The Merry Fairy

The Merry Fairy is a lovely little fairy cottage simulator/idler with cozy scrapbooking and zero challenge or obstacles. As an urbanite fueled by stress and inflammation, I picked it up at a friend's insistence… and then set it aside because what does "inner peace" even mean?

Fast-forward two months or so, and with everything happening in my life and the world, I've been emotionally messy. Constantly spiraling. Long story short, I finally queued up The Merry Fairy.

Four days later, I feel… centered? And like maybe there's a reason why every psych prof and therapist I've ever talked to recommends journaling?

This isn't a substitute for therapy, and it's not really a game. It is a space to breathe. To gaze out the window at nature and ambient weather (which must be selected before "starting your day"). To collect stickers by clicking through everything at the titular Fairy's desk. To soak up soothing harp and Celtic radio. To enjoy the world's most subtle and inobtrusive pomodoro timer. To jot down your thoughts, create art using intuitive tools and all the bits you've collected, and just… be.

It's also a very personal experience. The dev, "Laura Fae," freely shares her artwork, voice, and philosophies while you settle into this fantastical world inspired by the gorgeous wilderness of Kinnekulle in Sweden. All artwork is lovingly hand-crafted with ink, aquarelle (a type of watercolor I'd never heard of), Illustrator, old-fashioned camera, and any other medium a forest fairy can play with. She was kind enough to chat with me a bit, and shared that her inspiration was a combination of creating a safe space and encouraging journaling as a means of self-expression, even when words are failing you. In my opinion, she more than succeeded on both counts.

The Merry Fairy still receives regular updates, so I know it will be just as wonderful the next time I have a crisis; however, the soundtrack is a little too relaxing for my average workday, and I'm still not sure what journaling is or if I'm doing it right.

I don't recommend this if you're looking to explore the wilds, or if your favorite part of Sticky Business was time/space management. I do heartily recommend this if you feel overwhelmed in general, or want some extra chamomile with your chamomile tea, or enjoy zero-stakes creativity. This is basically the glamping spacation we all secretly long for.

Treefrog ribbited at me to buy this, so check out their review. The lovely Amjara summarizes settings and offers pro tips in her review. BohoLibra talks about the game's performance on handheld and the dev's charity donations here.

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🌿✨ The Merry Fairy ✨🌿

The Merry Fairy had been sitting on my wishlist for a while, so finding it at such a good price felt super nice.
The moment you open the game, it already wraps you up in warmth and cozyyyy!

The main menu alone sets the mood! it feels like a gentle “welcome to the fairy garden” before you even start the game completly. You get to choose the weather right away based on your mood, and my absolute favorite is the slow, peaceful rain. It instantly make me feel calm.

You are welcomed into a tiny cottage style cabin, and I completely fell in love with it. Its cozy in that quiet, comforting way! You can turn the radio on or off, change the music whenever you like, and the songs just fit the whole theme perfectly!

One of the best features is the little scrapbook ofc! You can decorate it with stickers you find all around the cabin (even in the settings and credits menus which is such a fun surprise)
There are flowers, cute quotes, and other many tiny details to collect.
But what makes it perefect for me specially, is that you can also write your own text, choose the font, and change the colors. You can turn it into a cozy decoration, a to-do list, a journal, or even a little diary just for yourself.

And! every day you receive a gentle, supportive letter. it is a small little detail, but it adds so much warmth and sweetness to the game.

Overall, The Merry Fairy is not demanding at all, its gentle, calm, comforting, and perfect for me in any shape of form, since i love the aesthetic and making lists, quotes and decorate everything (specially with stickers) Its the kind of game you return to when you want to slow down for a little while. 🌧️🕯️🍄

This is a lovely nature and magical themed... I'm not sure what to call it really. An environment for scrapbooking and contemplation?
If you're considering this mainly as a straightforward productivity tool then you'd probably be disappointed. It has a few such traits, like lists and the offer of a gentle and supportive companion every 30 minutes. But Spirit City and others are a lot better if you're looking for easy access and structure. I also don't think a full-featured productivity tool would fit so well into The Merry Fairy's whimsical little world.
Personally, I'm mostly here for the old-fashioned cottage aesthetics, having a calming place to escape to, and because I found playing around with the decorations in the demo surprisingly inspiring.

There honestly doesn't seem to be that much yet. You can choose between 5 (?) kinds of weather each time you enter. You can examine a couple of things on the only screen we'll get besides the welcome outside - a good old wooden desk inside the cottage. You get kind letters and visits with life advice and Fairyland lore. You can gather decorations all over the place and rearrange them in your scrapbook with some basic editing. There are several books with very promising titles, but only a few pages filled out. There are abundant typos, but I've started to see them as part of the charm and the personal atmosphere (:

If the Fairy's track record with the demo is any indication then we can look forward to responsiveness to feedback and plenty of updates.
This feels like the beginning of a journey you can go on together with the dev, err, Fairy. Not a journey into enchanted woods (however tempting the ones around the cottage may look) but you know, into yourself and all that.

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If you like chill and story-driven games, check out my curator Peaceful Adventures and Stories. You're also welcome to join the group.