Spiritfarer is a game created by a company called Thunder Lotus Games from Canada. It is a management simulation and exploration game that was released in August 2020 for computers, consoles, and mobile devices, including Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Android, and Stadia. The main character, Stella, becomes a "Spiritfarer," a person who helps guide the spirits of people who have passed away to the afterlife. She is accompanied by her cat, Daffodil, and completes quests given to her by the spirits on her ship.

Critics praised the game for its calm gameplay, detailed animations, musical score, emotional storytelling, and unique themes. By December 2021, the game had sold over one million copies. After its initial release, Thunder Lotus Games added new content through free updates. On December 13, 2021, the game was given a new name, Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition. In October 2022, the game was made available on iOS and Android through Netflix.

Gameplay

The main part of the game involves the player, who controls a character named Stella, helping spirits on a ship by giving them food, completing tasks for them, and adding new areas to the ship. As the player helps the spirits, they gather materials to build kitchens, gardens, and other spaces that make the spirits feel more comfortable. New sections of the ship are placed on a square grid and can be stacked on top of each other. More space becomes available when the player increases the ship's size.

As the player completes tasks, they learn more about each spirit's past. Eventually, the spirits pass through the Everdoor, a special gate that leads to the afterlife. Stella must guide the spirits through this gate. Throughout the game, Stella meets characters who unlock mini-games. These games often relate to the spirit's personality or story, such as helping a grandmother character named Alice collect a creature's young. The game also includes vendors who sell items like seeds for gardens and ingredients for cooking. Some of these items are specifically requested by the spirits traveling on the ship.

Plot

Stella takes the role of a Spiritfarer, a helper who guides spirits across the sea to the Everdoor, a path to the afterlife. She is joined by her pet cat, Daffodil, who replaces Charon, a mythological figure who once helped spirits. Charon gives Stella and Daffodil a magical item called the Everlight to aid their journey.

After Charon passes through the Everdoor, Stella gets her own ship and begins traveling the world. She meets spirits, helps them complete their final wishes, and becomes friends with them. As she collects more spirits and resources, she improves her ship’s size and abilities. Eventually, Stella must help the spirits pass through the Everdoor. Each spirit thanks her and leaves her a spirit flower as a memory.

During her journey, Stella sometimes meets Hades, who appears as a giant owl. Hades shows Stella images of her past life as a nurse who cared for sick patients before becoming ill herself. Hades questions whether Stella’s desire to help spirits is truly selfless or if it hides her own fears.

As Stella sends more spirits to the Everdoor, butterflies gather on her ship’s bridge, forming the shape of her sister, Lily. Lily’s voice reminds Stella of old memories, both good and bad. Stella tries to understand her sister’s words, hoping to see her one last time.

Finally, Stella sends the last spirit through the Everdoor and faces Hades again. Hades tells her that her body is dying in the real world, and it is now her time to pass through the Everdoor. With her mission complete, Stella sails to the Everdoor with Daffodil. As they cross, Stella hugs Daffodil, and both become a constellation in the sky, like the spirits before them.

Development

Creative director Nicolas Guérin explains that the game's stories are inspired by his personal experiences with loss. He aimed to create a game that explores death in a more personal and close way, drawing from the loss of family and loved ones. The original idea for the game was set on a train, but the team changed it to a boat because the train did not match their vision. The team also considered changing seasons but later decided against it because including seasons would require too much work and would not greatly affect the game. Farming sections in the early plan were very large, making the game similar to other simulation games like Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley. Thunder Lotus decided to reduce the size of these sections, making resource gathering less time-consuming and different from those games. The game includes stories from spirits totaling about 90,000 words, as reported in an interview with Guérin by GameSpot on July 28, 2021. Guérin also spent a month researching at end-of-life care facilities and asked staff for personal stories about loved ones to help develop the game's characters. Characters were created first and then given traits, such as being connected to an animal or more human-like in nature. The game is described as a representation of Stella's mind and how she learns about death. Guérin notes that this is also reflected in the game's island landscapes as Stella travels through the map.

Reception

The PC version of Spiritfarer received "generally favorable reviews" according to Metacritic, a website that collects and summarizes game reviews.

IGN’s Tom Marks gave the game a 9/10 score and called it an "Editor’s Choice," comparing it to a mix of Animal Crossing and an action platformer. He said the game deals with the serious topic of death and those who remain after someone passes away, but it is also colorful and uplifting. He described the story as full of friendly characters with emotional and meaningful stories, though not all characters had the same impact. He noted that repeating the same paths became tiring, and the game’s tasks became repetitive quickly if players tried to complete them efficiently. However, he said the moment when beloved characters left the game was very emotional.

Rachel Watts of PC Gamer scored the game 85/100, calling it a "wholesome life-sim" that handles the topics of death and compassion with a good balance. She criticized the game’s lack of clear details about the afterlife and its inhabitants, saying this made it harder to understand the characters’ goals. Eric Van Allen of USgamer gave the game 4/5, praising its writing as warm, funny, and charming, and said it works best when played in short sessions.

The game was nominated for "Games For Impact" and "Best Indie Game" at The Game Awards 2020. It was also a finalist for the Nebula Award for Best Game Writing and the Hugo Award for Best Video Game. At the 24th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Spiritfarer for "Outstanding Achievement in Animation."

Thunder Lotus, the game’s developer, announced in December 2021 that the game had sold one million copies.