With the Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life remake now available, I thought it was high time we discussed an indie farming sim. So, I began my hunt where I usually do, Kickstarter. That is when I found an upcoming project, Verdancy Vale. There is not a whole host of information surrounding it quite yet. However, from what I have seen, the developer has something magical on their hands.
Verdancy Vale‘s Story
Players take on the role of a disgraced magical student. They have failed to complete their first-year classes at Thrushwood Academy of Magic for the past ten years. The only magic they have managed to learn is plant-based. Thus, players are kicked out of magical society and sent to live in the long-forgotten town of Ardent. This is an isolated town cut off from the rest of the world due to monsters in the local forest known as the Chaos Weald. Ardent was once protected by a mysterious Archmage who has since died. Therefore, it is up to the player to use their magic for good, rebuilding their life and forging their destiny.
Features
Jacob Foxe of Silent Foxe Games is the developer for this project. They found inspiration from games such as Stardew Valley and Hades. They aimed to combine farming and dating sims with roguelite elements. So, there are a variety of features to cover here.
- Players can harness the power of greenery magic.
- Become part of the community and help the townsfolk solve problems.
- This can lead to forming relationships and even marriage.
- The townsfolk are complex, and their schedules can vary due to several factors.
- Relationships are profound, with residents having real needs.
- Dialogue is meaningful and can be impacted by player actions.
- Players will rebuild Ardent and their new dwelling.
- Magic can be used to defeat monsters in the Chaos Weald.
- There are three basic playing modes.
- Peaceful: Here, players will have safer combat scenarios but will receive fewer rewards and may need to get crafty with how they find resources.
- Mage: Mage is the middle ground; combat is more challenging than Peaceful mode, but there is more focus on gardening than Archmage.
- Archmage: This mode is combat heavy with more rewards but less focus on gardening.
Thoughts on Verdancy Vale
I do not play many roguelike games, but I enjoy Moonlighter. Verdancy Vale has a similar vibe in that combat will be necessary to some degree. However, I would be free to do so if I wanted to hang out in town or tend to my garden. I am thoroughly interested in learning more about how the NPCs work. On the Verdancy Vale website, the FAQs section places a big emphasis on these mechanics.
An example was given that if you give Nora an apple for her birthday the previous year, she might remember that. I think this is such a beautiful concept. I would love to see it play out. Overall, I will keep my eye out for this game and look forward to future updates.
Odds & Ends
While there is no hard release date, this Kickstarter page can notify you about its campaign launch. I have it saved, so if there is any more news, I will share it! Additionally, if you want to learn about another magic title, check out my Aether: Wizard Life article.
