Take A Charming 16-Bit Adventure in 'Kynseed'

If farming RPGs eventually becomes the next "it" genre in indie game development then let me tell you, I'm here for it. Likewise I'm absolutely here for the development of Kynseed, a lush little retro adventure prototype from PixelCount Studios.

PixelCount is made up of a couple ex-Lionhead devs who tout their work on the Fable games, and they are planning to launch a Kickstarter at some point to support their work. That doesn't mean that the prototype for Kynseed is in a skeletal state, though.

Even in spite of some placeholder components here and there, the graphics are charming as heck, and basic interactions and objectives are in place. As it stands it's probably not enough to keep someone playing for days on end, but it was a darn nice way to pass an afternoon. Even in its early stages, it manages to scratch that farm game itch quiiiiiiiite nicely.

You do know about the farm game itch, right?

It's why Stardew Valley struck such a cord, and why the Bokujou Monogatari series has been going strong for twenty years. These farming sims are as much of a fantasy as worlds full of elves and dragons, but they represent simplicity… And a kind of clarity. It's not as if I've ever lived on a farm or in the woods, or tended crops or animals. If I had the choice to live that life I don't think I would. But the idea that whatever you put in you will get out again is seductive. These worlds are soft, and they're fair.

It's far too early to say what direction PixelCount Studios plans to take Kynseed in, and I wouldn't be surprised if there was more to it in the end than just that soft, safe rural fantasy. Either way, the Kynseed prototype is a small pleasure for anyone with a fondness for tilling pixelated soil. Download it free for Windows on itch.io.