Rune Factory and Stardew Valley collide
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Song of the Prairie is one of manygames like Stardew Valley, but it stands out as one of my personal top favorites - and it just released out of early access today.
Once in a while, an indie gem drops and steals my cozy game-loving heart for hours on end - Song of the Prairie is one of those. The Droplet Studio’s stunning farming sim first surfaced as an early access title last spring, featuring all of theStardew Valley-esque essentials like harvesting, mining, and of course, romance. Since then, Song of the Prairie has come a long way before blossoming into its current 1.0 state.
The premise of the game is certainly unique when compared to others of the genre - you don’t play as a grandson or a granddaughter tending to their deceased grandparent’s long-forgotten farm. Instead, you’re a hardy hero famed for defeating the formidable demon king himself. In Song of the Prairie, you’ve moved on from being an impressive adventurer to beginning a more peaceful, rural chapter of your life.
There are animals to breed, crops to tend to, decorations to place, flowers to farm, fish to catch, mini-games to play, mines to explore, and bachelors to befriend in Song of the Prairie - plenty to do and to see, all in a town that’s as vibrant as those in the Rune Factory series. The farm area you get is entirely customizable, too, with different sizes or styles of houses to place and all sorts of buildings to construct - not to mention that the actual town itself is also upgradeable.
Check out some of theseupcoming indie gamesfor even more to play.
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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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