While video games are certainly fun, most of the bigger titles put players through a lot of stress. Whether it’s shooting aliens or hunting monsters, the popular games on the market love to test players’ reflexes and endurance. Because of that, it is of little surprise that farming simulation games exist. For some, they are the perfect way to unwind after a hectic day. Players looking for the next farming sim to relax with can look forward to a little title called Stranded Sails: Explorers of the Cursed Islands. I had the chance to go hands-on with the game and found it a nice change-of-pace from what I’m normally used to playing and seeing.
To be fair, Stranded Sail is more of an exploration/survival experience; though farming is most definitely a vital component. At the game’s outset, you find yourself marooned on an unexplored archipelago. To survive, you and the members of your ship’s crew must explore the islands and make use of the vast resources available. Your ultimate goal is building a ship that will take you home, but it will take a lot of hard work and patience to meet this goal. This means plenty of farming, cooking, and a healthy dose of crafting.
At the beginning of the demo, I learned some of the basics. I tiled the ground, planted tomato seeds, watered them, then picked the fruits (pun intended) of my labor. Performing these actions required using an item wheel. I had to select a farming hoe to till the soil, select the seeds, and select a watering can. Going through each step is fairly effortless. After growing some onions and more tomatoes, I went over to a nearby cooking pot.
Cooking is simultaneously simple and complex. From a menu, you select the foods you wish to cook. In my case, it was tomatoes and onions. I created … something. What’s interesting about cooking is that you can mix and match many types of ingredients. Not all of it would be appealing in real life (like corn with onions) but it allows users some measure of creativity.
However, one cannot just throw random things into the cooking pot. Some dishes require that items go in a very specific order. As you explore, you’ll learn new recipes but you don’t necessarily know what you’ll need to bring them to life. For example, I selected a number of recipes and used different items only to learn none of them worked. The developers told me this was a deliberate choice to encourage players to try different combinations. I personally would have liked a little more guidance in this area, but I can understand the appeal of trial and error.
There are a number of treasures hidden across the islands. I learned that one such treasure lay within a cave on the other side of the wide gorge surrounding my base camp. To traverse this chasm, I had to build a bridge. Crafting items works similarly to cooking. You gather the necessary items (in this case, wooden planks and ropes), bring them to a workstation, and craft. Like cooking, you need to have specific recipes for crafting. Unlike cooking, crafting didn’t seem to have the same trial-and-error aspect.
Survival mechanics are another factor in Stranded Sails. You’ll have to eat on a regular basis to survive. Performing actions such as farming, fishing, and rowing a boat use up energy. Even the simple act of walking depletes your energy reserves. Because of that, you’ll always want to have a few meals on your person in case you need a boost. I didn’t get deep enough into the game to experience this, but you can expect certain meals will give you greater stamina than others. This is vital for exploring the deeper corners of the island where food isn’t as plentiful.
I encountered enemies while exploring the inner parts of the cave. Using a sword found in the cave, I hacked away at brightly colored ghost-like enemies. As with all actions, hacking and slashing requires energy. Some of the ghosts struck hard and took away large chunks of health. I had to strategically back way and snack on something to get back in the fight. I eventually bested my supernatural foes and received additional recipes for my efforts.
After my cave adventure, I engaged in my favorite part of the demo: fishing. I’ll be upfront, I absolutely love fishing in games. There’s something about learning the timing which I find appealing and that was certainly the case in Stranded Sails. Using a fishing rod, I found several fishing spots near my base camp. To catch a fish, you have to pay attention to two circles surrounding the fishing line. When the outer circle comes into contact with the inner one, you have to press A (or X). The trick is learning each fish’s specific pattern. I spent longer than I probably should have fishing, but I had a blast. And of course, the ability to cook all of these fish is a big incentive to find as many as possible.
I don’t normally play farming sims, but Stranded Sails (and to a lesser extent, Dragon Quest Builders 2) helps me understand their appeal. I felt relaxed and carefree as I went through the loop of exploration, crafting, farming, and keeping myself alive. Developer Lemonbomb Entertainment said they purposely wanted to create a chill experience and they most certainly succeeded in that regard. With that said, it’s important to keep yourself in good health by eating regularly. You can’t “die” in Stranded Sails, but you don’t want to pass out because of an empty stomach. Other than that, this is a very soothing gameplay experience.
I had a lot of fun with Stranded Sails. It has a rewarding gameplay loop that, while relaxing, keeps you engaged. I loved the simplistic art design and colorful graphics. Fishing is fun, as is rowing from island to island finding new recipes and enemies to fight. If you’re a fan of Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing, you’ll find a lot to like in Stranded Sails: Explorers of the Cursed Islands. Expect it to land on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One in Q4 2019.
Pre-order on Amazon or the Humble Store.
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