Game: Wylde Flowers
Genre: Simulation, Adventure, Farming Sim
System: Steam, Windows (also available on Apple Arcade & Nintendo Switch)
Developers | Publishers: Studio Drydock
Controller Support: Full
Price: US $24.99 | UK £19.49 | EU € 20,99
Release Date: September 20th, 2022
Review code used, with many thanks to Studio Drydock.
Since February, the adventure game Wylde Flowers has been out on Apple Arcade and is soon to release for Steam and Nintendo Switch. I’ve spent some time playing the Steam version of the game, so let’s take a look at it.
Simulation Game
Wylde Flowers doesn’t deviate too much, if at all, from the standard formula for a simulation game. It is similar to Stardew Valley and numerous other simulation games you can think of or play.
Wylde Flowers’s storyline is pretty straightforward. You play Tara Wylde, who has left the big city life to move to the island town of Fairhaven to care for her elderly and ailing Grandmother, Hazel.
No Character Customisation
In simulation games such as Wylde Flowers, some players like customising the look of their character. Unfortunately, if that’s what you like to do, you’re out of luck. As there isnt any character customisation in Wylde Flowers, so you can’t change any of Tara’s appearance.
You’ll be learning how to plant and cultivate fruits and vegetables. You’ll also take on tree planting, farming and fishing, mining, performing various missions for the townsfolk, and baking and selling food from your farm.
However, as the story progresses, there is a surprise as Tara discovers her Grandmother belongs to a covenant of witches. Tara is a witch too, and as part of a coven, you must master spells and learn how to ride a broom. Gramma also shows Tara there is a secret basement in the house, and it is here that you can brew potions in your very own cauldron.
Don’t Forget To Sleep
Tara has an energy bar that is replenished by sleeping at night, preferably on time or by eating or drinking. Though take note, the energy bar depletes very quickly at the beginning of the game. After Tara swings her axe three times, she looks like she needs to lie down to recover. Days can go by rather quickly, and it can feel like you haven’t achieved anything in a day.
There is plenty to do in the game, be it completing quests for the NPCs or planting and watering your crops and paying a visit to the mine. You start by planting potatoes, fetching Gramma some mushrooms, and chopping wood. Unfortunately, I found the game, at the start, slow to get going, which the town’s mayor didn’t help.
The mayor thinks it is a bright idea to send you out to find and say hello to all the residents as a game. I get that it is the developers’ way to get a player used to the town’s layout, as the map isn’t much use without area names on it. However, it took me seven in-game days to find everyone.
You see, not all are standing in a neat little line waiting on you, as all the townsfolk have their schedules and are milling about doing their stuff all day, so it draws the start of the game out for far too long.
Plenty to Meet and Greet.
As for the NPCs in town, there is plenty to meet and greet. Everyone has something to say for themselves when Tara chats with them. The characters are all diverse, and inclusivity is a big thing in Fairhaven, as it should be. Additionally, there are relationship mechanics, as talking to people increases your relationship with them, leading to more options.
While there are plenty of NPCs to chat to and complete quests for, I got the feeling they couldn’t have cared less about whether Tara was in Fairhaven helping them or if she was there at all.
There wasn’t any warmth coming through as Tara chatted with the NPCs. In other games of the same genre, I’ve usually got quite attached to the main characters in the town. Feeling that the characters connect in a game to one another can help the player become more engrossed in that world, but with Wylde Flowers, I didn’t get that feeling and missed it.
Visuals and Controls
Visually the game looks good, and cartoon-like characters make it suitable for all ages to play the game. Parents should note that there are occasional alcohol imagery and references; otherwise, nothing inappropriate is in the gameplay.
In addition, all the characters are voice-acted, and it comes across well. However, I wasn’t sure and even now, as I’m writing this, I’m still not sure I like the character designs. Looks can be subjective and different for all folks; for me, the characters are a little off balance, with big heads, eyes and small bodies. But, as I’ve mentioned, looks are subjective, so you may see them differently.
You can control Tara in Wylde Flowers on Steam using a controller that performs as it should. Unfortunately, I had a few instances of the game crashing while I was playing it; hopefully, that will be fixed in a future update.
Conclusion
Wylde Flowers is a nice game in some aspects. After spending a good bit of time with the game for this review, it does succeed as a simulation, farming, and crafting fun. However, you might want something deeper to really get involved in and feel like you are part of the family.
Final Verdict: I’m Not Sure