A twist on the popular farming sim formula

Monster Harvest is a premium role-playing game by developer Maple Powered Games for PC. It’s a farming sim that incorporates its own twist to the monster-collecting gameplay. In it, players will be growing monsters instead of catching/breeding them, achieved with the help of a unique mutation system.

Taking the retro graphics and presentation of Stardew Valley and mixing it with the gameplay of a monster game like Coromon, Monster Harvest offers players a fresh and different experience. A demo version is available that can let them get a sense of what they can expect from the full game.

An unlikely pairing

Farming simulators are fun and charming experiences that let you play at your own pace, learn their mechanics, and just chill. Meanwhile, monster-collecting games are complete opposites that lean more toward quick and engaging gameplay. Developer Maple Powered Games somehow managed to merge these two polarizing genres, despite their apparent differences, and made a game out of them, and it is called Monster Harvest.

This farming sim is set in Planimal Point, where you’re looking to build a farm and a place to call home. As you journey through the land, you stumble upon a mysterious slime that is able to mutate your crops into strange animal-like creatures called Planimal. Thus begins your new adventure filled with turn-based battles, dungeon exploration, and trying to take down the evil corporation SlimeCo.

There are 72 unique mutations to discover as you gain more companions. They can help in dealing with the game’s three seasons that affect what you can do and grow at a particular period. The overall experience falls a bit flat despite the uniqueness and originality of its premise. In its current state, it just feels unfinished, with so many strange bugs and gameplay quirks that detract from the enjoyment.

Room to grow

In summary, Monster Harvest is an interesting game with a different and refreshing premise that has not been done before. That alone warrants giving it a try. However, the gameplay is underwhelming, filled with frustrating bugs, and makes you think it needed more time in development to flesh out its issues. It could end up being good with more updates, but it’s a little hard to recommend right now.