Deiland is a management/simulation/adventure game where you will have to take care of your little planet, but also explore the universe to discover others. The game is developed by Chibig, published by 101 XP, and was released on August 9, 2018 on steam. It is the switch version which comes out on April 14, 2021 that I will test. I'm a big fan of simulation games and I'm able to stay in them for hours non-stop. But I haven't found any on the switch yet except Animal Crossing. Deiland caught my eye for his DA and the exploration side that is missing in Animal Crossing. Have I finally found my simulation game on switch? Answer at the end of this test!
We are on our little planet, without really knowing why we are there or how we got there! There is just a small house with 3 fields, plus a small lake next to it. We will therefore have to plant "things" in these fields. You will have a large choice: from carrots to cotton through the salad for example. You won't be able to plant everything at any time. The game has a system of seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter which take place over 7 days. I find this system very interesting, because you will have to be careful to have enough food for the winter. I assure you: it is extremely difficult to run out of products in the middle of winter. You can also plant trees, but these must be located near water. You will have to build wells/cisterns that will fill up when it rains.
You will unlock tools:
- Axe: for cutting trees and shrubs, can be used as a weapon
- Holly: for harvesting and sowing in the fields. Or plant trees too
- Hammer: to build, improve and destroy. Can also be used as a weapon
- Wand: to use magic
- Fishing rod: do I need to specify? ^^
- Hand: for the torch.
All this will allow you to develop your planet and also to defend it. Enemies will arrive from time to time and you will have to fight them if you don't want them to destroy your fields. You will also need to upgrade your house by adding a forge, a kitchen and a laboratory. Thus you will produce even more objects. There really is a huge variety of possibilities.
When you have progressed in your installation, people will arrive on your island to offer you quests. It is especially Mûm who will make you progress in the story, because it is she who will make you travel to other planets. A cook will also come and unlock recipes for you. A magician will give you the power to unlock your wand and your first spell. You will also be able to trade with them by buying or selling your products.
The game is still quite repetitive, you will spend most of the time planting trees and harvesting products from your fields. This is not useless, since almost all missions will require you to have objects from these activities. You can also chain sleep in your house to pass the seasons more quickly. You will also have to pay attention to your hunger bar, if it drops to the lowest you will lose life. You also have a stamina bar that only recharges while sleeping. Your life bar can be restored with potions, eating or sleeping. Finally, a 4th bar, that of experience, allows you to level up. Because yes, this game has an RPG side. You will therefore be able to increase your HP, physical and magical powers, resistances. A plus in this type of game!
Conclusion
So how to say .. Since I have it, I spend at least 1 hour on it per day. Even if these are only small sessions of 10-15 minutes, I go back as soon as I can. It's clearly not the game of the year, there are a few bugs like not being able to sleep (so you have to restart the game). But the DA and the RPG side in addition please me enormously. So, I will continue to play it for my greatest pleasure. And I advise you to play it too if you are looking for a management/simulation/adventure game that changes a little from what you can already find!
- Steam - 14,99€
- Nintendo Switch - 19,99€
- PlayStation 4 - 14,99€
- App Store - Free with in-app purchases
- Amazon Store (Android) - Free with in-app purchases
