![fabled lands grinding fabled lands grinding](http://www.nakspowerrangers.com/nakshtml/Furfante/RPM/Grinders/GRINDERS13.jpg)
Immortal Life doesn’t go out of its way to punish you in the pursuit of realism. Immortal Life doesn’t just focus on the end goal of min-maxing your crops for profit - it strives to make farming itself as enjoyable as possible. And instead of spraying your saplings with a super watering can, you can use special powers to summon a tiny thundercloud to sprinkle your farming grids with rain. I’ve never gotten that same satisfaction from the Rune Factory games, where you simply pluck vegetables out of the ground.
![fabled lands grinding fabled lands grinding](https://i.imgur.com/MkQOSPe.jpg)
There’s something incredibly meditative about rolling out of bed every morning and shaking your plants until teeny vegetables fall out. I mean, just look at these beautiful crops. The game doesn’t innovate in any of these mechanics, instead shining through the sheer charm of its worldbuilding. This means expanding your farm, “cultivating” spiritual power by fighting local monsters, and improving your relationships with the local community. You play as the surviving member of a fallen Taoist sect, and you must rebuild the organisation to its former glory. Immortal Life is a cross between Rune Factory and Stardew Valley, but with a major difference: Instead of European fantasy, the Chinese-developed game is firmly rooted in xianxia influences. Though the game is still only in early access, Immortal Life is my favourite farming simulation game since 2009’s Rune Factory 3 on Nintendo DS.
![fabled lands grinding fabled lands grinding](https://www.bazaargames.nl/images/cards/l/emn/woodcutters_grit.jpg)
Immortal Life has a beautiful art style, the villagers are all intensely likable, and the farming systems are satisfying without feeling punishing. It’s a standout among farming sims because it tries to emulate the verisimilitude of life instead of the dreary economics of running a farm. Role-playing as you've never known it before - in the perilous world of the FABLED LANDS.Last Friday, when I started playing Steam Early Access farming sim Immortal Life, I was only planning to play for a couple of hours before bed. Your journeys will bring you foes and friends, danger and triumph, fortune and fame - and more adventures than you have ever dreamed of. Retrieve the golden net of the gods from the Repulsive Ones deep beneath the sea - and use the rewards of your victories to travel beyond the boundaries of the known world. Descend to the sewers of Yellowport to defeat the vile rat-king, Skabb. Use fighting skills or sorcery, bribery or skulduggery to survive the assassins in the city backstreets. In THE WAR-TORN KINGDOM, revolution rages in Sokara.You can join forces with the king to restore his throne - or look for profit in the pay of the dictator, Grieve Marlock. Choose for yourself what role to play, where to go and what to do.