Nintendo Direct was dominated by farming simulation games

The role-playing, farm simulation community is thriving after Tuesday’s Nintendo Direct. There were four main games in the Nintendo Direct presentation. The Story of the Seasons: An Amazing LifeThe GameCube’s classic game, “The GameCube” is remade. Fae FarmA fairytale game of farmsteading. Dauntless developer Phoenix Labs; Rune Factory3 Exclusive; a reworked Nintendo DS game HarvestellaIt combines fighting and farming.

Nintendo is making it absolutely clear that it’s time to leave the city and tend to our crops. The truth is, life simulation and farming games have been on the rise for quite some time — well before the likes of 2020’s smash hit Animal CrossingNew Horizons. Before we turned to tending-and-befriending in New HorizonsPeople were living in the cold repetition of farm life every day, even though the pandemic had ravaged the nation. Stardew ValleyOthers.

New Horizons’ popularity may be part of the life sim and farming boom, but it’s games like Story of Seasons and earlier Animal Crossing iterations that built the foundation. Stardew Valley built on that, and now we’re entering a new era — farming sims appear to be taking over once again, and the genre’s fans are thrilled.

Beyond Tuesday’s Nintendo Direct, we’re already living in the golden age of farming simulators. In 2022 alone, The Immortal LifeThe Chinese Fantasy RPG RPG is called. Stardew Valley, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Rune Factory 5Coral Island, And Ooblets.

There are always jokes posted on social media. Many people who watched the Nintendo Direct Tuesday night had things to say about the way that all farming simulators appear the same. But I couldn’t disagree more — each of these games has a really interesting spin on the genre.

Fae FarmFor example, it looks very much like the inspiration for. Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing, but it’s blending online and local co-op in the fairytale magic world. The Story of Seasons, on the other hand, is a classic that’s — yes — focused on farming, but puts a ton of emphasis on relationship building and family life. HarvestellaIt combines farming with flashy fights, and is most likely the most original.

There’s always something to do in a farming simulator, and it’s easy to find satisfaction in even the smallest of tasks — not to mention the creativity in building out a bustling farm. I’m excited to see how these new titles continue to shake up the format.