A couple weeks ago, I gushed about a new fantasy farming RPG that caught my attention amid so many other "cozy" games for its roots in Japanese mythology. Well, I decided to check up on its Kickstarter and, hot damn, I'm clearly far from the only one excited about Tales of Seikyu.
When I wrote my last story, Tales of Seikyu hadn't even launches its Kickstarter yet, and yet today it's one of the platform's most popular game projects, having managed to take in $185,343 in funding and counting. For reference, that's almost five times its initial funding target of $40,000.
The project has some pretty lofty stretch goals, going all the way up to $1.3 million, which is the target for multiplayer. However, the project is pretty close to its next goal, $200,000, which would be enough to add consoles including Nintendo Switch to the launch plans.
In case you missed my first story, Tales of Seikyu is a truly unique-looking fantasy life-sim RPG where you can do all the usual stuff like build up your farm, go fishing, craft furniture, hang out with your neighbors, and find a romantic partner. But there's so much more here that sets this incredibly cute and cozy game apart from all the rest!
For one, just the depth of the aforementioned systems is exciting enough. You don't just fish, you take part in fishing competitions. The cooking aspect looks incredible, allowing you to make over 60 recipes, complete with delectably detailed food art, including authentic Japanese dishes like okonomiyaki, yakitori, and zenzai. There are more than 40 distinct personalities you can get to know on Seikyu Island, and thankfully, you can romance any of them regardless of gender. There are also four distinct seasons and a bunch of holidays, some Japanese and others universal, that change up the look and feel of the town.
Not only can you manage your farm, but you'll also be able to rejuvenate a hot spring, build a luxury casino, and contribute to the town tavern's operation. Outside town in the open world, there are "Scenic Puzzles," which I'm guessing means environmental puzzles. Solve these and you'll earn yourself some nifty rewards for your town.
All that said, what really grabbed my attention is the focus on Japanese folklore, particularly yokai - ghosts, shapeshifters, and all kinds of fascinating supernatural creatures and phenomena from Japanese folklore. Seikyu Island is crawling with yokai - in fact, the description seems to imply all residents are yokai, even if some of them just look like normal people.
"Build friendships, form families with the residents of the Yōkai town, support town development, and become a proud member of the flourishing mountainous Seikyu Island," says ACE Entertainment.
Finally, you can freakin' shapeshift into yokai, unlocking new powers. In one example, you can transform into a mighty boar to till your fields, and in another, you can soar through the sky as a crow tengu. Need some help looking for sunken treasure? Just morph into a water slime and explore your new natural environment.
Anyway, this is all to say, Tales of Seikyu looks like a lot more than your average farming sim RPG hybrid, and it sure looks like there's a big market out there for a chilled-out game with unique cultural twists and diverse gameplay mechanics. You can count me in when Tales of Seikyu launches in December 2024.
Looking for more? Here's a list of promising upcoming indie games to keep on you radar.
