Join Tara on a heartfelt journey to become a witch in Wylde Flowers. Farm by day, and cast spells by night as you craft your cottagecore life and bond with your coven. Come to know and love the fully voice acted characters of Fairhaven, as you unravel a local mystery.
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there was a lot i liked about wylde flowers but it just didn't... i don't know... i never was left feeling like i couldn't wait until the next time i picked it up. i didn't really feel anything while playing it. it was just okay.
Meet Tara - a young woman escaping city life to help her Grandma on her rural farm. Not all is as it seems though as Tara is thrusted into a magical adventure. Farming by day and spellcaster by night Tara must navigate her new found powers with the new life she has found and the new friends around her.
This is such a charming game. Even the characters who seem unlikeable initially have a charm to them. The story takes a little while to get going, as do the mechanics needed to progress but stick with the process and you'll be met with a quirky game that no other game will compare to. This is the game I keep coming back to. The game which is like an old friend who is there when I need a pick-me-up.
This is such a charming game. Even the characters who seem unlikeable initially have a charm to them. The story takes a little while to get going, as do the mechanics needed to progress but stick with the process and you'll be met with a quirky game that no other game will compare to. This is the game I keep coming back to. The game which is like an old friend who is there when I need a pick-me-up.
You play as Tara, who has just moved to Fairhaven to help her sick grandmother with her farm. Tara hasn't been back for about two decades, so she's getting to know the residents again, along with some new faces. She also stumbles upon a big secret, which is the real reason Grandma Hazel wanted Tara to come back.
The story is a WILD ride!
Visuals
I love the way Wylde Flower looks! Sure it has that distinctly mobile 3D game look, but it's so crisp and well done. Each character looks unique and there's a nice diversity among the NPCs. Their movements are also pretty fluid rather than clunky. Except some of them walk like they have a stick up their butt. It's actually kind of funny and cute.
There are multiple locations which all have their own distinct look, and the magical locations are especially lovely! And the animals are too cute!
Sound Effects + Music
A big plus for Wylde Flowers is that every single line of dialogue is voiced! Whenever you stop for a chat or get a cutscene, you hear every word spoken, and everyone has their own unique voice, accent, and speaking style. It really helped the immersion and getting to know everyone. Everyone is so expressive, and don't sound like they're just reading the script.
The background music is pretty unobtrusive and inoffensive. I honestly didn't even notice it most of the time. It really does just fade into the background. There are some ambient noises, but I mainly noticed those at the beach, since you can hear gulls and the waves. The other game sounds are fine, and thankfully none of them were annoying. Pretty standard. It's obviously the sound focus was on the character dialogue.
Gameplay + Controls
Wylde Flowers is a narrative driven life simulator. There are set story quests and side friendship quests which are how you progress through the game. There are no time limits, so feel free to take your time and explore. There's a ton to do, so never worry about not having something to work toward. You can't rush through most things, as some features are locked behind completing certain quests, or a specific day, or some other event. This keeps things fresh and moving along.
You'll guide Tara through fixing up her grandparents farm, which includes gardening, ranching, and a bunch of crafting machines. She can also build friendships with the villagers and a few are dateable! Of course, Tara also learns that she's a witch, so you'll have magic to play around with too. Plus a lot more! I was always surprised to continue unlocking new characters, locations, and craftables!
Tara automatically uses the appropriate tool for the object she's interacting with. I love this feature, since you don't have to remember to equip tools, or switch between them. However, there does seem to be a bit of problem with the hit boxes. You'll be right in front of one thing, but the object a little bit over will actually be selected. If you're not paying attention to what bubble is highlighted, you could waste precious energy on the wrong thing.
The game does continue past the credits. There's still a lot to discover and do even when the main story is over. I still haven't unlocked all recipes or ingredients yet! And the quests keep coming!
Replayability
Even though Wylde Flowers is a fairly long game, and one that you can continue playing past the credits, I do feel like it has replay value. Mostly because I wonder how long you can get away with playing just the first Spring to avoid a certain event as long as possible. Or if you just love the story and want to revisit it. Otherwise, just keep playing and exploring!
Overall
I loved Wylde Flowers! This game had me hooked from the very beginning because of the story and the gameplay! There's just so much to do, especially once you finish the story and have a bit more freedom to do as you wish. In fact, there's a lot of freedom even during the story, since you change the seasons yourself. Although there were a few timed events.
The story is a WILD ride!
Visuals
I love the way Wylde Flower looks! Sure it has that distinctly mobile 3D game look, but it's so crisp and well done. Each character looks unique and there's a nice diversity among the NPCs. Their movements are also pretty fluid rather than clunky. Except some of them walk like they have a stick up their butt. It's actually kind of funny and cute.
There are multiple locations which all have their own distinct look, and the magical locations are especially lovely! And the animals are too cute!
Sound Effects + Music
A big plus for Wylde Flowers is that every single line of dialogue is voiced! Whenever you stop for a chat or get a cutscene, you hear every word spoken, and everyone has their own unique voice, accent, and speaking style. It really helped the immersion and getting to know everyone. Everyone is so expressive, and don't sound like they're just reading the script.
The background music is pretty unobtrusive and inoffensive. I honestly didn't even notice it most of the time. It really does just fade into the background. There are some ambient noises, but I mainly noticed those at the beach, since you can hear gulls and the waves. The other game sounds are fine, and thankfully none of them were annoying. Pretty standard. It's obviously the sound focus was on the character dialogue.
Gameplay + Controls
Wylde Flowers is a narrative driven life simulator. There are set story quests and side friendship quests which are how you progress through the game. There are no time limits, so feel free to take your time and explore. There's a ton to do, so never worry about not having something to work toward. You can't rush through most things, as some features are locked behind completing certain quests, or a specific day, or some other event. This keeps things fresh and moving along.
You'll guide Tara through fixing up her grandparents farm, which includes gardening, ranching, and a bunch of crafting machines. She can also build friendships with the villagers and a few are dateable! Of course, Tara also learns that she's a witch, so you'll have magic to play around with too. Plus a lot more! I was always surprised to continue unlocking new characters, locations, and craftables!
Tara automatically uses the appropriate tool for the object she's interacting with. I love this feature, since you don't have to remember to equip tools, or switch between them. However, there does seem to be a bit of problem with the hit boxes. You'll be right in front of one thing, but the object a little bit over will actually be selected. If you're not paying attention to what bubble is highlighted, you could waste precious energy on the wrong thing.
The game does continue past the credits. There's still a lot to discover and do even when the main story is over. I still haven't unlocked all recipes or ingredients yet! And the quests keep coming!
Replayability
Even though Wylde Flowers is a fairly long game, and one that you can continue playing past the credits, I do feel like it has replay value. Mostly because I wonder how long you can get away with playing just the first Spring to avoid a certain event as long as possible. Or if you just love the story and want to revisit it. Otherwise, just keep playing and exploring!
Overall
I loved Wylde Flowers! This game had me hooked from the very beginning because of the story and the gameplay! There's just so much to do, especially once you finish the story and have a bit more freedom to do as you wish. In fact, there's a lot of freedom even during the story, since you change the seasons yourself. Although there were a few timed events.
I have mixed feelings here. It started off awfully, with the new mechanics coming too slowly to make the gameplay interesting. If you get past the first 5-10 hours and let the game really open up, though, it gets really fun. Unfortunately, that fun turns to endless grinding and waiting around for plot elements to occur for the last quarter of the game, which made me lose a lot of my enjoyment factor again. Overall, if you have played all of the other big name farming games and want a new one, it wasn't a wholly bad experience, but I'd definitely recommend others over this one.
I really enjoy the set-up of this and tore this game at first, but towards the end of year one I started to lose interest. Great characters, but the gameplay loop got old after a while. I would like to go back and finish someday (and have Tara put a ring on Giva's finger!).
Genuinely a surprising experience. My first impression of the game came from its rather "mobile" appearance, bearing a resemblance to cheap mobile games that lack a touch of passion. What the game does on the contrary is amplify the best parts of farming sims, with likable characters, a story that actually tries, and providing the players with an obvious sense of progression that is satisfying.
While this is a farming game, it operates more as a crafting game, with crops being used to help produce goods that are useful for other recipes. Another thing that separates it from its contemporaries is the use of magic in the game, which provides useful buffs and helps to act as landmarks to further plot progression.
The story has actual stakes as well, with the town becoming fearful of each other leading to conflicts that reveal deeper complexities, leaving the game to not be as mindlessly cheerful as other sim games can be. An issue is the lack of a cohesive "villain revealed" moment. While the player knows their is someone evil, the identity is revealed near the end of the first year with little fanfare and is resolved very shortly thereafter.
While the game has a fantastic sense of progression for the first year, the second year adds little to explore. By that point, relationships are likely maxed out, collectibles collected, and major plot points completed. There is not much to keep you playing afterward, but it never becomes stale, rather uneventful.
In conclusion, even with its faults, I found myself utterly addicted to the game playing it at any given opportunity and growing to love this fictional world and characters. The faults are not so grand to get in the way of what turned out to be a surprisingly excellent experience.
While this is a farming game, it operates more as a crafting game, with crops being used to help produce goods that are useful for other recipes. Another thing that separates it from its contemporaries is the use of magic in the game, which provides useful buffs and helps to act as landmarks to further plot progression.
The story has actual stakes as well, with the town becoming fearful of each other leading to conflicts that reveal deeper complexities, leaving the game to not be as mindlessly cheerful as other sim games can be. An issue is the lack of a cohesive "villain revealed" moment. While the player knows their is someone evil, the identity is revealed near the end of the first year with little fanfare and is resolved very shortly thereafter.
While the game has a fantastic sense of progression for the first year, the second year adds little to explore. By that point, relationships are likely maxed out, collectibles collected, and major plot points completed. There is not much to keep you playing afterward, but it never becomes stale, rather uneventful.
In conclusion, even with its faults, I found myself utterly addicted to the game playing it at any given opportunity and growing to love this fictional world and characters. The faults are not so grand to get in the way of what turned out to be a surprisingly excellent experience.