Fields of Mistria took cozy game lovers’ community by storm. Early access arrived on August 4th, 2024, for $13.99 and accrued 100,000 Wishlist saves in just one week. Obviously, people were hungry for a Stardew-like fused with Rune Factory, Harvest Moon, and a dash of Sailor Moon josei style artwork.

The Current State of Play

Around 3 months later, Fields of Mistria’s first major update came on November 18th. This update promised more heart events, festivals, cosmetic drops, NPC dialogue, and more. Already upon release, the game promised over 35 hours of gameplay – through all four seasons. And it definitely did deliver. With dozens of crops to grow, animals to raise, relationships to build, mines to explore, etc. etc. there is plenty to do in the quaint town of Mistria.

Early Access Experience: Worth the Purchase?

However, many players wonder if a game is worth purchasing in early access, since not all of the content is available yet and there is no way to “beat” the game. For Fields of Mistria, there is quite a bit to see and experience – even if you can’t do it all quite yet. Here are our main takeaways:

Technical Performance

Starting the game from scratch, this author experienced 0 bugs, 0 crashes, and 0 annoyances for the first 5 hours of gameplay. Fields of Mistria runs smoothly and looks great too. In the last patch, a few issues were addressed such as objects disappearing from farms and a crash associated with a specific questline. With bi-monthly patches, it seems like any issues are getting addressed fairly quickly.

Game Content

Unlike other early access games, Fields of Mistria feels remarkably complete. There is no jarring NPC dialogue saying “oh, come back in like 8 months. to signal an obvious content gap. While some paths are still blocked, this is standard practice in farming sims (that and I may have just not unlocked them yet).

The visuals are amazing across the board. The scenery, overworld sprites, and character art meld perfectly together. Each of the select character portraits holds plenty of emotion and depth. Even the pets offer unique opportunities to show off their personalities. And it helps that they’re really cute, too.

But on that note, the only thing I noticed was the somewhat light NPC dialogue. In Stardew-likes, you can only talk to your neighbors once or twice per day. Taking this into consideration, I felt that the interactions were quite short. Maybe that will change. But regardless, if I didn’t know there was more coming, I’d feel pretty cozy up until I finished all of the available content.

Gameplay Mechanics

The controls are intuitive with convenient inventory management and straightforward hotkey customization. Flowing from keyboard to mouse feels natural, and I haven’t experienced any major hiccups due to clicking the wrong thing. And I love the fact that the Talk and Give action keys are different, as it helps you avoid accidentally gifting people something they hate. While Fields of Mistria doesn’t redefine farming sim mechanics, it executes them in a refreshing way that improve the overall experience of daily activities.

Fields of Mistria Early Access FAQ

As Fields of Mistria continues to grow in both fan-base and in-game content, here are a few common questions and answers from the community.

When Will the Full Game Be Released?

The Fields of Mistria early access FAQ says that they plan to be in EA for roughly one year. However, NPC Studio also plans on releasing several major updates throughout that year – with November 18th being the first.

Will the Price of Fields of Mistria Go Up?

NPC Studio hasn’t specified whether the price tag will change from the current $13.99. But any potential price increases will be determined at a later time.

How Much Content Is Available in Early Access?

With the new content, at least 40 through all 4 seasons! Depending on how much of a completionist you are, there are plenty of things to do and see. Aside from the main story and requests, you can complete various catalogues via finishing, mining, farming, and more. If you’re trying to catch ’em all in the love department, the addition to a 6-heart event cap is sure to take up some time.

Final Verdict

For the current price and magical, content-rich experience, Fields of Mistria already delivers as a compelling cozy game that rivals others in the niche. The polished gameplay, amazing character art, and regular updates makes it a bargain. Dive into hours and hours of cute, magical, and polished gameplay in Mistria!