One Lonely Outpost – Impressions | Harvest Moon In Space

Space, the Final Frontier

It seems like there’s a recurring theme with my reviews on NookGaming – and yes, it’s space. Look, I can’t help it. I grew up reading books about colonizing the Moon, terraforming Mars, and mining asteroids (read Ben Bova’s The High Road, if you’re similarly inclined). Star Wars, Star Trek, and an assortment of space titles had me titillated for the bright future humanity surely faced in the stars… and well, perhaps we’ve missed the mark a bit in that regard. Thankfully, there are games like One Lonely Outpost, whose graceful devs allow schmucks like me to LARP as a space colonist. Plus there’s a cute robot named QWERTY. Let’s get into it, shall we?

Unreleased, But Possessing Unreal Potential

First – we have to get something out of the way. Sadly, this game is yet to be released, and is currently undergoing development and playtesting. It’s coming to Kickstarter soon and isn’t yet available to purchase. That’s why this is just an ‘Impressions’ article. If you’re interested in following the game’s progress, check out the dev’s Discord server, where you’ll find updates, manuals, and perhaps even the lead dev himself. The cool part of this is that excited players, such as myself, have a chance to aid and abet development itself. The bad part is self-explanatory – the game is unfinished, and it shows.

We’ll ignore missing gameplay elements like a lacking UI and some rough animations, as they will undoubtedly be patched, updated, and fixed as the game undergoes development. There’s a few tweaks and optimizations I’ll highlight, as I’d like to see them in the final version – but as a general rule, I’ll avoid the nitpicks you’ve become accustomed to from me.

So – what can you expect from One Lonely Outpost? If you’ve played Stardew Valley, Harvest Moon, or Rune Factory, then you’ve got a general notion of the gameplay mechanics. You’re a colonist tasked with terraforming and cultivating a distant planet. Turn the alien terrain into a bountiful garden with the aid of your multitool, and ship the produce back to the interstellar markets for profit. Reseed, rinse, and repeat. 

As you can see from my profits above, sometimes you just don’t have any plants to sell. Worry not, the foreign soil provides more than just ample planting ground. Scrounge the brown plains for Quartz, Iron, and more exotic fare like:

• Trinite
• Amberite
• Diamonds

Each of which has both monetary value and practical use – as they form the base material for various crafting recipes. Oh yeah, this game also has crafting. Currently, you’re limited to more basic constructions, like piping, forges, and rudimentary irrigation systems. I expect this to expand further and further as development progresses. After all, the devs said that: 

“Our focus is on prosperity, not survival.”

Meaning that One Lonely Outpost will be less about securing your victuals than building a vivacious outer world colony. And, despite the title, you will have friends along for the journey, as additional colonists will slowly join your burgeoning outpost.

You aren’t alone in your desire to escape to the farther reaches of space and be surrounded by cucumbers. Several characters will join your quest, allowing you to ploy their specializations and skills in the pursuit of space-faring prosperity. I won’t spoil them all, but they’re less like a rogue’s gallery and more akin to a cast of friendly faces ala Harvest Moon.

More Than Harvest Moon: A Veritable Diamond In The Rough

At the end of the day, One Lonely Outpost looks to marry beloved farming and crafting mechanics with a space-age tale of pioneering personalities. I couldn’t be more excited about where they’re going to take the title, and I eagerly await its eventual release.

There are several aspects of the gameplay that need some attention, like:

• Expanded crafting recipes
• Additional buildings and utilities
• Bug fixing and functional saves

However, I fully expect these to be ironed out over the course of playtesting and future iterations. The fundamentals are sound and compelling, to say nothing of our darling Elisha and poor Qwerty’s continual maintenance woes. Plus, they’ve already demonstrated that this won’t be your typical farm game, with the planet’s particular geology and harsh weather patterns adding a unique twist on the usual Harvest Moon gameplay loop.

Dust storms or not, One Lonely Outpost does more than simply allow you to live out your space-farming Vegeta fantasies – it’s a fully realized experience in its own right already, and I can’t wait to see where they take the title. The devs don’t have a release date in mind yet but keep an eye on them for future developments and news. In the meantime, I’m going to tend my intergalactic tomatoes. See you on the cosmic homestead, Space Cowboy.

If you are interested in farming games, why not check out our review of Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town? It’s on both PC and Nintendo Switch.