1,500 Farms and Counting

Less than two weeks ago I opened up farm claiming on the site. The idea was simple: let people pick a plot of land before the game launches, so you'd already have a place waiting for you.

I honestly didn't know what to expect. Maybe a handful of people would try it out.

1,500 farmers have now claimed land in the valley. That's wild. Thank you.

How claiming works

If you haven't done it yet, head to /claim-farm and you'll meet Maple, the valley's land clerk. She'll chat with you, help you pick a name, choose a plot type, and settle on your first crop. The whole thing feels like moving into a new town. By the end you've got your own little farm card, a referral link to bring friends along, and a plot waiting for you when the game launches.

The neighbor system

When you share your referral link and someone claims a farm through it, they become your neighbor. You can see them on your /my-farm dashboard, and they can see you on theirs. It's nice watching the valley slowly fill up with familiar faces.

There are little milestone rewards for inviting neighbors too - a Harvest Basket at 3, a Neighbor's Lantern at 5, a Golden Mailbox at 10, and a Founder's Statue at 25. Some of you are already well on your way.

Direct invites between players are coming soon too, so you'll be able to connect with anyone, not just through referral links.

Character creator is live

This is the big one for today. You can now design your farmer.

Head to /my-farm, look up your farm, and you'll see the option to create your character. It's a full sprite-based customization system:

• Body and face. Skin tone, eyes, eyebrows, ears, face accessories.
• Hair. Bangs, back hair, side hair. Tons of combinations.
• Outfit. Shirts, jackets, pants, belts, shoes, gloves, capes.
• Accessories. Glasses and other.
• Colors. 40+ palettes for almost everything. Mix and match.

There's a randomize button if you want inspiration, and you can preview different animations: idle, walking, mining, chopping, watering, and more. Your character turns out as a portrait displayed on your farm card with your plot's landscape behind them.

Your neighbors can see your portrait too. So when you check your neighbor list, you'll see their little farmers staring back at you. There's already a thread on the Discord with people sharing their farmer portraits.

What's next

Things are moving. Right now I'm deep into mining, and a video showing it off is dropping very soon. Fishing is already playable in dev builds, and farming mechanics are coming together.

If you haven't claimed yours yet, go grab a plot. No rush - your plot will be waiting whenever you're ready. And if you already have, go design your farmer. I would love to see what you all come up with.

As always, the Discord is where the action is. Come say hi.