My Time at Portia isn’t your typical post-apocalyptic world. For starters, swarms of the undead and wandering hordes of murder bandits aren’t out for your blood, so you know, one less worry. In fact you’d be forgiven for ignoring the implications of a world-ending event that has wiped out most of civilization as you slip into the newest cutesy, Miyazaki inspired sandbox adventure from Pathea Games.
Pathea had previously crowdfunded and developed, Planet Explorers, another sandbox styled adventure. After an initially warm reception, the project didn’t quite live up to all of the dev’s (and gamers) expectations. My Time at Portia aims to correct some of these issues with the now, more experienced team. The project is a little over halfway to reaching its Kickstarter goal of $100,000.
The game is set in a small, post-apocalyptic town at the edge of civilization. The player character arrives in the town of Portia to claim their inheritance – a rundown workshop. Well, rundown is a subjective term since everything in this world is both beautiful and colorful, especially the characters.
Romancing the Neighbors
Villagers are busy living out their lives completely independent of the player. They have their own unique behaviors and schedules. Befriend them and they may share their stories and quests with you. Cross them and, well don’t expect to be greeted warmly the next time you meet. There’s a decently sized demo available on Steam to help players get a taste of their new life.
Gameplay feels very Animal Crossing meets Rune Factory. My Time at Portia lets you take the adventure at your own pace, exploring and crafting your way to workshop supremacy. Despite the seemingly bleak background of the world, Portia is a land full of hope. This makes it a perfect respite from the stresses of life. If you’ve ever sunk hours of your life into another farming/exploration sim then, My Time at Portia should be right up your alley.
