From Awaken Realms, a team that had previously only published tabletop games, comes No Place Like Home, a post-apocalyptic farming sim from developer Chicken Launcher. After most of humanity has abandoned the rubbish-ridden Earth for a new life on Mars, a few stragglers remain to try and make the most of what remains. You play as Ellen Newland, who has come to their missing grandfather’s farm to not only rebuild it but also to try and find where he could be. You soon take up the task of trying to help bring Earth back from the brink of ecological disaster by clearing trash, recycling, defeating robot monsters, growing crops, crafting, cooking, and more. While No Place Like Home is set in a post-apocalyptic world, it is still full of vibrant colors and fun moments. Along the way, you’ll meet helpful NPCs who will give you quests to complete in exchange for more information about where your grandfather’s whereabouts.
The quests you receive act as helpful guides as you progress through the story while also giving you the freedom to take it all at your own pace. The quests have no time limit, so players can complete them whenever they’d like. If unsure about how to complete a quest, you are able to go up to the NPC who assigned it and ask them for a bit of assistance. No Place Like Home uses all aspects of the game to create an enjoyable and calming game for players, from the quests to the gameplay itself.
The gameplay is fairly straightforward which helps to create the relaxing experience players have come to expect with farming simulation games. You carry around a special tool that allows you to suck up rubbish, drill through the rubble, and collect water for your crops and animals. I found clearing areas with these tools to be very satisfying and their ease of use definitely contributed to the relaxing feel of the game. While clearing rubble you will also find resources that you can use to craft, cook, and farm, as well as hats that you can put on your chickens to make them look dapper. And don’t forget to throw a chicken party every once in a while to keep morale up.
There is also a Creative Mode which allows players to enjoy the world and simplicity of No Place Like Home free from quests or objectives. Players can focus purely on transforming and building this new life. Whether playing in creative or adventure mode, the game is one that’s hard to put down. I found myself losing track of time while I played thinking it had only been a few minutes only to discover it had been an hour.
The visuals of the game are quite vibrant, passed all the brown of the rubble and rubbish lying about. The more trash you clear, the brighter and more colorful the world becomes. This helped add to the gratifying feeling of clearing out areas because they just looked a whole lot nicer once you finish. Alongside the visuals, the audio of the game fits right in. The sound design only helps you immerse yourself into the game, with soft music in the background, apt sound effects for drilling and sucking with your backpack, and animal sounds that are not too loud but noticeable when you walk past them.
During my time with No Place Like Home, in both early access and the full release, I found it to be relaxing and fun. A game to unwind with after a long day. The game holds a lot of charm alongside its broader messages about the environment. With funny dialogues, chickens that wear hats, and robot llamas that collect materials, there is plenty to like in No Place Like Home. If you are a fan of games like Stardew Valley, this is definitely one I’d recommend checking out. The game is still receiving updates quite often, with a big fishing update coming later this year, so even though it isn’t perfect, it is continuing to improve. No Place Like Home is currently available on Steam for $19.99. A code was provided by the publishers for first impressions.
