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Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin

PC (Microsoft Windows), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 • 2020

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Quick resume

Discover the true power of rice in Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin! Take on hordes of demons in side-scrolling combat to reclaim the land as Sakuna, a spoiled harvest goddess banished to a dangerous island. Then, return to your mountain village and tend a field full of glorious rice.

Global score

92/100

Genres

Action, Indie, Adventure, Platform, Hack and slash/Beat 'em up, Role-playing (RPG), Simulator

Similar games

    Pros

    • Unique blend of rice farming and action combat
    • Deep and rewarding farming mechanics
    • Engaging story and character development
    • Beautiful art style and music
    • Addictive gameplay loop with progression

    Cons

    • Some combat controls can feel clunky
    • Steep learning curve for farming mechanics
    • Limited enemy variety
    • Some bugs and occasional glitches
    • Lack of difficulty options beyond easy/default

    Analysis

    Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Cooperation, Fellowship, Intimacy, Leadership. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Relaxation. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Leadership, Status.

    How to use the graph
    Similar games map

    Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

    • Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
    • Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
    • Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
    • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

    Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.

    Motivations

    • Autonomy
      4

      "Players have freedom to choose how to farm rice, manage resources, select combat skills, and explore at their own pace."

    • Competence
      4

      "The game involves mastering complex rice farming mechanics and skillful combat, with meaningful feedback and progression."

    • Competition
      -3

      "Focus is on personal growth and farming/combat at own pace; no mention of PvP or leaderboards."

    • Continuation
      4

      "Players report long play sessions, addictive gameplay loop, and desire to continue farming and exploring."

    • Cooperation
      1

      "Some social interactions and character development occur, but gameplay is mostly single-player and individual."

    • Creativity
      3

      "Players can customize farming methods, combat builds, and equipment appearance."

    • Domination
      -4

      "Interactions are cooperative and story-driven with no evidence of dominance or power over others."

    • Escapism
      4

      "Players use the game as a relaxing, immersive escape with soothing music and engaging farming."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of intrinsic interest and enjoyment, not obligation."

    • Experimenting
      4

      "Game encourages trial and error in farming and combat skill experimentation."

    • Exploration
      3

      "Players explore new areas, find hidden items, and unlock new mechanics."

    • Expression
      3

      "Players can customize character appearance with gear and masks."

    • Fantasy
      4

      "Set in a mythological Japanese world with gods, demons, and fantastical elements."

    • Fellowship
      2

      "Players experience a sense of community through story and character interactions."

    • Growth
      5

      "Strong emphasis on learning rice farming, combat skills, and character development."

    • Health
      Insufficient data
    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires focused attention on farming and combat; not a casual or background game."

    • Intimacy
      2

      "Character relationships develop meaningfully through story and shared experiences."

    • Leadership
      Insufficient data
    • Progression
      5

      "Progression is tied to rice farming quality, combat skill upgrades, and equipment crafting."

    • Relaxation
      4

      "Game offers a relaxing atmosphere with soothing music and satisfying gameplay loops."

    • Sensation
      3

      "Enjoyable visual style, music, and satisfying combat feedback provide sensory pleasure."

    • Status
      -4

      "Focus is on personal achievement and growth without social recognition or ranking."

    • Story
      4

      "Engaging narrative with character development and cultural lore."

    • Strategy
      4

      "Requires planning and problem solving in farming management and combat tactics."

    • Thrill
      2

      "Combat provides some excitement and challenge, though overall tone is calm and relaxing."

    • Value
      4

      "Players feel the game offers good return on investment with deep gameplay and long playtime."

    • Violence
      2

      "Combat involves fighting demons but is balanced with constructive farming activities."

    • Survival
      3

      "Players manage threats in combat and farming, including pests and stronger night enemies."

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 29/04/2026