Mirthwood might just be the Fable-style farming sim you’ve always wanted
Pitched to us by PR as “a bastard child of Fable and Stardew Valley,” Mirthwood from Bad Ridge Games is a surprisingly customizable little adventure. We got to check out the first small section of the game during our time at PAX West, and it left us interested to see what Mirthwood will look like upon its full release.
Players take on the role of a refugee from a war-torn land who has come to a new country in search of a safer, better life.
Players must choose who they are, including their background and which body-type between male and female they want to use, but that choice doesn’t lock you out of any of the pronoun, hair, eye, or other physical customization options. There are he/him, she/her, and they/them pronoun options available in the current demo build, and there may still be other additions/changes to come before the full release, though PR couldn’t confirm anything specific.
After you’ve designed and named your character, it’s time to set out on the road. As you travel towards the titular area, Mirthwood doles out a series of tutorials to help you get your bearings. These include foraging, navigating with your map, combat, and eventually, talking with other people. Interactions with NPCs are the most ambitious part of the Mirthwood demo we got to check out.
Instead of having conversations with different dialogue branches, you can instead choose different ways to talk with others and set the tone for those interactions. There are no written or voiced lines in these conversations, just noises and movements that have corresponding icons based on the NPC’s reaction to you. For example, you can make small talk with someone and react mischievously to what they say. There are several options to choose from while talking to someone, giving you a lot of expressivity while chatting with NPCs. Depending on their personality (which you can check by hovering over them) they will have their own positive or negative reaction towards you.
You can also use this system to find out more about the world by asking other characters about rumors. If someone has some hot goss for you, it may lead to new side quests you can pursue alongside your main to-do list. For even more fun, you can also flirt with any NPCs you encounter, regardless of their gender. That said, they won’t always be receptive to your advances, so pay attention to your relationship meters to see who’s actually feeling affectionate towards you if you want to get somewhere with your flirting.
The PAX West demo wraps up just as you reach a town and find a little farm to settle into. This is presumably where we’ll get into more of the farming and commerce elements of Mirthwood in the full release. That’s currently planned for some time in 2024, but we don’t have an exact release date quite yet. Those interested in the game can wishlist it on Steam to keep track of updates.
About The Author
