Spiritfarer
A compassionate adventure that finds comfort in death.
Spiritfarer is a life sim about dying. You play as Stella, an upbeat ferry master who’s responsible for finding and helping wandering spirits pass on into the afterlife. After inviting the spirits to stay on your boat, you take care of them and make sure they live comfortably. Then, when they decide they’re ready to move on, you take them to a huge, ominous portal called the Everdoor and see their journey through to the end. Sometimes the goodbyes are easy, but, more often than not, they are bittersweet farewells to characters you’ve grown to love.
You’re tasked with crafting a personal space for each resident, preparing their preferred foods, and keeping them happy with plenty of hugs. Very much in keeping with the life sim formula, you’ll need to complete little tasks at all the boat’s different stations – cooking, crafting, farming, weaving, smelting, etc.
It’s because of these daily tasks that you get to know the characters closely in such a short amount of time, and as thanks for looking after them, the spirits teach you skills that help out with your chores. Through this exchange, you develop a closeness to each individual, and they begin to open up about their past life. The backstories of your passengers are not the usual fluff you might see in community sims like Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley. They hit harder because these characters are, well, dead. They reminisce on their old lives, the families they left behind, good times, bad times, and of course, their own deaths. In this way, they are more than just boat passengers – they’re friends, guides, and confidants.
Spiritfarer understands that dying isn’t just about someone not being there anymore, it’s about the ways you think back on them after they’re gone. Thunder Lotus has managed to create a sim that deals with the topics of death and compassion with wonderful balance.
Spiritfarer is a thought provoking and bittersweet life sim that understands that death is part of living. ★★★★★