Bastion
LQ: 9.15
Recommended Age: 10+
Skills Used: Planning, Working Memory, Mathematics, Reading
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is a farming simulation game where the player takes over the care of their grandfather’s old dilapidated land in order to bring it back to its days of prosperity. The player designs an avatar, then uses this character to plant crops, upgrade tools, interact with locals, build friendships, raise animals, and build new structures on the land. The player collects resources, sells their crops and animal products, and uses the money to successfully build up and run their farm. Olive Town also has different events such as festivals for the player to participate in, allowing for interaction with the many non-playable characters within the game.
There are also adventures to be found off the farm as well, so players can explore the land around them if they want to do more than stay on one patch of land the entire game.
Story of Seasons features two modes: Normal and Seedling. For players who are new to farming simulation games, Seedling mode offers more of a head start whereas Normal mode provides more of a challenge.
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is now available for purchase on the Nintendo Switch and Steam.
Planning: Developing a systematic approach for setting and achieving goals.
Until things are a little more automated on your farm, resources tend to be scarce. This means that the player will not be able to do every project at the same time. To upgrade tools you might need the same resources you want to use to build another structure on your land. This means that the player needs to plan out in what order they want to accomplish their goals within the game. For players who struggle with planning, starting with one or two small projects such as collecting enough material to upgrade one tool can be a way to practice with setting shorter goals. After the player feels comfortable with this, they can then set longer, multi-step goals for bigger projects.
Organization: Arranging and coordinating materials in order to complete a task.
Farming simulation games are a great way for players to practice their organizational skills. The player begins the game with a limited amount of space in their inventory, so organizing their personal belongings for maximum efficiency is necessary. The player also has to be aware of what materials they own in order to do things like erect structures and upgrade tools. For players who struggle with organization, starting out slow and not amassing too much material can be a way to practice this skill. Getting to know exactly how much space is in your inventory and thinking carefully about what you take with you can be a way to build up this skill.
All membership plans come with full access to our entire suite of tools learning guides, and resources. Here are a few of the ones we think you’ll like the most: