I have been writing about various farming sims since 2017 and playing them for even longer. It still amazes me just how many fantastic games are in this genre. Each one of them is slightly different and full of passion. Finding a new game and sharing it with my fellow virtual farmers is the highlight of my week. So, when I found Gleaner Heights, I was surprised that I had not seen it yet. Returning to 2018, let’s learn about this slightly dark, pixelated experience.
Gleaner Heights‘s Story
This game tells a tale as old as time; the player is sick of their hectic life and looks to small-town living. Gleaner Heights is a sleepy town in the middle of nowhere and seems to be the perfect town. However, looks can be deceiving. Under the happy veneer of the townsfolk, dark secrets are harbored. You can participate in typical farming activities like tending to animals and crops. However, there is a dark supernatural horror beneath the town. Will you take this entity down or become one with evil? Only time and your choices will tell.
Features Unique to Gleaner Heights
- Interact with other 30 NPCs.
- Complete with their schedules, likes, and dislikes.
- Make friends with NPCs and see where it leads.
- Wintness their double lives.
- Either help them with their devious ways or set out to destroy them.
- 40+ crops to cultivate.
- Become a rancher with chickens, cows, and a horse.
- There are also cave mushrooms and silkworms looking for a home.
- Crafting galore.
- 110+ cooking recipes.
- Town upgrades.
- Underwater diving.
- Marriage.
- 40+ types of fish.
- Main plot with different endings.
- Fluid combat with skills, perks, equipment, and clothing set bonuses.
- Fight creatures guarding the lost treasure.
- And so much more!
Thoughts on Gleaner Heights
Gleaner Heights feels like a no-brainer in terms of checking out. It has everything I look for in a single-player farming sim. The graphics are 16-bit, which feels very classic at this point. I also enjoy the idea of a “suburban gothic atmosphere,” as described by the developer. However, after looking at TV Tropes, I feel this game should have a content warning. I am cool with NPCs having double lives and a spooky eldritch horror living beneath the town. However, some of the content in this game, not disclosed on the Steam listing, could be a hard pass for some players. Ultimately, I am curious about this title and will likely give it a shot in the future.
Odds & Ends
If you want to check out Gleaner Heights, it is available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox. This is the first farming sim I have seen with a mature rating; therefore, players must be 17+ to play it. I would recommend my article on Little Witch in the Woods for a more light-hearted farming sim.
