In a nutshell, Roots of Pacha is a pixelated farming game set in the Stone Age. But after playing it myself, I discovered how much more there is to it. Let me tell you about it in our official Roots of Pacha review.
Roots of Pacha was officially released on April 25 in 2023, developed by a small studio called SodaDen. The team first consisted of the two brothers Timo (Creb) and Joni (Berkza). Together, they created this Stone-Age-themed farming & survival simulator, which soon managed to build up a very passionate and loyal community.
We had the chance to play the upcoming 1.1 update in early access, and will share our experience here with you. If you want to find out if this game is something for you and worth spending your money on, keep on reading, here are our thoughts on Roots of Pacha.
Quick Facts | |
| Title | Roots of Pacha |
| Developer | SodaDen |
| Genre | Indie, Farming Simulation, RPG |
| Platform | PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC |
Roots of Pacha – Review
Roots of Pacha is the kind of game that you want to play on a rainy evening, cuddled up in a blanket and equipped with a hot drink.
Judging by the way this game sells itself, Roots of Pacha promised me one thing above all: coziness. And in this aspect, it did not disappoint. Especially with the cold season upon us, this game is perfect for spending an evening away from all the worries that the day brings. For me, as a gamer with a past in Stardew Valley and a lifetime in Animal Crossing, I just had to try Roots of Pacha.
Graphics and Art Style
The graphic style is reminiscent of 16-bit games, and the pixel art aesthetic captivates me every time. It's very well done, and you can tell there was a lot of love and passion put into it. The pixelated art style may not be everyone's cup of tea, but with Roots of Pacha you definitely know what you're getting. The animations are remarkably fluid, which adds to the overall aesthetic impression. In short, the gameplay feels good and not at all choppy, which is a common problem with pixelated top-down games like these.
Gameplay
Roots of Pacha combines a farming simulator with RPG elements, all set in the Stone Age. So your journey occurs as a member of a settler tribe. It is your responsibility to harvest crops, hunt and gather resources to support your own people.
It may all start very simply with just a hand-axe in your possession. Further in the game, you will learn how to craft new and advanced tools that will help you with the crops but also open up new worlds to you. Soon, you will find yourself mining in a sinister cave, trading valuable goods and befriending wild animals.
What I personally like best in Roots of Pacha are the mini-games that you can play to fish, tame animals and so forth. It provides a refreshing variety to the farming sim, as these tend to be pretty grindy. These fun little games ensure that the gameplay loop doesn't become too repetitive and remains fun for a long time.
The game introduces a novel take on progression, particularly interesting as it is set in the Stone Age. Players must invent new ways of doing things, such as reading the time. At first, you won't now the exact time of day, because (duh) there are no clocks, obviously. Only after building a sundial, the minimalistic screen that used to show the position of the sun will be replaced by a digital display of time. This and many more innovative ideas is what distinguishes Roots of Pacha from other games of this genre, such as Stardew.
Story And Narrative
One of the highlights of Roots of Pacha lies in the well-written story. While they haven't reinvented the wheel, the story still feels like it belongs to the world you're playing in and will have you wanting to keep playing in order to explore more of the tiny details you may encounter. The narrative is not only cute, but also remarkably smooth, ensuring that the experience doesn't feel like a burden.
What's more, Roots of Pacha offers you a whole playground of possibilities where you can set the rules for how you want to play. Whether you want to focus on farming, mining, or making friends with the other tribe members. Anything is possible. The most beautiful story in any game is the one, that the players create themselves.
Sound And Music
The soundtrack is actually the first thing I noticed, when starting Roots of Pacha for the first time. The soothing melodies fit perfectly into the mysterious and magical Stone Age theme. The game has great sound design that makes the entire experience even more atmospheric and relaxing. Throughout the game, you will hear little and unique jingles playing, for example while befriending animals with your flute. An instrument that seems to tame all kinds of wild animals in the forest.
Multiplayer and Social Features
You can either play alone or with friends. In Roots of Pacha, you can invite up to three friends to your village. They will be able to live in your neighborhood, contribute to the tribe resources and trade items among each other.
Challenges
After getting started, Roots of Pacha begins at a slow pace, which may be perceived as boring by those seeking adventure and adrenaline kicks. For me personally, although I am used to these kinds of games, it sometimes felt a bit too slow right at the beginning. There isn't much going on in the first few days of the year, and it sometimes felt as if I barely had anything to do.
In the early stages, players may feel a little lost as the game does not offer a detailed tutorial. However, this lack of help could actually be welcome to those who enjoy discovering and figuring things out for themselves.
Despite not being overly challenging and lacking intense survival or action elements, the game instead focuses on maintaining a cozy, wholesome atmosphere with a strong emphasis on visual details and a love for storytelling.
Final Verdict
Roots of Pacha delivers exactly what it promises: a cute and relaxed game that won't overwhelm you. The gameplay is surprisingly original, offering many ways to customize game styles and a loop that feels engaging. The graphics are beautiful, designed with great attention to detail and contribute to a relaxing experience. The story in this game is not revolutionary, but not at all boring either.
If you're looking for excitement and action, you won't find it here, as it's more of a relaxed and laid-back game than an action-packed one.
To summarize, Roots of Pacha is a title for those who are comfortable with this kind of grindy and slow paced gameplay. Anyone who does, will have a lot of fun with it and is sure to fall in love with it very quickly.