I love nothing more than settling down on a cold autumn evening to play a cosy farming sim. I have logged more hours inStardew Valleythan is healthy, formed a deep connection withSlime Rancher, and recently lost myself to the charms ofFae Farm.The farming genre is, however, a deeply crowded market these days - so much so that it can be hard to separate the good from the bad. Which games are uninspiredHarvest Moonclones, and which genuinely have something new to bring to table?Lightyear Frontier, I’m delighted to say, falls into the latter camp.Lightyear Frontiersells itself as “a peaceful open-world farming adventure on a planet at the far edge of the galaxy.” You create an intergalactic outpost on a serene planet and learn to become self sustainable. The dream, I think we can all agree.AdvertThe general loop is largely familiar, in that you explore various biomes for resources, grow crops, and then sell those crops to buy upgrades that lead to better resources and more varied crops. It’s that pleasingly relaxing kind of gameplay that allows you to crawl under a blanket at the end of a long day with a cup of green tea and, to an extent, switch your brain off and give in to its chill rhythm.WhereLightyear Frontiersets itself apart from yourStardew ValleysandRune Factoriesis that the ultimate goal is to stop farming. I don’t mean that you’re constantly working towards a point where you can stop playing the game, rather as you build and develop your farm it eventually sustains itself while you focus on new - and hopefully bigger - ways of making money.Another fun aspect ofLightyear Frontieris that it manages to blend FPS gameplay with farming. It’s not every day you get to fire what looks like a weapon to create life, and it’s a fun twist that further sets this adventure apart from the pack.To plant seeds or water crops, you aim down your sights and fire away. It’s fun, and pleasingly refreshing in a way I didn’t really expect. Exactly how long this approach remains a novelty remains to be seen, but I really do dig the idea of a game that takes the aesthetic of an FPS - traditionally a violent genre - and marries it with the gentler farming sim. I guessSlime Rancherdid this to an extent, but it certainly feels more overt here.AdvertAny farming game lives and dies on just how long it can sustain its core gameplay loop without you getting bored or running out of new things to discover. On the face of it, it looks likeLightyear Frontierhas plenty to see and do. The multiplayer should also help extend the game’s life somewhat. Overall, if it can keep things interesting over multiple seasons then we could be looking at yet another farming game I’m prepared to lose myself too. I can’t wait.Featured Image Credit: Frame BeakTopics:Indie Games
I love nothing more than settling down on a cold autumn evening to play a cosy farming sim. I have logged more hours inStardew Valleythan is healthy, formed a deep connection withSlime Rancher, and recently lost myself to the charms ofFae Farm.The farming genre is, however, a deeply crowded market these days - so much so that it can be hard to separate the good from the bad. Which games are uninspiredHarvest Moonclones, and which genuinely have something new to bring to table?Lightyear Frontier, I’m delighted to say, falls into the latter camp.Lightyear Frontiersells itself as “a peaceful open-world farming adventure on a planet at the far edge of the galaxy.” You create an intergalactic outpost on a serene planet and learn to become self sustainable. The dream, I think we can all agree.AdvertThe general loop is largely familiar, in that you explore various biomes for resources, grow crops, and then sell those crops to buy upgrades that lead to better resources and more varied crops. It’s that pleasingly relaxing kind of gameplay that allows you to crawl under a blanket at the end of a long day with a cup of green tea and, to an extent, switch your brain off and give in to its chill rhythm.WhereLightyear Frontiersets itself apart from yourStardew ValleysandRune Factoriesis that the ultimate goal is to stop farming. I don’t mean that you’re constantly working towards a point where you can stop playing the game, rather as you build and develop your farm it eventually sustains itself while you focus on new - and hopefully bigger - ways of making money.Another fun aspect ofLightyear Frontieris that it manages to blend FPS gameplay with farming. It’s not every day you get to fire what looks like a weapon to create life, and it’s a fun twist that further sets this adventure apart from the pack.To plant seeds or water crops, you aim down your sights and fire away. It’s fun, and pleasingly refreshing in a way I didn’t really expect. Exactly how long this approach remains a novelty remains to be seen, but I really do dig the idea of a game that takes the aesthetic of an FPS - traditionally a violent genre - and marries it with the gentler farming sim. I guessSlime Rancherdid this to an extent, but it certainly feels more overt here.AdvertAny farming game lives and dies on just how long it can sustain its core gameplay loop without you getting bored or running out of new things to discover. On the face of it, it looks likeLightyear Frontierhas plenty to see and do. The multiplayer should also help extend the game’s life somewhat. Overall, if it can keep things interesting over multiple seasons then we could be looking at yet another farming game I’m prepared to lose myself too. I can’t wait.Featured Image Credit: Frame BeakTopics:Indie Games
I love nothing more than settling down on a cold autumn evening to play a cosy farming sim. I have logged more hours inStardew Valleythan is healthy, formed a deep connection withSlime Rancher, and recently lost myself to the charms ofFae Farm.The farming genre is, however, a deeply crowded market these days - so much so that it can be hard to separate the good from the bad. Which games are uninspiredHarvest Moonclones, and which genuinely have something new to bring to table?Lightyear Frontier, I’m delighted to say, falls into the latter camp.Lightyear Frontiersells itself as “a peaceful open-world farming adventure on a planet at the far edge of the galaxy.” You create an intergalactic outpost on a serene planet and learn to become self sustainable. The dream, I think we can all agree.AdvertThe general loop is largely familiar, in that you explore various biomes for resources, grow crops, and then sell those crops to buy upgrades that lead to better resources and more varied crops. It’s that pleasingly relaxing kind of gameplay that allows you to crawl under a blanket at the end of a long day with a cup of green tea and, to an extent, switch your brain off and give in to its chill rhythm.WhereLightyear Frontiersets itself apart from yourStardew ValleysandRune Factoriesis that the ultimate goal is to stop farming. I don’t mean that you’re constantly working towards a point where you can stop playing the game, rather as you build and develop your farm it eventually sustains itself while you focus on new - and hopefully bigger - ways of making money.Another fun aspect ofLightyear Frontieris that it manages to blend FPS gameplay with farming. It’s not every day you get to fire what looks like a weapon to create life, and it’s a fun twist that further sets this adventure apart from the pack.To plant seeds or water crops, you aim down your sights and fire away. It’s fun, and pleasingly refreshing in a way I didn’t really expect. Exactly how long this approach remains a novelty remains to be seen, but I really do dig the idea of a game that takes the aesthetic of an FPS - traditionally a violent genre - and marries it with the gentler farming sim. I guessSlime Rancherdid this to an extent, but it certainly feels more overt here.AdvertAny farming game lives and dies on just how long it can sustain its core gameplay loop without you getting bored or running out of new things to discover. On the face of it, it looks likeLightyear Frontierhas plenty to see and do. The multiplayer should also help extend the game’s life somewhat. Overall, if it can keep things interesting over multiple seasons then we could be looking at yet another farming game I’m prepared to lose myself too. I can’t wait.
I love nothing more than settling down on a cold autumn evening to play a cosy farming sim. I have logged more hours inStardew Valleythan is healthy, formed a deep connection withSlime Rancher, and recently lost myself to the charms ofFae Farm.
The farming genre is, however, a deeply crowded market these days - so much so that it can be hard to separate the good from the bad. Which games are uninspiredHarvest Moonclones, and which genuinely have something new to bring to table?Lightyear Frontier, I’m delighted to say, falls into the latter camp.
Lightyear Frontiersells itself as “a peaceful open-world farming adventure on a planet at the far edge of the galaxy.” You create an intergalactic outpost on a serene planet and learn to become self sustainable. The dream, I think we can all agree.
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Advert
The general loop is largely familiar, in that you explore various biomes for resources, grow crops, and then sell those crops to buy upgrades that lead to better resources and more varied crops. It’s that pleasingly relaxing kind of gameplay that allows you to crawl under a blanket at the end of a long day with a cup of green tea and, to an extent, switch your brain off and give in to its chill rhythm.
WhereLightyear Frontiersets itself apart from yourStardew ValleysandRune Factoriesis that the ultimate goal is to stop farming. I don’t mean that you’re constantly working towards a point where you can stop playing the game, rather as you build and develop your farm it eventually sustains itself while you focus on new - and hopefully bigger - ways of making money.
Another fun aspect ofLightyear Frontieris that it manages to blend FPS gameplay with farming. It’s not every day you get to fire what looks like a weapon to create life, and it’s a fun twist that further sets this adventure apart from the pack.
To plant seeds or water crops, you aim down your sights and fire away. It’s fun, and pleasingly refreshing in a way I didn’t really expect. Exactly how long this approach remains a novelty remains to be seen, but I really do dig the idea of a game that takes the aesthetic of an FPS - traditionally a violent genre - and marries it with the gentler farming sim. I guessSlime Rancherdid this to an extent, but it certainly feels more overt here.
Advert
Advert
Any farming game lives and dies on just how long it can sustain its core gameplay loop without you getting bored or running out of new things to discover. On the face of it, it looks likeLightyear Frontierhas plenty to see and do. The multiplayer should also help extend the game’s life somewhat. Overall, if it can keep things interesting over multiple seasons then we could be looking at yet another farming game I’m prepared to lose myself too. I can’t wait.
Topics:Indie Games
