For the third time in less than two years, I find myself battling a bout of COVID-19. During these periods of illness, my comfort and solace have always been found in the world of gaming. Back in 2009, while in the feverish haze of swine flu, I immersed myself in the captivating storyline of Assassin’s Creed II. When I fell sick with COVID-19 for the first time, I found solace in Red Dead Redemption 2, a game that delves into themes of sickness and human mortality. Now, in the middle of a remarkable year for gaming, with highly anticipated releases like Starfield and Spider-Man 2 on the horizon, my bedside companion is a little-known Apple Arcade exclusive called Japanese Rural Life Adventure.
My discovery of Japanese Rural Life Adventure was thanks to an X account on Twitter that posts about upcoming indie games. With just a glance at the beautiful pixel art and the pastoral setting reminiscent of beloved anime films like Only Yesterday and Wolf Children, I knew I had to play it. Little did I know that I would uncover a heartwarming experience that emphasizes the importance of community.
At first, Japanese Rural Life Adventure follows a similar formula to other farming simulation games like Stardew Valley. The game begins with the protagonist arriving in the countryside, only to find their new home in disrepair, surrounded by overgrown fields infested with weeds. However, the game quickly reveals its true character.
What sets Japanese Rural Life Adventure apart from other games in this genre is that it does not include any romantic pursuits for the player’s character. Instead, nearly every character you encounter is elderly, plagued by aches, ailments, and a sense of despair about the future of their fading traditions without young people to carry them forward.
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During an email exchange with Takeo Fujita, the founder of Japanese Rural Life Adventure developer GAME START, he shared, “I was born and raised in the city, in a big town. I have no memories of playing in rivers, climbing mountains, or anything like that. I have no older relatives living in the countryside. In other words, you could say that the ‘gentle and simple countryside’ found in Japanese Rural Life Adventure comes from a sense of longing that I felt watching and reading Japanese TV dramas and manga.”
This longing for a simpler life permeates every aspect of Japanese Rural Life Adventure, from its setting to its mechanics and gameplay. Despite the hours I have invested in the game, I have not become a farming tycoon. The gameplay is intentionally designed to be slow-paced, with only limited tasks to be accomplished each day. In stark contrast to games like Stardew Valley, the days in Japanese Rural Life Adventure are lengthy, further emphasizing the unhurried pace of life.
Japanese Rural Life Adventure constantly encourages players to slow down and appreciate everything beyond farming, such as fishing, bug catching, cooking, and photographing wildlife. Each of these activities comes with its own enjoyable mini-games. Sometimes, I would simply let my character rest on the front porch, mesmerized by the sight of cherry blossom trees shedding their petals or the enchanting sparkle of fireflies at night.
Initially, Japanese Rural Life Adventure confines players to a small area around their farm. Progressing the plot or unlocking new sections of the game often entails helping others. Before I could even buy the seeds to grow my first batch of crops, I had to build a bench for an elderly peddler lady to rest. By completing various early objectives, such as partially restoring a local Shinto shrine, the nearby town unlocks.
The town, in a state of disrepair when first visited, showcases the heart of Japanese Rural Life Adventure. Upon exploration, I meet the village head, who assigns my character the task of restoring the dilapidated roads and buildings, including a Buddhist temple and schoolhouse. The hope is that attracting tourists will revitalize the local economy.
This aspect of Japanese Rural Life Adventure caught me by surprise. In Japan, declining birth rates and an aging population pose a threat to the existence of rural life. A 2019 Bloomberg article, citing data from the Japan Policy Council, warns that “If current trends continue, by 2040, 869 municipalities – nearly half of Japan’s total – will be at risk of vanishing.”
Fujita mentioned that GAME START did not originally set out to create a game that addresses these issues. He explained, “When developing games, we do not consider difficult themes such as vanishing rural communities or population aging. We believe that games should be something you can enjoy and forget about everyday life. ‘Growth’ and ‘development’ are elements that can make a game attractive to prospective players. So we adopted ‘village regeneration’ as one of the themes of the game.”
While community has always been an essential element of games like Japanese Rural Life Adventure, the game takes it even further by making community improvement the central focus. In Japanese Rural Life Adventure, nearly all of the player’s actions contribute to the betterment of the town, making it a fresh and compelling experience within the genre.
One notable example of this focus on community improvement is the restoration project I mentioned earlier. While the village head provides monetary compensation for completing tasks, the money earned is often just enough to cover the costs of the next repair. The true reward lies in witnessing the results of my efforts. The project culminates in a summer festival that requires a significant investment of time and money from the player. Before preparing for the event, I had to repair and repaint the torii gates of the temple and produce 21 chochin lanterns to light up the celebration. The hours spent on this task were well worth it, as it led to a stunning night-time celebration that felt like the culmination of everything I had done in the game. Winning a young koi fish to release into the pond in front of my house was an added bonus.
Mechanically, Japanese Rural Life Adventure may not be the most sophisticated game. Tasks are often as simple as tapping to water plants or foraging for the right items. However, what it lacks in complexity, it more than makes up for with heart. That was precisely what I needed during my illness, and Japanese Rural Life Adventure delivered.
As of now, Japanese Rural Life Adventure is available on various Apple platforms, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. It continues to provide solace and a sense of community for those seeking a slower pace of life and a reminder of the importance of preserving rural traditions.
