Back in 2020 we were wowed by Thunder Lotus’s wonderful Spiritfarer. The cosy management game deals with weighty themes, including death and grief. However, there’s so much more to it than that.
And the Montreal of Canada team’s Farewell Edition launched in late 2021 adding in free extra content to add to the initial experience. It’s a wonderful game and a total delight to return to five years on.
Cosy Sailing and Ship Management in Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition
Okay, this is available on all consoles and PC. You can even get it on your smartphone. It’s sold over one million copies worldwide so is a big indie game hit—thoroughly well deserved.
The new content added in December 2021 isn’t DLC (downloadable content). It was just free updates the team added to enhance the overall excellence. Namely in the form of two new spirits to look after:
- Daria the rather erratic bat
- Jackie the fun but vulgar hyena
Thus, players take control of Stella. She has a pet cat called Daffodil. When tasked by the Greek psychopomp Charon to be the new Spirtifarer, it’s now her job to ferry around spirits keeping them happy. You grant them their last wishes before taking them to the Everdoor. After this, they enter into the afterlife.
To complete these tasks you have a boat.
In that, you travel around the world (yes, in the endearing 2D format) from one port to the next. The main spirit is called Gwen and you speak with her to kick off your quest, upgrade your boat, and add in loads of new cool features. That includes a guest house, kitchen, garden etc.
As the game progresses you learn more about the spirits and what happened in their lives.
You learn about their regrets, successes, failures etc. The chain-smoking Gwen is our favourite as she’s a diva, full of attitude, but also lots of advice.
It’s well worth watching in action. Those beautiful graphics are matched by a sedate pace, sunsets, sunrises, gorgeous music, and lots of inspiring little moments.
This is partially management sim, so there’s a surprising amount of depth to the title. You have a small amount of control over where to build, and how to style, your ship.
Plus, once you’ve got a field and a garden you can grow crops.
Ultimately, you have to manage your spirits, travel around, buy goods, upgrade your ship with Albert the anthropomorphic great white shark’s dock, and keep everyone happy. You need to feed your spirits, chat to them, and give them hugs.
That gameplay loop is kept pretty captivating as there’s just so much to be getting on with.
Each dock you visit, leading into a new city to explore, uncovers new complexities and gameplay mechanics. All of them introduced at a steady pace to gradually ramp up the player’s management list.
Around all that is an action-platformer sensibility, although these sections (as the whole game in general really) aren’t overly demanding. Very accessible, in other words.
And with the relaxed vibes Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition promotes we couldn’t help but swoon big time for its charms all over again. We love this—think it’s fabulous title packed pull of joy, occasional melancholy, and much more.
It’s a game you can just leave on in and background as Stella sits with Daffodil and takes in the view.
The art style really is stunning. Lots of crisp, clear animations and some of the best sunsets we’ve seen in gaming history.
There’s also that gorgeous Spiritfarer score from Canadian composer Max LL to content with. We’ve done a full feature on that to pay tribute to its many moments of excellence.
For us, backed up by those million plus sales stats, this is a total indie gem. Near enough 10/10 from us.
Some critics have noted there are repetitive elements. That’s sort of true, as you do have to hurtle back and forth across the map sailing away. It’s not a game for those seeking pulse-pounding action and carnage.
What it offers is a beautiful, introspective experience for those who like to dwell and savour the experience.
All wrapped up with an intelligent take on how we must all meet our end.
