Fields of Misteria is a Wonderful Alternative to Stardew Valley

Fields of Misteria is one of the many Harvest Moon-inspired indie games released in the last decade. These games tend to recreate what fans liked about the first Harvest Moon but add a few features to change up the gameplay. They also take inspiration from Rune Factory by having a dungeon you can explore.

The first game that comes to mind when discussing this genre is Stardew Valley. Fields of Misteria is very similar to that game, with some minor exceptions. If you like the gameplay in Stardew Valley, Harvest Moon, and Rune Factory, then you’ll enjoy this game.

This game is still in early access on Steam. I won’t be giving it a review score because it isn’t a finished product yet. I also won’t be talking about everything in the game, but I will go over as much as I was able to experience.

TLDR: Fields of Misteria is an early-access game that plays like Stardew Valley.

Narrative

The story is a little more involved than I’m used to for a game like this. You play as an adventurer who is responding to a request for someone to come to the town of Misteria. The nobility that run the town are offering you a piece of land.

The heirs to the town of Misteria are trying to revitalize the town after an earthquake. It is rather different than someone trying to escape their previous life or returning to a family farm. There is something about it that I find compelling.

There is an introduction section that involves you meeting all of the villagers. This comes in the form of quests. I like it when games do with it as it lets you find where everything is. It is a nice way of doing things.

I’m not sure where the story is going at the moment. I only played the first season, so things might get fleshed out as the game gets updated and I continue playing. It will be interesting to see where things go from here.

Gameplay

If you’ve played Harvest Moon, Rune Factory, Stardew Valley, or any of the other games similar to those, then you’ll know exactly what to do. If not, what you’ll find is an enjoyable game where you complete simple quests, grow crops, raise animals, and, if you want, you can engage with the townsfolk. You can do a lot in a game like this, but it is all optional.

At the beginning of the game, you’re given some of the tools you need and a few seeds. You get more seeds as you talk with the townsfolk, and you’re given a few missions. These aren’t hard; it is mostly you walking around and talking to people. It is a way of showing you where everything is located.

There is something odd about this game. You aren’t given all the tools you’ll need right away. This is strange, but it gives you more of a reason to wander around, complete missions, and talk with people.

The controls are very good. I was playing this on a PC and using a mouse and keyboard, and it was easy to do everything I needed to do. The menus are easy to navigate, and everything has a hotkey.

Foraging and bug collecting seem to be a bigger part of this game than the other games I’ve played in this genre. It is a big part of the Museum in this game. Everything you collect can be turned in at least once to the Museum, or it feels like it.

So far, this has been a very fun game! The gameplay is a lot of fun and relaxing. I really like these games where there is no pressure, and you can do whatever you want.

Visuals

This game looks like candy to me. It is adorable to look at, and it makes me smile. There is something about modern pixel graphics that I love.

Fields of Misteria looks a little different from Stardew Valley. It leans into anime and looks more like a Sega Genesis game. I like the direction the developer went with the art style.

Everything looks like it is made out of candy. It looks like a sweet and cozy game where everyone likes each other, even the one character trying too hard to be cool. It is such a wonderful-looking game.

When you talk with a character, the game uses something similar to visual novels. You see a picture of the character and get the text of what they said. I think it looks good, and I like the characters’ almost anime look.

I like everything about the graphics. Fields of Mysteria is such a nice-looking game, and it adds to the relaxing style of gameplay. This is one of the nicer-looking indie games I’ve played.

N/A. This game is in Early Access, so I won’t be giving it a score. I do love the graphics and the gameplay. The story is interesting so far, but I’m just here for the farming and relaxing gameplay.

Pros

• Relaxing
• Good Controls
• Beautiful Graphics

Cons

• None that I noticed

Conclusion

This has been a lot of fun so far. Fields of Mysteria has added some little things to the genre, which is enough to make it a fun game. It doesn’t feel too different from games like Stardew Valley, Traveler’s Rest, or any other game in this genre.

That might sound like a bad thing, but it isn’t. Playing a game where you know exactly what you need to do can be nice. A few small things add some variety to the basic formula of these games.

The graphics are great, the gameplay is wonderful, and it is a very relaxing game. I’m looking forward to seeing the changes before the game gets released. So far, this is a great game!

If you liked this post, please check out my first impressions of Dungeon Inn.