Spiritfarer

 Switch
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 113 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 90 out of 113
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 113
  3. Negative: 10 out of 113

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  1. RedPixel
    May 2, 2023
    8
    I don't usually like "farming" games, but I enjoyed this one. The story is touching. I got frustrated towards the beginning when it was hard to figure out what I was supposed to do to advance the story, and again at the end when I was clearly almost done but waiting for something to trigger. Oh, and there's a bug that hits some players that resulted in a third time when the game felt stuckI don't usually like "farming" games, but I enjoyed this one. The story is touching. I got frustrated towards the beginning when it was hard to figure out what I was supposed to do to advance the story, and again at the end when I was clearly almost done but waiting for something to trigger. Oh, and there's a bug that hits some players that resulted in a third time when the game felt stuck (and in this case, actually stuck, though the solution is there for the googling).

    I did not expect this game to have platforming elements, which was frustrating when the game started stuttering during a block of more challenging platforming.

    So, the downsides are the bottlenecks to advancing the story and the performance issue. But the story is sweet, and I got the game on sale. Well worth the sale price.    … Expand
  2. Kronhas
    Feb 21, 2023
    9
    It is a beautiful game, very artistic and with very deep messages on such an important subject as death. In terms of mechanics, it is quite entertaining, with a mix of conversational adventure and farm simulator. Towards the second half of the adventure it gets a bit repetitive and there is little challenge, not worth the grind itself. But if this happens to you, go straight to completingIt is a beautiful game, very artistic and with very deep messages on such an important subject as death. In terms of mechanics, it is quite entertaining, with a mix of conversational adventure and farm simulator. Towards the second half of the adventure it gets a bit repetitive and there is little challenge, not worth the grind itself. But if this happens to you, go straight to completing the story of all the ship's companions, and you'll see some tears come to your eyes, with a bittersweet feeling. Bravo to the studio, and for their bravery in creating Spiritfarer! I recommend it.… Expand
  3. VyseHD
    Nov 20, 2022
    7
    sorry, at a point in the game nobody hepls you to get more away in the game, and the npcs are only a short time happy its soooooo annoying
  4. SgtWantCuddles
    Oct 24, 2022
    10
    Spiritfarer is hard for me to describe. It is definitely a management sim and you play several resource gathering minigames (relating to certain characters) and crafting minigames - they do make up a sizeable amount of your time spent but overall the majority is spent exploring, learning, and developing relationships with characters. The soundtrack is gorgeous and there are certain tracksSpiritfarer is hard for me to describe. It is definitely a management sim and you play several resource gathering minigames (relating to certain characters) and crafting minigames - they do make up a sizeable amount of your time spent but overall the majority is spent exploring, learning, and developing relationships with characters. The soundtrack is gorgeous and there are certain tracks that still make me tear up listening to them. This game's emotional impact can be tremendous and some characters moving on (not really a spoiler since it's kinda a core gameplay mechanic) confused me until I got context later and it hit me like a truck. I still haven't recovered from the implications of one of them. It truly felt like I knew the characters and that's a sign of great storytelling. Highly recommend this if you are looking for a relaxing, beautiful game that could leave you emotional. It was also great to have Daffodil the cat to have a drop-in, drop-out co-op partner that could help with crafting, gathering, and anything other than talking to characters and boat building. My partner greatly enjoyed the time together.… Expand
  5. URJudged
    Sep 27, 2022
    10
    Despite this game being very different than my usual go to games, I had a great time playing. The story is wonderful and the characters are very well developed. The coop is very well done and absolutely adorable (P2 gets to be the cat). Most of the mechanics are smooth and intuitive even for my partner who doesn't normally play many video games. This was one of the few games I felt like IDespite this game being very different than my usual go to games, I had a great time playing. The story is wonderful and the characters are very well developed. The coop is very well done and absolutely adorable (P2 gets to be the cat). Most of the mechanics are smooth and intuitive even for my partner who doesn't normally play many video games. This was one of the few games I felt like I wanted to 100% it. Highly recommend if you enjoy story based games and tend to enjoy deep, developed characters.… Expand
  6. AnnaLynxy33
    Sep 23, 2022
    3
    To be honest, I don't understand why this game has so many good reviews. 90% of gameplay is super boring gathering and crafting. All the mini-games are super easy and take a couple of mins. It feels like developers want to increase playing time not by content, but by forcing players to do one-click events over-and-over. Most of the locations - same backgrounds, same animations,To be honest, I don't understand why this game has so many good reviews. 90% of gameplay is super boring gathering and crafting. All the mini-games are super easy and take a couple of mins. It feels like developers want to increase playing time not by content, but by forcing players to do one-click events over-and-over. Most of the locations - same backgrounds, same animations, everything's the same. Looking at other games (Hollow Knight, Stardew Valley) where you see that devs worked on so tiny details just to make their worlds seem real, I don't understand how to play this "set of static images with endless process of gathering and crafting just for spending your time" game, sorry. I felt that I wasted my time playing this game. Uninstalled without regret.… Expand
  7. Sensou
    Sep 9, 2022
    7
    Spiritfarer is a very unique game. It's the real definition of cozy game which its the 1st game that I can fully understand what cozy games like.

    Spiritfarer is all about you understand/ reflect how you live your life and left with no regret. This game is very emotional if you truly attach to all characters in the game which is a good sign that you fully understand and know them well.    Spiritfarer is a very unique game. It's the real definition of cozy game which its the 1st game that I can fully understand what cozy games like.

    Spiritfarer is all about you understand/ reflect how you live your life and left with no regret. This game is very emotional if you truly attach to all characters in the game which is a good sign that you fully understand and know them well.

    Music in this game is fantastic. One of the best for indie type of game.

    All is good but yeah, i do agree the game get tedious pretty quick. You need to gather and craft things to proceed with the quest. On top of that, you need to sail from corner to corner to gather all the materials which I kind of understand what the developers trying to do.

    The developer seems want you to enjoy the voyage while manage the kitchen, crops and interacting with all spirits while the ship is on the way to the destination. But, you need to gather lot of materials and sometimes, one location doesn't hold the desired amount that you need, so you need to go to another location or wait for tomorrow to gather the materials again.

    I only played the game for 10ish hours and already take a break because of that. It's not a type of game that I want to keep coming back.

    Don't get me wrong, I do love and enjoy the game but I cannot commit myself to keep playing this game for a long time. I probably only spent around 30-60 minutes in the game, then I'm done with it for the rest of the day.

    Spiritfarer is a great game with fabulous music, stunning art-style, fluid animation, great scenery, engaging story, lovable characters and much more. But, the gameplay mechanic, really kills it for me.    … Expand
  8. Cheblow
    Jul 18, 2022
    8
    so relaxing so peaceful game, i think i am going to cry fbut i didn't, actully another famer n fisherman game
  9. spencerplewe
    Jul 15, 2022
    9
    Beautiful in style and substance, Spiritfarer is a sea-faring community/farming adventure that's fun to play and look at, solidly explores themes of death, and manages to keep things fresh with each spirit you encounter. I experienced multiple crashes on my playthrough, though.
  10. Nintendist
    Jun 29, 2022
    0
    i really dislike this game. the gameplay is boring and very very empty with no good content
  11. rebster
    Jan 16, 2022
    10
    I could not put this game down.. It's such a relaxing and wholesome game to play and perfect to play to unwind. The music fits the game so well, it's so fun learning about the spirits' backstories, and the art style of the game is just beautiful. There's always so much to do in the form of requests and crafting and cooking and farming and taking care of the spirits. There are a lot ofI could not put this game down.. It's such a relaxing and wholesome game to play and perfect to play to unwind. The music fits the game so well, it's so fun learning about the spirits' backstories, and the art style of the game is just beautiful. There's always so much to do in the form of requests and crafting and cooking and farming and taking care of the spirits. There are a lot of lessons to be learnt about letting go and the grieving process. The creators of the game really deserve praise on this game because I feel like they paid attention to so many small details that make the game so much more cozy feeling, for example you can crouch down and hug your cat. Do yourself a favour and get this game!!

    I just finished the game yesterday and I personally did not experience any crashes the older negative reviews have been mentioning.    … Expand
  12. min_che
    Jan 3, 2022
    9
    Really enjoyed the game, the artwork is wonderful, as well as music, and the gameplay is just what I needed. There are several reasons it's not a 10, but a 9 for me. The co-op is not enjoyable, I tried playing with my partner but it really ruined the mood for me. At times the font is too small to read in both handheld and docked mode. When it comes to gameplay, I enjoyed it less and lessReally enjoyed the game, the artwork is wonderful, as well as music, and the gameplay is just what I needed. There are several reasons it's not a 10, but a 9 for me. The co-op is not enjoyable, I tried playing with my partner but it really ruined the mood for me. At times the font is too small to read in both handheld and docked mode. When it comes to gameplay, I enjoyed it less and less with the arrival of new spirits (when I like the characters I'm doing a quest for, I'm happy to do it, but when I don't, not really). That led me to stop playing at 85% as I felt that I already got everything that I could from the game and that it was time to let go.… Expand
  13. Tiank
    Nov 27, 2021
    8
    Beautiful game! Quite casual, but also has some emotional moments and the ones that'll make you stop and think. Gameplay is quite simple - managing resources, going around the map to get them, crafting, some trading, but most importantly - exploring, getting to know people you travel with, their stories, and eventually, the main character's story. Put around 40 hours in it to reach almostBeautiful game! Quite casual, but also has some emotional moments and the ones that'll make you stop and think. Gameplay is quite simple - managing resources, going around the map to get them, crafting, some trading, but most importantly - exploring, getting to know people you travel with, their stories, and eventually, the main character's story. Put around 40 hours in it to reach almost 100% completion. Definitely worth playing and experiencing!… Expand
  14. ochjago
    Nov 22, 2021
    9
    I loved every minute of this game. The art style, music, spirit's stories - it all worked so well together! There are annoying bugs every once in a while, but the game was good enough to tip the balance in its favour.
  15. annaKpuerta
    Oct 25, 2021
    10
    Genuinely beautiful game. Excellent gameplay and the story was even better.
  16. Anderstheguy
    Oct 22, 2021
    5
    Really wanted to love this game. The visuals are lovely and I like the vibe. But the writing is overwrought and pretentious and full of odd sentence structures and wording. They should have hired an editor. It’s just too cringey for me to get into. I love what they were going for though, but it just got boring after a while.
  17. Dzot
    Oct 3, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's AWESOME!!!! I never play at very beautiful and gentle game! I'm never cry in my life, after game like this!… Expand
  18. xiekaidream
    Sep 17, 2021
    8
    通关mark。 画风惊艳和新颖的独立佳作 前期还是很舒服的 人物剧情也很温馨 中期开始各种卡关 UI也感觉有很多反人类的地方 比如坐公交看不见地名 一不小心加入了2P 变成了控制猫 还一度以为遇到了bug 公狮的剧情也很厌恶 不过整体还是挺不错的 虽然离满分还是差了点打磨
  19. Jullai
    Jul 10, 2021
    10
    I could not put this game down! Charming characters and stunning world. The gameplay is addictive and everything is very thought out and just works great together. I would absolutely recommend this game to anyone looking for a relaxing, cozy and polished management game.
  20. swampthings
    Jun 16, 2021
    1
    This game is EXTREMELY unstable on the Switch. It crashes a lot, and at super inconvenient times. If you play through the whole game, it will probably crash about 15 times. And, the only time it autosaves is when you go into a city. It really should autosave when you go to sleep at night, with it being this bug laden. And you can't save the game without exiting the game. There's no "Save"This game is EXTREMELY unstable on the Switch. It crashes a lot, and at super inconvenient times. If you play through the whole game, it will probably crash about 15 times. And, the only time it autosaves is when you go into a city. It really should autosave when you go to sleep at night, with it being this bug laden. And you can't save the game without exiting the game. There's no "Save" option...there's only a "Save and Quit" option. I usually lose about 1 hour of playing time every time it crashes. I'm totally baffled by how a release this BAD got by their testing department.

    The game is good. I just wish I would have got it on a platform other than Switch, because the Switch port is really, really bad.    … Expand
  21. levmanny
    Jun 13, 2021
    9
    This game made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me step back and think about my own mortality. If you're looking for a resource management game with an amazing story, you'll find it in Spiritfarer.
  22. Radioactivedude
    May 21, 2021
    1
    At the beginning I was fully hooked, art style, the thematic, the music, the story!! Great Stuff! Yes! A lot of story between characters, slow paced, a little bit of crafting to help the guys over the bridge, you meet and learn to know etc.
    I am so, so sad that it turned out to be a material gather-craft crapfest! I wanted to advance the stories of the characters in a pace where I would    At the beginning I was fully hooked, art style, the thematic, the music, the story!! Great Stuff! Yes! A lot of story between characters, slow paced, a little bit of crafting to help the guys over the bridge, you meet and learn to know etc.
    I am so, so sad that it turned out to be a material gather-craft crapfest! I wanted to advance the stories of the characters in a pace where I would remember their stories, specially if you have a few in parallel. Nope. Guy asks for a new house, needs glass. WTF?! I haven't even seen glass after 10h!!!! I need to spend another 2 hours to find how to get to glass to here his next story line?
    Once this happened with all my characters on the ship I uninstalled, sorry. Could have been great by just cutting out that minecraft, stardewvally, terraria stuff. Ok, not cut out completely, but kept very low to not lose track of the story. I hate quitting on games and rarely do, I chew through. Here I just can't    … Expand
  23. abrus
    May 4, 2021
    10
    Believe the hype - this is a masterpiece! Amazing graphics, music and dialogue! It is crazy how invested you become in the story and the characters. There is a fantastic element of exploration too, and it is just so relaxing and therapeutic to spend time in this world. I feel there are genuine psychological benefits to playing this game, especially if you struggle with grief managementBelieve the hype - this is a masterpiece! Amazing graphics, music and dialogue! It is crazy how invested you become in the story and the characters. There is a fantastic element of exploration too, and it is just so relaxing and therapeutic to spend time in this world. I feel there are genuine psychological benefits to playing this game, especially if you struggle with grief management issues. I spent 30 hours playing this over 11 days and loved every minute of it! This is a game I will never forget and I'll probably play it again in a year or two. Thank you Thunder Lotus!!!… Expand
  24. thebigcringe
    Apr 10, 2021
    9
    such a good game, played it for 2-3 hours a day for about 2 weeks straight and loved every second of it. the movement is great, it’s like if animal crossing was 2d, much cooler, and a metroidvania. would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good cozy (and sad) management game.
  25. BLG
    Apr 3, 2021
    8
    Spiritfarer is a strikingly beautiful game from Thunder Lotus that lands itself in the simulation and adventure genre that fans are increasingly demanding. It brings the zen-like relaxation of managing, building, foraging, and exploring but in a new way through a unique oceanic theme. In Stardew Valley, you forage around Pelican Town. In Animal Crossing, your adventure begins upon theSpiritfarer is a strikingly beautiful game from Thunder Lotus that lands itself in the simulation and adventure genre that fans are increasingly demanding. It brings the zen-like relaxation of managing, building, foraging, and exploring but in a new way through a unique oceanic theme. In Stardew Valley, you forage around Pelican Town. In Animal Crossing, your adventure begins upon the island of your choosing. And while Minecraft isn't considered a simulation genre, you'll appreciate the foraging aspects that transfer as well. Spritifarer contains features from all of our favorite simulation games but with multiple twists. Your building, foraging, and community exist on top of a boat, which is continually growing and changing as you progress through the story. Most importantly, within Spiritfarer exists an emotional rollercoaster through the dialogue and friendship provided by the game's characters that create an experience few games have ever offered.
    STORY
    The story and the relational narratives are what sets Spiritfarer apart from other games. You might've already seen the countless memes about some of the emotionally driven relationships encountered in Spiritfarer. If you haven't, sit down and buckle up and also grab some tissues. Actually, just grab some tissues regardless. The characters you meet in Spiritfarer are leaving the world and journeying on to the afterlife atop of your boat. You quickly learn that each character has their own unique story recounting life before they passed. If you are a button masher, we encourage you to slow down and intentionally interact with each spirit. Listen carefully to the things they have to say while depicting their past careers, friendships, wisdom, life hardships, and anything else they feel comfortable sharing with you. The dialogue is laden with nuances that are easy to miss if you are not wholly present. Please don't take these moments lightly, or speed through them with haste. Let the weight of these interactions overwhelm you entirely. This unique aspect is sure to provide a fresh experience to your gaming resume that most players will not have already acquired.
    BUILDING
    As the newly chosen spiritfarer, you will welcome lost spirits onto your vessel as you explore the map and uncover new territories. As with any new management simulation game, you will need to learn which materials do what, where to find them, and what they upgrade. Not only are you able to upgrade your ship to compliment your buildings, but you are also able to edit and upgrade structures as you progress along on your adventures.
    FORAGING
    One twist I thoroughly enjoyed was the unique foraging concept. In most simulation games, you'll traverse a known space to gather and create desired provisions. In Spiritfarer, foraging takes place on the go, and it often involves relationships with giant sea turtles, exploring new islands, buying from town markets, scavenging ship wrecks, and discovering various geographical occurrences. In addition to the various foraging facets, you’ll need to remember to keep your spirit passengers happy, fed, and comfortably boarded.
    MAP
    I am a sucker for archaic treasure maps seen in any pirate story. If the dotted-line path to a mysterious treasure chest does anything for you, you'll enjoy Spiritfarer's map. While the map is opaquely hidden, you will unlock more as you explore and begin to uncover the names of towns, islands, sea creature symbols, and everything else. Like many simulation themed games, you'll need to upgrade quite often before acquiring the ability to break through ice, and later rock, to explore an even larger map. So far I’ve found the grind to have an excellent balance and not over burdening. Map lovers, prepare to explore a vast and enigmatic ocean.
    CONCLUSION
    For starters, if you enjoyed any of the games mentioned in the opening like Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, foraging aspects from Minecraft, or simulation management games in general, I'm ecstatic to say you'll love this one. So what are you waiting for? Go buy it and play it, stop reading this? If you enjoy the fantastic art, emotionally intelligent stories, and the oceanic sea-explorer theme you should stop reading and get to playing as well. Although I cannot speak to ThunderLotus' previous titles, Sundered and Joltan, I can emphatically state that I would have paid $40 or $50 for this title and been satisfied. While I don't claim to be the simulator or foraging genre expert, as I personally despised Minecraft, I am confident this title will scratch any in-game management itches you might have and will be a re-playable title to keep on your digital shelf. In accordance with our rating criteria, Spiritfarer gets an 8.5 out of 10 (Impressive) on the Busch League Rating Scale. Thank you Thunder Lotus, and gamers stop wasting time, go inundate yourself into Stella's journey.

    For our full podcast review, visit https://www.buschleaguegaming.com/podcast/spiritfarer-review.    … Expand
  26. omniface
    Mar 7, 2021
    10
    pros
    great story
    great controls
    unique styles
    great graphics

    cons
    none
  27. yertre
    Feb 9, 2021
    8
    The game is simple and enjoyable, and also almost made me cry. Only one other game has ever done that.

    I really have no choice but to recommend this game, even if it is a bit buggy.
  28. Fragproof
    Jan 10, 2021
    4
    The first few hours were magical. I was drawn in by the music, art, animation, and the first sassy spirit you meet. The game does a wonderful job teaching you the mechanics of the game and opening the world up to you. Unfortunately the rest of the game becomes repetitive, formulaic, and dull.
  29. GSundberg
    Jan 5, 2021
    9
    Fantastic game with a very immersive world that's way too easy to lose yourself in for hours. Unfortunately it seems to crash every 5hrs of consistent play, but frankly without that I likely wouldn't have gotten up to eat or stretch. A few animations and tasks like watering plants are too long but so worth the money and time.
  30. FuzzFizz
    Dec 7, 2020
    10
    **TLDR - this game is pretty and it made me feel my feelings. 10/10 would play again.**

    This game was incredibly beautiful and I legitimately wept over the character stories. The art style is quite lovely and I was pleased with how intuitive the controls were. I'm not a very "good" gamer even though I enjoy the activity a lot --so it is a great thing when I have minimal issues    **TLDR - this game is pretty and it made me feel my feelings. 10/10 would play again.**

    This game was incredibly beautiful and I legitimately wept over the character stories. The art style is quite lovely and I was pleased with how intuitive the controls were. I'm not a very "good" gamer even though I enjoy the activity a lot --so it is a great thing when I have minimal issues learning the controls. The musical score is a masterpiece. I downloaded it and listen to it while I work because it is so soothing.
    There are still a few bugs, my game would crash every now and then and force me to replay at least an hour. I didn't mind much because the game is so good. But I could see it bothering someone who was less immersed and/or got burned by a crash setting them back more than an hour.

    My review isn't doing this game justice - It was a very different experience from most games I have played - not because the game style was different or the graphics - It's because of the way the writers get you so genuinely attached to these characters in such a short time.

    This sort of emotional release is really valuable because of the isolation that has been brought about by the global pandemic. Sometimes it's really nice to ugly cry over a game when you don't have what it takes to emotionally process your real life.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

21
#21 Best Switch Game of 2020
25
#25 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 23
  3. Negative: 1 out of 23
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    May 13, 2022
    90
    If you haven't heard anything about Spiritfarer and you enjoy amazing narratives filled with varying emotions coupled with light platforming and farming/crafting simulation, then drop everything and go buy this game! [Issue #58 – March/April 2022, p. 20]
  2. The Indie Game Website
    Sep 7, 2021
    90
    Spiritfarer is a fantastic title that runs like a dream and firmly delivers on its warm aura interlaced with emotional weight. Beautifully executed in its approach to complex subjects, players will be thoroughly engrossed and immersed in the nautical spirit world Stella and Daffodil inhabit, and the carefully built (if inevitably fleeting) friendships of unique spiritual companions. Step through the Everdoor and see what’s on the other side.
    Read full review
  3. Impulsegamer
    Aug 31, 2021
    90
    Spiritfarer is a real treasure. It’s rare to find a game that hits the homerun of being fun to play and gorgeous to look at, while also having a touching narrative to tie it all together. The crafting and exploration gameplay elements are by no means revolutionary, but they are executed superbly to be both compelling and satisfying, whilst complimenting the story structure of the game. If my word and the screenshots alone aren’t enough to convince you this is one of the best looking games around, check out some videos of it in action to see what I mean. Overall, Spiritfarer is an easy recommendation for anyone reading this article; pick it up and allow it to wash over you like an emotional detox for your soul.
    Read full review
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