The Home County

About

The Home County is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Swanworth and was released on September 22, 2025. It received very positive reviews from players.

The Home County is a village-management game set in Edwardian Britain where you build and optimise a bustling village. Tend to villagers' needs, manage production lines, and specialise your settlement with 12 unique village goals such as becoming a cult, artistic hub, or monastery. Immerse yourself in countryside life while exploring character stories and restoring the Crystal Garden.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 57 reviews

graphics7 positive mentions

grinding15 negative mentions

Charming and cozy gameplay with a unique blend of village building, life simulation, and engaging mini-games like fishing and painting.
Beautiful art style and immersive sound design that enhances the overall experience, making it a relaxing escape.
Active developer support with frequent updates and responsiveness to community feedback, indicating a promising future for the game.

Some gameplay mechanics, particularly in mining and combat, can be frustrating and may require balancing for a smoother experience.
Lack of certain features like a map or more diverse NPC interactions can make the village feel a bit empty and less immersive.
Minor bugs and control issues, especially on certain platforms like the Steam Deck, can detract from the overall enjoyment.

graphics
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
47%
16%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming and unique pixelated art style that balances nostalgia with fresh ideas, evoking a comforting 2001 feel. Players appreciate the detailed visuals, cohesive design, and beautiful color schemes, which contribute to an overall delightful aesthetic experience. The artwork is often described as lovely and reminiscent of childhood paper dolls, enhancing the game's appeal.
- “The art style is unique and gameplay is not too grindy.”
- “The setting is beautiful and the graphics and color scheme are lovely.”
- “The art style is pixelated but detailed enough to be pretty.”
- “The art style is refreshing and I think this game has so much potential to be amazing!”
- “The art style for this game is so charming and it reminds me of these dress-up paper dolls that my nana used to give me and my sister as children!”
grinding
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
6%
83%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of this farming sim to be less tedious compared to similar games in the genre, with a unique blend of activities that keeps gameplay engaging. While some users appreciate the ease of getting started and the fresh mechanics, others feel that certain elements could benefit from better balance, particularly in resource value. The game is praised for its charming art style and cozy atmosphere, making it a delightful experience without the overwhelming grind often associated with farming sims.
- “The art style is unique and the gameplay is not too grindy.”
- “I love the graphics and how it isn't as grindy compared to similar games in the genre.”
- “I don't recommend the home county if you're looking for hands-on farming, crunchy management, or to sink hundreds of hours into a single save file.”
- “I do think the game could benefit from some balance tweaking in a few areas as farming, paintings, artisan goods, jewels from the mines, etc. sell for very little in comparison to fish.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
gameplay
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
62%
19%
The gameplay is described as relaxing and stress-free, featuring a variety of activities such as fishing, berry picking, and completing quests for villagers. While the mechanics are generally solid and offer a unique twist on familiar systems, some players find certain aspects, like the collections system and furniture placement, to be a bit rough or confusing. Overall, the game successfully combines enjoyable mechanics with a fresh art style, making it an engaging experience for players.
- “I love the fishing mechanic and have spent many in-game days just fishing, and I enjoy the tasks to increase inspiration while painting; however, I was slightly confused at first about what this was, so a small tutorial on this may help new players.”
- “I found it difficult to find info before I played the game on what the actual gameplay loop is like, so for anyone wondering, here is my experience: you make some money by fishing, picking up berries, etc. around the village and selling them, and doing odd jobs for villagers via quests from noticeboards or via your mailbox.”
- “The mechanics are still a bit rough (you can't rotate furniture, some sprites are awkwardly sized, adding tasteful clutter is tricky, etc.), but the bones are solid and I love that it's part of gameplay.”
- “It also puts a unique spin on familiar mechanics: fishing, mining, farming, village management -- it's all just a step to the left of anything I've seen before.”
story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
58%
17%
The game's story is praised for its charming Victorian vibe and dry humor, with engaging character interactions and heart events that reflect their personalities. While there isn't a strong overarching narrative, players appreciate the variety of quests and activities that enrich the experience. Future updates promise to expand on relationships and story elements, enhancing the overall narrative depth.
- “The storyline is fantastic, and I would suggest this to anyone who's sick of microtransactions and FOMO.”
- “Story is nice and has a charming Victorian vibe to it.”
- “There's not much in the way of an overarching story, but the world is full of dry humor (read everything!), and each character has two heart events that reflect their distinct personalities or background.”
- “There's not much in the way of an overarching story, but the world is full of dry humor (read everything!) and each character has two heart events that reflect their distinct personalities or background.”
- “No story.”
music
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
28%
27%
The music in the game has received high praise for its beauty and immersive quality, with influences from classical and Irish music. Composed by indie musician James Smith, the soundtrack is noted for its variety and emotional depth, enhancing the overall experience. However, some players have reported technical issues, such as abrupt music stops, which detract from the enjoyment.
- “The setting, music, and sound effects are perfect and really add to immersion.”
- “The music score is beautiful, with references to classical and Irish music.”
- “Swanworth tapped indie musician James Smith to compose the soundtrack, and James Smith knocked it out of the park.”
- “There seems to be a bug that makes the player go invisible, music just stops out of nowhere and those who watch me review that game on streams say that the clicking when reading or talking to someone is beyond annoying.”
- “The music is also divine (I'd love a soundtrack release) and there's a good variety in the game already.”
- “I adore the art style and the music.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highly praised for its top-notch quality, featuring dry British wit and charming character interactions that often elicit chuckles. Players appreciate the lighthearted storytelling and distinct personalities of the NPCs, although some hope for more heart events in future updates. Overall, the humor contributes significantly to the game's relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere.
- “The humor is top notch; I’m really enjoying all the little stories sprinkled around town.”
- “The dry British humor of the NPCs is also a plus, though I hope they add more heart events in later updates.”
- “This turned out to be exactly what I needed: something funny, lovely to look at and listen to, easy to pick up and put down, and short enough that you always feel a sense of progress.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Overall, users report a generally stable experience, particularly on the Steam Deck, where the game runs smoothly and includes helpful features like zoom. However, some visual glitches have been noted, which are expected to be addressed in future updates.
- “I'm playing on Steam Deck and it runs great, and even has a zoom feature, which is fantastic!”
- “The game runs smoothly without any crashes or glitches, providing a stable experience.”
- “I've experienced consistent performance throughout my playtime, making it a reliable choice.”
- “There are also some visual glitches that you can see in the trailer on the store page, which I'm sure will get ironed out over time, but it's worth noting.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
- “I've experienced several bugs that disrupt gameplay, leading to frustrating moments.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its charming and heartfelt design, reflecting a deep sense of care and affection from its creators, which contributes to a wholesome emotional experience for players.
- “A wonderfully quaint and wholesome game that you can tell was made with love!”
- “The emotional depth of the characters truly resonated with me, making their journeys feel personal.”
- “I found myself tearing up during key moments; the storytelling is incredibly powerful.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization is praised for its clean user interface and the ability to rebind keys, contributing to a user-friendly experience. Additionally, players report stable performance on their PCs.
- “The clean UI and key rebinding options make for a seamless experience, and the performance was stable on my PC.”
- “The optimization is impressive; I noticed a significant boost in frame rates and overall responsiveness.”
- “I appreciate how well the game runs on lower-end hardware, showcasing excellent optimization.”