Spiritfarer Reviews

Spiritfarer is ranked in the 96th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
9.5 / 10.0
Aug 28, 2020

Spiritfarer is a deeply personal management game that forces players to care about their passengers and come to terms with the fact that everyone dies.

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8 / 10
Aug 27, 2020

A truly pleasant game, Spiritfarer balances undemanding platforming, gentle exploration and forgiving resource management with a beautifully-realised world with a cast full of charming, likeable, memorable characters.

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8 / 10.0
Aug 26, 2020

Spiritfarer stands out as a real breath of fresh air arriving at the right time, after big video game releases at the start of the year (The Last of Us Part II, Ghost of Tsushima etc) and those still to come with the next-gen. Its varied gameplay makes the experience interesting.. Its artistic direction and soundtrack give a relaxing and pleasant touch to the game, while its main subject is touching, even sad. Thunder Lotus manages to offer a relatively difficult speech with accuracy and brilliance

Review in French | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Aug 26, 2020

Spiritfarer is a beautiful and heart-warming 2D-platforming management game that will give you a different perspective on death. On top of that, it will deliver one of the best experiences of your life.

Review in Persian | Read full review

65 / 100
Aug 25, 2020

Spiritfarer is a nice looking, but mostly dull, resource management game that tries to integrate a unique setting with base-building mechanics. Its characters don't get enough development time for you to care for them, while they demand material comforts. The glacial pacing and repetitive gameplay make this an experience that only a select few will enjoy.

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Unscored
Aug 24, 2020

Spiritfarer is a unique title within its style, if we could include it in a category that is not simply “indie”, since it covers so many fields, it should own its unique section. With a 30 to 40 hours long duration, it's a game you will really love as it's mechanics are far from being repetitive.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Aug 24, 2020

Spiritfarer is a truly gorgeous game in every aspect. A stunning art style, gorgeously melodic music, and a lighter and less punishing take on the management sim genre make it one of the best indie games of the year and a title that will be remembered for years to come.

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8 / 10
Aug 24, 2020

Blending both adventure and management sim, the player cares for these characters and wanders into the wonder of this world, which lights up with each new island discovered. It explores the role of both parties in death; is it the responsibility of the spirit or the Spiritfarer to sew together the uncomfortable threads of loss?

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8 / 10
Aug 23, 2020

Spiritfarer is a game with a lot of moving parts, but most of its elements are well handled. Progression comes at a good pace as you upgrade Stella's ship, her abilities, and build relationships with a colourful crew. The crafting minigames are a weak spot, and the writing doesn't always land, but there's a lot to like about this maritime management title.

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9 / 10.0
Aug 21, 2020
Spiritfarer Review (Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox, PC) video thumbnail
10 / 10 stars
Aug 21, 2020

Spiritfarer is a finely crafted piece of artistic commentary on what it means to let go, and it's far and away one of the best games to come out of 2020.

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8.5 / 10.0
Aug 20, 2020

You will find yourself coming back to the game over and over again, just to spend time with everybody and explore the islands. The lack of any kind of rush or failure allows for a serious relaxed approach that I can definitely appreciate at the moment. There are also some truly entertaining moments like catching lightning in a bottle during a storm, musical mini-games to help your plants grow or saving a giant serpent by driving a pickaxe into their skull.

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91 / 100
Aug 20, 2020

Spiritfarer is a relaxing game that invited me on a journey to meet myself.

Review in German | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Aug 20, 2020

Spiritfarer is worth playing for the visuals alone, but the mature storytelling and fascinating look at a concept we don't see explored very often make it well worth checking out. Expect to put at least 35 hours in if you want to see the whole story, more if you're a completionist.

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TrueGaming
Top Critic
8.5 / 10.0
Aug 19, 2020

Spiritfarer combines the fun of managing your own ship and tending to its passengers with a touching narrative about accepting death and saying farewell to your loved ones.

Review in Arabic | Read full review

9.5 / 10.0
Aug 18, 2020

While many gamers enjoy blowing away enemies, racing through hairpin turns, or guiding their team to victory there’s a growing contingent of gamers who either prefer or enjoy more soothing experiences...

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9 / 10.0
Aug 18, 2020

Spiritfarer uses different characteristics to put together a great journey about moving forward. The mix of resource management, administration, item production and platform is great, mainly due to the great diversity of activities. In addition, there is an extensive world to explore, with open progression free of punishment systems. The highlight is the theme that explores death in a gentle way with countless captivating and interesting characters, reinforced by several exciting moments along the way. The ambience is exceptional, with an intricate look, well-placed music and great text, but some minor interface problems are a bit annoying. In the end, Spiritfarer proves to be a memorable and feeling-filled experience.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

8 / 10
Aug 18, 2020

Spiritfarer has a soft, caring, bittersweet tone that I've rarely encountered in video games. For a game all about death and dying, I only ever felt calm and relaxed when playing it. The management gameplay is varied and engaging, and even though the scope if it leads to the game getting a bit too long in the tooth, it helps connect the incredibly emotional story beats together so well. Mix that up with its beautiful art style and enchanting music, and you've got one of the most emotional management games I've ever played.

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Forbes
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Aug 18, 2020

Those who will patiently (and happily) put in the time to building their ferries and cooking for their spirit friends will be rewarded with snippets of story that might stay with them longer than they expect.

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9 / 10.0
Aug 18, 2020

Spiritfarer is a game about saying "goodbye" to our friends. Its management mechanics are only a shield, behind which Stella, a ferrymaster, tries to help souls living a serene departure. But their journey is also Stella's journey, full of surprises, emotion and laughs and Spiritfarer is able to turn a death trip in a boat full of life, sounds and people. What is the afterlife? How we are reaching it? Spiritfarer answers with elegance and smartness. A precious gem.

Review in Italian | Read full review