Wylde Flowers Review
After completing the main storyline and playing through two save files, I think I'm ready to spill on my current favorite game, arguably my top game of 2023 — Wylde Flowers.
Cooking meals from scratch after farming my ingredients, catching fish, foraging for mushrooms, mining for silver & gold, and tending to a barn full of animals….these are all things I wouldn't imagine doing in real life, but in a virtual setting, you bet I'll put 150+ hours of gameplay in.
Initially released in February 2022, Wylde Flowers is a cozy life & farming sim[ulator]…with a witchy twist. You play as Tara — an ex-city girl who lost her job & financé simultaneously — as she arrives in rural Fairhaven to help her Gramma's farm. Soon after arriving, you discover a witchy secret that this town and your family hold.
There are some subtle differences from other "take over the family farm" sims — Gramma is alive & seemingly well when you first arrive, so you get to build a bit of a relationship with her.
Similar to other farming sim games, there are three key elements: farming (duh) & crafting, time management, and relationship building. Some basics of the game include:
Planting and harvesting crops, foraging for ingredients, caring for animals, and using acquired materials to craft things for around the farm. Once you get into your witchy side, you'll be able to craft magical items, incantations, and brews.
To get through the main storyline & unlock certain scenes, you do have to complete specific tasks. These can range from farming certain items, which grow under certain time periods, collecting ingredients, brewing potions, or creating incantations.
Relationship building is key; interactions with NPCs trigger events and story developments that are required to complete the main storyline.
So, what makes Wylde Flowers such a good game?
Character & Background Development
Compared to most sim games, the character development is incredible. Not only do the Fairhaven villagers have their own backstories, but each character is fully voice-acted and has their own mannerisms and nicknames, creating an even deeper connection. Some of the characters are romanceable, but the game isn't dependent on romantic love, allowing you to enjoy the game fully with deep and fulfilling friendships and platonic relationship options along with romances.
Something that I appreciate was that you learn how to do things through the people that make the most sense; i.e., Thomas, the other farmer on the island, aids in tutorials around the farm; Angus, the baker, is where you'll find your dessert recipes; and Bruno, the fisherman, will show you the best fishing spots. This adds even more element to the characters, as they are there for a purpose.
Dating Freedom
Right off the bat, you’re able to express Tara’s sexuality when reminiscing about her ex-financé as there's no set identity of this mysterious person, giving you total freedom to choose whether your ex is male, female, or non-binary. That choice is remembered and referenced in future conversations, but you can 're-choose' anytime.
Out of the 8, previously seven until the January 31, 2024 update, romanceable characters, you'll get to choose from the lovable barkeep Damon (he/his), the local butcher Kim (they/them), and Giva (she/her), a newcomer meteorologist, to name a few.
Dating is pretty straightforward & similar to how it is in real life — you must first build a foundation with the character before any dating option is triggered. You’ll be able to increase your relationship with characters by continually talking to them, discovering & giving them their favorite foods, and doing particular tasks as asked.
Just as (it should be) in life, your dating preferences aren't judged — you can date a woman, get married, divorce, and then start dating a man, and nobody will question your sexuality. As a bisexual woman in a relationship with a man, this was so affirming for me.
If you want to partake in dating, you’ll want to increase your friendship with Damon, the barkeep, as this is the character who will trigger dating options. Once you agree to go on a date, you’ll be able to continue dating or decide to remain friends. After you complete this first date, you can then choose to romance any of the other options by building up your friendship until a heart icon is present. Dating is particularly cute in the game, having you going on dates throughout the town & interacting with characters in personalized ways depending on the options you choose.
Representation
Not only do the characters offer unique background stories (written by narrative lead Desiree), but different sexualities, gender identities, ethnicities, and body types are represented, making the game feel really welcoming. You learn about the townsfolk's backgrounds and sexualities only by meeting and interacting with them. Something that felt really affirming was Amira's use of the word "lesbian." It seems simple, but to hear this being said so clearly and proudly in a game was astounding.
According to concept artist Iona Vorester, "creating a relaxing and welcoming, friendly world was one of [their] key goals', and above all, despite the mystery and adventure woven into the story, they 'wanted a place for players to feel safe."
When I met Kim (they/them) and they talked about their past struggles with acceptance, I got nervous that I would meet a townsperson who shared negative views. After all, it's a small town! Surely, SOMEONE in the town must feel differently. But I was so happily mistaken — everyone uses their pronouns (it really isn't that hard !!!), and characters’ backgrounds & storylines are deep and complex without solely being based on their identities.
As soon as you explore the town, you notice a rainbow flag hanging proudly outside the city hall, and the mayor is straight! Fairhaven showcases a town full of diverse people living in peaceful community.
Topics on Mental Health
The cozy gaming genre often discusses mental health, and Wylde Flowers is no different. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows — the characters are going through many deep situations. Grief, a longing for acceptance, familial trauma….but again, these are all just one facet of each folk, not their entire story. I touched on how characters share background stories and experiences related to sexuality & ethnicity, but wanted to note how the game showcases grief in a way I haven't really found in other games (though I admit I have not played a lot of games). This article does an amazing job of exploring this specific aspect of the game in more depth. I particularly appreciated the attention to detail in that the facial expressions are in tune with the situations—for example, saddened faces when faced with rejection or grief.
Gameplay & Storyline
You can watch a gameplay trailer here, but some of the key parts that make the game so enjoyable are that it's as slow-paced as you want it to be, nothing is technically "mandatory" to complete, and days/times are not strict. Personally, I like to set the game to "relaxed" when I'm fishing or mining, as these zap a lot of time, and "challenging" when I want it to be night quickly, which is when most magic things happen.
The calming sounds of the mountain river and the changing of the seasonal landscapes are two of my favorite small touches in the game.
It took me about 45 hours of gameplay to get through the main storyline, but as you know from my hours logged, you can play infinitely. However, as of right now, there is only through Year 2 of quests and new content. In some of the more recent updates, they've added more customization options that keep the game feeling fresh.
After many hours of gameplay, the dialogue does feel repetitive at times—probably due to the voice-acting, which adds a level of scarcity. Some of the characters' animation are also lagging—there's one interaction in particular with a character's head moving side to side at an unsettling rate.
The image style is a bit cartoony, with some characters having rather large heads compared to their bodies, but I think that added to the "cozy" aspect of the game.
While there are tasks to complete to advance through the storyline that follows the seasons, I loved all of the open-ended tasks, which gave me something to do besides farming and caring for animals, but not being too strict in that I could spend an entire game day fishing, and it had no consequences.
The game follows a seasonal calendar. Each season has different crops and events, so you have to keep an eye on the changing seasons, or else your crops will wilt. That is until you get a greenhouse — this truly was a lifesaver for growing crops & flowers that are out of season!
One way this game goes against typical cozy gaming is within customization and decoration. The protagonist is pre-made — the most recent updates allow for changing Tara's outfits & hairstyles, but you will play the character as the designers intended for the good part of the main storyline. You also cannot customize your farm more than deciding how many crops to plant and their placement, still in a predetermined space slot. There is the exception of being able to move around items in your shed and basement, but not being able to redecorate the living area is a biiiig pain point for players. Personally, I love the decorating aspect of cozy games, so this is probably the most disappointing aspect of the game for me.
The extras.
You may recall me saying I have two saves — why would I do this? Well, your actions & choices do mean something in some parts of the game, specifically within the romance options. The timing at which you choose to pursue relationships is essential. (read this spoiler if you want to find out why!)
Overall, achievements are pretty easily attainable just by progressing through the main storyline. Another reason for multiple saves is that achievement progress is not tied to specific playthroughs. So, in one of my playthroughs, I focused on building my relationships and the other on crafting. This way, I feel free from pressure to do everything with each playthrough!
Something noteworthy is that the game is still in production. With the game only being released in 2022 and comprising a small team of creators, there have been many notable updates already. You can learn all about them here, but be aware that there may be spoilers!
My favorite update, arguably, is that you can raise many cute animals on your farm, including some magical animals like this adorable rainbow-flying pig.
Final Thoughts
I truly loved Wylde Flowers from my very first hours playing it and even as more time passed. The idea of magic isn't well-known to everyone in the town either. Your first look at the magical residents is in secret, with the coven members wearing robes to hide their identities, which adds a bit of mystery to the game as you work through seeing how members of the town feel about the idea of witches. I still find myself cozying up with it to live my best bisexual witchy life.
If you’re wanting to play, I highly recommend joining the Discord server to become part of the "Cozy Coven.” Here, you’ll find a lot of tips & tricks to help you out — don't worry; they're great about spoilers, so you can join from the moment you start your playthrough!
