Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin has been a well received game, captivating critics and players alike. The indie focuses on Princess Sakuna who fights monsters and harvests crops on a mysterious island. It's an intriguing blend of side-scrolling hack-and-slash and platforming, but it is the realistic farming simulator that has made fans while one particularly nice touch has melted people's hearts.
Developed by Edelweiss, Sakuna came out six years after its previous title – 2014's Astebreed, a shoot 'em up. But the long development time paid off, and bear in mind Edelweiss is only a two-man team. We at TheGamer adored Of Rice and Ruin: "From planting to watering to weeding and harvesting, the process of growing rice is an intimate and meditative experience that I never in my right mind thought that I would enjoy as much as I do", our review said.
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin went on to surpass one million copies sold, far exceeding the expectations of its publisher, while it seems it's still delighting gamers. Over on Reddit, a post featuring a short clip of Sakuna has proved enormously popular. Originally posted by u/CanYouPetTheDog, the clip shows Princess Sakuna 'dual-wielding' a doggo and a kitty. Yes, the cuteness levels are off the charts.
A comment under this wholesome clip also highlights Sakuna's attention to detail: "I heard the farming mechanics in this game was so weirdly accurate that people started looking up actual farming guidebooks. (And found them to work too lmao)".
A reply mentions the story of how one of the dev team researched the farming mechanics by growing rice on his balcony and reading about agriculture. "I had the game at launch and a bunch of people that were playing would run the [Japanese Ministry of Agriculture's] website through google translate to get tips", said ChaosEsper.
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is clearly a deep rice-farming sim, with players able to spend hours trying to get optimal yields and tweaking their techniques. Meanwhile, a feature such as being able to pick up two furry friends at the same time is one of those nice little touches that can go a long way in endearing your game with players and non-players alike. It's a great lesson in craftsmanship all round and gamers have shown their appreciation for it.