There’s nothing like spending autumn taking long walks through nature, cosying up with some coffee and playing some good old video games. It is still October at time of writing, and the Steam Next Fest has vomited all over everyone’s schedules. Seriously, it is just oversaturated now. I used to be all over the Next Fest, trying out people’s demos but now? I don’t have the energy. There are just too many games already released that want my attention, so I have had to put a halt to all my demo coverage. Apologies to the dozens of requests I’ve had this month!
Onto today’s review, I’ve been playing quite a bit of The Piper of Dawn by Bone Nail, who developed the rather lovely Yog-Sothoth’s Yard. I have quite enjoyed myself, despite some rough edges. Launched last month, it is one of those weird blends of genres I love experimenting with. This is not a full review by any means, so just consider it my usual first impressions of the game.
Combining visual novels, shop management, and farming together sounds pretty difficult, but The Piper of Dawn does a decent job mixing the genres together into a core gameplay loop that works pretty well. Between running an alchemy shop, managing workers, farming and interacting with the city’s characters, there is a lot of ambition here. I expected nothing else coming from the Yog devs.
There is surprising depth to these mechanics as well. Farming involves temperature, moisture, and crossbreeding, not just planting and hoping for the best. Shopkeeping, crafting, fishing, and resource management offers a ton of experimentation, more than most farming games in the genre. The ability to pause time during farming makes it more relaxed than strict real-time management. For players who enjoy gradually understanding complex, interconnected systems, there’s much to discover, and the combination of business management and narrative progression keeps things interesting.
The biggest strength for me right now is the story. The city is set within a time loop, and all the intrigue involving dark gods drew me right in. With so many characters it can be hard to make them distinct, but Bone Nail has done a solid job with making them believable.
There is plenty to like so far in The Piper of Dawn, but there are some rough edges that are worth mentioning. First off, the translations. There are some awkward English translations throughout, and occasionally I found some phrases that made little sense in context. This is particularly unfortunate in a game that relies so heavily on reading. While the narrative is a major selling point, it can get in the way of those who want a more cosy farming experience.
While I think the core gameplay is solid overall, it can feel a bit overwhelming especially if you are not used to it. The game certainly throws a lot at you throughout the early stages. It is like shoveling a sundae packed with cream, different ice cream flavors, chocolate bars and marshmallows together into your mouth. It might not be the most organized, but it is quite the buffet on display. And now I have made myself hungry, let’s jump to the conclusion!
Overall, The Piper of Dawn is pretty creative as visual novels go, blending enough gameplay into the narrative to keep me entertained. The setting is cool and there is a ton of ambition on display. I expected nothing else coming from Yog-Sothoth’s Yard, and I am enjoying the game plenty so far. I am sorry this isn’t a more detailed review, as I have been juggling too many games to focus on more than a couple at a time. There are some rough edges, but it has potential to become one of my favorite visual novels.
A review copy was provided for review.
