Animal Crossing meets the Studio Ghibli movies in Spiritfarer.
Title: Spiritfarer
Developers: Thunder Lotus Games
Release date: 2020
Genre(s): Fantasy, management simulation
Gaming platform(s): Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, iOs, Android
Interest level: Rated T for teen
Summary: In Spiritfarer, a player takes on the role of Stella (the titular “Spiritfarer,”) who is responsible for helping spirits cross the river Styx and reach the Everdoor, the entryway to the afterlife. Each spirit that Stella encounters has a unique story and set of needs, which could include traveling to a specific location or retrieving a particular item, among other things. Stella meets these needs using the rooms and resources available to her on her mystical boat, which she frequently makes upgrades to. As a spirit reaches acceptance of their death and achieves closure, they will ask to be taken to the Everdoor, where they part ways with Stella and gift her with a final memento to remember them by.
Throughout the journey, Stella visits locales as varied as charming tropical villages, isolated mountain towns, or even bustling cities. In addition to the spirit passengers, Stella is constantly accompanied by her cat Daffodil, who can be optionally controlled if the multiplayer mode is selected.
About the creators: Thunder Lotus Games was founded by video game developer Will Dubé through a Kickstarter campaign in 2014. Dubé and his team released their first game, Jotun, the following year; the game was noted for its hand-drawn artwork inspired by Norse mythology. In 2017, Thunder Lotus released Sundered, an action game set in a distinctly darker universe, and opted for a lighter world – but with strong emotional resonance – with Spiritfarer, which they describe as “a cozy management game about dying” (Thunder Lotus, n.d.).
Critical review: I’m not a big gamer, but this is my kind of game! Visually, I just couldn’t get enough. Stella is an adorable character to inhabit (I love her star-shaped hat!) and I love that she’s drawn with dark skin – people of color love to see themselves in magical characters, too. The enchanting and expansive Spiritfarer universe is nothing short of awe-inspiring to look at, with landscapes rendered in beautiful color palettes, subtle glows from the sun, moon, or magical items, and detailed structures like Stella’s ferryboat or roadside stalls.
Tasks like cooking, fishing, and crafting are therapeutic, and the perfect complement to the emotional aspects of the game, embodied by the memorable spirit characters and their various stories about their lives and their feelings about death. The game sends a thoughtful message about the importance of processing death and grief, supporting others with love and compassion, and letting go when the time is right.
Related programming ideas: In recent years, I have seen the idea of the “death cafe,” or an event where “people, often strangers, gather to eat cake, drink tea and discuss death” (Death Cafe, n.d.). I think I first heard about it on this NPR segment.
According to the reporter who attended one, the crowd was “mostly aging boomers,” but noted that a young child was also present with a parent to discuss the death of his great-grandmother. Certainly there are a lot of teens who have also experienced the loss of a loved one, so I think hosting a death cafe at the library would be appropriate. Attendees could be introduced to this video game as a possible way to process their loss.
Brief pitch: Animal Crossing meets the Studio Ghibli movies in Spiritfarer. You’ll be the ferrymaster Stella, who meets spirits recently touched by death and helps them cross over to the afterlife on her boat, which you’ll get to add your own personal touches to as you explore the corners of this beautiful universe.
Potential challenges: I don’t expect this nonviolent game to be challenged in any serious regard. The topic of death is a sensitive one and does require maturity to understand, but the game handles it with gentleness and care, and it is portrayed as an emotional event.
Reason for inclusion: As stated before, many teens are no strangers to death and they may appreciate this video game as a way to cope. In general, I think teens who enjoy Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, or other cozy fantasy games would enjoy this alternative.
References:
Thunder Lotus Games. (n.d.). Media packs. https://thunderlotusgames.com/media-packs-2/
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