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Magic in Veil Of Dust doesn’t make life easy, just slightly less hardTurns out there’s a big difference between a homesteading sim and a life sim
Turns out there’s a big difference between a homesteading sim and a life sim
Hot diggedy daffodil, am I glad I picked Casual difficulty inVeil Of Dust. Unlike some games, Veil Of Dust doesn’t make it sound like any sort of concession; the middle difficulty is called Challenge, and says “it’s pretty tough - you’ve been warned”. I took the warning seriously, and thank God, because even the easiest difficulty had me pouring dandelion tea down my brother’s throat like he was doing a kegstand (and in the game).
Áine and Shane are a pair of Irish siblings who’ve moved to Oregon to start a new life, which, in the main story, involves eating potatoes and trying not to get depressed. It’s difficult enough that I didn’t think I would like it at first, as even basic tasks deplete your stamina and sleeping in your 1860s hovel with a hole in the roof doesn’t restore very much per night. Áine can do spells, but they’re simple and only really take the edge off what is a very hard life. Magic isn’t a cure-all in Veil Of Dust, and using it has to be weighed up, just like everything else.
Farm, Hunt & Survive in Veil of Dust: a Homesteading Game - TrailerWatch on YouTube
Farm, Hunt & Survive in Veil of Dust: a Homesteading Game - Trailer
Unusually for a game like this, you can also sort of control your sibling, assigning them chores for the day like watering plants, searching for building materials or hunting - but you also become responsible for their needs, too. They won’t eat unless you give them food, hence how much stamina-boosting dandelion tea Shane was forced to guzzle. It’s a pretty brutal life to live.
Veil Of Dust is in early access now, and while the mid-19th century is a punishing place, the act of playing the game could be made easier, mostly UI stuff. You don’t know what nutritional value meals have, for example, until they’re in your inventory, which makes cooking a bit of a shot in the dark unless you have a brilliant memory. But I like this kind of magical world. It’shardrather than a lush fantasy, and your spells are from the earth rather than flashy fireworks or ice storms. It feels honest. Feels like an honest day’s work. On my computer.
