Garden Witch Life posted a response to all the feedback they’ve been getting regarding the state of their game at launch: gardenwitchlife.com/An-Update/
@mintendogaming it's probably just me but this seems...off. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it seems a bit like other than the actual bug issues that have incoming patches, they're telling players they're playing it wrong. And obviously the game you set out to make may not vibe with everyone and that's okay! But I think some of the gameplay loop complaints are really legitimate and they're kind of handwaving and saying "oh no you're not meant to play that way silly goose, you're meant to ~~relax~~ the way we want you to". I'm an adult with a full time job, I don't have time to scuttlebutt around in a game and not accomplish anything even if it was supposedly by design. If quests and such aren't actually a central part of the experience maybe they should have made that clear in any advertising or omitted them entirely.
I'm ngl this kind of reads like a "this is my artstyle!!" defense. Sure, it's their product and they can do whatever they want, but making your game extremely slow and boring on purpose does not magically fix it being slow and boring. Same thing as Bethesda defending boring and empty planets in Starfield by saying that they're like that intentionally.
That response is so bad, legitimately. I wanted to try the game even after watching your vide- but them saying things like "Well actually you finding it slow is your problem" is such a bs response and I do not wanna support that type of company/indies. Cozy games are meant to fit everyone's experience, and for there to be mechanics that can fit most of the community- this is why Stardew Valley does really well- you have the choice to go very slow, or go very fast.
Their response really rubs me the wrong way. They released a buggy game knowingly. And it seems a lot of the gameplay they just wanted to capitalize off of how successful the cozy genre is. They made it a grind fest and then their responses that it is supposed to be slow paced and relaxing. If that's the case there needs to be other things to do like more furniture and clothes and interesting interactions with the villagers. The fact that there are bugs that can just break your file or lose your progress on full release is insane. I honestly don't think they were expecting to get backlash they had just expected people to pay for it forget about it and then move on. Or maybe expect people to be more patient as they fixed all the bugs... But if that's what it wanted... it should have been Early Access.
The thing with cosy games is; you need a purpose. Something to work towards. The cosy part comes from being able to go at your own pace, without a time limit or enemies to fight. Without a clear goal in mind, the game can get boring really fast.
Also, cozy game isn't a genre. It's what YOU call the games you think are "cozy." I hate how people are just making the most barebones farming simulators and saying it's a cozy game
@genericname2747 That's fair, but "cozy" IS kinda becoming its own subgenre. And at least lately, nearly every farming sim that doesn't have meaningful combat is getting labeled cozy
@gretchen8100 There is a lot of overlap between games that are considered cozy, and farming sims. But the genre is still Farming Sim. They need to actually be a Farming Sim. No hate to this game specifically, just pointing out a trend that annoys me a little.
People see cozy gaming as a quick way to cash in. And they ride off of the toxic positivity that is inherent in "wholesome" communities to deflect deserved criticism. When you're selling a product and charging money for it, you can't just hype something up to get people to hand their money to you and then drop the ball. It's a shame that this is so frequent. And game developers are people, but they're not your friends. It's an exchange of product for money and there is an expectation that your product be advertised in good faith. It's like Fae Farm- apparently a decent game but one with absolutely egregious pricing for what it is. I'm tired of being fleeced and not every project is owed success. As long as people keep hyping these games up based on nothing but developer footage and visuals, people will keep putting out severely underbaked games.
UGH Yess! My thoughts exactly. I tried out the free trial of Fae Farm and really enjoyed it. Then saw the price and was immediately turned off. Even on sale it is still $40 which is still alot. Unfortunately this happens alot. Wish it didn't but it does.
To be fair, the Animal Crossing community doesnt even pretend to be wholesome, at least on Twitter Death threats and serious hatred for fictional characters fly there
@@Garden0flowr Unfortunately that's more of a "mainstream fandom" thing than specific to Animal Crossing. Literally anything that is popular enough ends up like that by sheer amount of ppl in the fanbase, plus the fact it tends to have more younger ppl involved, who aren't known for thinking very thoroughly about what they're actually saying on the internet, or even realizing they're talking to other human beings and not just their computer. It's been that way since the internet was invented, and probably even before that (just less visible and widespread)
@@Garden0flowr My point is exactly that anything that gets big enough will end up like that, and how wholesome the actual product is doesn't matter in the slightest. Ppl will send death threats over cartoons made for literal toddlers. The issue is just how big the fandom is.
I felt this way about Paleo Pines - I honestly feel like people are just dropping cozy games to get their start in the gaming world. Nothing wrong with that at all but we're getting a lot of bad games in the process with it. So, have learned to back off on getting every cozy game in the book now. Enjoyed the review and like everyone else appreciate the honesty!
@@sarahelizabeth299 I played the demo and enjoyed the sound system to catch/communicate with dinos but found most of the game kind of stale so I never bought it
Gonna be honest, i'm not even interested because the game looks incredibly cheap to me. Others may call the graphics "charming", but I just don't see it. It puts me off.
I was recommended this on Steam, but honestly it didn't pick my interest at all because it just looks generic and soulless. Like they tried too hard to make it look cute without actually knowing anything about art or design to actually know how to make things cute, and without any real idea of what kind of style they wanted to go with. I don't know how to explain well, but I'm fairly confident other ppl who know even a tiny bit about character and prop design will know what I mean. The proportions and shapes of most things are all over the place and scream "look at how cute this is" to the point it's not even a slight bit cute.
It looks like a mobile game that tried to take inspiration from Animal Crossing, except it just... looks atrocious. I can't see charming, either. I see knockoff lol. I'm really tired of the chibi look, on top of that, too. That seems to be the default for cosy sim games at the moment.
Watching you try to place the fencing at 11:30 gave me SO much anxiety - I know you're trying your hardest not to bash the developers, but we can all agree that's just lazy when it comes to game design, right? Like, fences are so crucial for a game based around farming, and making it so they can only be placed from wherever the player is standing, one link at a time, without snapping together or aligning to any sort of grid... Imo that's a system you'd only arrive at by taking as many shortcuts as possible.
As someone who became absolutely OBSESSED with Wylde Flowers within minutes of trying out the demo, when I got the full game I was also getting anxiety about when I'd be able to start dabbling into magic. The difference is you know it's coming because it keeps being hinted at and, when you finally do get to do magic is just so satisfying.
I recall seeing this in the Switch eShop and the graphics for it just feel kind of cheap. The screenshots it does provide just made it feel messy. Obviously you shouldn’t always trust your gut instinct, but I’m glad I did in this case and decide to wait for a review
@@mintendogaming Of course! It’s been so awesome watching your channel grow over this past year. You’re one of my favorite creators, just because you seem so genuinely kind. You’re doing an amazing job, I always love when I see a new video of yours pop up on my feed 🥰 You’re doing great Min! I truly believe you will go far with this!
My partner and I are developing a game at the moment so things become more obvious to me when seeing or playing games. The artstyle itself isn't what threw me off with this one but it was the execution. It's like there's no soul in it, the same with the animations which I feel you need at least ONE of those things to give that cozy game feel I love! But the most important thing is a game developer needs to know what its game IS and what sets it out from others in the same or similar genre! Thank you for making this review. It's really helpful for not just gamers but developers too!
@@mintendogamingI bought it on steam and tried to play too long, lol, that was my fault. But this game is really not complete and I do feel ripped off.
I encountered lots of bugs playing on switch. I found multiple chests with goodies that just disappeared. When I spent my last $100 on an item from a shop and never received it but my money was gone I turned the game off. I wish I could get my money back unfortunately. I play cozy games to relax and unwind and this was only frustrating.
well, that's the digital era for you. they no longer care about first impression because they can just "update" it in the future. in my youth time, where video games come in physical copy, game developers worked so hard that when they finally released it, they really made sure it's totally finished because it's a one-way trip, either to success or failure.
It goes both ways. In your youth time, developers were also extremely rushed because "christmas season" and instead of giving it another half year to finish things up, you end up with an incomplete, hardly working mess but no way to download patches onto your physical disk.
@@JayLeeBeanz that's why i said "either to success or failure", but how many games of old that are unfinished? 5 percent? i'm happy with that. compare the number to today's games.
@@meph1570well you have to remember, making games is more accessible than ever. So there’s obviously a bigger quantity of games and with early access things compound. That’s not entirely a bad thing; Ultrakill is one of my favorite games and it’s technically unfinished. I gave up on the triple A scene a while ago, but systems like this can be pretty beneficial for smaller studios and independent devs.
Games still having to get updates for years is a double edged sword. Sometimes they need to make money to justify more content at all. Personally I just never buy into hype and only buy games (i.e Baldur's Gate, Cult of the Lamb) a while after release because I want a full experience, which works gor me so long as I'm not impatient. Games that are clearly supposed to stay in EA but get out too early (Coral Island, and this) are a problem, though, I admit
@@meph1570 When today's games end up like this, at least they _can_ be patched. And if not by the developers, then at least by the modders. I don't have percentages or statistics. But it's stuff like Sonic 06 or Spyro Enter the Dragonfly that ended up ruining a whole franchise's reputation to boot. And those are only two extreme examples. Many, many milder cases with rushed content or facepalming oversights. Name me a game that doesn't have at least one bug that is burned on the disc forever. xD
You gave a very well rounded review and it's so helpful. I saw the game and the graphics felt very cheap for me. I usually know if I'll like a game within 1-2 hours of gameplay, this is def a skip for me
I agree Miss Bubbles, all I need is a hour to decide if a game is for me or if I’m going to drop it, which is unfortunate for this one because it seems to have potential but the pacing is too slow and it doesn’t look like there’s a lot to do in the beginning . Glad Min tried it out for us 💕
Interesting. I really like the art style. Is it the quality of the graphics or the style you didn’t like? The graphics on the switch looked awful compared to PC.
@@pippalovesfor me is the quality of the graphics that feel cheap to me. I understand they try to do something vintage but I would prefer maybe lower pixels to achieve that look? Right now it looks very plastic-ky for my taste. But what I really dislike is the animation. It doesnt feel organic or smooth enough, it's like the characters are moving in another enviroment.
Completely agree with so much of what other comments are saying about the state of cozy gaming at the moment! The coziness comes from the content, not lack of content and direction. Games that force a slow pace at the detriment of the story and plot isn't effective. It concerning that this game had so little as far as direction and so much as far as glitches and lack of polish. I read the response from the devs you linked and I'm not too impressed with their response, which is a shame. Thanks for the honest review!
Thank you for your honest review, Min. I really appreciate it when a creator gives their honest opinion on a new game. I haven't played this game myself, but after watching many people stream this I can say that I 100% agree with you. This game looks super cute and I love the idea, but it just seems way too slow. I know I'd get bored fast and frustrated with not having any direction. Also, as you mentioned, where is the "witch" part of the game? I feel that just having a cauldron to cook in isn't enough to label this as Garden "Witch" Life. I know that not all witchcraft involves casting spells, but there are many other witchy things that could have been included. Things such as potion making, charms, crystals, more of a focus on nature, having a familiar....there are so many things than just cooking food in a cauldron. I don't know, maybe later on more of that is added but for a witch game I feel some should have been included early on at least. Anyway, this is one that I'll be skipping for now and I'm very disappointed with. Thank you so much for the honest review. Please don't ever change how you review games. I love it!
Thank you so much for your thoughts, Jazzlina!!! I love your ideas for how they could have implemented the Witchyness more. From the trailer it seems you can ride a broom stick later on, but who knows how long it takes until you can get to that point 🫣
i bought the game and was just so disapointed, not really because its bad but because it jus FEELS like an early access game but isnt. i think id like it way better if it would be early acces because then i knew there would be more polishing comming up and therefor the game would get better in the future.
Wow thank you so much. I was looking for a new switch game but was hesitating on this one. You've confirmed my fears and saved me $29. I did buy 2 steam games, Chef RPG and Fields of Mistria. And even though both are still in early access they feel so much more developed and more to do.
Thanks for giving your honest opinion Min! It's so refreshing to see such a candid review :) hopefully the devs will take notice of everyone's feedback and improve the game with future updates!
Everything you’ve mentioned is absolutely fair and balanced! Your honesty is very much appreciated as well. I definitely agree that things you mentioned like the cooking, exploration, and items you unlock are sooo cute and are wonderful, but there’s so many small things that harm the experience that just kept piling up. If the devs polish it up more and work on it some more, it definitely has the possibility to be something amazing! But as it stands now, definitely needs more polish, some more guidance and more quests/explanations. Here’s hoping they do! I’d love to revisit this game if/when it feels fully fleshed out and polished
Absolutely! Well said, Rey. I hope they do! It just sucks for them if they do improve it after the fact because they may have already lost so many people 🫣😬😭
I just wanted to tell you these are the videos I need the algorithm to show me more of!!!! I need honest reviews so I know what not to waste my money on!!! Thank you for saving your viewers’ time and money by not trying to sell mediocre games just because they were gifted
I was soooo anxious to get it! I have the Switch experience and, to be honest, I do have some problems with it. Sometimes I’m watering my plants and the game closes by itself - just like that. It’s hard to make money, the stamina ends way to easily and the bar getting full insted of getting down is confusing. But I do love the cooking dynamics, the recipes are really fun, and I actually apreciate the super slow pacing of this game, I like having no tasks and just exploring around. With that said, I’ve been playing for just three days, so I could get bored in like one month of playing or so. I do expect to be more of the “witch” aspect too, the tutorial said I was an alchemist so… Hope they keep updating the game to fix some of that.
This video and info was much needed. Your honest review of this game is spot on to me and I really appreciate you giving your best effort with it trying to give it a fair shot. I think this game needed some more time in the making and maybe with future updates it will grow to its potential! Love ya!❤
honestly, the fact they're receptive to criticism and are willing to rework mechanics is super promising. honestly a game i'd be willing to look into again after some time!
My big thing is why can we not just have games be released finished anymore.. feels like only devs like fromsoftware are doing this anymore. I bought this game yesterday impulsively and regret it so far. I just want a new cozy farming game till mysims, the new loz, and hello kitty island adventure. I fear this ain’t it
I just finished my first three hours of the game and I feel very similar to you Min! I was confused by a lot of the same stuff and also felt the pacing is slow. The start was so cute and then it just kind of stated to become boring and that there was not enough to do and I found myself sleeping the days away. In this day and age when there are so many farming games to pick from, I do not see myself picking it up when there are other options that are drawing me in more. This game has a lot of interesting mechanics but it really needed more time to cook.
Thank you so much for the honest review Min, I love that you gave the good and the bad! Reviews like this are always helpful for me when deciding if a game is worth my money. I watched you stream both times and agree the pacing for this one is waaay too slow. I appreciate you as always!!
Thank you for the review! ❤️ I tried the game on Steam yesterday and ended up returning it for a refund after playing around 90 minutes of it. It’s a pity - the game has so much potential, but it’s really hindered by a general lack of polish. Hopefully the issues will get patched out over time!
I understand your point of view and all are valid points. I agree they shouldn’t fully release a game if it’s not completely perfect or the most important parts functioning. I’ve been playing for two days though and have to say I love this game. I’m on switch and It’s very glitchy. Things like tutorials are non existing or a way to hover over items to know what they are and many other things that need fixing. But.. after playing these two days (basically nonstop lol) I would suggest to others just waiting and maybe get it a little later when all these things have been patched. Just because I find there is a lot more than what you see on the surface. As you progress you find areas and storyline. The animals are too cute. I have a little snail that comes to my house every day and I started to feed him in his little dish lol. Little things like that make me happy hehe. If anyone want a cozy game that has quests or things to do at all times then this game is not for you. This game has quests but they stop for a while until you progress in your own game in order to unlock more quests. But is not like you are on your own the whole time finding what to do. Anyways those are my two cents. But I have to say I love how transparent and honest you are. Not everyone is like this. ❤🥰
I just found you from this review! I thought i was the only one lost when playing this game! I had no idea what to do next, but saw all these amazing reviews. Thank you for your honest review. Newly subscribed:)
Thanks for this well articulated review! I agree first impressions are everything with these games. Even if things improve later in game, one of my biggest gripes is when games lock their cool/unique features that make them standout behind 10+ hrs of gameplay. Games need to hook me and show me right away why I WANT to grind to unlock future features and QoL efficiencies.
It does look sooo cute! I really wanted to get to the animals because some people told me the cows are really cute- but the pacing of the game is too slow and directionless right now 😭
I had a similar experience while playing this game. I thought maybe it was just me but I see it was not. You are so right; first impressions are critical. I want to give this game another try after they update it but I may be on to the next game by the time it’s in a better state.
Wildmender is a great game with cosy vibes, but also an amazing storyline in the background you can follow, and quests and things to follow. I highly recommend it if you like cosy and laid back games, but also love having something MORE going on. Stardew Valley is also really good for that.
I haven’t played it for myself, but going off of this I feel like I would have enjoyed it back when I was a kid. I don’t think I would ever get around to buying it as an adult because there’s so much more variety for games that suit my tastes now than there were back then
I wanted to love this game. I bought it for the switch, which I understand was 10.00 more than PC, and I put in 8 hours trying to play it. There are so many bugs that need to be fixed, I feel a bit hoodwinked. I really don't think that this game should have been released in this state.
I pre-purchased the game hoping it would be as good as Fae Farm. But on Nintendo it is practically unplayable. Characters that disappear and you can't find them anymore, unreachable places because the road is blocked by a wall, it doesn't load the ground texture and it's hard to see, there is no tutorial and it doesn't explain how and where to find certain ingredients! We deserve at least a refund while they fix these HUGE BUGS! -From Italy-
THe story got me hooked in the beginning! I relate to the character somehow especially since the art and gaming industry is difficult with all the lay-offs and companies shutting down. The gameplay look so-so but I'm willing to get it for a lower price like 60-80% off
Great video! I appreciate it. I was going to preorder but something told me to wait. I’m not a very patient person, I like clear quest goals and tidy farms and fences without having to fiddle with them. I’ll wait to see if theres updates. If there is, I definitely would try it.
Wait, so they have a hunger bar, and a stamina bar, AND a fatigue bar? Those could have easily been combined into only two or even one bar/stat and condensed gameplay some more.
I have not seen a lot of this game but I cant shake the feeling it feels unpolished? As if I should be EA, cause tere is content needed to make everything more coherent, and give your game play a more organic flow.
Thank you for being really honest about the game. I was so excited for this one but I will definitely save my money. Hopefully after some updates it will be more fun but it looks a bit complicated and difficult to me. It is great that the devs did respond to the criticisms but I feel parts of their response were just lazy/dismissive and copy and paste. I will give it some time to see if it gets better. I am hoping that maybe it will get better over time.
I deided to buy Fabedom instead of this and it looks like I made the right choice. I've got it on my wishlist though in the hopes they fix it. Thank you so much for the honest review.
Thank you for your honest review!!! I feel that content creators that focus in cozy games always leave good reviews and lie! Altough I don't think that we should tolerate developers that release "Full 1.0" and feel like early access and unpolished, developers have got too comfortable doing this because people accept it. I would get it if the game would cost less than $10.
thank you for reviewing this. im all for supporting peoples first games but a lot of cozy games are starting to all feel the same and some are feeling like they dont have the heart in them but are just spat for the label of "cozy game" i feel like more should have demos so we can get a feel for them. i really like the character designs and art in this game but i hope they work more on this. it's definitely more on the simple side so i was hoping to recommend it to someone who finds stardew overwhelming. hopefully they fix the tutorial system to teach the things you didnt figure out as a sort of veteran of cozy games
Looks like another "lets get on the cozy hype train for the money" kind of game. Looks half baked with no soul. Appreciate the honest review. As a cozy game lover, youve helped me save some money. ❤❤
I played for about 2 or 3 hours? Maybe 4? My character kept passing out, the instructions are massively lacking, I got stuck somewhere and even waiting to pass out didn't spawn me out of the stuck spot, and then everything I had in my inventory disappeared (tools, food, crops, money) for no reason. This game is an absolute mess. Within 36hrs of buying the game from the eshop, I reached out to Nintendo support for a refund, and they were able to help me out by giving me the refund. I explained how terribly buggy and awful the game play experience is, and they were surprisingly helpful to refund me.
@@mintendogaming They're did express to me that it's not common practice, but I think because I contacted them very shortly after downloading the game, an exception was able to be made. I used the live chat from their support page. They were very understanding, but I don't think a refund is common.
This definitely looks like something I’d wait to buy on a sale, I had an eye on this before and was deciding wether to buy it on release or not but this review rly helped
I played the demo for the game during Steam Next Fest and it's really cute but it has a lot of quality of life stuff missing. I think it has potential though but it should have been launched as an Early Access game. I might pick it up at a later date.
I wont lie, even just based on what i'm seeing of the game it feels so unfinished. I would not have assumed this was a full release if you didn't say so.
Thanks for the great info on this game. Saw it a little while ago and thought it looked soo cute and fun. Thinking about waiting a while til they update it more
I think I agree mostly with the negative and positive parts mentioned in the video and I was also disappointed after I figured out that the game is not finished yet. I payed the pre-order price which was not a lot cheaper than the full price now and noticed that some updates were made so I am fine with that. Making money in the game was not a problem for me because I was selling all the compost I made since I did not know how to use it at that time so I bought seeds from the money I made, planted them and sold the crops so that I could afford more stuff. After a while it got boring but then out of curiosity I built the magic magnifying glass and this changed the whole game for me. Maybe I am very simple but this tool is showing the stats of the plants in the garden. So if the bar in some aspect for example the fertilizer is low you know you have to give the plant more of it to improve its wellbeing. Now I can look at all my plants very closely in detail and take care of their exact needs and this is exactly my kind of fun. I have a lot of plans with what I want my garden to look like so there is a lot for me to do now. For example I planted a heart out of roses and currently I am working on a field of sunflowers because I like sunflower fields >w< Still I am hopeful that more stuff is coming in the game and this makes me patient with it. It is true that it is undeniably unfinished and the price for it was way too high. But now that I have it and can not return it I am making the most of it and I don't mind figuring things out on my own. This is kind of part of the game for me. Still I would not recommend buying it right now since I wished I would have waited after the unpleasent realisation. Maybe in 6 months it will look better and would be worth looking into it again. It is a bummer that it flopped so early on and people might not be getting into it anymore. Overall I am happy with the game considering the circumstances I happened to buy it in and I do not regret purchasing it. It can only get better🌱
I think it's a REALLY cute game idea. But it's seems like it's not finished yet. I already bought it, but I don't know if this was the right decision. I played for 4 hours, but the gameplay was sooooooo slow. So I think I'll wait for a patch to play again. I fully agree with your feedback!
Also I'm playing on Xbox and there are some sound bugs and other frustrating things. Scrolling texts is just not possible. I can't read all the tutorials, letters or character descriptions. Also the money making is so frustrating. It seems impossible to make progress.
:c thats how i felt about it too. I was so so excited for this game and played as much as you did but it was kind of a let down unfortunately. It feels really unfinished and buggy. also the loading screens really bother me x
Your video was recommended to me and I found this review very helpful since I was thinking about buying this game. Instant sub from me, thanks for the review!!
I think it's too difficult to unlock stuff and too expensive for the rate of currency flow. And that people make requests you seemingly have to fulfill so I can't just make the stickers I want, I have to be constantly shoehorning in random stuff to satisfy people. It's very cute but yeah.
I find that on occassion i go through a series of "The game will be fun when i unlock X" amd i keep doing that for like 3 hours pushing the goal posts lol
I agree with you in part. But I can't understand the criticism of the quests. Because the philosophy of the game is that you don't follow a main story, but progress by exploring and making friends. It SHOULD be like that. It takes some getting used to, yes, because we are used to other things. But that's how the game is structured. And I never had any problems with money. Sell the fertilizer in the community box, done. That gives you enough money to buy better tools and kitchen equipment. But I'm also of the opinion that it's more like Early Access. Skill progress in cooking does not increase, the friend level of some NPCs does not increase and guides in the game are not translated (at least not in German). But I like the game. We'll see how long I really feel like playing xD
oh, I also started playing it, as it was said in the video, sometimes I didn’t understand what to do and it was too slow for me, my biggest confusion was “how to get water?” According to the logic of the game, we have a watering can and we fill it with water - is it logical? logical. Well, since this happens, I also need a vessel for water, but how to do it? I even made it for juice “from trees”. I even looked on the Internet “where to get water” and noticed how the player pressed the button near the well, and then it dawned on me.
RIGHT I'ma do a long rant: I'll be honest there's so many cozy games being released left, right and center that I can't keep up anymore. I really feel like I'm losing track of all of them being released now compared to a few years ago when only a few of them would be released so it was much easier to keep track. Paleo Pines for instance...really felt more like a game for toddlers (I'm so sorry if you like the game, this was just personally my opinion) and same for this game, I just don't feel excited or interested. All the cozy games now feel the exact same carbon copies of one another that none of them strike my interest anymore. Games like Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, Spritfarer, Coral Island, My Time At Protia/Sandrock; these games are fantastic and cozy yet extremely different from one another. Heck even Faefarm? I didn't bother getting it. It honestly feels more overwhelming with the amount of cozy games being released now and all of them are getting quite pricy too with little to no content and...okay-ish art styles making it feel more like a money grab.
Idk at first I was struggling to even make a few coins. After I bought the rose seeds and the distillery I was able to make rose perfume and boom 50000 coins instantly. Well yeah the balancing is weird. Now I'm at a point in the game where I dont have wood. Like theres no area you can chop down regularly. You basically have to wait for trees to grow on your plot. And it takes so loooong.. Overall its sad because this game has so so much potential..
I feel the game could have benefitted from having it in open beta/alpha. Considering there's balacing issues, it's best to fix that BEFORE a full release
Thanks for the review! I played the demo and it was buggy, very slow, and overall didn't grab me as it didn't feel like there was much to do or any depth. I really don't like to overly criticize games or devs, because some games are just not for me but since it was a demo, I thought I'd see what people thought after release. I appreciate the honesty of your review.
I’ve played this game for hours and haven’t achieved much. It’s super slow paced and even selling items in both the magi box and community box, I barely make money. Most days are wake up, water plants, check the community box for money, make a cake and then…nothing. Everything has been done.
This was such a great and honest review. I definitely won't be getting this game, but I love that you linked the dev's response in the comments. I would love more reviews of "Games Min didn't like"
i find it so weird they advertised themselves as a cozy and slow game but then they also have a thing that randomly makes u pass out and punishes the player. it really feels like the devs were not thinking about their own gameplay.
Yo me gasté el dinero en esto. Y me arrepentí a la media hora. Le tenía mucho hype, pero al jugarlo en Switch, lo he visto vacío y con muchísimas cosas por pulir. Creo que no hay ni noche ni día en el juego o almenos yo no vi que se hiciera de noche. Me ha decepcionado mucho y siento que he tirado el dinero. 😭 pero ya he aprendido la lección, no comprar nada por mucho hype que tengas hasta ver todo tipo de reseñas. Ya sea en inglés o en español. Gracias por dar tu opinión tan sincera. 😊
Oh no:( just spent the 30$ on it for my bday treat, I haven't seen any proper reviews anywhere I looked, and now I see this and wish I saved it for a few more hrs:(
I feel like there's a non insignificant amount of people (me included) who avoid playing early access games until they're complete, or at least wait until there's been a substantial amount of updates and it's at least close to completion. I think in order to get more launch sales, the devs skipped early access and called it a complete game, even though it very much resembles early access in all but name. I'd love to be wrong about this, though, as I dislike assuming the worst.
Thanks for your review. I was looking forward to this, but not very hopeful because I tried the demo and it was very clunky and didn't run well on my computer. So I was thinking of getting it on Switch, but I don't think I'd enjoy any of the game play. Sad, but I hope they continue to fix the game to make it better for those who will find it later.
Never heard of it before but from the title alone, sounds like something similar to either animal crossing or story of seasons. Would totally be my thing. Can't be worse than modern Harvest Moon. Which.. Is an extremely low bar.
Garden Witch Life posted a response to all the feedback they’ve been getting regarding the state of their game at launch: gardenwitchlife.com/An-Update/
@mintendogaming it's probably just me but this seems...off. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it seems a bit like other than the actual bug issues that have incoming patches, they're telling players they're playing it wrong. And obviously the game you set out to make may not vibe with everyone and that's okay! But I think some of the gameplay loop complaints are really legitimate and they're kind of handwaving and saying "oh no you're not meant to play that way silly goose, you're meant to ~~relax~~ the way we want you to". I'm an adult with a full time job, I don't have time to scuttlebutt around in a game and not accomplish anything even if it was supposedly by design. If quests and such aren't actually a central part of the experience maybe they should have made that clear in any advertising or omitted them entirely.
Just read this and gotta say I’m not a huge fan of the response, especially the copied and pasted parts
I'm ngl this kind of reads like a "this is my artstyle!!" defense. Sure, it's their product and they can do whatever they want, but making your game extremely slow and boring on purpose does not magically fix it being slow and boring. Same thing as Bethesda defending boring and empty planets in Starfield by saying that they're like that intentionally.
That response is so bad, legitimately. I wanted to try the game even after watching your vide- but them saying things like "Well actually you finding it slow is your problem" is such a bs response and I do not wanna support that type of company/indies. Cozy games are meant to fit everyone's experience, and for there to be mechanics that can fit most of the community- this is why Stardew Valley does really well- you have the choice to go very slow, or go very fast.
Their response really rubs me the wrong way. They released a buggy game knowingly. And it seems a lot of the gameplay they just wanted to capitalize off of how successful the cozy genre is.
They made it a grind fest and then their responses that it is supposed to be slow paced and relaxing. If that's the case there needs to be other things to do like more furniture and clothes and interesting interactions with the villagers.
The fact that there are bugs that can just break your file or lose your progress on full release is insane. I honestly don't think they were expecting to get backlash they had just expected people to pay for it forget about it and then move on. Or maybe expect people to be more patient as they fixed all the bugs... But if that's what it wanted... it should have been Early Access.
The thing with cosy games is; you need a purpose. Something to work towards. The cosy part comes from being able to go at your own pace, without a time limit or enemies to fight.
Without a clear goal in mind, the game can get boring really fast.
Absolutely! Cozy Games straddle the line of boring and they have to be done right!
THANK YOU!! This is how I feel about every cosy game I see now... what's the freaking point? There has to be a point!
Also, cozy game isn't a genre. It's what YOU call the games you think are "cozy." I hate how people are just making the most barebones farming simulators and saying it's a cozy game
@genericname2747 That's fair, but "cozy" IS kinda becoming its own subgenre. And at least lately, nearly every farming sim that doesn't have meaningful combat is getting labeled cozy
@gretchen8100 There is a lot of overlap between games that are considered cozy, and farming sims. But the genre is still Farming Sim. They need to actually be a Farming Sim. No hate to this game specifically, just pointing out a trend that annoys me a little.
People see cozy gaming as a quick way to cash in. And they ride off of the toxic positivity that is inherent in "wholesome" communities to deflect deserved criticism. When you're selling a product and charging money for it, you can't just hype something up to get people to hand their money to you and then drop the ball. It's a shame that this is so frequent. And game developers are people, but they're not your friends. It's an exchange of product for money and there is an expectation that your product be advertised in good faith. It's like Fae Farm- apparently a decent game but one with absolutely egregious pricing for what it is. I'm tired of being fleeced and not every project is owed success. As long as people keep hyping these games up based on nothing but developer footage and visuals, people will keep putting out severely underbaked games.
UGH Yess! My thoughts exactly. I tried out the free trial of Fae Farm and really enjoyed it. Then saw the price and was immediately turned off. Even on sale it is still $40 which is still alot. Unfortunately this happens alot. Wish it didn't but it does.
To be fair, the Animal Crossing community doesnt even pretend to be wholesome, at least on Twitter
Death threats and serious hatred for fictional characters fly there
@@Garden0flowr Unfortunately that's more of a "mainstream fandom" thing than specific to Animal Crossing.
Literally anything that is popular enough ends up like that by sheer amount of ppl in the fanbase, plus the fact it tends to have more younger ppl involved, who aren't known for thinking very thoroughly about what they're actually saying on the internet, or even realizing they're talking to other human beings and not just their computer.
It's been that way since the internet was invented, and probably even before that (just less visible and widespread)
@@hauntedwafflecake Im referring to communities of wholesome things specifically
@@Garden0flowr My point is exactly that anything that gets big enough will end up like that, and how wholesome the actual product is doesn't matter in the slightest. Ppl will send death threats over cartoons made for literal toddlers. The issue is just how big the fandom is.
I felt this way about Paleo Pines - I honestly feel like people are just dropping cozy games to get their start in the gaming world. Nothing wrong with that at all but we're getting a lot of bad games in the process with it. So, have learned to back off on getting every cozy game in the book now. Enjoyed the review and like everyone else appreciate the honesty!
I totally agree with you 😭
I couldn’t get into Paleo Pines, either. We need more cozy games with unique and new concepts, but they need to actually be good.
Paleo pines felt like a flash game to me, it just wasn't fleshed out at all. I'm so surprised it has a 9/10 on steam.
@@sarahelizabeth299 i loved paleo pines, i feel like it felt solid enough
@@sarahelizabeth299 I played the demo and enjoyed the sound system to catch/communicate with dinos but found most of the game kind of stale so I never bought it
Gonna be honest, i'm not even interested because the game looks incredibly cheap to me. Others may call the graphics "charming", but I just don't see it. It puts me off.
It looks like beta placeholder graphics before the real rendering is implemented
I was recommended this on Steam, but honestly it didn't pick my interest at all because it just looks generic and soulless.
Like they tried too hard to make it look cute without actually knowing anything about art or design to actually know how to make things cute, and without any real idea of what kind of style they wanted to go with.
I don't know how to explain well, but I'm fairly confident other ppl who know even a tiny bit about character and prop design will know what I mean. The proportions and shapes of most things are all over the place and scream "look at how cute this is" to the point it's not even a slight bit cute.
It looks like a mobile game that tried to take inspiration from Animal Crossing, except it just... looks atrocious. I can't see charming, either. I see knockoff lol. I'm really tired of the chibi look, on top of that, too. That seems to be the default for cosy sim games at the moment.
It looks super cheap and off
it looks like a roblox game
Watching you try to place the fencing at 11:30 gave me SO much anxiety - I know you're trying your hardest not to bash the developers, but we can all agree that's just lazy when it comes to game design, right? Like, fences are so crucial for a game based around farming, and making it so they can only be placed from wherever the player is standing, one link at a time, without snapping together or aligning to any sort of grid... Imo that's a system you'd only arrive at by taking as many shortcuts as possible.
As someone who became absolutely OBSESSED with Wylde Flowers within minutes of trying out the demo, when I got the full game I was also getting anxiety about when I'd be able to start dabbling into magic. The difference is you know it's coming because it keeps being hinted at and, when you finally do get to do magic is just so satisfying.
Wylde Flowers does a great job storytelling and building up the hype and anticipation!!
I recall seeing this in the Switch eShop and the graphics for it just feel kind of cheap. The screenshots it does provide just made it feel messy. Obviously you shouldn’t always trust your gut instinct, but I’m glad I did in this case and decide to wait for a review
it looks like a cheaper version of Paleo Pines, a game that already doesn't look great imo
Isn’t the saying you *should* always trust your gut instinct?
I appreciate how respectful and kind you were while still giving an honest opinion. That’s so important. Please never lose that!
Thank you so much for this comment!!! 😭 🩷
@@mintendogaming Of course! It’s been so awesome watching your channel grow over this past year. You’re one of my favorite creators, just because you seem so genuinely kind. You’re doing an amazing job, I always love when I see a new video of yours pop up on my feed 🥰
You’re doing great Min! I truly believe you will go far with this!
@@PixelFae42 wow thank you so much!!! 😭😭😭😭
My partner and I are developing a game at the moment so things become more obvious to me when seeing or playing games. The artstyle itself isn't what threw me off with this one but it was the execution. It's like there's no soul in it, the same with the animations which I feel you need at least ONE of those things to give that cozy game feel I love! But the most important thing is a game developer needs to know what its game IS and what sets it out from others in the same or similar genre!
Thank you for making this review. It's really helpful for not just gamers but developers too!
Not every cozy game is going to knock it out of the park. I'm retired and on a fixed income, thank you for helping me save my money. You do good work.
This is not a complete game and it should have been early access. I can’t get my money back and I’m really not very happy about it.
That’s awful. Did you buy on Nintendo Switch? I wish they had a return policy.
@@mintendogamingI bought it on steam and tried to play too long, lol, that was my fault. But this game is really not complete and I do feel ripped off.
@@dombass4633 Oh no!! Sometimes they’ll still let you return it! So fill out the form anyways if you didn’t already! I’m so sorry for you if not 😭😭😭
I encountered lots of bugs playing on switch. I found multiple chests with goodies that just disappeared. When I spent my last $100 on an item from a shop and never received it but my money was gone I turned the game off. I wish I could get my money back unfortunately. I play cozy games to relax and unwind and this was only frustrating.
@@dombass4633 tbh the game is so confusing it's as if it was made to make you run around for more than 2 hours. Kinda scummy.
Love your honesty Min! I’m gonna use this $30 to buy Halloween candy instead 😛
Enjoy your halloween candy!! 👻
well, that's the digital era for you. they no longer care about first impression because they can just "update" it in the future. in my youth time, where video games come in physical copy, game developers worked so hard that when they finally released it, they really made sure it's totally finished because it's a one-way trip, either to success or failure.
It goes both ways. In your youth time, developers were also extremely rushed because "christmas season" and instead of giving it another half year to finish things up, you end up with an incomplete, hardly working mess but no way to download patches onto your physical disk.
@@JayLeeBeanz that's why i said "either to success or failure", but how many games of old that are unfinished? 5 percent? i'm happy with that. compare the number to today's games.
@@meph1570well you have to remember, making games is more accessible than ever. So there’s obviously a bigger quantity of games and with early access things compound. That’s not entirely a bad thing; Ultrakill is one of my favorite games and it’s technically unfinished. I gave up on the triple A scene a while ago, but systems like this can be pretty beneficial for smaller studios and independent devs.
Games still having to get updates for years is a double edged sword. Sometimes they need to make money to justify more content at all.
Personally I just never buy into hype and only buy games (i.e Baldur's Gate, Cult of the Lamb) a while after release because I want a full experience, which works gor me so long as I'm not impatient.
Games that are clearly supposed to stay in EA but get out too early (Coral Island, and this) are a problem, though, I admit
@@meph1570 When today's games end up like this, at least they _can_ be patched. And if not by the developers, then at least by the modders.
I don't have percentages or statistics. But it's stuff like Sonic 06 or Spyro Enter the Dragonfly that ended up ruining a whole franchise's reputation to boot. And those are only two extreme examples. Many, many milder cases with rushed content or facepalming oversights. Name me a game that doesn't have at least one bug that is burned on the disc forever. xD
You gave a very well rounded review and it's so helpful. I saw the game and the graphics felt very cheap for me. I usually know if I'll like a game within 1-2 hours of gameplay, this is def a skip for me
I agree Miss Bubbles, all I need is a hour to decide if a game is for me or if I’m going to drop it, which is unfortunate for this one because it seems to have potential but the pacing is too slow and it doesn’t look like there’s a lot to do in the beginning . Glad Min tried it out for us 💕
Thanks Miss Bubbles! It means a lot coming from you! I definitely agree we usually know pretty quickly if a game will hook us or not!
Interesting. I really like the art style. Is it the quality of the graphics or the style you didn’t like? The graphics on the switch looked awful compared to PC.
@@pippalovesfor me is the quality of the graphics that feel cheap to me. I understand they try to do something vintage but I would prefer maybe lower pixels to achieve that look? Right now it looks very plastic-ky for my taste.
But what I really dislike is the animation. It doesnt feel organic or smooth enough, it's like the characters are moving in another enviroment.
yeah, I don't get when people say the game looks charming. It just looks cheap to me. Not a fan.
I picked up Natsu-Mon: 20th Century Summer Kid recently and I'm IN LOVE. It feels like what an Animal-Crossing-like SHOULD be in 2024
I was just thinking about how i NEED to try that one!!
Completely agree with so much of what other comments are saying about the state of cozy gaming at the moment! The coziness comes from the content, not lack of content and direction. Games that force a slow pace at the detriment of the story and plot isn't effective. It concerning that this game had so little as far as direction and so much as far as glitches and lack of polish. I read the response from the devs you linked and I'm not too impressed with their response, which is a shame. Thanks for the honest review!
Thank you for your honest review, Min. I really appreciate it when a creator gives their honest opinion on a new game. I haven't played this game myself, but after watching many people stream this I can say that I 100% agree with you. This game looks super cute and I love the idea, but it just seems way too slow. I know I'd get bored fast and frustrated with not having any direction. Also, as you mentioned, where is the "witch" part of the game? I feel that just having a cauldron to cook in isn't enough to label this as Garden "Witch" Life. I know that not all witchcraft involves casting spells, but there are many other witchy things that could have been included. Things such as potion making, charms, crystals, more of a focus on nature, having a familiar....there are so many things than just cooking food in a cauldron. I don't know, maybe later on more of that is added but for a witch game I feel some should have been included early on at least. Anyway, this is one that I'll be skipping for now and I'm very disappointed with. Thank you so much for the honest review. Please don't ever change how you review games. I love it!
Thank you so much for your thoughts, Jazzlina!!! I love your ideas for how they could have implemented the Witchyness more. From the trailer it seems you can ride a broom stick later on, but who knows how long it takes until you can get to that point 🫣
i bought the game and was just so disapointed, not really because its bad but because it jus FEELS like an early access game but isnt. i think id like it way better if it would be early acces because then i knew there would be more polishing comming up and therefor the game would get better in the future.
Aw man! It stinks to be disappointed. I am super disappointed too!
Wow thank you so much. I was looking for a new switch game but was hesitating on this one. You've confirmed my fears and saved me $29. I did buy 2 steam games, Chef RPG and Fields of Mistria. And even though both are still in early access they feel so much more developed and more to do.
Fields of mistra has been amazing. Absolutley worth the money
Thanks for giving your honest opinion Min! It's so refreshing to see such a candid review :) hopefully the devs will take notice of everyone's feedback and improve the game with future updates!
Everything you’ve mentioned is absolutely fair and balanced! Your honesty is very much appreciated as well. I definitely agree that things you mentioned like the cooking, exploration, and items you unlock are sooo cute and are wonderful, but there’s so many small things that harm the experience that just kept piling up. If the devs polish it up more and work on it some more, it definitely has the possibility to be something amazing! But as it stands now, definitely needs more polish, some more guidance and more quests/explanations. Here’s hoping they do! I’d love to revisit this game if/when it feels fully fleshed out and polished
Absolutely! Well said, Rey. I hope they do! It just sucks for them if they do improve it after the fact because they may have already lost so many people 🫣😬😭
I just wanted to tell you these are the videos I need the algorithm to show me more of!!!! I need honest reviews so I know what not to waste my money on!!! Thank you for saving your viewers’ time and money by not trying to sell mediocre games just because they were gifted
I was soooo anxious to get it! I have the Switch experience and, to be honest, I do have some problems with it. Sometimes I’m watering my plants and the game closes by itself - just like that. It’s hard to make money, the stamina ends way to easily and the bar getting full insted of getting down is confusing. But I do love the cooking dynamics, the recipes are really fun, and I actually apreciate the super slow pacing of this game, I like having no tasks and just exploring around. With that said, I’ve been playing for just three days, so I could get bored in like one month of playing or so. I do expect to be more of the “witch” aspect too, the tutorial said I was an alchemist so… Hope they keep updating the game to fix some of that.
This video and info was much needed. Your honest review of this game is spot on to me and I really appreciate you giving your best effort with it trying to give it a fair shot. I think this game needed some more time in the making and maybe with future updates it will grow to its potential! Love ya!❤
Aaaa thank you Darklynx. I’m glad I’m not the only one and I hope this information can help others make an informed decision about the game as well!
honestly, the fact they're receptive to criticism and are willing to rework mechanics is super promising. honestly a game i'd be willing to look into again after some time!
My big thing is why can we not just have games be released finished anymore.. feels like only devs like fromsoftware are doing this anymore.
I bought this game yesterday impulsively and regret it so far. I just want a new cozy farming game till mysims, the new loz, and hello kitty island adventure. I fear this ain’t it
I just finished my first three hours of the game and I feel very similar to you Min! I was confused by a lot of the same stuff and also felt the pacing is slow. The start was so cute and then it just kind of stated to become boring and that there was not enough to do and I found myself sleeping the days away. In this day and age when there are so many farming games to pick from, I do not see myself picking it up when there are other options that are drawing me in more. This game has a lot of interesting mechanics but it really needed more time to cook.
Exactly!!! Thanks for sharing your thoughts Bailey! The game definitely has some fun ideas but it does feel half-baked 😭
Thank you so much for the honest review Min, I love that you gave the good and the bad! Reviews like this are always helpful for me when deciding if a game is worth my money. I watched you stream both times and agree the pacing for this one is waaay too slow. I appreciate you as always!!
Thank you for the review! ❤️ I tried the game on Steam yesterday and ended up returning it for a refund after playing around 90 minutes of it. It’s a pity - the game has so much potential, but it’s really hindered by a general lack of polish. Hopefully the issues will get patched out over time!
I understand your point of view and all are valid points. I agree they shouldn’t fully release a game if it’s not completely perfect or the most important parts functioning. I’ve been playing for two days though and have to say I love this game. I’m on switch and It’s very glitchy. Things like tutorials are non existing or a way to hover over items to know what they are and many other things that need fixing. But.. after playing these two days (basically nonstop lol) I would suggest to others just waiting and maybe get it a little later when all these things have been patched. Just because I find there is a lot more than what you see on the surface. As you progress you find areas and storyline. The animals are too cute. I have a little snail that comes to my house every day and I started to feed him in his little dish lol. Little things like that make me happy hehe. If anyone want a cozy game that has quests or things to do at all times then this game is not for you. This game has quests but they stop for a while until you progress in your own game in order to unlock more quests. But is not like you are on your own the whole time finding what to do. Anyways those are my two cents. But I have to say I love how transparent and honest you are. Not everyone is like this. ❤🥰
I just found you from this review! I thought i was the only one lost when playing this game! I had no idea what to do next, but saw all these amazing reviews. Thank you for your honest review. Newly subscribed:)
Thank you so much for watching and subscribing 🩷☺️
Thanks for this well articulated review! I agree first impressions are everything with these games. Even if things improve later in game, one of my biggest gripes is when games lock their cool/unique features that make them standout behind 10+ hrs of gameplay. Games need to hook me and show me right away why I WANT to grind to unlock future features and QoL efficiencies.
So well stated, Sarah!!! Exactly what I feel too!!
I thought it looked really cute, but I was waiting on some reviews and now I’m glad I waited. Thank you for your honest feedback. ❤
It does look sooo cute! I really wanted to get to the animals because some people told me the cows are really cute- but the pacing of the game is too slow and directionless right now 😭
@@mintendogaming yeah I’m the same way, I need something to do lol and the money thing would drive me crazy.
I had a similar experience while playing this game. I thought maybe it was just me but I see it was not. You are so right; first impressions are critical. I want to give this game another try after they update it but I may be on to the next game by the time it’s in a better state.
Your reviews are always so helpful!
I enjoy listening to them because your so honest and it helps me decide if it I want it or not.
Wildmender is a great game with cosy vibes, but also an amazing storyline in the background you can follow, and quests and things to follow. I highly recommend it if you like cosy and laid back games, but also love having something MORE going on. Stardew Valley is also really good for that.
I haven’t played it for myself, but going off of this I feel like I would have enjoyed it back when I was a kid. I don’t think I would ever get around to buying it as an adult because there’s so much more variety for games that suit my tastes now than there were back then
I wanted to love this game. I bought it for the switch, which I understand was 10.00 more than PC, and I put in 8 hours trying to play it. There are so many bugs that need to be fixed, I feel a bit hoodwinked. I really don't think that this game should have been released in this state.
Thanks for the review Min! I was on the fence on buying this but your review definitely helped!
I pre-purchased the game hoping it would be as good as Fae Farm. But on Nintendo it is practically unplayable. Characters that disappear and you can't find them anymore, unreachable places because the road is blocked by a wall, it doesn't load the ground texture and it's hard to see, there is no tutorial and it doesn't explain how and where to find certain ingredients! We deserve at least a refund while they fix these HUGE BUGS! -From Italy-
THe story got me hooked in the beginning! I relate to the character somehow especially since the art and gaming industry is difficult with all the lay-offs and companies shutting down. The gameplay look so-so but I'm willing to get it for a lower price like 60-80% off
SAME!! Yeah if it’s like 1.99 i’d buy it 🤣🤣🤣
Great video! I appreciate it. I was going to preorder but something told me to wait. I’m not a very patient person, I like clear quest goals and tidy farms and fences without having to fiddle with them. I’ll wait to see if theres updates. If there is, I definitely would try it.
Wait, so they have a hunger bar, and a stamina bar, AND a fatigue bar? Those could have easily been combined into only two or even one bar/stat and condensed gameplay some more.
Yeah! Health, Stamina, Hunger, Fatigue and Mana!
I hate the weird 2d art for the cooking but I love the idea behind it, this game feels like an early access demo not a ready for realise game
I have not seen a lot of this game but I cant shake the feeling it feels unpolished? As if I should be EA, cause tere is content needed to make everything more coherent, and give your game play a more organic flow.
I’ve heard that from others as well, that maybe it should have been an early access game 🫣
@@mintendogaming That time we get a "full release that sould have been EA" Now in cinemas in your area.
@@Handnail 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Thanks for your honesty, I do think this game is underbaked. I thought that before your video just from some other streams I watched.
Thank you for being really honest about the game. I was so excited for this one but I will definitely save my money. Hopefully after some updates it will be more fun but it looks a bit complicated and difficult to me. It is great that the devs did respond to the criticisms but I feel parts of their response were just lazy/dismissive and copy and paste. I will give it some time to see if it gets better. I am hoping that maybe it will get better over time.
I deided to buy Fabedom instead of this and it looks like I made the right choice. I've got it on my wishlist though in the hopes they fix it. Thank you so much for the honest review.
Thank you for your honest review!!! I feel that content creators that focus in cozy games always leave good reviews and lie! Altough I don't think that we should tolerate developers that release "Full 1.0" and feel like early access and unpolished, developers have got too comfortable doing this because people accept it. I would get it if the game would cost less than $10.
thank you for reviewing this. im all for supporting peoples first games but a lot of cozy games are starting to all feel the same and some are feeling like they dont have the heart in them but are just spat for the label of "cozy game" i feel like more should have demos so we can get a feel for them. i really like the character designs and art in this game but i hope they work more on this. it's definitely more on the simple side so i was hoping to recommend it to someone who finds stardew overwhelming. hopefully they fix the tutorial system to teach the things you didnt figure out as a sort of veteran of cozy games
That font 😬 Glad I came across your video. That narrow whimsey font hurts just to scan. This is an entry level error. Ok in spurts but not everywhere.
Looks like another "lets get on the cozy hype train for the money" kind of game. Looks half baked with no soul. Appreciate the honest review. As a cozy game lover, youve helped me save some money. ❤❤
you handled this very gracefully! i appreciate you sharing your feedback. having a standard for games is important, some things just arent acceptable
Thank you 🩷
I played for about 2 or 3 hours? Maybe 4? My character kept passing out, the instructions are massively lacking, I got stuck somewhere and even waiting to pass out didn't spawn me out of the stuck spot, and then everything I had in my inventory disappeared (tools, food, crops, money) for no reason. This game is an absolute mess. Within 36hrs of buying the game from the eshop, I reached out to Nintendo support for a refund, and they were able to help me out by giving me the refund. I explained how terribly buggy and awful the game play experience is, and they were surprisingly helpful to refund me.
oh my gosh i’m so glad you got a refund! I didn’t know you could do that with Nintendo !!
@@mintendogaming They're did express to me that it's not common practice, but I think because I contacted them very shortly after downloading the game, an exception was able to be made. I used the live chat from their support page. They were very understanding, but I don't think a refund is common.
This definitely looks like something I’d wait to buy on a sale, I had an eye on this before and was deciding wether to buy it on release or not but this review rly helped
The more half baked cozy games i see the nore i want to make my ddlc inspired "cosy game" that turns into an emotional based cosmic horror
I played the demo for the game during Steam Next Fest and it's really cute but it has a lot of quality of life stuff missing. I think it has potential though but it should have been launched as an Early Access game. I might pick it up at a later date.
This is my first video of yours and I really enjoyed it! I really hope they patch this, it looks so cute!
gained a sub for your honesty
No "cozy" game has ever beaten Viva Pinata in my mind
I wont lie, even just based on what i'm seeing of the game it feels so unfinished. I would not have assumed this was a full release if you didn't say so.
Thanks for the great info on this game.
Saw it a little while ago and thought it looked soo cute and fun. Thinking about waiting a while til they update it more
I think I agree mostly with the negative and positive parts mentioned in the video and I was also disappointed after I figured out that the game is not finished yet. I payed the pre-order price which was not a lot cheaper than the full price now and noticed that some updates were made so I am fine with that. Making money in the game was not a problem for me because I was selling all the compost I made since I did not know how to use it at that time so I bought seeds from the money I made, planted them and sold the crops so that I could afford more stuff. After a while it got boring but then out of curiosity I built the magic magnifying glass and this changed the whole game for me. Maybe I am very simple but this tool is showing the stats of the plants in the garden. So if the bar in some aspect for example the fertilizer is low you know you have to give the plant more of it to improve its wellbeing. Now I can look at all my plants very closely in detail and take care of their exact needs and this is exactly my kind of fun. I have a lot of plans with what I want my garden to look like so there is a lot for me to do now. For example I planted a heart out of roses and currently I am working on a field of sunflowers because I like sunflower fields >w< Still I am hopeful that more stuff is coming in the game and this makes me patient with it. It is true that it is undeniably unfinished and the price for it was way too high. But now that I have it and can not return it I am making the most of it and I don't mind figuring things out on my own. This is kind of part of the game for me. Still I would not recommend buying it right now since I wished I would have waited after the unpleasent realisation. Maybe in 6 months it will look better and would be worth looking into it again. It is a bummer that it flopped so early on and people might not be getting into it anymore. Overall I am happy with the game considering the circumstances I happened to buy it in and I do not regret purchasing it. It can only get better🌱
Almost every game launches "un"done xD even if they say DONE today xD real testers they need to pay so its so much better to let the consumers test xD
I think it's a REALLY cute game idea. But it's seems like it's not finished yet. I already bought it, but I don't know if this was the right decision. I played for 4 hours, but the gameplay was sooooooo slow. So I think I'll wait for a patch to play again. I fully agree with your feedback!
Also I'm playing on Xbox and there are some sound bugs and other frustrating things. Scrolling texts is just not possible. I can't read all the tutorials, letters or character descriptions. Also the money making is so frustrating. It seems impossible to make progress.
I’m glad you agree! I’m sure they’re working hard on the patches! It’s definitely disappointing 😭
@@mintendogaming Yeah I thought it could be one of my favourite games! But don't see that happening (in this state of the game).
:c thats how i felt about it too. I was so so excited for this game and played as much as you did but it was kind of a let down unfortunately. It feels really unfinished and buggy. also the loading screens really bother me x
😭 aw!!! So disappointing! Yes. The loading screens were also an issue!
Thanks for your honesty, Min!! ❤
I would have bought this at full price... thank you for saving my $!
Your honesty is so appreciated Min!! You did a great job of giving criticism constructively. This is why we trust your reviews
Your video was recommended to me and I found this review very helpful since I was thinking about buying this game. Instant sub from me, thanks for the review!!
I bought this game when it first came out and I wish I waited cause I don’t know if I like it too much.
It looks so cute, I think I'd play it for the vibes like Calico (dunno if it'd have the joyful freedom of Calico though)
i feel the same about sticky business. its really cute and i enjoyed it for a couple of hours but then it got repetative for me.
I think it's too difficult to unlock stuff and too expensive for the rate of currency flow. And that people make requests you seemingly have to fulfill so I can't just make the stickers I want, I have to be constantly shoehorning in random stuff to satisfy people. It's very cute but yeah.
I find that on occassion i go through a series of "The game will be fun when i unlock X" amd i keep doing that for like 3 hours pushing the goal posts lol
I agree with you in part. But I can't understand the criticism of the quests. Because the philosophy of the game is that you don't follow a main story, but progress by exploring and making friends. It SHOULD be like that. It takes some getting used to, yes, because we are used to other things. But that's how the game is structured. And I never had any problems with money. Sell the fertilizer in the community box, done. That gives you enough money to buy better tools and kitchen equipment. But I'm also of the opinion that it's more like Early Access. Skill progress in cooking does not increase, the friend level of some NPCs does not increase and guides in the game are not translated (at least not in German). But I like the game. We'll see how long I really feel like playing xD
thank you for the review, i was thinking about getting it but i may wait in case they ever update it and fix things!
For sure!!! 🩷
oh, I also started playing it, as it was said in the video, sometimes I didn’t understand what to do and it was too slow for me, my biggest confusion was “how to get water?” According to the logic of the game, we have a watering can and we fill it with water - is it logical? logical. Well, since this happens, I also need a vessel for water, but how to do it? I even made it for juice “from trees”. I even looked on the Internet “where to get water” and noticed how the player pressed the button near the well, and then it dawned on me.
Thank you! I'll wait for a sale lol.
This video has done really well, congrats Min! Good to hear your thoughts, I'm gonna skip this one myself, not really my jam 😅
RIGHT I'ma do a long rant:
I'll be honest there's so many cozy games being released left, right and center that I can't keep up anymore. I really feel like I'm losing track of all of them being released now compared to a few years ago when only a few of them would be released so it was much easier to keep track. Paleo Pines for instance...really felt more like a game for toddlers (I'm so sorry if you like the game, this was just personally my opinion) and same for this game, I just don't feel excited or interested. All the cozy games now feel the exact same carbon copies of one another that none of them strike my interest anymore. Games like Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, Spritfarer, Coral Island, My Time At Protia/Sandrock; these games are fantastic and cozy yet extremely different from one another. Heck even Faefarm? I didn't bother getting it. It honestly feels more overwhelming with the amount of cozy games being released now and all of them are getting quite pricy too with little to no content and...okay-ish art styles making it feel more like a money grab.
I totally understand! And nope I didn’t like Paleo Pines either 😬
Idk at first I was struggling to even make a few coins. After I bought the rose seeds and the distillery I was able to make rose perfume and boom 50000 coins instantly. Well yeah the balancing is weird. Now I'm at a point in the game where I dont have wood. Like theres no area you can chop down regularly. You basically have to wait for trees to grow on your plot. And it takes so loooong..
Overall its sad because this game has so so much potential..
I feel the game could have benefitted from having it in open beta/alpha. Considering there's balacing issues, it's best to fix that BEFORE a full release
Thanks for the review! I played the demo and it was buggy, very slow, and overall didn't grab me as it didn't feel like there was much to do or any depth.
I really don't like to overly criticize games or devs, because some games are just not for me but since it was a demo, I thought I'd see what people thought after release. I appreciate the honesty of your review.
I’ve played this game for hours and haven’t achieved much. It’s super slow paced and even selling items in both the magi box and community box, I barely make money. Most days are wake up, water plants, check the community box for money, make a cake and then…nothing. Everything has been done.
This was such a great and honest review. I definitely won't be getting this game, but I love that you linked the dev's response in the comments. I would love more reviews of "Games Min didn't like"
Thank you Mo 🩷🩷
i find it so weird they advertised themselves as a cozy and slow game but then they also have a thing that randomly makes u pass out and punishes the player. it really feels like the devs were not thinking about their own gameplay.
Already loved your channel, new subscriber ❤
Thanks so much for subbing!!
I'll wait for a couple of updates because it is on my radar and I am a steam deck player. It sucks there aren't many cozy games for the steam deck
Yo me gasté el dinero en esto. Y me arrepentí a la media hora. Le tenía mucho hype, pero al jugarlo en Switch, lo he visto vacío y con muchísimas cosas por pulir. Creo que no hay ni noche ni día en el juego o almenos yo no vi que se hiciera de noche. Me ha decepcionado mucho y siento que he tirado el dinero. 😭 pero ya he aprendido la lección, no comprar nada por mucho hype que tengas hasta ver todo tipo de reseñas. Ya sea en inglés o en español. Gracias por dar tu opinión tan sincera. 😊
Okay, but plantable tools bug is really funny
im so sad i was sooo excited about it ill still play it even thou its not what was i expected
Oh no:( just spent the 30$ on it for my bday treat, I haven't seen any proper reviews anywhere I looked, and now I see this and wish I saved it for a few more hrs:(
I’m so with you, I agree on all of the things you said. Plus, I’m on the Switch and the performance is not the best.
I really wish that certain cozy games only on Steam would get a Switch version/release.
This game is on Steam and consoles including Switch!
@@mintendogaming I’m talking about “Echoes of the Plum Grove” and “Coral Island”
@@Cynchronicity7 Oh gotcha! Yeah I hope they can be at some point!!! 🩷🥰
I feel like there's a non insignificant amount of people (me included) who avoid playing early access games until they're complete, or at least wait until there's been a substantial amount of updates and it's at least close to completion. I think in order to get more launch sales, the devs skipped early access and called it a complete game, even though it very much resembles early access in all but name. I'd love to be wrong about this, though, as I dislike assuming the worst.
Thanks for your review. I was looking forward to this, but not very hopeful because I tried the demo and it was very clunky and didn't run well on my computer. So I was thinking of getting it on Switch, but I don't think I'd enjoy any of the game play. Sad, but I hope they continue to fix the game to make it better for those who will find it later.
Never heard of it before but from the title alone, sounds like something similar to either animal crossing or story of seasons. Would totally be my thing. Can't be worse than modern Harvest Moon. Which.. Is an extremely low bar.
Thanks for the review side note you are so pretty 😍
I really wanted to like this game. My save bugged so bad. I couldn't complete any quests 😢