After being shipwrecked on an island, players are rescued by the mayor of a friendly farming community and given an unused farm. Besides farming, players may explore the world, complete quests, engage in combat in dungeons, craft items, and romance the other villagers. Personalizing their house using furniture they craft raises players' attributes. Combat can be avoided through magic potions that turn characters invisible. Characters do not die when exposed to extreme elements or suffering from other hazards; instead, they are safely returned to town and suffer no other penalties.[2] It supports up to four players via online cooperative multiplayer or locally through the Nintendo Switch.[3]
Developer Phoenix Labs is based in Vancouver, Canada.[4] It released Fae Farm for Windows and Switch on September 8, 2023.[5] The first DLC, Coasts of Croakia, was released in December 2023. It is free for owners of the Deluxe version or the Switch version. It adds a new area to explore and creatures that can be befriended.[6]
Fae Farm received positive reviews on Metacritic.[7][8]GamesRadar called it "a low-stakes, inclusive, and supremely cozy farming sim". They praised the lack of grinding and coziness, but they said it "may be too chill for some".[2]RPGSite's reviewer said it is "one of my favorite relaxing games of the year".[3]RPGFan said it "can flip-flop from feeling new, fresh, and polished to an Early Access title that needs some refining". In particular, they disliked the combat system, which they felt to be too barebones, and they said they encountered many bugs. They expressed hope that it would become "the next go-to game in the farming sim genre" after post-release updates.[9] Although Nintendo Life said the social dynamics were unimpressive and felt a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of things to do, they said it is a "gloriously thoughtful and beautiful farming game that's packed to the brim with details and charm".[10]
