The demo for Collector’s Cove is available on Steam, where you can try the first seven days exploring the sea and collecting items.
Become a Named-Collector
Imagine that your family is entirely made of Collectors—people dedicated to collecting and cataloging every fish and crop in the world—and now it’s your time to set sail and start your own adventure! Collector’s Cove is a farming and fishing game about collecting to reach the highest rank of Named-Collector and gain access to a brand new, exclusive area. With your boat and your animal friend, you will explore islands, buy seeds, and fish in lakes and the sea.
In the demo, we are presented with the basics of the game: use your boat to navigate the ocean and go to areas where you can discover new islands. Every piece of land has important resources to gather that will help you craft new items for your boat. Mine stones, chop down trees, find flowers, harvest crops, and fish in the lakes until you deplete all the resources each island can give you.
On your boat, you can plant crops and create new workstations to craft a variety of items that will help you on your journey. With the help of your three uncles, you will have access to even more items, as each of them runs a different shop. One will sell crops for money, the second will trade items if you ever have too much of a single resource, and the last one will sell customizable items or tips for collecting legendary crops and fish.
Each fish and crop has a legendary version that can only be unlocked when you perform certain actions. You will receive the tip for that action after you reach certain stages. For crops, you will have to harvest three normal crops to receive the recipe for the fertiliser, and then harvest crops cultivated using that fertiliser. For fish, you will have to catch five normal fish to receive the recipe for the bait, and then catch three more fish using that bait.
Only after completing these two stages will you be able to receive the tip for getting the legendary version of crops and fish. However, with the help of the third uncle, you can sometimes skip these steps by directly buying the recipe for bait and fertiliser, or even the legendary tip itself. Each area will have its own crops and fish, and once you complete your collection, you can move on to the next area. In the demo version, however, you only have seven days to play, which is not enough to complete the first collection.
Also Some RPG Elements
As you fish and harvest crops, your fishing and agriculture levels will rise. Collecting items will also raise your Collector’s level. These stats will unlock new abilities as you level up, helping the player become better at those activities. Your animal friend can—and needs to—be upgraded as well. To reach new areas, your animal friend will need to be stronger and faster. In order to do that, you will need to feed him legendary items, which will raise his bond with you and make him stronger.
Your tools can also be upgraded to gather different kinds of resources. During the demo, I didn’t have enough time to do this, but some rocks and trees required a better axe or pickaxe. Your boat can also be upgraded by your uncles to have more resources and space.
A Few More Details
Collector’s Cove is a game made to be stress-free and cozy. To that end, you will not encounter sharks or any menace in the seas. The fishing gameplay is also quite straightforward and not too complicated. Fish will appear at different times of day, adding a little extra challenge to completing your collection. Crops need to be watered in order to grow, but they won’t die easily, and you can rest in your bed to get a morning buff, though it’s not necessary to sleep.
Moving from one area of the map to another takes some time, and during this trip, if you ever need more resources to craft new things, you can catch some floating debris that occasionally appears at the side of the boat. Grab your harpoon, shoot at the debris, and drag it to the boat so you can get some wood while still out in the open sea. Your animal friend will sometimes feel exhausted and stop to rest a bit, but you can feed him to replenish his breath and keep him going!
During the seven days of the demo version, you can explore a bit of each mechanic the game proposes. By the end of the seventh day, you will find yourself wanting so much more time because the game is actually addicting. It’s even difficult to plan your gameplay, as there are so many things to do. It’s fun to explore the islands, getting resources is not as easy as it seems, and there is a lot to craft and build on the ship. Making a demo like this is really impressive, as you can tell what the game will be like on full release—its pacing, its challenges, and how enjoyable it will be.
Final Thoughts
The demo for Collector’s Cove offers a 360-degree dive into the game and provides a solid experience of what you can expect. The title looks fun and cozy, and its unique challenges are very exciting. After I closed the demo, I wished I could continue playing because it is an intriguing adventure with lots to do and a whimsical ambience. It has everything a farming and fishing simulator needs: crafting, some RPG elements, a cool story, progression, and challenges to keep the player engaged throughout the gameplay. This is a very impressive demo, and the final release feels very promising.
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