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From beaches to floating islands, we’ve had just about every setting for farming sim games. And why not? These are ideal locations to imagine ourselves retiring on a farm, growing plants, raising livestock, and finding romance. Or at least that’s how games like Stardew Valley have established it. But then along comes Pathea Games and creates My Time at Sandrock. It’s a jewel in the desert that, in my opinion, is more fun and memorable than many games in a genre that overflows with copies, remakes, or the same formula without any change. Sandrock, on the other hand, brings something distinguishable at last.
My Time at Sandrock: The Jewel of the Sands
When I first saw My Time at Sandrock, I must admit that it was not one of the games that caught my attention. Although I put a ridiculous amount of hours into Portia, some tedious things didn’t give me confidence for the sequel. And yet I gave it a shot and found that the things that didn’t work were gone; we had some long-awaited QoL changes, and the title improved every aspect that fell short in the first installment. In doing so, they created the farming sim/building game I had always wanted.
Story: Bringing Telesis to Sandrock
The story begins with your character taking the builder position in Sandrock. It may sound silly, but I’m thrilled to be a builder instead of a farmer, like the countless sims that have come out since Stardew Valley was released. Heck, the game even has a dialogue that lets you say you hate farming, which is often relatable in my case. Although it’s a small detail, I felt I was no longer just another run-of-the-mill character who inherits a farm.
As soon as you arrive, you realize how poor the town is in terms of repairs and sustainability, and it is your task to bring telesis to this small desert town. For that, you must make many constructions with machines and weird inventions that, despite being in a somewhat small and rural town, work, thanks to the game’s deep lore. While it is a sequel, Sandrock never excludes newcomers and makes them feel like outsiders. The encyclopedia and dialogues with other inhabitants fill the gaps many may have when coming to the game for the first time.
I won’t go into too much detail, but the game does have a very deep backstory. Hundreds of years ago, the arrival of the Day of Calamity caused civilization to fall into darkness for many years. Eventually, a person named Peach managed to bring the light back. Humanity began to thrive in small towns by using ancient technology, which, ironically, is the technology of our world. This is what gives rise to the combination of machines and animals, such as half-chicken, half-rocket creatures. As ridiculous as it sounds, it makes sense in this world. When many post-apocalyptic games aim for despair, Sandrock aims for hope, and it’s all shown through the drive people have to survive and prosper.
The in-depth lore of Portia was fantastic, but when I played the prequel, its story didn’t grab me. On the other hand, Sandrock‘s narrative is more intriguing and darker, with more surprising twists in its plot. There are unexpected moments that will shock, along with moments of respite that bring a smile to your face. Sandrock has a narrative that draws you into the world Pathea Games has created and doesn’t let you leave. Like those vestiges of ancient civilization that cling to this city, that’s how I felt—becoming one with the sand of this town and turning into a full-fledged inhabitant.
Of course, if we get down to what matters, what people want most is romance, and believe me, you’ll find it—with their big heads and stop-motion-esque, puppet-like animations, Portia‘s character designs looked like something out of an early Tim Burton movie. Conversely, Sandrock‘s characters are more visually pleasing and memorable to the eye, not only in design but also in their personalities. If you’re looking for virtual romance, you can find it here. Many will pursue Logan or Fang as a lover, to which I don’t blame them. The developers have created excellent bachelors and bachelorettes for everyone. You get to meet them slowly and even do quests for them that develop each relationship further.
The story of this world works because it makes you feel like an actual citizen with an important job. When Mi-An welcomes you, you know you are not alone as a builder. I was excited to compete against her and work hard to earn my monthly rewards as a builder. Going to an assembly wasn’t just an excuse to advance the story; it was a mission to unlock something and allow me to build something more significant. Making things for Sandrock made me see this place grow, and not only that, but my workshop had more things that allowed me to get by better, thanks to the fantastic pacing of unlocking things through the story.
Gameplay: The Sands of Time
If you have played other games of the farming sim genre, you will find similar mechanics. You have a stamina bar that regenerates when you eat or rest and decreases when you do certain activities. The town has an eclectic group of characters that ask for help, many of whom you can eventually romance with dating and gifts. A piece of land that you can upgrade to add more buildings, machines, or space to raise livestock. While many will think it’s the same, I never felt like I was playing another copy of Animal Crossing or Harvest Moon, thanks to how the game’s pacing and progress are presented.
As a builder, your main duty is fulfilling commissions. These can come from story missions or the commissions’ board, where the inhabitants ask for things. These items must be made in your workshop with all your machines. What is exciting and fun is the process is not tedious at all. Do you need iron or copper? Head to the old-world mines or try to dismantle junk in the scrapyard. If you need wood, cut down some old trees or recycle scrap. Are you low on stamina? You can hunt wild creatures or plant crops with one of the least tedious farming systems ever. In other words, there are varied methods to get things done, reducing the “grindy” feeling many sims like this bring.
The real highlight of gameplay is the daily loop. As you have a certain amount of stamina and hours per day, it is essential to manage yourself. You can go dungeon-delving, or you can stay in your workshop all day. For example, I would spend one day focusing on getting everything ready for my machines to work. On another day, I would explore in search of resources and treasure. For me, it was a more relaxing and immersive experience than in many other games because, in the end, I never felt tied or obligated to anything. I felt free to progress at my own pace and choose how to live my life in the town.
While the game is ideal for those looking for something relaxing that is also not too easy, there is something that so far is not to my liking but sadly is a trend of this decade: shoehorned RPG systems. Hoarding a variety of weapons and clothing is satisfying, but forcing me to be Level 20 to put on a scarf makes zero sense. Your character has stats irrelevant to anything related to your daily gameplay loop. Sandrock skillfully delivers a cozy, immersive, and liberating experience but muddles it by shoehorning bland RPG elements that shouldn’t be there.
Speaking of things they take out of immersion, My Time at Sandrock suffers from bugs, a noticeable number of them, too. The experience dazzles you at every step with its stories and gameplay, but the immersion-breaking bugs that occur spoil the fun, even if they don’t break the game outright. At the same time, it’s realistically common to see “mirages in the desert,” NPCs disappearing into the air while walking or plants floating about the environment is a bit much. While these uncanny occurrences didn’t break my game, they did break my immersion. After all, I would prefer to change my outfit without my appearance bugging out, resulting in a reload just to have my character appear normally.
Graphics and Audio: Cozy and Memorable
Among experiences of the farming or crafting-centric sims, the most significant differences lie in their visual styles and unique designs. In Sandrock, these differences are visibly much better than Portia‘s. My Time at Sandrock is a game with a charming and unique style. Characters with somewhat large heads, a 3D style not so realistic but pleasing to the eye, and a contrast of very orange colors with green tones that give life to the desert. I prefer this a thousand times more to another generic farm setting with the typical change of seasons. Although seasonal change happens here in Sandrock, it is more intriguing and original because of the game’s unique environment.
As for the soundtrack, My Time at Sandrock has created a dynamic soundtrack with game tunes that can be soothing or engagingly epic, depending on what’s happening. The best is the techno music inside the ancient civilization dungeons, full of synth tones that are an absolute banger. That said, a memorable OST is essential for any life sim since you will listen to it every day as you carry out your day-to-day tasks. Sandrock‘s music nails the themes of the various environments, always giving your ears a treat as you work, fight, or even date.
Despite the excellent visuals and music, its optimization lacks polish. The pop-in is terrible and often ruins my immersion. Even though my PC’s specs are beyond the ones recommended by the developers, the rendering and loading of some elements take forever. In an experience that seeks to immerse the player, it is crucial to fix these details. Sandrock is a picturesque location full of desert plants, ancient monuments, and iconic buildings, but they need to load for me to enjoy them.
Conclusion: A New Standard for Farming Sims
My Time at Sandrock is a game that takes everything that worked from My Time at Portia, elevates it, and discards what didn’t work. It’s hard to detach yourself from this world after getting to know the stories of every town inhabitant. Each wants to revitalize the town in their own way, and it shows with their intricate and well-crafted quests. At the end of the day, you can see that not only you as a builder grew by building a bigger workshop or unlocking another relevant upgrade. You can walk down those sand-filled streets and see them come alive in a post-apocalyptic landscape, thanks to your help.
Although there are some unnecessary and limiting things and some bugs and glitches, I never felt these were big enough to keep me away from the screen. On the contrary, I couldn’t wait to discover a new place, a new machine to build, or go on a date with my virtual partner to watch an old movie. I have found the farming sim game I always wanted, and I am sure many more will find hours of fun in My Time at Sandrock.
My Time at Sandrock is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Reviewed).
My Time at Sandrock (PC Reviewed)
A memorable adventure thanks to its characters and iconic style with fun gameplay mechanics.
Pros
- A beautiful and memorable locale.
- Fantastic character development.
- A great main story.
Cons
- Few gameplay bugs.
- Minor optimization issues.
