Indie games publisher Serenity Forge has revealed gameplay of Homestead Arcana, a magical base-building adventure game. Homestead Arcana sees the player take on the role of a “farming witch” in the effort to revive a dying land by utilizing spell-craft and No Man’s Sky style base-building.
Serenity Forge is the publisher behind indie titles such as Where the Water Tastes Like Wine, Neverersong, and Doki Doki Literature Club Plus. Serenity Forge is lead by Zhenghua Yang, often simply referred to as Z, and has also developed games as well as published them since its inception in 2012. In 2014, Serenity Forge published the puzzle game Lifeless Planet, marking the publisher’s move toward focusing on “thoughtful games.”
Similarly, Homestead Arcana looks to have an environmental message, with the focus on rejuvenating the land and fighting off an evil referred to as the Miasma. The trailer offers a brief but in-depth look to the gameplay and reveals the release date of April 2023. Players will need to uncover the secret behind the mysterious appearance of the Miasma, and power up spells with nature to heal the land. While the concept of redeeming a land taken over by evil is not a new concept by any stretch, the environmental focus feels fresh and matched with the vibrant art style and color palette that is somewhat reminiscent of the surprisingly successful Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin.
The trailer also promises a wild frontier of mystery and magic, as well as a great adventure, which is enticing for typical adventure game players, or those that are looking for a bit more magic after Hogwarts Legacy. The trailer is narrated by an in-game character, the witch’s talking cat called Huckleberry who promises to be with the player every step of the way. At its core, the experience looks to be quite a cozy one. The cozy game genre seems to be growing exponentially as the games industry continues to grow amidst turbulent times in the real world. Games such as Homestead Arcana offer a relaxing escape from daily life where the player can have far more control over their actions without the stress of work and global events. The game’s themes are also concurrent with titles such as the upcoming environmental builder Terra Nil. Similar to the growing demand for cozy games, players are becoming more aware of how their actions affect the world as a whole.
Homestead Arcana’s environmental focus matches Zhenghua Yang’s intentions to publish games that are more meaningful. Yang has been quoted as saying “What if I started making games with the intention of helping other people?” after having been diagnosed with a near-fatal illness. This aim to connect with and help people via games is core to Serenity Forge’s ethos and is fully on display in the gameplay of growing new life in Homestead Arcana.
Homestead Arcana is coming to PC in April 2023.