Monster Harvest

54%
Game Brain Score Based on 215 reviews
  • grinding
  • gameplay
  • story
Monster Harvest Game Cover
Not respectful of time, and not quite it's own game yet.
Starting at $6.63Buy now
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Monster Harvest is a farming adventure game where you can mutate crops into loyal companions, known as Planimals, to take into battle. Explore the three unique seasons of Planimal Point, each with their own weather and crops, as you fight against the evil SlimeCo. Customize your farm, house, and furniture, and craft delicious jams while mutating up to 72 different crop variations.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

54%
Audience ScoreBased on 215 reviews
gameplay17 positive mentions
grinding78 negative mentions
  • The game combines farming simulation with monster collecting, offering a unique and engaging gameplay experience.
  • The art style is charming and colorful, creating an enjoyable atmosphere.
  • The lack of a time limit allows players to explore and play at their own pace, making it a relaxing experience.
  • The game feels unfinished, with many bugs and issues such as save files not loading and NPC interactions lacking depth.
  • Combat mechanics are simplistic and lack strategic depth, with no option to switch out planimals during battles.
  • There is a significant lack of content, with limited crops, planimals, and overall gameplay variety, leading to a repetitive experience.
  • grinding78 mentions

    The grinding aspect of "Monster Harvest" has received mixed feedback, with many players finding the gameplay repetitive and tedious over time. While the unique blend of farming and monster collecting offers initial enjoyment, the simplicity of mechanics and lack of depth lead to a grindy experience, particularly in resource gathering and battling. Overall, players suggest that those seeking a more intricate farming sim may find this game lacking, as it feels unfinished and can become monotonous.

    • “It's very fun in the beginning but after some time, it gets tedious and you're essentially just waiting for the next season to see the new planimals.”
    • “Everything becomes very tedious very quickly.”
    • “The farming aspect is very basic as well.”
  • gameplay57 mentions

    The gameplay of Monster Harvest is characterized by its unique blend of traditional farming and creature mutation mechanics, allowing players to grow and battle "planimals." While the game offers a casual and low-stress experience, many players find the mechanics simplistic and lacking depth, leading to a sense of emptiness and grindiness, especially in the later stages. Overall, while the core concepts are enjoyable, the execution feels unfinished, with numerous bugs and a need for more variety and quality of life improvements.

    • “Monster Harvest stands out with the combination of traditional farming and the ability to mutate crops into creatures (planimals).”
    • “The gameplay loop takes place over two daily stages - daytime where you manage your farm tasks and interact with the local shops, and evening, where you can fight your way through the dungeon with your planimals to collect loot and level them up.”
    • “We have enjoyed the gameplay so far and love the concept you've put together.”
    • “The farming mechanics and overall gameplay are somewhat simpler, which might leave you wanting more if you're used to more intricate farming sims.”
    • “The gameplay is very light and unfulfilling.”
    • “The game feels a little unfinished and has some glitchy mechanics.”
  • story33 mentions

    The game's story is widely criticized for being minimal and underdeveloped, with many players feeling it lacks depth and engagement. While there is a basic premise introduced at the start, the narrative fails to evolve, leaving players wanting more character development and questlines. Overall, the consensus is that the story feels incomplete and reminiscent of early access titles, with hopes for future updates to enhance the narrative experience.

    • “Overall a very promising game if there is more content added to round out the story and character development of the townspeople.”
    • “As for the story, I must say it could be improved, but it's nothing that stops you from enjoying the game.”
    • “Love the quests and how many there are; I love the story-driven aspects.”
    • “This is a huge reason the game felt like early access to me, because there's not really a story, like at all.”
    • “It's like the devs wrote a bare minimal story with every intent to replace it once the game got out of alpha, and then forgot.”
    • “And if I am being honest, the storyline ended without any fanfare; you never really understand the motivation.”
  • graphics26 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the colorful pixel art style and unique aesthetic reminiscent of titles like Stardew Valley. While some players find the visuals lovely and charming, others criticize the character designs as blocky and out of place compared to the beautifully crafted environments. Overall, the graphics are seen as appealing but inconsistent, with a blend of stunning visuals and elements that feel unfinished.

    • “The art style is lovely, and each season looks great.”
    • “Graphics: the graphics are lovely and remind me of Stardew Valley, which is a game I love.”
    • “I am a big fan of pixel graphics and creature collecting games, and I found Monster Harvest to be cute, colorful, and appealing.”
    • “The graphics are 16-bit lookalike (like the excellent Stardew Valley), but not very cute and lack charm (personal opinion, I expect some would like it).”
    • “Graphics - I do not feel the locals and my character graphics belong to this game - they are too blocky and do not fit in with the art style of the landscape, caves, buildings, beverages, decorations, and planimals.”
    • “Even the graphics, as you can see in the screenshots or gameplay, are Stardew-like (the color scheme and the pixel art), but with the characters being more round to give that Pokémon first generation feel.”
  • stability12 mentions

    The game's stability has been a significant concern among users, with many reporting persistent bugs such as progress loss, black screen issues, and various glitches that disrupt gameplay. While some players find the game enjoyable despite these issues, others describe it as a "buggy mess" that can lead to frustrating experiences, including game-breaking bugs and crashes. There is some hope for improvement, as the development team is reportedly addressing these problems, but many still find the current state too unstable for a smooth gaming experience.

    • “A lot of the bugs present in early reviews are still here including loss of progress, the black screen issue, and barn glitches.”
    • “The game is a buggy mess, and while debatably fun for what it has, half of the time you are screwed out of the last 30 minutes of play due to some bug that messes you up and you can only resolve by restarting the game and doing the whole day again.”
    • “Unfortunately, it's too buggy to play; there have been numerous game-breaking bugs.”
  • music10 mentions

    The music in the game is generally well-received, described as lovely and relaxing, with a nice variety of chill tracks that suit different areas and situations. However, some players note a lack of variety, as there are only a few distinct pieces, and the sound effects can be distracting. Overall, while the soundtrack enhances the gameplay experience, it could benefit from more diversity and interactivity.

    • “Honestly, there are downsides to the game and it does feel very similar to Stardew Valley which was a bit off-putting at first, but it is very addictive. The soundtrack is lovely and it's a great game to play while you're watching something.”
    • “Music - a nice variety of chill music for different areas/situations in the game that are not annoyingly repetitive.”
    • “It is so chill, the music is so relaxing and I love the grind to prolong the fun hours of playability.”
    • “Soundtrack - 6/10”
    • “Sleeping in your bed does not always save your game though, as I have experienced a black screen with the music still playing in the background. Pressing the escape key takes you back to the main menu, and you have to start over from your previous save.”
    • “I would like to interact with the (to me they look like video game machines) machines in the saloon to play some mini games for prizes, as well as changing the music using the jukebox, as I love to hear all the tracks.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be deeply resonant, particularly appreciating the wholesome relationships between the townsfolk and their love for the creatures, which fosters a sense of community and warmth. This connection enhances the overall emotional experience, making it relatable and uplifting.

    • “I also love that the townsfolk are pro-planimal and most have their own and love these creatures as well; it's very wholesome.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The game requires optimization improvements, particularly after the first year, as players report crashes and long save times. While it has bugs and suboptimal settings, many believe that updates could address these issues, making it a worthwhile purchase at its price point.

    • “The game needs optimization for gameplay after year 1, as I'm experiencing crashes and long timeouts during saves.”
    • “Optimization is crucial for maintaining a smooth experience, especially as the game progresses into later years.”
    • “I hope the developers focus on optimization in future updates to enhance performance and reduce crashes.”
    • “Needs optimization for gameplay after year 1; experiencing crashes and long timeouts during saves.”
    • “The game does have bugs and lacks the best optimized settings, but what game can't be fixed with a few updates? For 14 bucks, this is one hell of a steal.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Many users feel that the game lacks replayability, with some stating that once they have completed all content, there is little incentive to revisit it. As a result, it may be best to purchase during a sale if you're still interested.

    • “Since I 100% completed this, I cannot see any replay value, so it will forever sit in my uninstalled library of games. I'd recommend buying this on a deep sale if you are interested.”
    • “After finishing the game, I felt no urge to play it again. The lack of different endings or meaningful choices really diminishes its replayability.”
    • “Once you've experienced everything the game has to offer, there's little incentive to return. It feels more like a one-time experience than a game worth revisiting.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Reviewers express optimism about the game's potential, noting that while the character development of the townspeople shows promise, it requires additional content to fully enrich the story and deepen the characters.

    • “Overall, a very promising game if there is more content added to round out the story and character development of the townspeople.”
    • “Overall a very promising game if there is more content added to round out the story and character development of the townspeople.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    Many users perceive the monetization strategy as a cash grab, suggesting that it prioritizes profit over player experience.

    • “I have the feeling it's just a cash grab.”
    • “The monetization system feels overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
    • “It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is largely absent, with players finding the fishing mechanics neither amusing nor engaging, and the low value of the fish further detracts from any potential comedic elements.

    • “It's not funny nor challenging to fish, and the fish are worth a very low amount of gold.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

57% average critic score

Buy Monster Harvest

Play time

9hMedian play time
6hAverage play time
3-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 7 analyzed playthroughs

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