Ahoy Critters! It’s time to talk about something that pops up in many life-sim games: Farming.
We don’t want to add anything to the game “just because,” it also has to make sense in our world, be FUN, and fit into one of our most important design principles: player freedom.
Improving the town for residents and tourists is important; but we don’t want you to be tied to the home island. After all, what’s the point of making a handcrafted open-world for you to explore if you only ever see it on the horizon, poking out from behind a field of potatoes!
So we’ve made the decision not to have a static farm – sorry root vegetable fans – but instead focus on “farming style” mechanics that can be enjoyed wherever you happen to roam.
In Critter Cove, any plant you can pick, you can grow – just throw the plant into the recycler back in town and you'll be on your way to start your career as a nomadic farmer.
We think we’ve got a few soil-utions (sorry) that keep farming fun and dynamic:
Planters
You can place and grow plants within planters anywhere in the world. All the land-based plants can be grown using these, and we’re doing our best to make placement as unrestrictive as possible…
That means you can always plant loads in one area if you want to establish your own little “farm,” but it also means farming isn’t just about growing crops, but also flowers and other “decorative” style plants.
The right planters in the right place can give you access to convenient plants for your adventures, and can be used to decorate the town, increasing happiness for townsfolk and tourists alike.
Underwater Farming
We’ve spent a lot of time making the world under the waves interesting to explore, so of course you’ll be able to take advantage by taking part in some aquatic agriculture.
Specific types of plants can only be grown underwater. Just like above-ground planters, underwater farming allows you to pick anywhere in the ocean to set up. Later in the game, you’ll be able to automate some of the gathering, too.
And let’s not forget the true benefit of farming in the sea: you’re not going to have to water anything!
Post-Apocalyptic Gardening
We’ve been giving potatoes a hard time so far, but it’s only because we want our idea of “plants” to fit in with the colorful and vibrant post-apocalypse we’ve created. From naturally occurring drumstick bushes, to flowers that keep an eye on your activities, horticulture in Critter Cove is as mysterious as the world itself.
In fact, here are some previews of some of the weird and wonderful plants you can grow in the game when we launch into Early Access:
We’re busy cultivating (sorry again) plenty more ideas for farming and plants during Early Access, including creating healing items and even farming-specific plants for pigments in clothing.
But you’ll be able to check out Farming before we launch! We’ve added a proper introduction to farming into the new playtest, so sign up before March for the opportunity to jump back into our little piece of paradise. See you there, farmer!
The Critter Cove Team