'Final Fantasy meets Stardew Valley' farming sim Harvestella gets a Switch demo today

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Try Harvestella for yourself with a free demo

A Harvestella character engages in combat in a field
(Image credit: Square Enix)

Apocalyptic farming sim Harvestella is coming to Switch and PC (Steam) on November 4, and you'll get to sample its odd mix of Final Fantasy and Stardew Valley through a free Switch demo coming later today, September 13. 

The surprise launch of the demo was quietly announced during today's Nintendo Direct. Harvestella is basically a pre-apocalypse JRPG spliced with the cheerful farming lifestyle that's made such a comeback in recent years, and it still looks utterly bizarre. 

A demo is just Harvestella needed after so many strange reveals, both to give fans a hands-on explanation of how the heck this game plays, and to hopefully let them see whether its controversial $60 price tag is fair after all. 

Harvestella was previously highlighted at a Nintendo Treehouse showcase split between it and Splatoon 3. The live demo showed off open-world exploration, real-time combat, and seasonal changes which alter the game's world as you approach the deathly period of Quietus. We also saw the farming sim-mandated fishing minigame, crop harvesting, and resource hoarding. 

It's a safe bet that we'll be collecting seeds and monster materials to use back on the farm, and it seems like many crops can be converted into cash to fuel equipment upgrades or used as ingredients for food that provides buffs and manages our hunger meter. This really does look like two games in one, so it'll be interesting to see how else Harvestella's JRPG side ties into farming and vice-versa.

As it happens, today's Nintendo Direct also featured another fantasy farming sim: Fae Farm, a co-op farmer from the makers of multiplayer monster hunting RPG Dauntless. 

Austin Wood
Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.