Spirittea review: A beautiful blend of Stardew Valley and Spirited Away that is hard to put down

I was fortunate enough to spend most of my weekend playing Spirittea; not by choice, but mainly because I couldn’t put this whimsical rural-life sim down. Simply put, Cheesemaster Games has developed something beautiful that most Stardew Valley fans will be enamoured by.Inspired equal parts by Stardew Valley itself and plenty of spirit-themed anime and manga (namely, Spirited Away), you’ll find yourself winding up in a quaint, rural town where peculiar goings-on are rampant. It soon becomes clear that these strange events are being caused by lost spirits roaming the town, and as their latest inhabitant, it obviously just so happens that you’re able to see them. Your adventure begins with the accidental discovery of Wonyan after drinking a mystical cup of tea. Wonyan is a cat-like spirit with plenty of cattitude and a grand knowledge of the spiritual realm, and they teach you about the town’s bathhouse - a haven for lost spirits to rest and recuperate - and how it has ended up in complete disarray. You’ll then get to work running the place, inviting spirits inside to rest their bones (or plasma, or whatever ghostly gunk they’re made from), and rebuilding the bathhouse to its former glory. Read more