My Time at Portia arrives at the perfect time. Well, for me anyway. Whilst I was sat crying about the lack of Animal Crossing information, I browsed my emails and found a code for this baby nestled in there. This isn’t to say that both are similar to each other, but what they share is what I like to call the “chore-sim” gameplay. In essence, you play a game to complete seemingly dull tasks to reach simple goals. Hell, I love them though; who am I to question it?! Portia does a stand-up job at taking this core concept and giving it a new identity.

Developer: Pathea Games

Publisher: Team17

15 Hours Played // Review Copy Provided // $29.99

The big question is, what does Portia succeed at exactly? Well, how about we first focus on just what exactly your adventure entails to ‘set the scene’. Like most adventures, or maybe just a few, My Time at Portia sets you off with a tale of rebuilding your absent father’s workshop in this mystical world. Fortunately, My Time at Portia allows you to create your own narrative, for after this point you can go (somewhat) wherever you please!

Now, one thing we need to get straight. I am no stranger to the loading times issue, of course, having played this game to review I had to endure it! Thank the lord though, as I was writing up my final thoughts, the load time patch released and I bring good news! They are much better, now being around 10 seconds or less. Honestly, it completely changed my final verdict on My Time at Portia, it is that big of a deal. Anyway, back to the review!

More of this and less loading times!

Portia is far from a perfect game, but what it definitely does is provide the player with a fun experience. Due in part to its world, but also its relationship system and the gameplay loop. Wake up, focus on building a specific object for a contract, or go mining, or go exploring? Perhaps you fancy trekking into a dungeon, or maybe you’ll just go fishing. The options on display are staggering for a game with the ambitions Portia has. 3D Indies have burned me out a fair few times at this point, look no further than Windscape. . . Yeh, I am bitter! Half-arsed games suck! Luckily, My Time at Portia sat me down with some hot cocoa and made me feel much better.

How about we look at what exactly my own ‘Time in Portia’ has looked like so far? Well, I have placed most of my own focus on taking commissions and building projects for the people of Portia. Most of this has been focused around the core story, but I have strayed off to help particular residents who I decided I wanted to get close with (including a cutie by the name of Sonia). Yep, you can date and marry most characters, dope! Characters are fairly fleshed out too. Eventually, you will come to see the same lines, but it never ruins immersion. One of Portia’s strengths come from building an immersive world. Each character has their own distinct personality and it does a superb job of making you hate and love each and every resident. Yes, Higgins, I am looking at you, you n*b.

Community events like the ‘Day of the Bright Sun’ bond you with the town and its people.

Ah, I am calm again. Where was I? Oh yeah. Most of my playtime was based around working on commissions so I got a pretty good look at the crafting system. The presentation of the ‘recipes’ in your father’s old handbook is so charming, but it actually works in a functional way too. Showcasing what you need, and how exactly you make it. At first, I questioned the presentation but once you get to grips with the various ways of gathering and storing resources it just clicks. It might be the best way I have ever seen it done in any game, it is just that good. You can make so much as well, at this point I still have so much to make myself! Fortunately, you won’t feel overwhelmed as the main story arcs act as a great way to introduce you to new concepts and tools.

I loved this presentation. Simply superb!

One issue I did have was the initial pacing which is 100% down to the first major story mission. Good god, I really got turned off the game because I just couldn’t get to grips with such a complex start. Essentially, you have to build a bridge composed of three parts. Seems simple? Ahaha, no, it isn’t. You will need to have an upgraded axe to get the wood required, a load of tin and copper ore, and then the tools to craft this into the needed parts. It ended up taking me about 5 days to just complete this, it’s such a shame that My Time at Portia starts with such a dull and time-consuming task. Getting through this allows you to actually start playing the game how you should, without some dumbass task overshadowing your time.

Fortunately, Portia offers so much and so quickly that I soon forgot about this misstep and heavily invested myself into this fantasy world. As I said earlier you have lots of options. I wasn’t a massive fan of the combat, it felt really clunky and laggy, to be honest, so I haven’t explored the dungeons too much. On the other hand, as I said earlier, I loved taking on the role of the craftsman of the village. Going around all the townspeople and getting commissions from them and the commission boards became addictive. At the point of reviewing I haven’t explored the farming much but from what I have dipped my toes into it works well with the overall ecosystem.

Becoming the town handyman!

Disappointingly, optimization issues are everywhere. The previously discussed combat is the worst, but mining, tree chopping and even entering the menus lead to freezes. It takes away the peaceful experience of Portia but I hope we could see some future fixes from the developers on this one. It’s the only real blemish on an otherwise delightful experience. It didn’t put me off playing like the loading screens did but it still frustrates me every single time just because of how commonplace it is. Apart from these issues I had a relatively smooth experience which makes it all the more disappointing.

One area which was a pleasant surprise was the in-depth leveling up system with skill trees. Every time you level up, you get a skill point which you then use to improve your character in some way. Being the charmer I am, I focused on improving my social skills in order to develop better relationships with the people of Portia. I loved this as it only added even further to the idea that I was crafting my own story in Portia. I could create my own experiences, unlike any other player! This wasn’t necessary to include but it adds another sweet layer to this tasty cake.

Personalize your very own adventure!

My Time at Portia isn’t without fault, but it manages to produce a fun and pleasant experience in a charming world. Underneath the issues is a well-crafted and enjoyable life sim that no fans of the genre should overlook. At this point in the year, it has been one of my favorite adventures on the Switch. If you are looking for a world to lose yourself in, you won’t find much better than this one. Want to marry someone? Go for it! Fancy becoming a mining expert? Go do it! My Time at Portia succeeds best when you embrace its world and decide to make your own journey through it.

I think what makes it such a relaxing experience is that I have never felt the limited time each day inhibits me. My biggest problem with Stardew Valley is that I often feel pushed as the days fly by and by the end of them I haven’t accomplished anything! Portia, at least at this point, has never pushed me. It ebbs like a lazy river, and I sit in the dinghy soaking it all in. If you want a relaxing adventure, this might just be the one for you!

My Time at Portia gets a thumbs up from me; another awesome-looking game is Overwhelm. To keep the conversation going go follow us on Twitter and join our Discord. Our Youtube channel has become a recent project of mine so go check it out for guides, games and more!