My Time at Portia

Developed by Chinese studio Pathea Games, and published by Team 17, My Time at Portia mixes aspects of the simulation genre with role-playing games and farming. Released in 2019, the game is available for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, Xbox One, Android, and iOS. The game has received generally positive reviews from the industry but has received the “Best Kids & Family Game” Award from Indie Prize China, as well as the “Best Games Grand Prize” from China Indie Game awards.

New Life, Old Magic

In this post-apocalyptic title, humans have long been living underground, humanity has few representatives and its advancements have disappeared or become extremely scarce. The game begins as humanity emerges from below the earth and aims to rebuild society. Players are then met at Portia, a charming town where the protagonists Granpa once had a prosperous farm and workshop.

As you return to your family’s old town you are motivated to restore it to its former glory, through the abilities you acquired underground. My Time at Portia revolves entirely around fulfilling contracts, growing crops, raising animals, and making friends with your friendly neighbors. There are multiple activities to keep you entertained here such as mining, crafting, and helping rebuild Portia. Finally, there are multiple secrets to be discovered.

My Time at Portia is a great indie 3D game that has a cartoonish, and colorful design. As its awards indicate the game is very family and children friendly and stands out for its simple controllers and easy-to-navigate user interface.

To-Do List

There’s a lot to do in Portia, building a workshop, running your own farm, designing your own home, becoming a part of the community, exploration, battles, leveling up, and other activities. There is no shortage of activities and things to do, and the game has roughly seventy hours of the main campaign, going all the way to one hundred and sixty hours of sidequests and extra content.

Even if My Time at Portia has countless hours of content, and activities the game can become tiresome after the first sixty hours or so. Granted the appeal of chores and mini-games might be more enjoyable for kids, who probably won’t get bored as quickly as adults after repeating similar chores for the hundredth time. Ultimately the game can feel like its dragging itself along, especially at times where players can’t influence what is happening, and their only choice is to sit and wait for something to change, happen, or for an NPC to actually take some actions.

Conclusion

My Time at Portia is an ambitious title, with grandeur to it. It is one of the biggest titles of its genre, with very diverse activities and a highly customizable world. Fans of Stardew Valley, Terraria, Animal Crossing, and Starbound will find similarities between them and My Time at Portia.

PROS:

• Wide Array of Activities
• Entertaining Chores
• World Feels Alive
• Freedom To Explore Relationships with Any Character
• Over One-Hundred Hours of Content
• Family Friendly

CONS:

• Slow Burner
• Waiting Around Gets Tiring
• Can Feel Overwhelming