Review: Sugardew Island (Nintendo Switch)

Sugardew Island is a farming simulator game along the lines of Stardew Valley, only a bit easier. Without the cave exploring and monster fighting, Sugardew Island focuses more on growing and selling crops, as well as restoring peace to the land.

You start the game on a deserted island on which people and animals are no longer friends. Without their harmony, the island is overgrown with weeds, trees, stones, and thorns. On the island is an older man who gives you the island’s back story and teaches you how to restore the harmony.

In the middle of the island is a large tree, known as the harmony tree. Here is where you pick up quests. Once quests are completed, you gain new crops, animals, tools, and buildings, allowing you to upgrade your farm and earn more money.

To complete quests, you have to gain enough harmony and turn it into the harmony tree. For example, starting quests require you to collect 25 harmony.

Harmony is earned through selling your crops, so it’s important to farm every day. You have many tools to be able to do so. Like many other farming sims, you have a hoe and a water bucket to till soil and water crops. You also have a pickaxe to break stone and an axe to chop down trees, both of which help clear up space to farm.

Crops take a couple days to grow, some longer than others, and can be harvested once fully grown.

Once you have crops, you can take them into your store and sell them. This can only be done once a day, so it’s important to have all the materials you want to sell ready before you open your store. Forest spirits will come in and pick up items but won’t always buy them. Some creatures come ready to pay, but others come with their minds not made up. If this is the case, you can negotiate with them. That sometimes works, and even earns you some extra money through tips, but sometimes they’ll leave empty handed. With each item you sell, you also earn harmony. Along with selling your crops at your store, you can sell them to the element people who live on your island. You gain more friendship with them each time you complete one of their orders.

Once you have gained enough energy to complete a quest and have turned it into the harmony tree, you not only get a reward, but another part of the island opens. There are different areas you can unlock, all associated with animals such as deer, bunnies, owls, etc. You can pet the animals when these areas are open, and, in return, they’ll drop extra seeds for you. This is helpful as it’s less money you have to spend on crops.

Although Sugardew Island is a cozy game, which a lot of people tend to enjoy, it doesn’t have much to offer. It is fun and full of cute and cuddly creatures, but that’s about it. The whole game revolves around buying crops, growing crops, selling crops, using your earnings to unlock more crops, and repeating the cycle. Without a sense of adventure or challenge, the game can grow boring quickly.

However, I think this can also be the appeal of Sugardew Island. Maybe you have a child who likes the concept of farming sims but can’t quite grasp the depth of farming/adventure sims. If so, this is a perfect starting game. And for adults who like to relax and avoid games with tough battles and relationships, Sugardew Island works.