Imagine stepping into a farming simulator where you’re not just tilling soil and planting crops, but shapeshifting into a boar and dodging the affections of a clingy kappa who’s convinced you’re soulmates. That’s Tales of Seikyu for you—a game that tosses the rulebook of typical life sims out the window and invites you into a world brimming with yokai charm. I’ve sunk countless hours into farming games over the years, from harvesting turnips in Harvest Moon to perfecting my vineyard in Stardew Valley, but this demo from Steam Next Fest hooked me with its blend of rural life and Japanese folklore flair.
The setup feels familiar at first: you roll into town, inherit a sprawling farmhouse that’s been gathering dust, and set out to meet the locals. But these aren’t your average villagers. Instead of the predictable small-town archetypes—the gruff blacksmith or the bubbly baker—you’re shaking hands (or paws) with a wild crew of yokai and yokai-inspired oddballs. Think chatty anthropomorphic otters, sly cats, and feathered neighbors who’d look right at home in a Studio Ghibli flick. As a fox clan member with shapeshifting tricks up your sleeve, you fit right in. I loved how the game didn’t lean on tired stereotypes; every character felt like a fresh surprise.
With introductions out of the way, I dove into exploring the demo’s compact map, eager to squeeze every drop of magic from this preview. I’ll admit, I’m the type who gets lost in new games—spinning in circles until I figure out which way’s north—but even this small slice of Seikyu felt deceptively vast. There’s a lot to poke around in, from forageable goodies littering the ground to the occasional enemy begging for a quick scrap. Still, I couldn’t shake the sense that something was missing. The rolling hills and quiet paths had a whimsical vibe, sure, but they often felt too empty—like a canvas waiting for a few more brushstrokes.
Early on, the game nudges you to hunt down fox shrines scattered across the map. They double as fast travel points, which is handy, but they’re not marked. What sounds like a treasure hunt quickly turns into a slog when you’re trudging through open fields with no clues, hoping to stumble into one. I’ve trekked through enough virtual wildernesses to know this kind of quest can be a thrill with the right payoff, but here it felt more like busywork. After a while, I ditched the shrine chase and swung by the bulletin board for a proper mission—something concrete to sink my teeth into.
That’s when the demo hit its stride. I grabbed a fishing quest from Torleone, an otter fishmonger with a grin wider than the riverbank, who tasked me with reeling in a couple of crucian carp. I cast my line, expecting a standard catch, and yanked up… a cucumber. A cucumber! If you know your yokai lore, you’ll clock the kappa reference right away—I did, and I was grinning like a kid. Then that soggy veggie sprouted arms, legs, and a whole lot of attitude, transforming into a kappa who declared me his fated partner. Refuse him? He’d drown himself on the spot. Dramatic? Absolutely. On-brand for a kappa? You bet. That moment alone sold me on Tales of Seikyu’s quirky heart.
The demo’s short, no question, and with the game headed for Early Access—date still TBD—it’s got some rough edges. The map’s sparse stretches left me wanting more to gawk at or tangle with, and I’d love to see the world fleshed out with extra life before launch. But that kappa encounter? The oddball villagers? Those sparks of personality kept me hooked. As someone who’s daydreamed about trading real life for a yokai-filled village, this taste of Tales of Seikyu left me itching to uncover more secrets down the line. It’s not perfect yet, but it’s got the bones of something special—and I’m already plotting my return to that riverside, kappa husband in tow.
