Review lingsdook 3/5 · Nov 18, 2022
Fun, but quickly loses its appeal
Dinkum is an addictive Early Access life sim that merges some of the best elements from Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Stardew Valley. It's only a shame that in its current state, it doesn't quite reach the highs of either title yet.
Much like in Stardew Valley, you're a disillusioned city slicker who gets whisked away to an …
Dinkum is an addictive Early Access life sim that merges some of the best elements from Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Stardew Valley. It's only a shame that in its current state, it doesn't quite reach the highs of either title yet.
Much like in Stardew Valley, you're a disillusioned city slicker who gets whisked away to an idyllic natural paradise. The difference is that the place you're taken to is a Australian Outback of an island where you can build a home and grow a community. The activities you can partake in will feel familiar to any New Horizons player--there's farming, fishing, mining, crafting, home building, among other things.
Maybe it's because I'm actively playing Stardew Valley with my partner, but I got a bit burnt out with the amount of grinding Dinkum requires from you. Unlike its inspirations, it's not very good at making you feel rewarded for the amount of effort you put into earning money. The template for a fantastic game is here though, and I'm up for revisiting it as it gets more updates in the future.