My Time at Portia is really hot right now, so you know what that means! A million videos and articles about the game to capitalize on its success! Uh, I mean, time to examine why people are so in love with this open world farming game inspired from a host of different games and genres. Yeah.

What is Portia?

My Time at Portia is described as an “enchanting sandbox simulation RPG” on the Kickstarter page. That may sound like a load of buzzwords, and maybe it is, but there’s a good reason. Portia draws heavily from several different works, obviously including Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon. There is also a hint of Dark Cloud and the works of Hayao Miyazaki.

“Gather materials from Portia’s stunning open world: cut down trees, forage for herbs, mine in the ruins and even grow your own garden,” the Kickstarter page reads. “There are even two different types of dungeons including abandoned dungeons filled with important resources such as relics and ores for you to harvest or more hazardous dungeons where you’ll be able to encounter and battle monsters!”

So it’s Harvest Moon. No, it’s Animal Crossing. No, it’s an action RPG. Wait, actually it’s all three rolled into one! Your character, which you can completely customize, arrives on the island of Portia after getting a message that their father has gone missing. You inherit his workshop and from there it’s up to you to decide what you want to do. You can become a farmer, a builder, a scavenger, or even a warrior.

I think this is one of the dungeons?

For more on what makes the success of My Time at Portia‘s Kickstarter campaign so wonderful, check the video above. And if you want more videos just like that, why not check out Cliqist’s YouTube channel?


My Time at Portia is our February 2018 Game of the Month. Be sure to check out the rest of our My Time at Portia coverage.

About the Author

Josh Griffiths

Josh Griffiths is a writer and amateur historian. He has a passion for 3D platformers, narrative-driven games, and books. Josh is also Cliqist’s video producer. He’s currently working on his first novel, and will be doing so on and off for the next decade.

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