in addition to picking the way each feature looks, your voice, and your pronouns.
The characters have a quirky, cute aesthetic that I fell in love with immediately. Their rounded heads, thin necks, small eyes, and little mouths halfway up their faces remind me of Adventure Time’s Princess Bubblegum and Marceline. While some of the villagers you meet look quite human, others are very fae-like with wings, pointed ears, and purple skin. I know I will find a Marceline lookalike and romance the pants off her.
You’ve got all the usual features of farming sims that we know and love — seasons, crops, animal care, machinery, crafting, and all the trimmings you could wish for on a customisable farmstead that expands as you progress. In addition to more normal-looking cattle, there are weird and wonderful magical creatures to care for, and on top of your usual crafting, forging, and cooking, you can also do more magical shenanigans like brewing potions in your cauldron.
Farming sims run the risk of being too basic, but Fae Farm ensures that there’s enough to sink your teeth into. As part of the preview, I checked out a mid-game save where the farmstead has endless machines, workstations, pastures, and crops to get your head around.
One of my favourite aspects of the game was the critter catching and fishing. Think Animal Crossing, but as well as butterflies and hermit crabs, you’re catching little will-o-the-wisp-like creatures too. It’s not as simple as catching whatever you like, though, as some fish and critters will elude you until you level up and get better tools.
There are conservatories where you can place the critters and fae creatures you catch. Ever the collector, I loved the idea of showcasing my creatures somewhere, but any placed in a conservatory will disappear after a while, and they don’t return to your inventory either. You’ll get a little gift in return, but I was hoping for more of a display feature.
You’ll be exploring various dungeons in Fae Farm, and you can attack enemies with spells or simply whack them with your staff. The combat is simple enough, and you don’t have to invest too much into it if you don’t want to. You can avoid battling it out with monsters by using invisibility potions instead, allowing you to find your precious resources from the dungeon’s depths in peace.
Exploring is key within the game, as rooting around — even if it’s just around town — can reward you with new recipes, critters, and uncovering a new quest or two. Your character will unlock Skill Perks and special traits that help them in their adventures. For example, getting the fairy wings will allow you to double jump, making traversing the island a lot easier.
I only had a short time with Fae Farm, but I’m already eager to return to the world of Azoria as I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of everything it has to offer. It’s one of those games that I can foresee losing countless hours to, tending to my fae garden, caring for my magical beasts, and designing a cosy little home for my character.
Fae Farm will launch on July 18, 2025 for Nintendo Switch and PC.
