The Farmer Was Replaced
- February 10, 2023
- Timon Herzog
- 12h median play time
Get on Steam"The Farmer Was Replaced" is a farming simulation game with a twist. After a mysterious event, you wake up to find that all the animals and crops on your farm have gained sentience and are now demanding rights and fair treatment. Manage your farm while balancing the needs and demands of your newly aware livestock and crops, and navigating the ethical and moral dilemmas that arise. Can you build a successful farm while also ensuring the well-being of your anthropomorphic animals and crops?
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game provides a fun and engaging way to learn Python programming concepts, making it accessible for beginners.
- It features a gradual learning curve, introducing new coding mechanics and challenges that keep players engaged.
- The satisfaction of optimizing code and automating tasks creates a rewarding gameplay loop.
- The game suffers from some bugs and awkward UI elements that can hinder the overall experience.
- Certain programming features are locked behind progression, which can frustrate experienced players looking for more freedom.
- The game is relatively short, leaving players wanting more content and challenges after completing it.
- gameplay38 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay is engaging and innovative, combining idle mechanics with programming challenges that reward players for optimizing their code. While the main progression can be completed in about 10-12 hours, the game offers depth through various crop mechanics and a satisfying gameplay loop that encourages strategic thinking. However, some players feel the game could benefit from additional content and clearer guidance on new mechanics as they progress.
“Great way to integrate programming with idle game mechanics.”
“The gameplay loop is quite satisfying as it rewards you for optimizing your code.”
“I love the puzzle-solving aspects of optimizing the different crops, which end up having some really interesting mechanics down the line.”
“Albeit rather short for an 'idle game' - you'd probably reach the end of progression in ten to twelve hours of gameplay.”
“The unlock mechanics make the game feel a little short.”
“After that, it feels like there is a lot less guidance on how to use new mechanics and I am unsure how to work through things like managing water levels and companion crops.”
- grinding33 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is characterized by repetitive farming tasks aimed at acquiring upgrades, which enhance efficiency and unlock new features. Players often find themselves engaged in automating these processes through programming, leading to a blend of coding and farming that can be both addictive and educational. While some enjoy the variety and challenge, others feel the grind can become monotonous, especially as they aim for the most profitable crops.
“The only purpose of farming in this game is to buy upgrades which helps you farm more until you buy all upgrades.”
“Farming is tiring.”
“If you want an idle farming game where you program your own farm - play for two hours and refund.”
- optimization33 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's optimization aspect is highly praised, offering a rich array of challenges that cater to both experienced programmers and newcomers. Players appreciate the smooth gameplay and the satisfaction derived from refining their code, with opportunities for continuous improvement and competitive leaderboard challenges. While the initial stages are easy, the game quickly escalates in complexity, providing a fun and engaging way to learn and apply programming concepts through optimization.
“I expected to hit a ceiling with this very quickly, but there is a ton of optimization that can be done and presents a number of classic coding challenges in a fun, gamified way.”
“This is an incredible game for both experienced programmers looking for hyper-optimization challenges and beginners looking forward to learn practical coding.”
“It's mesmerizing to see the little farmer dude zip around doing its work - and all the time thinking about how the task at hand might be optimized further...”
“There are many self-imposed challenges you might try after winning, but beyond algorithm optimization there isn't much left to do.”
“Most of the challenges can be pretty simple to experienced programmers, so most of the time spent is on micro-optimization to squeeze every resource in the shortest time.”
“I feel like a lot of the most optimized runs skip over a lot of the most interesting content at the moment.”
- graphics13 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming and simplistic art style that appeals to players, making it accessible even on older devices. However, there are notable minor graphical bugs and performance issues, with some users reporting high resource usage on powerful hardware. Overall, the visuals are described as cute and well-made, enhancing the game's relaxing atmosphere.
“Nice environment with nice visuals.”
“The beautifully simplistic art style contributes greatly to the game's overall chill appeal.”
“Plenty of minor graphical bugs, like line highlights during execution displaying in front of neighboring windows.”
“However, now it is using up 95% of my NVIDIA 4070 Ti graphics card.”
“Additionally, its graphics are well made but simple enough to run well on old or weak devices.”
- story6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is criticized for its lack of direction, with users noting the absence of missions or goals, which diminishes engagement. While the programming challenges are enjoyable, the narrative feels underdeveloped, leading to frustration in gameplay, particularly when aesthetic choices impact progress. Overall, players suggest the need for a more structured quest system to enhance the experience.
“It's a fun series of classic programming challenges where you tell a drone where and how to perform tasks around a farm plot using a python-like programming language.”
“Mazes lead us first to brute force solutions, but the plot thickens when we start removing walls to increase the treasure.”
“The farm is too small (10x10 when maxed out) and there is no goal, no missions, no quests.”
“Implement some kind of missions/goals system.”
“This is an aesthetic preference but it was still a little frustrating to realize the language about the cacti meant I had to clear my entire plot just for them.”
- stability5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Overall, users report mixed experiences with stability; while the game is generally well-built and runs smoothly, some encounter issues such as a buggy enter key, freezing at the start menu, and occasional problems with autocomplete functionality. Despite these setbacks, many find the troubleshooting process rewarding.
“It's well built, runs great, and can be a good tool to learn programming basics.”
“Game freezes at the start menu and I don't know why.”
“Tab key works fine, but the enter key is buggy.”
“The autocomplete feels a bit buggy.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely appreciated, making it enjoyable for both learners and casual players. Users find the comedic elements, such as the quirky drone and the playful take on Python's limitations, to be engaging and a refreshing way to improve their programming skills. Overall, the humor effectively enhances the learning experience while keeping players entertained.
“It's also equally funny for people who aren't necessarily trying to learn Python to play.”
“Very good to learn/improve the Python basics in a funny way.”
“Super funny game, just made me come back to the programming world and so happy to be helping indie devs also :)”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game emotionally rewarding, as it fosters a sense of intelligence and accomplishment through continuous learning and problem-solving.
“This game made me feel like a genius at times as I continued to learn.”
“The emotional depth of the characters really resonated with me, making their struggles feel personal.”
“I was moved to tears by the storyline; it truly captured the essence of love and loss.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 200 % positive mentions
- -400 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the game offers significant replayability, particularly through the opportunity to refine and enhance their solutions.
“The game offers numerous paths and strategies, making each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
“With multiple endings and choices that impact the story, I find myself coming back for more.”
“There is quite a bit of replayability in trying to improve your solutions.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play it again.”
“The lack of varied outcomes makes replaying the game feel tedious and uninteresting.”
- music1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is noted as lacking, with some users feeling that it could benefit from a more robust soundtrack; however, this shortcoming does not detract significantly from the overall enjoyment of the game.
