Hey everyone! I just wanted to share the story of how my game, Cornucopia, came to be.
It all started when I was a kid and I became obsessed with farming games like Harvest Moon 64 and Harvest Moon: Back to Nature. I spent hours upon hours playing them and learning everything I could about farming. And as I grew older, I became more and more determined to bring that passion to life.
Feeding my Lamancha Goats
So, I packed up my bags and headed off to the middle of nowhere in Canada to homestead for three long years. It was an incredible (and slightly insane) experience. I raised a jersey cow, bred pigs, hatched chickens, and even had two dogs (including a bulldog that is your dog in the game!!). And yes, before you ask, I was a vegan at the time and refused to eat any of the animals I was raising. It was a strange time in my life, but I was determined to live out my farming dreams to the fullest.
Rufus my Livestock Guardian Dog (The Farmer Rufus is named after him)
But let me tell you, living in the middle of nowhere in Canada has its challenges, especially during the winter. It was brutally cold, with temperatures dropping to a bone-chilling -45 degrees. I almost froze to death on more than one occasion, and I have no idea how wild animals can survive such harsh conditions.
Sly Fox
But it wasn't just the cold that presented challenges on the farm. I also had to deal with the occasional animal predator. For a while, I had a few chickens and ducks that kept disappearing, and I would find blood everywhere on the grass outside. I eventually figured out that it must be a fox or a coyote that was causing the trouble, so I bought a cruelty-free box trap and set it out. And sure enough, I caught the culprit - a sly fox.
I knew I couldn't just leave the fox to suffer in the trap, so I decided to drive it far away and release it back into the wild.
Trapped Fox
It was just one of the many unique and interesting experiences I had during my homesteading adventures.
In addition to raising chickens, ducks, guinea fowl, a cow, goats and more, I also had 13 bee colonies on the farm. I spent a lot of time caring for the bees and harvesting their honey, which I sold at the local farmers market. It was a lot of work, but I loved every minute of it.
Bees
However, not everyone at the farmers market was a fan of my honey. There was an angry old honey seller who tried to drive me out of business, even though I wasn't really making a profit. On one occasion he got right in my face and tried to intimidate me, and I think even got his elderly friends too as well. But I stuck to my guns and continued to sell my honey.
Selling Honey
It was experiences like these that inspired the creation of Cornucopia. I used my custom game engine to develop early prototypes of the game while I was out on the farm. And as I went about my daily tasks, I met a wide range of quirky and diverse individuals who eventually inspired some of the characters in the game.
Jersey cow with Munger the Bulldog
But the cast of characters in Cornucopia isn't limited to just those I met on the farm. I also drew inspiration from family members and people I met throughout my life. So in addition to the quirky farmers and homesteaders, you'll also find a cast of lovable (and sometimes eccentric) family members and friends.
Days Pigs were Born
Pigs Sleeping
Now, I bring my passion and expertise to Cornucopia, a game that allows players to experience the joys (and struggles) of farming firsthand. And if you're a vegan like I was at the time, don't worry, you won't have to worry about eating any of your virtual farm animals either.
Just bought the Jersey Cow (Not grown up yet)
I hope you enjoyed hearing about my journey with Cornucopia. After my experiences I moved to Vancouver, Canada and have been loving the city life. It's been a wild ride, and I can't wait to see where the game takes me next.
Fertilized Egg
Baby Duck
Thank you for helping make this game a reality by wishlisting and telling your friends. You don't know how much we appreciate your support <3
Steam page: Store.steampowered.com
Check out the trailer below for a sneak peek at what's to come in the Demo:
