I’m not entirely sure I needed another game to sink hours of my life into, but I think I’ve found one in Fields of Mistria. The farming sim from NPC studio has released a demo as part of Steam Next Fest, and will enter Early Access on August 5.
Fields of Mistria is essentially Stardew Valley with added magical abilities and the bonus of being able to both jump and swim. You play as an adventurer who has answered the call for someone to come and help rebuild Mistria after an earthquake has cut it off from the outside world.
As someone who has sunk many, many hours into Stardew, I cannot help but draw huge parallels between the two games. The pixel art style is obviously similar, as are the movement style, tools, and more. However, Fields of Mistria does offer a few things that Stardew Valley doesn’t.
You can go bug hunting, for one thing. It’s something I got pretty good at in my hours playing Palia, so I’m excited to go and grab some butterflies in Mistria. You aren’t limited to the land in Fields of Mistria, either. You can jump, for starters, something which immediately filled me with joy, and you can also swim.
Swimming comes into its own when it comes to catching certain fish, like the Crayfish needed for the first request in the demo. To catch a Crayfish, you’ll need to go diving in a dive spot, before popping up with one in your hand. The fishing game itself is reminiscent of Animal Crossing, where you need to fish directly in front of fish shaped shadows, which will nibble on the bait a couple of times before biting.
One of the best things about Fields of Mistria is the fact that you can change your appearance at any time. Your character is fully customizable, and all of the clothing items come in various colors, so you really can design your little pixel self in your own image. There’s no payment to be made or quest to unlock this feature, and you can even make preset outfits.
Fields of Mistria isn’t short of things to do, either. There’s a whole museum to fill with crops, forageables, fish, and items (again, very Animal Crossing), plus villager requests to fulfill. Those villagers themselves are romanceable, too. Even the Guardian Dragon, Caldarus, is romanceable, though I’m choosing not to think too much about that.
There are small things which set Fields of Mistria apart from Stardew Valley, as well. There’s a very adorable animation which happens each time you choose to go to sleep, with your character yawning and blinking a few times before drifting off. I know this is a small thing to notice, but the details matter.
As you progress through the days in Fields of Mistria, you’ll earn Renown which will eventually increase your level and village rank. You begin at Wood rank, and each time you increase your level, a reward becomes available in the chest next to the Request Board in town.
Like I said, I wasn’t looking for a game to sink hours into when I downloaded Fields of Mistria, but I can definitely see myself doing just that, especially once it enters early access in August. It will likely never steal my heart away from Stardew Valley entirely, but it could very well come in at a close second, depending on the main story and whether it receives updates in the future.
The only downside to the Fields of Mistria demo is the fact that you only get three in-game days to play. I found that I couldn’t explore all of the areas in this time, let alone get to grips with any of the features or make friends with all of the villagers. I’m excited for the Early Access release in August and I will definitely be there on day one, ready to literally jump back into action in Mistria.
The Next Fest demo features some things which won’t be available immediately in the full release, such as the mines being unlocked straight away, spells ready to be used, and some tools at your disposal as soon as you arrive.
