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Research Story

Research Story Game Cover
95%Game Brain Score
gameplay, story
grinding, stability
95% User Score Based on 244 reviews

Platforms

PCSteam DeckWindows
Buy Nowfrom $14.99
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Research Story Game Cover

About

Research Story is a single player casual role playing game. It was developed by PetalCatGames and was released on July 21, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Research Story" is a farming and exploration game set in the town of Shimmerbrook. As a researcher for the Violet Archive, you will discover and record exotic plants and creatures, grow crops based on their ideal conditions, and raise creatures to receive perks. You can also craft items, tame creatures, and build your farm to suit the needs of your plants and animals. Additionally, you can meet and befriend townsfolk through conversations and quests. No information available on release date or developer/publisher.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Research Story screenshot
Research Story screenshot
Research Story screenshot
Research Story screenshot
Research Story screenshot
Research Story screenshot
Research Story screenshot
Research Story screenshot
Research Story screenshot
Research Story screenshot
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95%
Audience ScoreBased on 244 reviews
gameplay26 positive mentions
grinding118 negative mentions
  • The game offers a unique twist on the farming sim genre by focusing on research, requiring players to learn about plants and animals before cultivating them.
  • The art style is charming and nostalgic, combining modern 8-bit design with beautiful character portraits, creating an engaging visual experience.
  • The gameplay is relaxing and enjoyable, with a variety of activities to explore, including farming, fishing, and taming creatures, making it easy to get lost in the game for hours.
  • The romance options are limited and some NPC designs feel too similar, leading to disappointment in character diversity.
  • Inventory management can be tedious, with a lack of quality-of-life features that would streamline gameplay, such as sorting options and dynamic hotbars.
  • As an early access title, the game feels somewhat incomplete, with some mechanics lacking depth and a need for more content to keep players engaged long-term.
  • grinding
    120 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of "Research Story" has received mixed feedback, with some players appreciating the game's unique focus on research and small-scale cultivation, which sets it apart from traditional farming sims. However, others find certain elements, such as gathering information on animals and crafting food, to be tedious and overly grindy, especially in the early stages. Overall, while the game offers a fresh take on the genre, it may require a significant time investment for those looking to fully engage with its mechanics.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “There's only a limited selection of decor items, no farm buildings, different requirements make large-scale farming tedious, and the fishing minigame is very simple.”
    • “Especially feeding the creatures is tedious at the start, since some food items are rare, you have to hand-craft the food, and each pen only holds 2 servings.”
    • “Outside of feeling not fully fleshed out in many parts, which is expected with early access, several things are overly tedious to say the least.”
  • gameplay
    74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is characterized by a unique research mechanic that sets it apart from typical farming sims, offering a cozy and engaging experience with cute graphics and charming character designs. While the gameplay loop can become repetitive and some mechanics may feel unbalanced, players appreciate the direction provided at the start and the potential for future updates in early access. Overall, the game combines familiar elements from titles like Stardew Valley with its own distinct charm, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.

    • “The main mechanic of this game is researching everything around you—plants, fish, creatures—in order to gain knowledge as well as access to resources.”
    • “It stands out from the crowd by having very satisfying, concise gameplay and a gorgeously playful art style.”
    • “This is a fantastically fun game that brings the energy of Stardew Valley but has a fantastic research mechanic which I love and treasure.”
    • “Now to be fair, the gameplay loop is - as so often in those kinds of games - rather repetitive.”
    • “This is essentially a Stardew Valley knockoff with an interesting added mechanic that limits itself with a tedious 'questline' featuring numerous puzzles that suffer from a serious case of dev brain, where the player has to take several large jumps in intuition to follow logic that seems to only make sense to the developers.”
    • “Some of the mechanics are a bit tiresome but it's still early access with what looks like many promising updates to come.”
  • story
    68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Research Story" offers a unique twist on the farming sim genre, focusing on the life of a researcher who catalogs plants and animals rather than simply farming for profit. While the narrative is engaging and the characters charming, some players feel that the story lacks depth and can be overshadowed by gameplay mechanics, leading to a somewhat abrupt ending. Overall, the game presents an interesting premise with potential for further character development and plot expansion.

    • “Research Story is a great twist on the farming sim genre which focuses on the life of a researcher, carefully cultivating various plants and animals in order to catalogue them in beautiful detail in their research journals.”
    • “The story plot is interesting and I can't wait for more character development and romance!”
    • “The story and some of the mechanics set this one apart and make it feel different.”
    • “The story might not be fully cooked yet, but it's a linear journey that's as easy to follow as a trail of breadcrumbs.”
    • “All in all, this is a fun game with an interesting premise, but once you've researched everything or as much as you care to, finished the 'story' and gotten your two lines of end dialogue and pat on the head, there's no real reason to continue playing and almost zero reason to start another save.”
    • “I'm honestly not far enough into this, but it's actually a bit hard to concentrate on the story when I'm trying to figure out what to do, where to go, what's next, how do I research stuff, etc.”
  • graphics
    38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming, minimalist pixel art style that evokes nostalgia, reminiscent of classic 8-bit games. Players appreciate the cute and playful art design, which enhances the overall warm atmosphere, although some critique the lack of customization and depth in character design. Overall, the graphics are well-received for their adorability and ability to complement the engaging gameplay.

    • “The art style of the townsfolk is charming, having a more fantasy base in its design, while the world is a nostalgic but modern take on an 8-bit design.”
    • “It stands out from the crowd by having very satisfying, concise gameplay and a gorgeously playful art style.”
    • “The pixel style is very well done and I love the art style for the portraits of the very diverse cast of characters.”
    • “Not much in the way of customization or cosmetics; the art style in general is just extremely low effort, so it doesn't leave a lot of room for potential, which is disappointing.”
    • “The graphic style is very minimalistic and cutesy, which is certainly not for everyone.”
    • “There are numerous townsfolk to speak to, all of which continuously spout the same one or two lines of dialogue; some are supposedly 'romanceable', but with their lack of personality and the cartoony art style often making it difficult to differentiate gender, I didn't bother.”
  • music
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is consistently praised for being gentle, soothing, and beautifully varied, contributing to a warm and welcoming atmosphere. While the soundtrack is described as charming and fitting, some users noted that certain sound effects can be overly loud or odd. Overall, the music enhances the gameplay experience, making it enjoyable and immersive.

    • “The music is gentle and pleasant to listen to.”
    • “It's very chill and the music is soothing.”
    • “The art style, music, and overall atmosphere is so warm and welcoming.”
  • character development
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The character development in the game is praised for its charming and diverse designs, with many players finding the characters visually appealing and cute. While the initial character designs are simple, there is a strong desire for deeper character development and romance as the story progresses. Overall, the art style, particularly the pixel sprites, enhances the game's appeal.

    • “The story plot is interesting and I can't wait for more character development and romance!”
    • “The character design and art is beautiful, and I like the pixel sprites.”
    • “The character designs in this game are gorgeous.”
  • atmosphere
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a warm and welcoming art style, complemented by uplifting music that evokes joy and a sense of comfort, leaving players feeling delighted and engaged.

    • “The art style, music, and overall atmosphere are so warm and welcoming.”
    • “The atmosphere and music will have you grinning like a Cheshire cat on catnip.”
  • optimization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is highly optimized, running smoothly even on low-spec devices, making it accessible for players with less powerful hardware.

    • “In terms of performance, the game works well on a potato PC, so if you have a low-spec device, I'm sure you can run the game easily.”
  • stability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is generally enjoyable and presents a charming take on the Stardew Valley theme; however, it is noted to have some bugs that affect stability.

    • “An adorable variation on the Stardew Valley theme, still a little buggy but a very enjoyable game.”
  • replayability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players believe that the game's replayability could significantly improve with the addition of features such as marriage, children, more NPCs, expanded map areas, and varied farm layouts. If these elements are implemented during early access, the game has the potential to stand out as a top contender in its genre.

    • “If marriage, children, more NPCs, more areas to increase the map size, and different farm layouts are added throughout the early access period, this game could easily become one of the best offerings in the genre.”
    • “If marriage, children, more NPCs, more areas to increase the map size, and different farm layouts to enhance replay value are added throughout the early access period, this game could easily become one of the best offerings in the genre.”
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25h Median play time
25h Average play time
25-25h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Research Story is a casual role playing game.

Research Story is available on PC, Steam Deck and Windows.

On average players spend around 25 hours playing Research Story.

Research Story was released on July 21, 2025.

Research Story was developed by PetalCatGames.

Research Story has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its grinding.

Research Story is a single player game.

Similar games include Littlewood, Kynseed, Moonstone Island, Roots of Pacha, Potion Permit and others.