Last month, the world was introduced to Spiritfarer, a relaxing simulation and boat building game that's comparable to the popular farming simulator Stardew Valley. Unsurprisingly there are many similar aspects between the games, but they are both very much their own unique experience. So how exactly do they differ?
For starters, the entire tone of Spiritfarer is darker, as protagonist Stella must ferry spirits to the Everdoor so they can go on to the next phase after death. While Stardew Valley opens with the death of the playable character's grandfather leading up to the inheritance of the farm, that's as far as it goes in terms of coping with loss. Sure, it has its own undertones of heavy topics, but the inevitability of death is a constant looming presence distinctive of Spiritfarer. Stardew's goals revolve more around having a successful farm life than completing an NPC's storyline and offers more freedom in terms of customization. The hand-drawn aesthetic of Spiritfarer also gives it a very different feel than the pixelated Stardew Valley.
The similarities between the two indie games include: finding materials to craft and build structures; fishing, mining, cooking, and farming mechanics; the use of quests; building relationships; having autonomy in how tasks are handled; and an overall soothing game pace that contrasts greatly from more intense titles like The Last of Us Part II. Here's an in-depth look at how Spiritfarer switches up Stardew's formula, as well as other differences that entirely set the games apart.
Spiritfarer Tasks Are More Simplistic Than Stardew Valley, But The Story Is Not
Stardew Valley is arguably more challenging when it comes certain tasks like mining, fishing, and farming. In fact, fishing can be downright frustrating prior to leveling up that skill. Contrarily, Spiritfarer's fishing mechanic starts of at a super basic level, but gets progressively harder as NPCs instruct the player on how to catch better fish. Mining and gardening are also much easier tasks in Spiritfarer.
Ironically, the game about death has no way to die or faint, unlike Stardew Valley — where running out of health and passing out in the mines can lead to a devastating loss of items or rare weapons. Spiritfarer lacks any harsh in-game consequences as tasks are simpler to perform. They consist mostly of clicking or holding down the same button, where much more strategy is needed in Stardew Valley. As Stardew Valley is at its core a farming simulator, a majority of the game revolves around tending to a variety of crops and building structures to expand the farm.
Both have building elements, but in Spiritfarer it all takes place on Stella's boat. While there are structures to keep sheep, cows, gardens, and orchards, Stella must also construct homes for the spirits she takes on board and upgrade them as needed. This often comes in the form of a quest, which both games use to add structure. However, quests are actually a little more complicated in Spiritfarer.
Each game can have multiple quests at once, and while some in Stardew Valley have time constraints, Spiritfarer quests are typically multi-leveled drivers of the game's storyline, whereas the former can reach milestones without relying on quests. As for relationship building, both games feature a beautiful take on bonding with NPCs. Stardew Valley lets the player gift presents to almost anyone encountered, but Stella can only gift to the spirits she takes aboard. Because players know the spirits will eventually leave them to pass on to the afterlife, the bonds formed are profoundly bittersweet. Relationships in Stardew Valley run deep too, but more due to being able to marry and raise kids than an impending departure — unless that's what the player wants, as Stardew Valley does allow divorce.
Fans of either game are likely to enjoy both but for different reasons. While Stardew Valley is about living a signature life that's mostly constrained within Pelican Town, Spiritfarer is more concerned with what happens afterward, traversing a mythical sea to explore this concept. Though using similar successful formulas, Spirtfarer's goal is about helping lost souls overcome their dark pasts so they can let go to accept what comes next.