MeinMMO editor Maik Schneider has discovered a fascinating management game on Steam that doesn’t put any time pressure on its players. He introduces you to Spiritfarer and explains why it’s his discovery of the month.
Compared to shooter gameplay, management games are usually a bit more relaxed.
It’s not always a bunny-hopper with a sugar shock around the corner to compare the latest quarterly reports. However, it often takes a certain amount of attention to avoid bankrupting the built city.
The management game Spiritfarer goes a relaxed step further.
When I was looking for a couch co-op game for my fiancée and I during the cold winter months, I discovered the small indie game of 2020 and was immediately blown away. I’ll be happy to explain to you why the cute game immediately convinced me.
I’m including a trailer for the game here:
Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition – Trailer
Spiritfarer isn’t annoying – it’s chilling
At first glance, the theme of the game doesn’t match the friendly comic book design at all. We take over the job of Charon, the ferryman of the dead in Roman and Greek mythology.
Charon has finished his job and is looking forward to new adventures. I play Stella, a young lady who is now the new ferrywoman of the dead. In couch co-op mode, Player 2 can control the kitten Daffodil and do all the tasks Stella can do, except talking to the ghosts.
The gameplay revolves around my ferry. I’m supposed to set up and dress up a ship for ghosts to be comfortable on. Souls not ready to leave yet. I build factories, fields, lounges and upgrade my ship to reach new areas or craft better materials.
It’s all very closely intertwined with the story. Each new room is related to one of the spirits and each spirit has its own personal story, which I gradually get to know.
The goal is to give the ghosts a good time on the ferry and to help them close with their past. The ghosts wish for something to eat in return, the completion of some quests and a regular hug doesn’t hurt either.
Spiritfarer never gets intrusive. Ghosts, for example, enjoy food, but don’t actually need to be fed. There’s enough food for that anyway.
At my own pace I drive around the world of ghosts, collecting necessary materials for upgrades and fulfilling my guests’ wishes so that they can say goodbye.
A story to feel
To introduce Stella to the world of ghosts, I initially meet people from the character’s past life. This is about Gwen, Stella’s oldest friend, who was like a big sister to her. Stella gets the ferry with me, arranges discounts at the dealer and sometimes helps out in the loom.
I will help Stella work through her troubled relationship with her father, which will help her accept her own destiny.
Sometimes the stories get very specific and I learn about important events from the ghosts’ past. Sometimes moral stories convey values and a lesson.
Each ghost represents a new story, a new destiny. Only half of Spiritfarer’s adventures take place in the game world – the other half takes place in the speech bubbles.
The stories are usually so human, so comprehensible that even the 30th speech bubble in a story doesn’t invite you to quickly click away.
An end is in sight
The pace and constant connection to the story aren’t the only things that make Spiritfarer so special. It’s also a management game with an ending.
There is only a limited number of ghosts. Eventually all houses will be built, all stories told, all islands explored. You can play Spiritfarer once to the end, warm your heart and say goodbye to the sweet world.
According to HowLongToBeat, you need around 25 hours for a normal run (howlongtobeat.com).
Top ratings on Steam
I discovered Spiritfarer on the PS Plus Extra plan. It costs €24.99 on PlayStation and Steam. There is even a Blu-Ray version for PS4, which you can also get cheaper.
Spiritfarer has top ratings on Steam. At the time of writing, almost 23,000 users left a positive rating, with a rating of 95%.
The soundtrack, the atmosphere, the story, the relaxed approach are praised – I don’t need to repeat the points to you, I’ve already praised them enough.
There are criticisms here and there about the grind and the repetitive tasks. There is no automation, you often have to lend a hand and produce as required.
However, if you’re looking for a chilled-out experience that makes you smile, but also makes you think, give Spiritfarer a spin and its smooth feel.
Are you always looking for strong co-op adventures, then check out: Top 25 Best Co-op Games 2022 for PC, PS5, Xbox and Switch