Wylde Flowers lets players embrace life as a queer witch
On the surface, Wylde Flowers may seem as though it’ll embrace everything that has made farming simulators so popular in these recent years: queer characters, a variety of different farming tasks, a rural setting, and a quirky, but sentimental art style that’s pleasing to look at. It indeed has all three of these things, but Wylde Flowers also has a rather unique aspect too: there’s queer witchery afoot.
Let us explain. Players take on the role of Tara who, after a long time away, returns to the rural island of Fairhaven to help out her Grandma on the family farm. Only don’t expect your life to be just tending and growing crops, because as it turns out, your grandma has a few secrets that’ll keep you plenty busy… One such secret is that she’s actually a witch!
Being a witch, Tara’s grandma has been protecting Fairhaven from outside forces, alongside a handful of other witches – but now she needs Tara to pick up the mantle and continue the legacy of protector of the island.
Players will get the opportunity to embrace their inner witch thanks to features included in Wylde Flowers, such as the opportunity to ride around on a magical broom (a witch essential, if you ask us), brew potions, control the weather and seasons, and even turn into a signature black cat. A farmer by day, and a witch by night – offering a compliment of different things for you to get up to.
Another thing that makes Wylde Flowers stand out from the crowd in comparison to games like Stardew Valley or Rune Factory is that the game diversifies its world and the characters that inhabit it. There is a non-binary butcher called Kim, who you can also romance if you so choose, and several other queer townies who all have some sort of relevance to the player character – making it impossible for them to be missed.
Marriage and romance is also available, though because Tara is a pre-determined character, there are no romance options for gay men. That said, queerness is inherent within Wylde Flower’s structure and narrative, making it a game that queer games ought to be aware of.
Wylde Flowers is available to play already on Apple Arcade, and will be making its way to the PC and Nintendo Switch on September 20, 2022.
About The Author
