The new Rune Factory spin-off looks like much more than a Stardew Valley-like JRPG – its breathtaking Eastern-inspired world has dragons, magic, and more

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Wake me up in 2025

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma
(Image credit: Marvelous)

Rune Factory's long-awaited spin-off, previously dubbed "Project Dragon," was just revealed as Guardians of Azuma - and it's coming soon.

Cozy sim and JRPG fans are eating good the next couple of years if today's Nintendo Direct is anything to go on, with bangers like MySims, Tales of Graces f Remastered, and Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma underway. Rune Factory 5 released globally in 2022, with fans waiting since then for news of spin-off title "Project Dragon" or the sixth mainline game in Harvest Moon's beloved sister series.

As a longtime Story of Seasons and Rune Factory stan myself, Guardians of Azuma appears to meet and exceed every expectation I've had for Project Dragon - there's a stunning Eastern-inspired world filled to the brim with enchanting dragons, gods, magic, mythology, and of course, the Stardew Valley-esque farming sim essentials. All with a fantastical twist - players can use powers while tending their land.

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma – Announcement Trailer – Nintendo Switch - YouTube Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma – Announcement Trailer – Nintendo Switch - YouTube
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Fans can play as an Earth Dancer and call upon their unique inner powers to aid the gods themselves, battle blighted foes, help fellow villagers, and restore the land. The Guardians of Azuma trailer showcases some of these powers in action, and it makes Rune Factory 5's farm dragons feel like small potatoes. Restoring a withering land with once vibrant seasons and magic pulsing through its core - sign me up.

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is set to release next year, sometime in the spring of 2025. It's coming to the Nintendo Switch - but if it follows in the footsteps of its predecessors, it'll likely come to PC as well. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go pour another few hundred hours into both Rune Factory 4 and 5 while I wait to soar the skies in Project Dragon.

Searching for more? Check out the best farming games around right now.

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Anna Koselke
Anna Koselke
Staff Writer

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.

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