The publishing arm of Frostpunk developer 11 Bit Studios, which has built a reputation for releasing interesting games – such as Indika, Thaumaturge, and Death Howl – has unveiled a new farming sim-slash-narrative thriller called Crop. It’s being made by small Norwegian team Carbonara Games and aims to blend a Stardew Valley farming experience with the eeriness and mysteriousness of iconic David Lynch show Twin Peaks.
I had a short demonstration of Crop ahead of its Triple-i Showcase announcement today, and the demo I watched began with the player, a weary-looking man, climbing out the back of a car boot that he’d been stuffed inside. He staggered through a forest to a decrepit farm he was then forced to take over and repair, in order to grow food for the local townspeople. His first job? Burying the previous owner.
Crop is a mix of farming and narrative deduction, as you explore the nearby town, talking to the eccentric people living – perhaps trapped – there while trying to work out what the hell is going on. They all have secrets you need to weed out.
The bulk of the gameplay comes through farming, though, done here in a relatively small area and mostly by hand. There’s a good amount of detail in the systems, as you clear roughage and manage compost heaps, and dig irrigation waterways and manage your crops. There’s also equipment like rain coats to buy – it always seems to be raining – with the meagre earnings from your toils. Fail to manage your energy correctly and you’ll fall asleep in the rain, getting ill.
It’s a curious blend I’ve not seen before, and it’s in the morose and haunted wrapping of it, the way it’s all cast in greying shades of green, that it merges to create something unique. A close-up of the player character reminds me distinctly of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild‘s art style, that slightly watercoloured look, only here the colours are washed out, dismal and cursed. I can’t remember the last time I played a farming sim with blood-spattered occult journals lying around, and I like it.
There’s no release date for Crop yet and the only platform mentioned for now is PC. Perhaps one to keep an eye on.
