Another farming sim entry, with a bit of a harsher take it feels on the genre, despite advertising it’s coziness. Echoes of the Plum Grove will start you off with tragedy, and start you with little beyond the shack you bought on a garbage riddled plot of land. There is a hint of survival game mixed into the games design, with food and hunger being a necessary thing to manage, instead of just replenishing energy or giving buffs.
You very quickly need to decide what to keep and what to sell as you try to earn money, as you’ll have taxes to pay by Sunday as well. You really have to hit the ground running, keeping your tools in good repair (or replace them), keep yourself from starving, keep from running out of money, and find friends in your new town.
It’s not as rough as a pure survival game though, lest this put you off entirely. While most games in the genre don’t have a lot of stakes to worry about, Echoes of the Plum Grove makes sure you know what they are early. You’re here to build a dynasty of sorts, as death will come for your original character, and you continue as a heir. While my brief play in the demo didn’t get that far, there is a lot to work with here, never mind the story to the island.
The art’s got a great feel to it, with a very paper doll feel to everything. There are good pops of colour here and there to help break up the brownness of the time period it’s set in.
The demo sadly isn’t up any longer as it was removed when Next Fest Finished. Echoes of the Plum Grove is only listed as a release date in 2024. It’s really one to watch for anyone looking for a different vibe to their farming/life sim.