The magical farming sim, Fae Farm, borrows elements from several different genres to blend together into its relaxing experience, but this mix does leave some features a tad confusing for players, without a lot of explanation, including a number of on-screen status icons like an eye in the upper left corner. The game is designed to be taken at a slower pace to truly appreciate all that the world of Azoria can offer and to enjoy focusing on what aspects of the game are most appealing on an individual level. Simple tasks such as farming, tending to animals, and romancing NPCs run alongside defeating enemies in the mines and solving the magical dilemmas that are present in the area.
Despite the relaxed pace of Fae Farm, there is a lot to keep track of. Whether trying to pay attention to which romanceable character likes which gifts and what friendship level they are at or trying to create new seeds with special fertilizers in order to take advantage of each season, Fae Farm has a lot of little details to pay attention to. Many things seem to happen in the background or can be affected by things that a player may not be considering, which is simultaneously helpful to not overwhelm a person while also being slightly confusing when they are eventually noticed.
Fae Farm's Eye Icon Is A Good Thing To See
Although most things in Fae Farm are pretty straightforward, the little eye icon that sometimes shows up has baffled some, most especially as it can appear to come and go without much explanation. This eye is located in the top left corner of the screen just under the status bars for health, energy, and mana, and is most regularly going to be seen first thing in the morning. Though many have joked that it refers to stealth or even conspiracy theories, this eye icon actually signifies that the character went to bed on time and was able to get a good night's rest, granting them the temporary Well Rested bonus.
The Well Rested Bonus In Fae Farm Is A Powerful Reason To Go To Bed On Time
When the eye icon is visible on the screen, pressing down on the right analog stick on the Nintendo Switch version of the game will bring up a screen that lists the Well Rested bonus and how long it will be available. Unfortunately, this screen does not say exactly what being well rested does. Screen Rant reached out to Fae Farm via email and received the response that while well rested, players receive an increase in their health, energy, and mana regeneration. Having this buff to these stats, particularly energy, can be extremely beneficial in the morning hours of each day when a player may be taking care of their crops and animals and don't want to use up all their energy before other ventures like diving into the depths of a dungeon.
Health, Energy, And Mana Bars In Fae Farm
The red, green, and blue bars at the top left of the screen are in reference to the character's current status for Health, Energy, and Mana. The energy bar is the one that is most likely to require a lot of attention, particularly early in the game. Energy is required for almost all activities like farming, mining, and more. Additionally, the dynamic weather in Fae Farm can cause characters to tire out faster and expend the energy bar quickly. This can include things such as attempting to farm in rainy weather that causes the character to shiver as they become wet and cold, or the heat of summer making them sweat.
Mana in Fae Farm doesn't seem to be used much at the start of the game, yet it quickly becomes apparent that Azoria is full of magic. Once the player's character gets their magical staff they then begin to level it up with new spells that are granted from Sprites in the dungeons around the land. Additionally, in progressing through the game, characters will learn several spells such as Faerie Fire or Charm. Each spell, special ability for tools, and more all require the use of mana. Thankfully there are also potions to increase mana when it is running low, or even special abilities to siphon mana from enemies. Increasing the maximum amount of mana, health, and energy can also be accomplished by crafting cozy furniture.
Fae Farm's Coziness Level Adds To Status Benefits
Fae Farm encourages decorating the player character's homestead by giving special buffs related to each item that is added to the home. Not only are the craftable items cute and add to the aesthetic quality of the game and immersion in roleplaying, but crafting furniture items for the home will often include specifications stating that an object can provide benefits in one of three areas of the Cozy Score.
- Comforting items increase max health for the character
- Relaxing items increase max energy
- Inspiring items increase max mana
Not only do these items increase the maximum amounts of health, energy, and mana, but the coziness score will also provide a boost to how quickly these statuses become replenished when the character is in their home. This means that with enough cozy items furnishing the home, stepping inside the character's house will allow them to quickly become rejuvenated without needing to stop and eat or sleep.
Fae Farm is a balance of both cozy farming and magical adventuring, but including pieces of the various genres together can give a lot of different things that players may need to pay attention to. The developers of the game have done an incredible job at trying to make Fae Farm not feel overwhelming, but in doing so they may have left out a few of the explanations that curious players would have appreciated. The eye icon in particular has caused a lot of confusion for many players, and while it would have been fun to try to stealth past frogs and chickens, the well rested bonus is useful too.
