WillyFourEyes/Waltzoid's Journal

I figured I'd start the new year off right by playing Fields of Mistria instead of my normal game-before-work standby, The Sims 4.

As someone who's played 100+ hours of Stardew Valley since it first came out (and I know lots of people have played way more than that), I think Mistria comes the closest out of all the farming sims I've played to capturing Stardew's general vibe...or at least it will, when it fully comes out of Early Access, which I predict could happen this Winter or in Spring 2026.

In order to get used to Mistria, though, I've had to temporarily forget things I've learned from Stardew (and its inspiration, the Harvest Moon & Story of Seasons series).

For instance, in Mistria, you can buy items at anytime, even when the shopkeeper isn't at their booth.

Also, you can jump! (And you move a lot fast than your character does in Stardew until you get some good shoes). There are some lantern enemies in the mines that electrify themselves and can only be safely hit with a jumping attack when they're in that state, so that's good at least.

What I like most about Mistria is how the NPCs will react to small events in the story (whether it's from you finding a new relic to post up in the museum, you completing a board request, or one of them reminiscing about last Friday night at the inn) It makes the town and world feel a little bit more alive.

If nothing else, I've found a new game to add to my weekly/monthly rotation for now...which is nice.