It's rare that I talk about a mobile game, having trouble getting interested in this genre. But Broken Arms Games' winery simulation game intrigued me with its graphics and storyline, so I gave it a shot.
The story of the adventure mode, which also serves as a tutorial, puts you in the shoes of a beginner winemaker who has just inherited the family vineyard (yes, I don't know why, grandfathers tend to often give legacy lands in video games). Even if the storyline is a bit worn, it still works, with different friends of the deceased coming to help our character understand the tricks of the trade through a short scenario that ends in about two or three hours.
The gameplay is based on a turn-based system and cards, which correspond to the different tasks to be accomplished. In order to add spice, the game space where to place its cards is limited, each one being linked to a more or less convoluted form. To maximize the effectiveness of each trick, it is therefore necessary to combine these forms, in a game of Tetris in two dimensions. The art of winemaking is a series of complex tasks, I'm not going to explain everything to you, the game will do it much better than me, but in a few words: crushing, fermentation, aging, bottling, sale, cleaning... ..
Choices need to be considered, in order to sacrifice what can be sacrificed without too much impact on production, especially since each round advances time, and some tasks are only suitable for certain seasons and will therefore become unavailable if the moment is missed. The balance is precarious between the quality of the harvest and the quantity of grapes harvested, and even more so between all the variables such as body, sweetness, tannin and acidity. It is so easy to turn a great wine into a barely drinkable wine.
And, of course, at the beginning, the work is done on a very small vineyard, but other land can be purchased, to plant other types of grapes, for always more things to do at every turn. To compensate for the amount of things to achieve, there are sorts of talents to be unlocked in a tree, just like the support buildings improve. But everything costs money and I had a hard time ensuring stable income, the price per bottle varies a lot according to the quality of the wine, and it is very hard to estimate a price before the final verdict .
Realistic as much as possible, Hundred Days brings a lot of small details on cutting-edge winemaking techniques and tools. It's very interesting, and for this aspect I almost regret the size of my smartphone, which does not allow me to read the detailed sheets in good conditions. And this concern can be explained in a very simple way: the game was released in May on PC, under the extended title of "Hundred Days - Winemaking Simulator" (where it benefits from "rather positive" evaluations on Steam).
A well-designed game that honors an unknown profession, which I recommend without hesitation if you are curious and like the simulation genre. On the other hand, the question may arise on the platform. If you have a computer capable of running it and don't mind the budget, I'd advise you to enjoy it on your big screen (or wait for a PC promo)!
- Apple Store - 5,99€
- Google Play Store - 5,99€
- Epic Games Store - 19,99€
- Steam - 20,99€
