Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma

 
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma takes the fan-favorite farming and life-simulation RPG series to a mythical new frontier. Developed and published by Marvelous, this adventure lets you become an Earth Dancer to save the land of Azuma after the Celestial Collapse, a disaster that shattered the world and silenced its gods. Explore seasonal villages, battle the Blight’s monsters, rebuild towns, and forge bonds as you bring hope back to Azuma.
Core Gameplay and Features

Choose how you play: Pick between two protagonists (male or female), each with their own personality and story connection. Experience branching scenarios affected by your choices.
Harness Earth Dancer powers to fight corrupted monsters, purify the land, and restore balance. Use sacred dance moves, plus new weapons like Bow and Talisman, to overcome dangerous dungeons and liberate villages from the Blight.
Go beyond farming—manage, rebuild, and decorate entire villages. Unlock homes and shops, invite NPCs to return, and revive divine beings who offer unique powers and seasonal bonuses.
Recruit charming allies, romance any available Candidate (with more via DLC), and celebrate with traditional Japanese-inspired festivals. The redesigned festival calendar and dialogue systems deepen relationships and replay value.
Experience a new Japanese fantasy setting with beautiful hand-drawn visuals, seasonal biomes, and atmospheric music. Each village reflects a distinct time of year and ancient culture, blending cozy sim with grand adventure.
Upgrade, craft, and combine gear, tools, and treasures for your farm and party. The new crafting and quest systems streamline progression and expand customization for returning fans.
Enjoy full voice acting (English, Japanese), modern interface, autosave, and smoother combat. Various editions offer bonuses, art book, soundtrack, and expanded romance as DLC.

Key Details

Release Date: June 5, 2025 (PC, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2)
Developer/Publisher: Marvelous
Engine: Proprietary
Genre: Life Simulation, Farming RPG, Action-Adventure, Fantasy
Modes: Single Player
Languages: English, Japanese, French, German, Chinese, more

Guardians of Azuma vs Earlier Rune Factory Games

Guardians of Azuma shifts the action to a Japanese-inspired world, with deeper village building and party variety than past entries. Combat and farming blend together more naturally thanks to the Earth Dancer system.
The story and new festival system add more replayability and character interaction than previous titles, but dungeon crawling is lighter in complexity.

Should You Return to Azuma?
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma brings new life to the series, mixing heartfelt storytelling, flexible farming, and creative party-building. It’s perfect for fans wanting a cozy, adventurous RPG with plenty of character and charm.