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Atomicrops interview: Sow the seeds of pain

One part Stardew valley and one part Hotline Miami, Amoticrops treats mutant GMO killer pests like the scum they are.

Chris Jarrard

March 29, 2019 5:40 PM

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There times when you take a look at a new indie game and think, “This makes perfect sense.” There are other times when you look at a game like Atomicrops and you just get confused. Thankfully, the team at Bird Bath Games have a clear vision of a lovely farming sim that is sprinkled with bits of action and sheer terror.

The child of designer Danny Wynne and artist Toby Dixon, Atomicrops looks a bit like Stardew Valley at first glance, at least if Stardew Valley was full of guns and radioactive crop killers. We got to speak with the development duo while at GDC 2019 and they explained where this insane idea came from.

Like your typical farming strategy RPG, Atomicrops tasks the player with planting and harvesting crops, while rewarding a successful harvest with money to buy more seeds or boosts. Unlike your typical farming strategy RPG, Atomicrops unleashes a torrent of post-nuclear pests at your plot of land and all of them are on a suicide mission to destroy the harvest.

You’ll be able to woo and marry a neighboring farmer to help you in the fight, as well as recruit and train a small army of livestock to be your calvary in the weirdest farm battle ever to grace a video game.

If you tried Stardew Valley and decided there wasn’t enough pain, Atomicrops may be just what the doctor ordered. The development team wanted to do a little farming while injecting all their favorite mechanics from the wide array of roguelite games that have been en vogue in the indie games community for several years. The Unity-powered romp will be launching on Xbox One, PS4, and PC by the end of 2019.

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Chris Jarrard

Contributing Tech Editor

Chris Jarrard likes playing games, crankin' tunes, and looking for fights on obscure online message boards. He understands that breakfast food is the only true food. Don't @ him.