Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin takes its rice farming seriously. Not only are Sakuna's stats tied closely to her rice harvest, but the game makes a point of simulating rice planting about as true to real life as possible. Players who are used to the farming system in games like Stardew Valley or the Story of Seasons will be in for a bit of a shock.

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For players picking up Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, be forewarned that there will be a bit of fumbling and probably a failed rice harvest or two, and that is totally okay. Still, a tip or two can help players get themselves started.

10 Scoop That Poop

Sakuna of Rice and Ruin Sakuna by outhouse

Off to the side of Sakuna's farm sits an innocuous-looking, but very important outhouse. This is the source of fertilizer for the rice field. As the rice grows and takes up nutrients from the soil it's planted in, fertilizer will be needed to replenish any lost nutrients. Fertilizer takes several hours to ferment, so prepare it early. By the time Sakuna comes back from her chores, it should be ready to be spread in the morning. As an aside: the game will not introduce fertilizer until the second season of growing, but it can absolutely be used in year one.

9 Create The Optimal Fertilizer

Sakuna of Rice and Ruin Stat Screen For creating fertilizer

Mixing add-ins to fertilizer will affect what sort of nutrients it replenishes in the field. Things like Beast Hooves and Fallen Leaves will increase different kinds of nutrients being added back into the soil, while Amber will amplify these effects.

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In the beginning, making sure to fill up the entire triangle gauge is a good way to get to grips with the fertilizer system, but advanced players will want to start playing around with the type of fertilizer they create. Talk to Taumon regularly to unlock tips and tricks on how and when to use specific types of fertilizer.

8 Till The Entire Field

Sakuna of Rice and Ruin Sakuna tilling fields

At the end of Sakuna's first winter, Taumon will let players know that the field needs to be tilled in order to plant the next harvest. However, Taumon will also let players know that tilling the entire field, but lightly, is good enough. This is technically true, but tilling the entire field thoroughly will yield better results. Watch Sakuna's speech prompts to get an idea of how far along the tilling is going. It will take longer than players may think, but the results are well worth it. Don't forget to remove all the rocks along the way.

7 Watch The Spacing

Sakuna of Rice and Ruin Planting Seedlings Balanced Spacing

As Sakuna does more and more rice planting, a skill will unlock later in the game that will let players better control how far apart their rice should be planted. Before this is unlocked though, players will literally have to measure how far apart they want to plant their rice. Have Sakuna place the first seedling down, then take roughly two or three steps back. That's a good starting point for how far away the next seedling should be planted. Later on, controlling the spacing will affect the type of harvest Sakuna gets at the end of the growing season.

6 Keep An Eye On Water Levels

Sakuna of Rice and Ruin Sakuna standing in flooded field

When the seedlings are first planted, players will need to flood the field with water. Add in enough water that the water level visually goes up a bit past Sakuna's ankles. As well, make sure to check the rice regularly to get an idea of how much water the rice needs. Sakuna will let players know if more or less water is needed to achieve a good crop, as the rice will need varying amounts of water depending on its stage of growth and development.

5 Check For Pests And Weeds

Sakuna of Rice and Ruin Sakuna Pulling Weeds

Pests and weeds are the enemies of Sakuna's rice harvest. They will damage her rice crop and reduce its quality, so check the field regularly to get rid of them. Later in the game, different kinds of pesticides and herbicides can be used to control them, but just like in real-life farming, using pesticides and herbicides will have long-term negative effects on the soil that takes a while to disappear. The pros and cons of using them will need to be carefully weighed by the player.

4 Don't Rush The Process

Sakuna of Rice and Ruin Sakuna laying rice out to dry

Sakuna will let players know when the rice is ready to be harvested. After the stalks are reaped, they need to be dried. This process should not be rushed. Although the game will give players the option to take their rice in early, give it as much time as possible to dry all the way for a higher quality end product. Having said that, if winter is approaching and Sakuna cannot wait any longer, take the stalks in, even if they haven't dried all the way. Sometimes, that's just the way things work out.

3 Hull All The Way, Or Don't

Sakuna of Rice and Ruin Sakuna Hulling Rice

The final stages of the rice process involve hulling. Players can either hull for a short period of time, producing brown rice, or hull for a much longer period of time, creating white rice.

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Brown rice will result in greater stat gains when eaten, while white rice results in better stat growth. Brown rice can be ideal in the beginning to get through the first couple of dungeons quickly, but players more confident in their platforming skills may find that they do just fine with white rice.

2 Make Use Of Kaimaru

Sakuna of Rice and Ruin Sakuna Talking to Kaimaru

While sending out children to do Sakuna's bidding is a practice that may raise some eyebrows, Kaimaru is one of the most valuable assets to Sakuna's team. Later in the game, Sakuna can send different members of the farm out to gather items for her. Almost everyone specializes in gathering specific types of items. Little baby Kaimaru, however, likes to bring back fertilizer ingredients. Are the ethics of this questionable at best? Yes. Is it super useful for growing the best crop of rice? Definitely.

1 Have Sakuna Do Everything

Sakuna the harvest goddess farming in Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin

Sakuna may whine and moan about doing everything around the farm, but the truth of the matter is that having her do everything is the best strategy in the long-run. Sakuna will always produce better quality work, and the more Sakuna does, the more skills will unlock that make rice planting easier for the player. It is easily one of the best examples of games that reward players that don't slack, so resist the urge to let another person on the farm handle things for Sakuna.

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